Mixing
US Thrill Rides
 | |
| Industry | Manufacturing and design |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Patent Lab, LLC |
| Founder | Bill Kitchen |
| Headquarters | Orlando, Florida , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Amusement rides, roller coasters |
| Website | www.usthrillrides.com |
US Thrill Rides is a designing and manufacturing company in Orlando, Florida. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide.
Contents
1 History
2 Products and technologies
2.1 Polercoaster
2.2 SkyQuest
2.3 SkySpire
2.4 SkyView
2.5 UniCoaster
3 Notable installations
4 References
5 External links
History
In 1992, William Kitchen and Ken Bird invented the SkyCoaster. Kitchen founded Sky Fun I Inc. that same year to sell the product to amusement parks. The product was ultimately a hit, with more than 90 worldwide installations in six years. As each operator of a SkyCoaster pays a royalty of 5% of their gross revenue, the company was making $1.75 million annually in royalties along by 1998. Canadian firm ThrillTime Entertainment International took notice and purchased the company for $12 million in mid-1998, renaming it SkyCoaster Inc. All 12 employees kept their jobs, with Kitchen remaining linked to the company as a consultant.[1]
Kitchen's next invention was that of the SkyVenture, sold under SkyVenture, LLC. The first installation opened across from Wet 'n Wild Orlando on International Drive in July 1998. Within a year, the attraction's popularity grew, making a profit for the firm and getting a visit by former President of the United States George H. W. Bush.[2]
Kitchen next founded US Thrill Rides, a central firm for all future design concepts.[3] US Thrill Rides has since developed the UniCoaster flat rides (which are sold and manufactured by Chance Rides),[4] and SkyQuest transport rides,[5] as well as the SkySpire and Polercoaster (in collaboration with S&S Worldwide and Intamin).[6]
Products and technologies
US Thrill Rides specializes in amusement rides and attractions.[7]
Polercoaster
Polercoaster is an amusement ride offered as a joint venture by US Thrill Rides, and Intamin. An installation consists of a large tower structure which features glass elevators to an observation deck, as well as an El Loco steel roller coaster wrapping around the tower.[8] The model was first introduced in 2012. US Thrill Rides' Bill and Michael Kitchen invented the concept to allow amusement parks with little available space to be able to design a full-size roller coaster.[9][10][11]
SkyQuest
SkyQuest is a people mover introduced in 2010. The cable-car style ride utilizes covered platforms and gondolas to move rides either around the track or from one platform to another.[12][13]
SkySpire
SkySpire is an amusement ride offered by US Thrill Rides. An installation consists of a large tower structure which features glass elevators to an observation deck, as well as a ride featuring fully enclosed gondolas wrapping around the tower in the shape of a double helix.[14][15]
SkyView
SkyView is a proposed concept for lightweight Ferris wheel designs with heights between 200 feet (61 m) and 1,000 feet (300 m) and able to withstand strong winds.[16] The wheel itself does not turn like a conventional Ferris wheel, instead a chain-like mechanism is used to move the gondolas around the structure, which could be constructed in shapes other than the traditional circle.[17] In 2009, Park World Online reported that US Thrill Rides planned to erect and operate 300-foot (91 m) tall SkyView rides in Orlando and Las Vegas,[17] however the 400-foot (120 m) Orlando Eye and 550-foot (170 m) High Roller giant wheels have since been constructed in those cities. No SkyView rides have yet been built.
UniCoaster
UniCoaster is an amusement ride with a small footprint designed to mimic the experience of a looping roller coaster. The design is currently licensed exclusively to Chance Rides.[18]
Notable installations
| Year | Ride | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | BrainSurge (UniCoaster) | Nickelodeon Universe – Bloomington, Minnesota |
|
| 2010 | Octotron (UniCoaster) | Belmont Park – San Diego, California | |
| 2012 | SkyQuest | Indianapolis Zoo – Indianapolis, Indiana | [12][13] |
| 2020 | Skyscraper (Polercoaster) | Skyplex – Orlando, Florida |
|
References
^ Waddell, Ray (August 3, 1998). "ThrillTime Entertainment purchases Sky Fun 1; to be named SkyCoaster". Amusement Business. 110 (31): 19..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ O'Brien, Tim (April 12, 1999). "Former President Bush takes a 'fall' at Orlando's Sky Venture". Amusement Business. 111 (15): 18.
^ "Reinventing the wheel". Park World Magazine. November 27, 2009. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
^ "Chance finishes first Unicoaster". Park World Magazine. November 27, 2009. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
^ "US Thrill Rides launches SkyQuest". Park World Magazine. December 29, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
^ "Polercoaster". Park World Magazine. November 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
^ "Our Products". usthrillrides.com. US Thrill Rides. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
^ "Polercoaster™". usthrillrides.com. US Thrill Rides. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
^ "Parkworld Magazine November 2012". Parkworld Magazine: 36. November 2012. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
^ Kitchen, Michael (13 November 2012). "IAAPA 2012 Trade Show Coverage". Theme Park Review (Interview). Interviewed by Robb Alvey. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
^ Kitchen, Michael (November 19, 2013). "S&S & US Thrill Rides Announce New Poler Coaster that will be Worlds Tallest Coaster". The Coaster Crew (Interview). Retrieved 2015-07-11.
^ ab "US Thrill Rides launches SkyQuest". parkworld-online.com. Park World Online. 2010-12-29. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
^ ab "SkyQuest ride sold to Indianapolis Zoo". Orlando Business Journal. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
^ "SkySpire™". usthrillrides.com. US Thrill Rides. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
^ Anstey, Tom (March 13, 2015). "AM2 News: Skyspire concept touted for New Orleans World Trade Center redevelopment". http://am2.jobs. Retrieved 2015-07-11. External link in|work=(help)
^ "SkyView™". usthrillrides.com. US Thrill Rides. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
^ ab "Reinventing the wheel : Park World Online – Theme Park, Amusement Park and Attractions Industry News". parkworld-online.com. Park World. 2009-11-27. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
^ "UniCoaster™". usthrillrides.com. US Thrill Rides. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
^ Dineen, Caitlin (May 6, 2015). "Skyplex plans include 350-room hotel on Orlando's International Drive". OrlandoSentinel.com. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2015-07-11.
External links
Official website
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