Fury 325
Fury 325's entrance plaza
Carowinds
LocationCarowinds
Park sectionThrill Zone
Coordinates35°06′20″N 80°56′33″W / 35.10548°N 80.94246°W / 35.10548; -80.94246
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateMarch 25, 2015 (2015-03-25)
Opening dateMarch 28, 2015 (2015-03-28)
Cost$30 million
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
ModelHyper Coaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height325 ft (99 m)
Drop320 ft (98 m)
Length6,602 ft (2,012 m)
Speed95 mph (153 km/h)
Inversions0
Max vertical angle81°
Capacity1470 riders per hour
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Fury 325 at RCDB

Fury 325 is a steel roller coaster located at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Fury 325 opened to the public on March 28, 2015. It features a 6,602-foot-long (2,012 m) track that reaches a maximum height of 325 feet (99 m), making it the fifth-tallest roller coaster in the world and the tallest overall among roller coasters that use a traditional chain lift hill. Riders experience speeds of up to 95 mph (153 km/h), winding through high-speed curves and passing over and under the park's main entrance. Beginning in 2016, Fury 325 has consistently ranked as the world's best steel coaster in the annual Golden Ticket Awards published by Amusement Today.

History

Sections of track waiting to be installed in 2014

In September 2012, the Charlotte City Council discussed plans for a proposed roller coaster in one of its meetings and it was revealed the ride would cost approximately $30 million.[1] In a closed-session meeting, it was mentioned that the roller coaster would stand 70 feet (21 m) higher than the park's Intimidator roller coaster which stands at 232 feet (71 m), meaning the new coaster would be 302 feet (92 m) high.[2] On October 18, January 23, 2014, and June 9, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, the owners of Carowinds,[3] filed trademark applications for the names Centurion, Fury, and Fury 325.[4][5][6] In February, the Centurion trademark was suspended after another trademark application using the same name was found by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.[4][7] In July, the blueprints for Fury 325 were leaked showing the exact layout of the roller coaster.[8] At the beginning of August, the park sent a beekeeper to deliver a partially burnt bug net with a card saying, "you're gonna need a much bigger net to capture the thrills of the 2015 Carowinds season", to several media outlets in the Charlotte area.[9] On August 12, a microsite on Carowinds' website was found advertising a new ride called Centurion.[10] A similar hoax was conducted by Kings Island leading up to the announcement of Banshee in 2013.[11]

Carowinds officially announced Fury 325 on August 22, 2014, at an event held at the park's Harmony Hall Marketplace.[12] The first piece of track was installed on September 29, 2014. Within the week, the structure for the storage track was erected.[13] By October 22, the majority of the brake run was complete; two days later the final pieces for the section were put into place.[14][15] By October 26, the base of the lift hill was installed.[16] On December 4, the lift hill and first drop were completed.[17] On January 30, 2015, the final piece of Fury 325's track was put in place.[18][19] Fury 325 completed its first test run on March 4, 2015.[20] On March 25, Carowinds held the coaster's media day.[21] The ride officially debuted three days later on March 28, 2015, when Carowinds' 2015 operating season began.[22][23]

The ride closed on June 30, 2023, after a bystander spotted and reported a large crack at the top of a steel support pillar.[24][25] The North Carolina Department of Labor launched an investigation, and Fury 325 was closed for repairs.[24] Carowinds commented on July 6, after an inspection by park staff and the manufacturer, that the crack occurred on the weld line of the column.[26][27] In addition to the regular inspections, Carowinds planned to implement further types of inspections on the roller coaster;[28] a North Carolina labor commissioner said the crack had likely been visible at least a week before the ride was closed.[29][30] After a new support was installed in mid-July 2023,[31] the roller coaster reopened on August 10, 2023.[32]

Ride experience

Once the train is loaded and secured, it dispatches from the station and immediately passes over the transfer track. Afterwards, the train climbs the 325-foot (99 m) chain lift hill. The humming sound of a hornet is played twice during the ascent – once at the beginning and a second time after a voice announces safety directions to the riders. Upon reaching the top, the train drops toward the ground at an 81-degree angle and reaches a maximum speed of 95 mph (153 km/h). The train then enters a 190-foot-high (58 m) barrel turn, followed by a high speed s-curve that leads to the park's north entrance. After passing over the entrance, the train makes a banked turn to the left leading into a 157-foot (48 m) high horseshoe. At the top of the horseshoe, the train hits a 91-degree angle before dropping toward the ground and under the entrance pathway.

This is followed by a second banked turn to the left, which reaches a height of 101 feet (31 m), and a straight section of track. The train then travels over a 111-foot (34 m) camelback hill and makes a near-180-degree turn. It enters a second camelback hill, then makes a left turn into a third camelback hill, which ends with the final brake run. The train makes a 180-degree turn as it returns to the station. According to Carowinds, one complete cycle of the ride lasts three minutes and 25 seconds.[16][33][34][35][36]

Characteristics

Track

The steel track of Fury 325 is 6,602 feet (2,012 m) long and the lift is 325 feet (99 m) high. Due to the ride's height and proximity to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the park had to receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to build the attraction.[37] The track is mostly teal with a lime-green bottom, while the supports are white.[16][38] A total of 3,400 U.S. gallons (13,000 L; 2,800 imp gal) of paint was used and the total weight of the track is approximately 2,700 metric tons (3,000 short tons). The roller coaster occupies approximately 8.4 acres (3.4 ha; 0.0131 sq mi) of land.[38][39]

Trains

Fury 325 operates with three open-air, steel and fiberglass trains, each containing eight cars.[16][38] Each car seats four riders in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.[16] Every seat has its own lap bar restraint and seat belt.[38] This configuration of trains gives the roller coaster a theoretical capacity of 1,470 riders per hour.[16][39]

Theme

The roller coaster is themed after a hornet: riders chase their target at high speeds, similar to a hornet. The inspiration came from the American Revolution when Charlotte was "a hornet's nest of rebellion".[12][35] Despite the teal color of the track matching the teal of the Charlotte Hornets logo, Carowinds did not say if the NBA team had any influence on the final color scheme of the ride. The team's original name had been restored from "Charlotte Bobcats" for the 2014–15 NBA season.[12][40]

Records

Fury 325 set new records and came close to breaking others when it opened in 2015. It became the world's tallest giga coaster – a roller coaster that exceeds 300 feet (91 m) in height[41] – surpassing Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land by 6.7 feet (2.0 m).[35][42][43] Its maximum speed of 95 mph (153 km/h) ties it with Steel Dragon 2000 for being the fastest among roller coasters with a traditional lift hill.[44] As of 2019, Fury 325 is the seventh fastest, fifth tallest, and fourth longest roller coaster in the world.[42][44][45] In North American rankings, the roller coaster is the tallest, fastest, and longest among non-launched, steel roller coasters.[46][47][48]

Fury 325 is also the tallest to be built by Bolliger & Mabillard, following on the heels of the company's first giga coaster, Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland, which opened in 2012. Leviathan reaches a maximum height of 306 feet (93 m).[35][49][50]

Reception

Initial reception following the announcement of the ride was positive. Chip Sieczko, a representative from American Coaster Enthusiasts, said, "This is not a Carolina story, this is not a national story. This is an international deal. It's going to be insane."[51] Arthur Levine from About.com stated that the roller coaster will make an impression at the front of the park.[52]

Awards

Fury 325 claimed the Best New Ride of 2015 from the 2015 Golden Ticket Awards (GTA), ranking fourth overall among steel coasters.[53] It was voted the best overall steel roller coaster in the same awards publication the following year[54] and has retained the top position ever since.[55]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year20152016201720182019202120222023
Ranking 4[53]1[54]1[56]1[57]1[58]1[59]1[60]1[61]

References

  1. ↑ Elkins, Ken (September 12, 2013). "Carowinds could get city, county incentives for planned $50M expansion". Charlotte Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  2. ↑ Steve Harrison, Steve (September 18, 2013). "New Carowinds ride to be 70 feet taller than Intimidator". Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Cedar Fair Properties". Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Centurion". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Fury". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Fury 325". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Trademark Application NO. 86094874 - Centurion - 20884-600 Suspension Letter". United States Patent and Trademark Office. February 4, 2014. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ↑ Hart, Lance. "Carowinds". Screamscape. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  9. ↑ Don Worthington, Don (August 6, 2014). "Carowinds drops clues to tease 'major announcement'". Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 7, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Centurion Homepage". Carowinds. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  11. ↑ ""The Bat" Hoax Website". Kings Island. 2013. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 Janes, Théoden (August 21, 2014). "Carowinds to get one of the world's tallest, fastest coasters". Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Fury 325 - Day 1 & 5 Photos". Facebook. Carowinds. October 3, 2014. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Fury 325 - Brake Run". Facebook. Carowinds. October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Fury 325 - Brake Run Complete". Facebook. Carowinds. October 24, 2014. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Marden, Duane. "Fury 325  (Carowinds)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Fury 325 topped off". Twitter. Carowinds. December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Buzz builds as Carowinds adds final piece of track to Fury 325". Charlotte Observer. January 30, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Carowinds installs final track section for Fury 325 record-breaking coaster". Amusement Today. February 2, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Fury325 just made its first successful test run". Twitter. Carowinds. March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Fury 325 Media Day Reports from Carowinds Park". Park Journey. Archived from the original on 2023-07-02. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  22. ↑ "How to Design a Roller Coaster That'll Make You Beg For Mercy". Bloomberg.com. April 24, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  23. ↑ Walters, Joanna (March 28, 2015). "Hold on tight: World's tallest 'giga' roller coaster opens in North Carolina". the Guardian. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  24. 1 2 Mayorquin, Orlando (July 2, 2023). "Large Crack Spotted in Roller Coaster Prompts Its Shutdown". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Carowinds shuts down rollercoaster after large crack on support beam reported". www.wcnc.com. June 30, 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-07-01. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  26. ↑ Hauser, Nikki (July 6, 2023). "New support column for Carowinds' Fury 325 ride expected next week". WBTV. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  27. ↑ Crabtree, Melanie (July 6, 2023). "Carowinds issues statement on Fury 325 roller coaster". WXII. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  28. ↑ Lee, Hank (July 6, 2023). "Carowinds identifies what caused Fury 325 support beam to crack". WCNC. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  29. ↑ "NC roller coaster". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  30. ↑ Lee, Hank (July 12, 2023). "'Thank God no one was injured': Carowinds starts repairs on Fury 325 coaster". wcnc.com. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  31. ↑ Lee, Hank (July 19, 2023). "Fury 325 update: Testing now underway after cracked support beam replacement". wcnc.com. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Carowinds reopens Fury 325 rollercoaster, closed for over a month". WRAL. August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Fury 325: At a Glance". Carowinds. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Fury Layout Zoom". Carowinds. August 21, 2014. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  35. 1 2 3 4 "Take a virtual ride on Fury 325, the new record-breaking roller coaster coming to Carowinds". WGHP. August 21, 2014. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  36. ↑ MacDonald, Brady (October 29, 2014). "Carowinds' Fury 325 joins an elite club of world's tallest coasters". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  37. ↑ Worf, Lisa (October 24, 2014). "How Many People Does It Take To Build A Roller Coaster?". WFAE 90.7. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  38. 1 2 3 4 "Carowinds Announce Massive New 'Giga Coaster' for 2015!". WCCB Charlotte. August 21, 2014. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  39. 1 2 "Ride Stats". Carowinds. August 21, 2014. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Charlotte Hornets Name Returns to Carolinas". National Basketball Association. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Fury 325: New roller coaster to be built at Carowinds". WXII 12. August 21, 2014. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  42. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Records Holders By Height". Roller Coaster Database. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  43. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Steel Dragon 2000  (Nagashima Spa Land)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  44. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Records Holders By Speed". Roller Coaster Database. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  45. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Records Holders By Length". Roller Coaster Database. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  46. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Records Holders By Height (North America)". Roller Coaster Database. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  47. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Records Holders By Speed (North America)". Roller Coaster Database. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  48. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Roller Coaster Records Holders By Length (North America)". Roller Coaster Database. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  49. ↑ Baldwin, Tim (2013). "B&M Strikes the 300 foot-Barrier with Leviathan". RollerCoaster! Magazine. Zanesville, Ohio: American Coaster Enthusiasts. 34 (2): 18–20. ISSN 0896-7261.
  50. ↑ Er-Chua, Gloria (August 18, 2011). "Canada's Wonderland shows us next year's tallest, fastest ride". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  51. ↑ Worthington, Don (August 22, 2014). "Carowinds to add Fury 325, world's tallest coaster'". The State. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  52. ↑ Levine, Arthur (August 22, 2014). "Carowinds to Unleash its Fury in 2015". About.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  53. 1 2 "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  54. 1 2 "2016 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  55. ↑ "Golden Ticket Issue 2019" (PDF). Amusement Today. 23 (6.2): 51. September 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 30, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2019. "We are incredibly excited that Fury 325 has won best steel coaster in the world for the fourth consecutive year!..."
  56. ↑ "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  57. ↑ "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  58. ↑ "2019 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  59. ↑ "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  60. ↑ "2022 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  61. ↑ "2023 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Amusement Today. 27 (6.2): 66–70. September 2023. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
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