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TConwell
Oh come on ...
USA
2088 Posts |
 Posted - 04/29/2009 : 6:23:37 PM
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Many regular members here will know the user name, JonBKChill, when it is used in our community. Jon has been a faithful member here for several years (back to the very beginning of the site actually) and his NEW company, GordonRides has officially thrown its hat into the Theme Park Design industry!!
With special permission from GordonRides, Coasters2K.com is proud to be the first to announce the release of its first product, the MegaWhip. GordonRides has contracted the engineering of the MegaWhip to Dynamic Designs, Inc., of San Jose, California, which will develop the ride for manufacturing.
Taken directly from the press release (located here):
“We are particularly excited to be working with Dynamic Designs, given their vast experience in the amusement industry, and the exceptionally high quality of their work,” said Jonathan Gordon, GordonRides CEO and Lead Designer. “The MegaWhip is a particularly exciting ride design, and I’m thrilled that it will be the debut ride for GordonRides. We anticipate pre-launch availability starting at the end of this summer, and the full product debut at the IAAPA trade show in Las Vegas this November. We hope to have MegaWhips in operation for the 2010 season.”
The MegaWhip is loosely based on the original W.F. Mangels Whip ride of 1914, with a very important key difference: the MegaWhip, unlike the original Whip, is able to navigate both left and right curves in a single layout.
The MegaWhip’s key features are:
- Unlimited ride path possibilities, ensuring that every ride can have a unique layout
- Curve positioning that allows for carriages to swing close to each other, providing riders the illusion of a pending collision
- Variations in curve pattern and size that provide unpredictability and big thrills
- Layouts that can function as thrill rides, family rides, kiddie rides, or dark rides
- Flexibility to conform to almost any size or shape lot
- Several passenger capacities, depending on the size of the layout
- Easy-maintenance design, ensuring speedy and simple removal and replacement of worn components, resulting in extremely low ride down-time
- Nostalgic passenger carriage design, evocative of the original Whip carriages but with modern updates and passenger safety systems
- ASTM F2291 compliant
MegaWhip rides can be custom ordered at the IAAPA trade show in November, 2009, in Las Vegas. Pre-sales for the MegaWhip will begin this summer. Please contact GordonRides at 203-918-3095 or info@gordonrides.com for additional details.
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Jake
Seasoned Member
USA
1098 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2009 : 8:20:24 PM
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| That looks SO badass! Very good thinking, Jon! |
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Tetsu
Ride Host: Talon - 2009
USA
1256 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2009 : 8:23:03 PM
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| Will mention on the next CCR podcast along with my thoughts on the design. |
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jonbkchill
jonbkchill
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2009 : 9:58:59 PM
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Thanks Jake, glad you like.
Tetsu, pardon my ignorance - what is CCR? I am curious to hear your thoughts on the design. Please do keep in mind though that the images posted here are of a sample layout, and there are certain details that are missing from the images.
Thanks TJ for setting this up! |
www.gordonrides.com |
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jayman
Spicy Member
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2009 : 10:19:53 PM
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| now THAT is something unique,A TRULY GOOD IDEA! i can see why you kept your "good" idea from us.. great work.. that looks like fun.. and oh my .. the possibilities! CONGRATULATIONS! I love it , in the presented configuration it'll feel and look like total chaos !! how is it loaded? just stopped and loaded like bumper cars, or some sort of mechanism that switches the track to a loading platform for selected cars ? well anyhow that is female dogen ! .. .. |
Edited by - jayman on 04/30/2009 10:23:59 PM |
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jonbkchill
jonbkchill
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2009 : 10:47:23 PM
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Thanks for the kind words :-)
The MegaWhip is loaded like bumper cars (or like the original Whip, for that matter) - everyone finds a car and hops in - once everyone is securely belted and the restraints are locked, the ride begins. |
www.gordonrides.com |
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Tetsu
Ride Host: Talon - 2009
USA
1256 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2009 : 11:03:59 PM
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| CCR = Coaster Crazy Radio. The sites weekly podcast. Records every Monday night at about 8:30PM EST on BlogTalkRadio. |
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jayman
Spicy Member
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - 04/30/2009 : 11:56:33 PM
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| that is great! all the seats are equal, so you could have multiple entrys! really, that looks like it would scare the crap out of people! niice! |
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Jcoaster95
Jonny Richey
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 01:52:40 AM
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| That looks awesome! It looks like it would work great as a dark ride. I guess you could run the ride continuously and have one loading point with non-stop loading for a dark ride. |
This is a signature. |
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Vid_w
Moderator
Slovenia
553 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 4:09:02 PM
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That design is looking SO awesome!
Imagine the possibilities!
This could technicaly have slopes, right? |
http://www.nolimitsdevcenter.net/u1545
I'd love to stay and chat, but you're a total b*tch! |
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TConwell
Oh come on ...
USA
2088 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 5:19:07 PM
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Anytime Jon ... you know, I am always available to you as is this site!!
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stealthdante
Some covert dude ...
192 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 9:50:49 PM
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| If that ride was a fine-a** b****, I'd totally hit it. |
Stalin: church help me
Churchill: like u helped me before? sure ill just sit here
Stalin: dont be an arss
Churchill: dont be a commie. oops too late |
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jayman
Spicy Member
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2009 : 9:57:43 PM
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| looks like portability isn't a possibility due to the type of track that would be required to keep people from breaking their toes in the ride track when they run towards the car of their choice , so where is this going to be installed? it looks like tons of fun ! .. |
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Real
Uber Designer
12 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2009 : 09:42:08 AM
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| THAT will be AWESOME. If youve ever been on a whip people, you will see why he chose that simple design to expand on. Those things are great fun, this would just be pure chaos! |
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jayman
Spicy Member
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2009 : 4:50:36 PM
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i got it!
the whole track will be like a narrowed down version of the conveyor at the baggage claim, so that it can run flush with the floor to fill in the gap so that patrons can walk safely to their seats! the floor would havae to be acouple inches thick to support the wieght of the cars above the machinery, so the conveyor runs in a gap on either side a few inches deep to keep it from jumping out, and the part that sticks up would only be as much as needed to make it flush with the floor.. no broken toes ! i picture oIoIoIoIoI with the "i" being concaved to fit the "O"so that it can bend to any curve with no gap . every few "o's" has a cart .. i really would like to ride this.. and even with all the possibilities the version in the model would be awesome, as there wouldn't be any scenery or walls to separate the veiw of the other carts. it would be like riding a whitney scrambler but not in a constant circle, and the carts are free spinning and i think the sceams would be real screams of terror .. .. again GREAT idea ! .. |
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TConwell
Oh come on ...
USA
2088 Posts |
Posted - 05/02/2009 : 5:19:50 PM
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Jay: The very first thing I thought of as well was a Whitney Scrambler when I saw it earlier this week. Think about it ... the lats on this thing (depending on the weight distribution in the car) is going to be insane!! Truly, I cannot wait to see this in action!
For those seeking additional information on GordonRides their website is now active and provides additional insight into the company and the vision for the future. Check it out at GordonRides.com (you gotta check out the "Concepts" page)!
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Tetsu
Ride Host: Talon - 2009
USA
1256 Posts |
Posted - 05/04/2009 : 8:58:05 PM
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| I am glad to invite "jonbkchill" to call into Coaster Crazy Radio. The number is (646) 929-2784. The show will start in about 90 minutes. |
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TheArchitect
Exchange Moderator
United Kingdom
593 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2009 : 06:14:42 AM
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| Jon, I'm so happy for you. I can remember years ago when you first started Gordon Rides, and I found it inspiring. To hear that your hard efforts have at last pulled off fills me with joy. Your ride pictures and logo design are very professional, congratulations. Let me know if you need any staff LOL. |
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jonbkchill
jonbkchill
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2009 : 12:32:50 PM
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Thanks for the kind words everyone :-)
Eventually I will need staff, but I'm not sure what the positions will be. I'm assuming that if things go really well I'll look into hiring some engineers... at that point I'll have to re-evaluate my business plan and see what it will take make GordonRides move forward and be profitable in the long run. We're talking 2010 earliest though, right now I just have to get to IAAPA 2009 and see what happens. |
www.gordonrides.com |
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Tanks4me
Future founder of Strata Thrills Company
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2009 : 4:04:52 PM
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Now this is an idea that I approve of! I haven't been here in a while, and this finally gave me enough interest to come back.
However, a few days ago, the topic over on themeparkreview about your new rides has been bumped because of the website, and unfortunately, your wooden invert has a 40% disapproval rating, 28% approval rating, and approximately 32% no comment rating. Of the three or four people that commented on the mega whip, however, pretty much all loved the idea. Frankly, I do as well. (And I'll call myself part of the 18% group in the aforementioned poll.)
Sigh. |
Future founder, owner, president and lead designer of Strata Thrills Company - Allentown, PA
Strata Thrills Company: Tradition and Innovation - the lead design firm of the next generation. |
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Jcoaster95
Jonny Richey
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2009 : 10:37:45 PM
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| Yeah, the inverted wooden coaster seems a little strange, but the warring coaster looks awesome! |
This is a signature. |
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Topic |
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GordonRides Releases First Design!
