Busch Gardens Tampa announces SheiKra, a B&M dive machine

I'll say it again ... DAY. UM.

Well let's see, there were $118 tickets to Florida from Pittsburgh last week, wonder if they're still available ...

Wow. Kingda what?

I just wish they would show more artwork on the site, or a track layout. I guess I'll just have to make a trip to find out!

Pimp dizzle. Finally a worthwhile coaster comes to the central florida area!

It has 2 vertical drops!!! I wonder if both will have the holding brake. a three minute ride, granted the lift will probably be very long, but this is a tight looking ride!

*** This post was edited by Turbo 10/27/2004 11:10:59 AM ***

TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 27, 2004) – This spring, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will reinforce its reputation as Florida’s premier thrill-packed adventure park by unveiling SheiKra, the nation’s first dive coaster.

Set among the jungle ruins of a once-mighty African civilization, SheiKra will carry riders up 200 feet at 45 degrees, then hurtle them 70 mph back toward the ground at a 90-degree angle. It will be the first coaster of its kind in the Americas and only the third in the world. Similar diving coasters in England and Taiwan can’t match the height, speed and intensity SheiKra will offer.

SheiKra is the first dive coaster to incorporate an Immelmann loop, a water feature, and a second 90-degree, 138-foot drop through an underground tunnel. The ride also includes a 360-degree climbing carousel. SheiKra’s 3,188 feet of steel track offers a total ride time of just over three minutes.

“With its adrenalin-pumping vertical drops, high speed, multiple coaster elements and overall experience, SheiKra is certain to fulfill thrill seekers’ expectations and solidify Busch Gardens Tampa’s standing as the state’s coaster king,” said Dan Brown, executive vice president and general manager, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

So Actually the first drop will be the first drop over 200 feet in florida.....very cool

This is fine and all, but I think after this has been around a year or two, they really should consider upping their flat and family ride assortment.

Not everyone likes coasters.

I would bet over half of Busch Gardens' rides are flat and/or family rides. It's probably the most family oriented park in the state besides Magic Kingdom. Have you ever been to busch? Think about it.

What flyer is coming out that I missed?

Grrr!!! Once again my travel plans will have to change. Kingda Ka looks fun, but IMHO not worth the trip to NEngland just for a few more feet. Then there is Disney's 50th and now this! AHHH!!!!

Ok Heads I go to Florida, Tails I go to New England ;)

Wow...add a flat, people complain that they need a coaster. Park adds a coaster (and a kick-ass original coaster, to boot), and people complain that they need flats?

I know this shouldn't surprise me, but it does.

After seeing the layout I'm impressed.....finally a park has managed to actually do something with this style of ride other than lift,turn,vertical drop,a few twists & turns,brakes.

I wonder if we'll see one of these come to BGW in the ensuing years? only time will tell...too bad the layout can't be re-created in RCT2 though as the vertical coaster lacks inversions:( & I also would have to say that they could've chosen a slightly better color scheme for the ride,something with a nice jungle green perhaps because the red/blue color scheme looks too similar to that which is used on any superman themed coaster within the SF chain.

This looks tight! The second dive into the tunnel is pretty sweet, I was wondering when one of these coasters with a tophat type element would do more than one.

Counting the minutes before someone b****es about the name...

I like the name its kinda sexy.....

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I also would have to say that they could've chosen a slightly better color scheme for the ride,something with a nice jungle green perhaps because the red/blue color scheme looks too similar to that which is used on any superman themed coaster within the SF chain

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I dont think the GP (99.99% of the park goers) would even compare the color scheme to superman lol lol, heck they probably dont even track coaster like that!

Swoosh not too be picky but NJ is not in New England

Wow, yet another new steel coaster that actually interests me. Impressive....Screw New England Swoosh. Florida all the way!

yeah, NE is the northernmost 6 states

I think the name they chose is awesome and goes with their theme for their big coasters with short names that envoke fear. Sheikra is the first feminine sounding name and it works because it still sounds fierce. A shikra is an african bird that dives to kill it's prey, so they changed the name a little and made it sound like the scream of a person (a Shreik) and they came up with the name Sheikra. It's sexy and goes well with Montu, Kumba, and Gwazi.

hey what flyer is B&M coming out with that was talked about earlier? I haven't heard anything.

But seriously, if you come all the way from *Misery* to NJ for Ka, you'd HAVE to go to New England, too, for THE Ride of Steel and "The Lake", wouldn't cha? ;)

I'm VERY pumped about this ride....but I (as usual) have a question...

Doesn't the train in the pics look like a *6 x 4* seating configuration, menaing four rows of six-across? Or is that just me?