Carowinds announces Copperhead Strike, a roller coaster with two launches
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From the park:
As the first double launch roller coaster in the Carolinas, Copperhead Strike will deliver twice the boost and twice the bite. The ride immediately leaves the station and goes into a jo-jo roll before loading into the launch station. After pausing, the ride takes off at an incredible 0 to 42 miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds. Guests will experience a series of fast, tight, close-to-the-ground maneuvers and flip upside down in five head-over-heels inversions -- the most of any double launch coaster in North America. Midway through the ride, a second thrust of acceleration launches riders into the next half of the exciting experience. Copperhead Strike does not let up during its 2 minute and 24 second ride along 3,255 feet of steel. It's full throttle all the way from start to finish!
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I like that the website calls it “the first double launch coaster in the Carolinas.” Isn’t it the only launched coaster in the Carolinas? It’s like marketing had a quota for the number of times they had to include double launch in their advertising.
Between this , KW and SFAm, all the 2018 marquee coasters seem very inversion focused. The 1980's are back! Even Yukon Striker sneaks in an extra full loop atypical of the Dives. I dig the uses of the color orange though.
Cedar Fair found a way to rid itself of the loose article problem. Shake down the riders with a sloooow JoJo roll coming out of the station. Hydra was ahead of its time.
But about the ride for a second...
I’m thrilled with this addition, and I feel it’s one of the best the ‘19 season has to offer. First, it’s a Mack ride and has everything a ride of this type should have with the added bonus of quality engineering and comfort. I won’t laugh at the announcement in regard to “double launch”- they very easily could have skimped on length and ride experience but instead they chose to do this and I’d like to thank them for it.
I spoke about the “shed experience” over at the SFMM thread and this is finally the example of the thing done right. Take the riders through a brief but thrilling intro then give them an anticipatory wait. It’s essentially a not so obvious or irritating stack and it’s placement is a great solution. Certainly far better than the mood killer at Kings Island. And I don’t know of a coaster that launches while traveling a series of hills at the same time.
CF in general hasn’t always been the best in terms of story line or themeing, but they seem to have struck gold with the Weird Farm motif- this is three now. It’s cute, it’s appropriate, and is easily marketable. The entire area seems like it will be done well, the stations are correct, and the fronts of the trains look great.
I was hoping the launcher at Blackpool would prompt me to finally go there, but not so much. This ride will definitely give me a reason to spend a few days back at Carowinds, a park that deservedly is getting grand attention these days.
I like the idea of a less tall coaster for the sake of more fast turns. And a launch on a hop? Sign me up!
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
A family coaster in the vein of Maverick, by Mack. What’s not to love? Thunder Road who? This will be a home run for sure!
So are there snakes in the shed?
Looks like a great coaster to me. Watching the POV I was surprised that the track length is not longer as the ride seems long.
I do feel like this is the perfect addition to Carowinds. Combined with the one-two punch of Fury and Intimidator, this will be so different but equally as fun.
As for intensity, I get the feeling it will be perfectly situated between Cheetah Hunt and Maverick, which is exactly what Carowinds needs. As cool as bringing Twisted Timbers to their Hurler would be, I get the feeling this ride will be on the same level of fun.
Icon is somewhat dull but Helix and Blue Fire are tremendous. Let's see what happens with this one!
Nothing to see here. Move along.
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