Iron Gwazi

Iron Gwazi is an upcoming hybrid roller coaster under construction at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida. Being built and designed by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), it will feature RMC's patented I-Box Track technology. Iron Gwazi will reuse a large portion of the wooden structure that existed when the coaster was known as Gwazi, making it a hybrid roller coaster that utilizes a combination of steel and wood. It will become the tallest hybrid roller coaster in North America when it opens, as well as being the joint tallest hybrid coaster alongside Zadra at Energylandia which shares a similar layout. It will also be the steepest and fastest hybrid roller coaster in the world.[1] It is expected to open in 2020.

Iron Gwazi
Previously known as Gwazi (1999–2015)
Iron Gwazi sign
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
LocationBusch Gardens Tampa Bay
Park sectionMorocco
Coordinates28°02′02″N 82°25′23″W
StatusUnder construction
ReplacedGwazi
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerRocky Mountain Construction
DesignerAlan Schilke
ModelI-Box Track
Track layoutHybrid
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height206 ft (63 m)
Drop206 ft (63 m)
Length4,075 ft (1,242 m)
Speed76 mph (122 km/h)
Inversions3
Duration1:50
Max vertical angle91°
Trains2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Quick Queue available
Iron Gwazi at RCDB
Pictures of Iron Gwazi at RCDB

Originally built as a wooden, dueling roller coaster with two separate tracks, Gwazi first opened to the public on June 18, 1999. It was constructed by Great Coasters International and was named after a fabled creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a lion. Accordingly, the two sides of the roller coaster's track were named Lion and Tiger.[2] The ride, which reached a maximum speed of 51 mph (82 km/h), stretched over 7,000 feet (2,100 m) when taking both tracks into account.[3] There were minor differences between the tracks.[4]

History

Gwazi
A view of Gwazi from the Skyride. Only the Lion side is operating in this photo.
A view of Gwazi's entrance and lift hill in 2006

On June 16, 1998, Busch Entertainment (owner of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay) filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the name "Gwazi."[5] The coaster was constructed on a portion of the land that was formerly occupied by the Busch Brewery. The brewery closed in 1995 and was subsequently demolished, freeing up land in the middle of the park.[6]

The ride opened on June 18, 1999, as Florida's first dueling wooden roller coaster.[6] Gwazi was constructed by Great Coasters International, Inc. (GCII) and was supplied with six Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) trains, although only four could operate at a time.[7] According to designer Mike Boodley, brand new Millennium Flyer trains were offered, but Busch was unwilling to take a chance on an unproven train design. Gwazi was the last GCI coaster to open with PTC trains.[8] In 1999, Florida was home to two dueling roller coasters: the Dueling Dragons inverted roller coaster (later known as Dragon Challenge), at Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure and Gwazi; the two coasters opened just a month apart.[9][10]

The two tracks were commonly known as "yellow" and "blue", with yellow being the primary color of the Lion trains and blue being the primary color of the Tiger trains.[9] Despite continued maintenance, Gwazi developed a reputation for delivering a rough ride. The Lion side of the ride was retracked in 2009 followed by the Tiger side in 2010. The final component of the overhaul was the installation of four new 12-car GCI designed Millennium Flyer trains to replace the ride's original rolling stock.[8]

Even with the retracking and new trains, Gwazi remained difficult to maintain and ridership continued to decrease. At the end of the 2012 season the Tiger side of Gwazi closed.[11] Soon after the closing of the Tiger side, a bridge was built across the Tiger side's loading platform[2] and one of the Tiger's trains was relocated onto the Lion side's track.[9] Later, Busch Gardens confirmed that Gwazi's Lion track would officially close on February 1, 2015 due to low ride attendance, operating costs and guest feedback.[12][13] After 15 years of operation, the roller coaster's last train was dispatched on February 1, 2015 and Gwazi closed indefinitely.[9][14]

Iron Gwazi

Gwazi's trains were reused for InvadR, another wooden roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.[15][16] In addition, wood planks from the ride were also reused in other SeaWorld Entertainment Parks including SeaWorld Orlando and in Busch Gardens Tampa itself.[17]

During a conference held on September 12, 2018 for the announcement of the parks ninth roller coaster (entitled Tigris), Busch Gardens officials hinted that there were future construction plans involving Gwazi slated for 2020.[18][19] In December 2018, construction applications sent to the city of Tampa listed Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) as the ride manufacturer for an upcoming attraction in the Gwazi area.[20][21] On-site preparations were also started in late 2018 for the code name of a ride entitled "BGT 2020".[22]

Busch Gardens Tampa reported that more information about a new attraction was to be announced on March 1, 2019 after the completion on track work for Tigris.[23][24] On March 1, Busch Gardens Tampa announced Gwazi's replacement as a hybrid roller coaster conversion by Rocky Mountain Construction. The ride was touted as being the steepest and fastest hybrid roller coaster, as well as the tallest hybrid roller coaster in North America.[25][26][27] Permits uncovered in March 2019 report that the ride would be around 210 feet tall.[28]

On September 12, 2019, Busch Gardens Tampa announced the name for the ride, "Iron Gwazi".[29][30] Iron Gwazi was announced to be 206 feet (63 m) with a 91 degree drop, and speeds up to 76 miles per hour (122 kilometres per hour).[31]

Iron Gwazi was originally scheduled for a spring 2020 debut, and testing for the coaster began in March 2020.[32] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, the opening date was delayed due to the closure of Busch Gardens Tampa during the pandemic.[33]

Incidents
Main article: Incidents at SeaWorld parks

In 2006, a 52-year-old Palm Springs, Florida resident collapsed and died hours after riding Gwazi. It was determined that the ride (which was functioning properly) had aggravated an existing condition of high blood pressure.[34][35]

Records

Gwazi held the record for most fly-bys on a dueling roller coaster, with six.[36][37] A fly-by is where the two roller coasters pass each other in opposite directions at high speeds, giving the impression that the two will collide.[9] At the time, Gwazi was the largest and fastest dueling wooden roller coaster in the Southeastern United States.[38]

Awards

Prior to its closure, Gwazi had received numerous placements from Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year2002200320042005200620072010
Ranking 34 (tie)[39]44 (tie)[40]38[41]43 (tie)[42]46[43]40 (tie)[44]46[45]

See also
  • List of attractions at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

References
  1. "Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Announces Iron Gwazi for 2020". 12 September 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  2. Marden, Duane. "Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa (Tampa, Florida, USA)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  3. Mauney, Matt (January 30, 2015). "The end of Gwazi: A look at notable wooden coasters around the U.S." Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  4. "Gwazi". Great Coasters International. April 14, 2017.
  5. "Gwazi". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  6. "Busch Gardens History". Tampa Pix. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  7. Waddington, Bob (January 6, 2015). "Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa – 1999-2015 – The Last Ride". Pixels at the Park. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  8. Rutherford, Scott (February 28, 2011). "Great Coasters delivers thriller to China, new trains to Busch Tampa" (PDF). Amusement Today. Arlington, Texas: Amusement Today. 14 (12): 1, 4. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  9. McMorrow-Hernandez, Josh (January 31, 2015). "Busch Gardens' Gwazi roller coaster's final run Sunday (w/video)". Tampa Bay Times. Times Publishing Company. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  10. Daly, Sean (January 9, 2015). "Last day to ride Gwazi roller coaster at Busch Gardens? Feb. 1". Tampa Bay Times. Times Publishing Company. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  11. "Gwazi to Close? Busch Gardens Rumours are Developing!". Total Orlando. May 23, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  12. C. Hammett, Yvette (December 23, 2014). "Busch Gardens to close Gwazi wooden roller coaster". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa Media Group, Inc. Archived from the original on May 23, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  13. "Gwazi officially closes Feb. 1 at Busch Gardens". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa Media Group, Inc. January 9, 2015. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  14. Omberg, Emily (January 28, 2015). "Last ride ever on Gwazi Rollercoaster: Busch Gardens Tampa". Sun Times Network. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  15. Lambert, Marjie (January 29, 2015). "Last ride for Busch Gardens' wooden roller coaster". Miami Herald. The McClatchy Company. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  16. Black, Jonathan (November 1, 2016). "Busch Gardens' latest coaster, InvadR, appeals to ride enthusiasts". Daily Press. Tronc. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  17. Bevil, Dewayne (April 7, 2016). "Parts of Busch Gardens' wooden coaster are recycled at theme parks". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  18. Staff (September 12, 2018). "Tigris coaster coming to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in 2019". Bay News 9. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  19. Brezina-Smith, Veronica (September 12, 2018). "Busch Gardens' roaring new roller coaster, Tigris, will feature Florida's tallest launch tower (Video)". Tampa Bay Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  20. Brezina-Smith, Veronica (December 24, 2018). "Busch Gardens' long-dormant wooden roller coaster Gwazi looks even closer to roaring back to life as prominent theme park contractor updates plans". Tampa Bay Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  21. Staff (December 27, 2018). "Revamped Busch Gardens coaster may open in 2020". WTSP. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  22. Brezina-Smith, Veronica (January 25, 2019). "Busch Gardens, Legoland take major strides on new investments, rides". Tampa Bay Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  23. Storey, Ken (February 18, 2019). "Busch Gardens will celebrate 60th anniversary with free beer, pin trading and coaster news". Orlando Weekly. Euclid Media Group. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  24. Wynne, Sharon Kennedy (February 14, 2019). "First look: Tigris, Florida's tallest launch coaster, coming to Busch Gardens". Tampa Bay Times. Times Publishing Company. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  25. Wynee, Sharon Kennedy (March 1, 2019). "Busch Gardens will add two new roller coasters by 2020, including this just-announced Gwazi replacement". Tampa Bay Times. Times Publishing Company. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  26. Andrew (March 1, 2019). "Busch Gardens' Gwazi Conversion to become World's Fastest, Steepest Hybrid Coaster". Coaster101. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  27. Tuttle, Brittani (March 1, 2019). "Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announces hybrid coaster replacement for Gwazi". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  28. Storey, Ken (March 18, 2019). "Insane record-breaking hybrid coaster is coming to Busch Gardens Tampa". Orlando Weekly. Euclid Media Group. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  29. Levine, Arthur (September 12, 2019). "Exclusive: This could be the best roller coaster in Florida ⁠— and beyond". USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  30. Russon, Gabrielle (September 12, 2019). "SeaWorld Orlando is getting a new roller coaster called Ice Breaker". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  31. Marden, Duane. "Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa (Tampa, Florida, United States)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  32. "Iron Gwazi is almost ready as Busch Gardens begins testing newest roller coaster". FOX 13 Tampa Bay. 2020-03-11. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  33. "Busch Gardens president talks reopening, safety and when we can ride Iron Gwazi". Tampa Bay Times. 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  34. Vansickle, Abbie; Danielson, Rick (July 26, 2006). "Hillsborough: Man dies after roller coaster ride". St. Petersburg Times. Times Publishing Company. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  35. Erik (December 19, 2014). "Busch Gardens Tampa confirms Gwazi to close soon". Behind the Thrills. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  36. Andrew (January 9, 2015). "Busch Gardens Tampa's Gwazi to Close February 1". Coaster101. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  37. "Gwazi Permanently Closed". Total Orlando. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
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  39. "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  40. "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 10–11B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
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