Orkanen ("Hurricane" in English) is a Vekoma Suspended Family Coaster at Fårup Sommarland in

Blokhus Blokhus is a village in North Jutland, Denmark. It is located in Jammerbugt Municipality. Blokhus is a popular beach town with around 1 million visitors every year. History Blokhus was originally named ''Hune Hvarre''. In the early 1600s there w ...

, North Jutland,

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. The coaster opened in 2013, and represented a $35,000,000 DKK investment, which was billed as the park's most expensive addition until Fønix opened in 2022.

History

On August 17, 2012, Fårup Sommarland officially announced the addition of the Orkanen roller coaster for the 2013 season, which would be located on the west side of the park and maneuver over and under a lake. A model was set up in the

Falken Falken Tire is a brand of passenger car, light truck, and medium truck tires owned by the Japanese company Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI). It was launched in its native country of Japan in 1983, and was introduced to the North American marke ...

onride photo building, and an animated rendering depicting the ride experience was also released. Construction took place throughout the fall and winter of 2012/2013, which required the temporary drainage of the lake as so to be able to install the ride's signature underwater tunnel, footers, and new landmasses. Orkanen was officially opened to the public on June 5, 2013. In 2015, the park implemented a

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function on the coaster, allowing riders to broadcast their ride live online if they chose to do so.

Characteristics

Layout

Dispatching the station, the train makes a 90° left turn into the lift hill, which utilizes

drive tire This list of roller coaster elements contains the individual parts of roller coaster design and operation. Introduction Roller coaster elements are the individual parts of roller coaster design and operation, such as a track, hill, loop, or turn. ...

s to propel it to its height. Upon reaching the top, riders bank slightly to the left and plunge into an

underwater tunnel An underwater tunnel is a tunnel which is partly or wholly constructed under the sea or a river. They are often used where building a bridge or operating a ferry link is unviable, or to provide competition or relief for existing bridges or ferry li ...

, rising up into a forceful overbanked turn (similar to a Cutback). The train speeds up into a helix, following a jump over the station building and yet another helix. Riders twist into a turnaround, pass through another tunnel, and make a final 90° turn into the station, where the train comes to a stop. The entire ride lasts just one minute.

Statistics

Orkanen has a top speed of , a peak height of , and a total length of . The coaster passes through two tunnels, one of which is located under the lake and is in length. It runs a single, 20 passenger train, which restrains guests with lap bars and is mounted below the track.

Model

Orkanen was manufactured by Dutch-firm Vekoma, and is the original of the 453 m variant of their Suspended Family Coaster model. Various clones of the ride were produced soon after, including

Dragonflier Dragonflier is a Vekoma Suspended Family Coaster at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The coaster debuted in 2019 as part of the $37 million, 5.5-acre Wildwood Grove park area, which was targeted at families and children. The ride features a ...

at Dollywood in

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 6,343. Situated just 5 miles (8 km) north of Great Smoky Mountains National Par ...

, and Dragon Roller Coaster at Energylandia in

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, Poland. As of 2021, 11 of the 453 m variants are either in operation or under construction across the globe.

Incidents

On October 14, 2015, a park employee was struck and seriously injured by Orkanen's moving train whilst retrieving a lost bag for a guest. Park representatives later stated that his actions were in violation of park safety codes and an investigation was underway.

Reception

Orkanen received high praise from the general public and roller coaster enthusiasts alike, and was subsequently named Europe's second best new coaster by German magazine ''Kirmes & Park Revue''.

References

External links

*{{RCDB, 10902 Roller coasters in Denmark 2013 establishments in Denmark