Steel Eel is a
steel roller coaster located at
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Antonio is a marine mammal park, oceanarium and animal theme park in the Westover Hills District of San Antonio, Texas, on the city's west side. It is the largest of the three parks in the SeaWorld chain owned and operated by SeaW ...
in
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
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, subdivision_name = United States
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, subdivision_name1 = Texas
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. Manufactured and designed by
D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, the roller coaster opened on March 6, 1999, and was the single-biggest investment by the park at the time. The construction of Steel Eel was facilitated by rising guest interest in more attractions following the opening of steel
inverted roller coaster
An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the t ...
,
The Great White.
Steel Eel reaches a maximum height of , with a maximum speed of , and a total length of . The roller coaster was the second to open at the park, mainly focusing on
air time. Upon opening, the roller coaster received generally positive reviews from critics and guests, and received several awards.
History
After building
The Great White, a steel
inverted roller coaster
An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the t ...
that opened in 1996, SeaWorld officials saw a great amount of optimistic feedback from guests, leading to the development of the Steel Eel.
The roller coaster was designed with the park's layout in mind and would interact with several of the park's existing attractions. Steel Eel's design focused on height and speed.
Park officials had sought to increase the frequency of visitors with the opening of the roller coaster.
The addition of the Steel Eel also sought to appeal to a wider-family demographic.
SeaWorld San Antonio
SeaWorld San Antonio is a marine mammal park, oceanarium and animal theme park in the Westover Hills District of San Antonio, Texas, on the city's west side. It is the largest of the three parks in the SeaWorld chain owned and operated by SeaW ...
announced on August 18, 1998, that it would add a new steel roller coaster, named Steel Eel. The roller coaster was touted as a "
hypercoaster
A hypercoaster can mean one of two things:
*Any continuous-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop measuring greater than 200 feet
Or, more narrowly:
*Any complete-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop between 200 and 299 feet ...
", with a planned opening date set for March 1999.
The construction of Steel Eel was one of the many roller coasters announced by theme parks around the United States in a record high trend.
Steel Eel was the most expensive single-season investment the park had made in a 10 year period.
Testing rehearsals were finishing up in early March 1999. The roller coaster would open with the park on March 6.
Ride experience
The
train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...
departs the
station making a left U-turn and ascends the
chain lift hill
A lift hill, or chain hill, is an upward-sloping section of track on a roller coaster on which the roller coaster train is mechanically lifted to an elevated point or peak in the track. Upon reaching the peak, the train is then propelled from th ...
. Cresting the top, the train descends the first drop reaching its maximum speed of . At the bottom of the drop, the train curves slightly to the left, ascending two
camelback hills before entering the mid-course brake run. Exiting the
brake run, the train descends a drop at a right banked 44-degree curve before ascending another hill. After dropping and turning slightly to the left, the train enters a series of four camelback hills. The train then turn traverses an s-curve into the final brake run before returning to the station.
One cycle of the roller coaster takes around a minute and forty-seconds to complete.
Characteristics
Steel Eel is a steel roller coaster designed and manufactured by
D. H. Morgan Manufacturing.
The general contractor of the roller coaster was Browning Construction.
The second roller coaster to open at the park, Steel Eel was built in the southeast portion of the park near The Great White and three children's attractions.
Steel Eel was one of five roller coasters to open at Texas theme parks in 1999.
To differ from the park's other steel roller coaster, The Great White, Steel Eel was designed to feature many points of
air time.
Steel Eel was the first roller coaster built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing to utilize tubular steel supports as opposed to the manufacturer's earlier use in steel grid frameworks.
The roller coaster has a total track length of . The initial drop has a 60 degree vertical angle, with the roller coaster exerting 3.5
g-forces
The gravitational force equivalent, or, more commonly, g-force, is a measurement of the type of force per unit mass – typically acceleration – that causes a perception of weight, with a g-force of 1 g (not gram in mass measure ...
to its riders.
Originally sporting a yellow track and grey support color scheme, Steel Eel was repainted in 2019 to feature purple supports and yellow track.
Steel Eel operates with two trains. Each of the two trains can accommodate 36 passengers, including six cars a train. Each car is has three rows with two seats to a single row.
Each seat features a lap bar restraint.
Reception
![Steel Eel rollercoaser San Antonio, TX IMG 1628 (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Steel_Eel_rollercoaser_San_Antonio%2C_TX_IMG_1628_%282%29.JPG)
Upon opening, the roller coaster received generally positive reviews from critics and guests. A report by Texas-based newspaper, ''
The Monitor'', recorded
American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) reactions of the roller coaster, with one member stating it was simply "'smooth'", another stating it "'loads of fun'", and another stating it was "'incredible'".
A consensus among ACE members thought the Steel Eel positively reinforced its steel inverted roller coaster counterpart in the park.
John Morthland, writing for magazine ''
Texas Monthly
''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'' reviewing Texas roller coasters, commented that if roller coaster riders liked receiving their "thrills right side up", Steel Eel was the right fit.
Awards
A commercial produced by
Busch Entertainment
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is an American theme park and entertainment company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company is a subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. and owns and operates thirteen recreational destinations in the Unit ...
and GSD&M, Austin received the Brass Ring award in 1999 by the
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) represents over 6,000 amusement-industry members in more than 100 countries worldwide and operates several global attractions-industry trade shows. Its annual IAAPA Expo in ...
(IAAPA) for the park's Steel Eel roller coaster.
Steel Eel has received several placements on ''
Amusement Today
''Amusement Today'' is a monthly periodical that features articles, news, pictures and reviews about all things relating to the amusement park industry, including parks, rides, and ride manufacturers. The trade newspaper, which is based in Arli ...
''
's
Golden Ticket Awards
''Amusement Today'' is a monthly periodical that features articles, news, pictures and reviews about all things relating to the amusement park industry, including parks, rides, and ride manufacturers. The trade newspaper, which is based in Arl ...
for being one of the top steel roller coasters.
References
External links
*
{{SeaWorld San Antonio
Roller coasters in Texas
Roller coasters operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Roller coasters introduced in 1999
SeaWorld San Antonio