Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is a Dutch
amusement ride
Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment.
Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...
manufacturer. Vekoma is
syllabic abbreviation of Veld Koning Machinefabriek (Veld Koning Machine Factory) which was established in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld.
History
The company originally manufactured farm equipment and later made steel constructions for the
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
industry in the 1950s. As business shifted from farming equipment to steel construction, Veld Koning Machinefabriek was shortened to Vekoma. After the
closure of Dutch mines in 1965, Vekoma manufactured steel pipes for the petrochemical industry.
In the 1970s Vekoma was contracted by U.S. amusement ride manufacturer
Arrow Development
Arrow Development was an amusement park ride and roller coaster design and manufacturing company, incorporated in California on November 16, 1945, and based in Mountain View. It was founded by Angus "Andy" Anderson, Karl Bacon, William Hardiman ...
to build the steel structure for its roller coasters in Europe. As demand increased, Arrow instructed Vekoma in track building techniques and eventually licensed its coaster-building technology. In 1979 Vekoma entered the market on its own, opening three coasters in Europe under the name Vekoma Rides Manufacturing BV.
[
In 2006, Vekoma formed an alliance with U.S.-based manufacturer Chance Morgan. ]Chance Rides
Chance Rides Manufacturing is a roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. The company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufacturing facility are located in Wic ...
represented Vekoma in North America and Chance Morgan manufactured the steel track for select projects. During this agreement, Chance built four Vekoma-designed family coasters.
In 2008, Vekoma Rides Manufacturing acquired the Wheels of Excellence range of Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules ...
s from Ronald Bussink. Under the agreement, Bussink will continue to supply wheels 100 meters and taller. Smaller wheels in the 40- to 80-meter range will be manufactured by a new division of Vekoma, Dutch Wheels BV.
On October 17, 2012, Chance Rides and Vekoma discontinued the agreement to produce rides together for the North American market. However, shortly after terminating that agreement, Chance Rides was given an exclusive license from Dutch Wheels BV to manufacture and sell R60 wheels in the North American market under a new affiliate, Chance American Wheels.
On March 30, 2018, Vekoma was acquired by Sansei Technologies, the parent company of American ride manufacturer S&S Sansei. The conditions stipulated that Vekoma's business model remain unchanged after the acquisition. Vekoma continues to manufacture and market rides as a separate entity.
Roller coasters
, there are over 387 roller coaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
s around the world from Vekoma, some of which are either under construction or have been removed.
Models
Other Vekoma coaster models include Wild Mouse, Hyper Space Warp, Firestorm, Swinging Turns, Enigma
Enigma may refer to:
*Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling
Biology
*ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain
Computing and technology
* Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup
* Enigma machine, a family ...
, Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people.
Illusions may o ...
, Family Boomerang
Boomerang is a model of roller coaster manufactured and designed by Vekoma, a Dutch manufacturer. The roller coaster model name is from the hunting implement based on the traditions of the Indigenous Australians. there are 55 Boomerangs op ...
, Tilt Coaster, Energy Storm and Powered Coaster
A powered roller coaster is a railed amusement ride similar to a standard roller coaster. Unlike a true roller coaster, the train is powered through the entire course, rather than being allowed to coast after an initial lift or launch. This allows ...
s.
In 2013, Vekoma signed a deal with Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
-based Rocky Mountain Construction
Rocky Mountain Construction, often abbreviated as RMC, is a manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. The company is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters.
History
In 200 ...
. The agreement allows Vekoma to sell Rocky Mountain Construction's roller coasters outside the North American market.
Vekoma is also the constructor of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT in Walt Disney World, designing innovative new "omni-coaster" cars with the capability for controlled turns and spins. Opening in 2022, this is one of the longest and most ambitious indoor coasters ever constructed.
Other attractions
Ferris wheels
The Dutch Wheels product range includes the R40, R50, and R60 models, each available in three different types.Dutch Wheels - our product range
/ref>
Notable installations
Madhouse
A madhouse is a flat ride that gives the impression that the rider is upside-down, when in reality the room they are in rotates around them.
Gallery
Image:Mind Eraser (Sidewinder).JPG, Suspended Looping Coaster
The Suspended Looping Coaster (or SLC, as referred to by coaster enthusiasts) is a model of steel roller coaster, steel inverted roller coaster, inverted roller coaster built by Vekoma. There are at least 39 different installations across the wor ...
, a popular Vekoma design
Image:Vekomaboomerang.jpg, Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...
, another of Vekoma's most popular ride models
Image:Invertigo_(Kings_Island).jpg, Invertigo
Invertigo were an Australian four-piece pop, rock group active in the early 2000s. They originally formed as Vertigo in 1996, by the three Leigh brothers: Gerry (born 10 May 1966) on guitar, James (born 1 December 1967) on keyboards and Vince ...
, a variation on the Boomerang design
Image:Six Flags Magic Mountain Deja Vu.jpg, Giant Inverted Boomerang
A Giant Inverted Boomerang is a type of steel shuttle roller coaster manufactured by the Dutch firm Vekoma. The ride is a larger, inverted version of Vekoma's popular Boomerang sit down roller coasters. , four installations of the model are op ...
, a more extreme version of Invertigo
Image:SFKK-Roller Skater.jpg, Vekoma Roller Skater, a small family coaster design
Image:Thundercoaster.jpg, Wooden Coaster, One of Vekoma's wooden coasters (Thundercoaster Tusenfryd
Tusenfryd (lit. "Thousand Joys", also Common Daisy) is an amusement park at Vinterbro, Norway. The park is located 20 kilometers south of Oslo. Two of the longest motorway corridors in Norway, E6 and E18, meet nearby ''Tusenfryd'' and the park ...
)
Image:Velocitytrain.jpg, Motorbike roller coaster
A motorbike roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster designed with motorcycle type cars. Booster Bike at Toverland was the world's first motorbike roller coaster. Vekoma was the first company to design such a ride, although Intamin and ...
, a specially designed coaster with seats that are like motorbikes
Image:PKI-Rugrat's Runaway Reptar.jpg, Suspended Family Coaster
A Suspended Family Coaster is a steel inverted roller coaster built by Vekoma designed for families with no inversions. Just like all inverted roller coasters the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage ...
References
External links
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{{Amusement rides
Roller coaster manufacturers
Multinational companies headquartered in the Netherlands
Design companies established in 1926
Manufacturing companies established in 1926
1926 establishments in the Netherlands
Amusement ride manufacturers