Volume 1, No. 9. June 1, 2001
It's a tower drop!
Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta announces the
arrival of Acrophobia, May 12, 2001. Measurements: 200 feet high, (60
meters) 161 feet drop (50 meters), 62 mph (100 kph), 30 passengers. Delivered
by Intamin.
Ride testing always draws public
attention, but the North American introduction of the freefall ride that features
passengers extended at a 15-degree forward tilt really drew eager guests. One
man, who entered the park at it's 10 a.m. opening, waited at the front of the
queue all day on the mere chance that testing would give way to riding. His
perseverance was rewarded when the ride was deemed operational at 6 p.m., and
he became one of Acrophobia's first riders.
The official ribbon-cutting opening came a week later and featured a group of
local extreme sportsmen and members of the Great Russian Circus who had just
rolled into town the day before. The high-wire artists, contortionist and acrobats
had never been on any kind of thrill ride before, and not surprisingly loved
this experience, said Marcie Tanner, the park's public relations manager. "They
had to go back and practice for their show, or they would have ridden it twice,"
she said.
Just as well. After the 11 a.m. ceremony and first official rides, the public
was finally allowed into the queue station, but a sudden toad-stranglin' Georgia
storm shut Acrophobia down for two hours. Despite such interruptions,
the ride is proving immensely popular. In its first three weekends it had already
dropped more than 40,000 riders.
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