Editing Roller coaster inversion

{{Short description|Roller coaster element}}
[[File:BGE-Loch Ness Monster.jpg|thumb|The famous interlocking loops on the [[Loch Ness Monster (roller coaster)|Loch Ness Monster coaster]] at [[Busch Gardens Williamsburg]]]]

A '''roller coaster inversion''' is a [[roller coaster element]] in which the track turns riders upside-down and then returns them to an upright position. Early forms of inversions were circular in nature and date back to 1848 on the [[Centrifugal railway]] in Paris. These [[vertical loop]]s produced massive [[g-force]] that was often dangerous to riders. As a result, the element eventually became non-existent with the last rides to feature the looping inversions being dismantled during the [[Great Depression]]. In 1975, designers from [[Arrow Development]] created the [[Roller coaster element#Corkscrew|corkscrew]], reviving interest in the inversion during the modern age of steel roller coasters. Elements have since evolved from simple corkscrews and vertical loops to more complex inversions such as [[Immelmann loop]]s and [[cobra roll]]s. [[The Smiler]] at [[Alton Towers]] holds the world record for the number of inversions on a roller coaster with 14.<ref name="cg">{{cite web |url=http://www.coasterglobe.com/features/history-inversion/index.cfm |title=The History of the Inversion |access-date=2007-08-23 |author=Kay, James |year=2007 |work=CoasterGlobe |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928110910/http://www.coasterglobe.com/features/history-inversion/index.cfm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-09-28}}</ref><ref name="dict">{{cite web |url=http://www.sixflagshouston.com/dictionary/ |title=Roller coaster dictionary |access-date=2007-08-23 |year=2007 |work=[[Six Flags Astroworld|Six Flags Houston]] fan site |archive-date=2007-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829141550/http://sixflagshouston.com/dictionary/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Most track inversions in a rollercoaster|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/1/largest-number-of-track-inversions-in-a-roller-coaster|publisher=Guinness World Records|access-date=16 May 2013}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Prototypes (1848–1903) ===
[[File:Loop the Loop, Luna Park, Coney Island.jpg|thumb|right|[[Loop the Loop (Coney Island)|Loop the Loop]] (1903), at [[Coney Island]], one of the first oval-looping coasters]]
The first inversion in roller coaster history was part of the [[Centrifugal Railway]] of [[Paris]], [[France]], built in 1848.<ref name="cg" /> It consisted of a {{convert|43|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us|adj=on}} sloping track leading into a nearly [[circle|circular]] [[Loop (roller coaster)|vertical loop]] {{convert|13|ft|m}} in diameter.<ref name="tl">{{cite web |url=http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/history/timeline.shtml |title=Roller Coaster History: Timeline |access-date=2007-08-23 |author=Gieszl |year=2006 |work=ultimaterollercoaster.com}}</ref> During the early 1900s, many rides including vertical loops appeared around the world. These early loops had a major design flaw: the circular structure produced intense [[g-force]]s (hereafter "Gs"). The [[Flip Flap Railway]], designed by [[Lina Beecher]] and built in 1895 on [[Coney Island]] of [[Brooklyn]], [[United States]], had a 25-foot circular loop at the end which though initially popular caused some discomfort in passenger's necks, and the ride soon closed.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=i4POVzmwY9cC&pg=PA96 |title=Coney Island: The People's Playground|page=96 |first=Michael |last= Immerso |publisher=Rutgers University Press|date= 21 Oct 2002 |isbn=9780813531380|access-date=10 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.britannica.com/coasters/1880.html |title=History:1880 |first=David |last= Pescovitz|encyclopedia=britannica.com |year=2003 |access-date=10 April 2012}}</ref> [[Loop the Loop (Coney Island)|Loop the Loop]], another looping coaster, was built later in Coney Island as well. This time the loops were slightly oval-shaped rather than circular, though not [[clothoid]] in shape like modern loops.<ref name="bowers">{{cite web |url=http://www.coasterville.com/history.htm |title=History of Roller Coasters |access-date=2007-08-23 |author=Bowers, David |year=2007 |work=Coasterville }}</ref> Although the ride was safe, it had a low capacity, loading four people every five minutes (48 people per hour, compared to 1800 riders per hour on [[Corkscrew (Cedar Point)|Corkscrew]], an early modern coaster that opened in 1976), and was poorly received after the discomfort of the Flip Flap Railway.<ref name="bowers" /> As their novelty wore off and their dangerous reputation spread, compounded with the developing [[Great Depression]], the early looping coasters disappeared.<ref name="cg" />

=== Corkscrew (1968–1976) ===
[[File:MagicMountain Gardaland Screw.jpg|thumb|Corkscrews on the [[Magic Mountain (roller coaster)|Magic Mountain]] roller coaster (1985) at [[Gardaland]] in [[Italy]]]]
The concept of inverting riders was not revisited until the 1970s. In 1968, Karl Bacon of [[Arrow Dynamics]] created a prototype [[steel roller coaster]] with a [[Corkscrew (roller coaster element)|corkscrew]], the first of its kind. The prototype proved that a tubular steel track, first pioneered by Arrow to create [[Disneyland]]'s [[Matterhorn Bobsleds]] in 1959, could execute inversions both safely and reliably.<ref name="cg" /> The full model of the prototype, aptly named [[Corkscrew (Silverwood)|Corkscrew]], was then installed in [[Knott's Berry Farm]] in [[Buena Park, California|Buena Park]], [[United States]], making history as the world's first modern inverting roller coaster (it was relocated to [[Silverwood|Silverwood Park]] of [[Idaho]] in 1990).<ref name="tl" /> In 1976, the previously disastrous vertical loop was successfully revived when [[Anton Schwarzkopf]] constructed the [[The New Revolution (roller coaster)|Great American Revolution]] at [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]] of [[Valencia, California|Valencia]], United States, which became the world's first complete circuit looping roller coaster. Another roller coaster named [[Corkscrew (Cedar Point)|Corkscrew]], built in [[Cedar Point]] of [[Ohio]] in the same year, became the first with three inversions.<ref name="cg" />

=== Inversions (1977–present) ===
[[File:Vekomaboomerang.jpg|thumb|left|[[Boomerang (roller coaster)|Boomerang]] has been cloned over 50 times and is the most duplicated roller coaster ever.]]
The next few years brought innovations that are still popular in modern coasters. The [[shuttle roller coaster]] (non-complete circuit) was invented by Schwarzkopf in 1977 and realized at [[Kings Island]] with the [[Screamin' Demon (Kings Island)|Screamin' Demon]] coaster. These early incarnations used the [[Launched roller coaster#Catapult|weight-drop]] mechanism (as opposed to the later [[Flywheel energy storage|flywheel]] methods) to launch the trains.<ref name="cg" /> Built in 1978, the [[Loch Ness Monster (roller coaster)|Loch Ness Monster]] in [[Busch Gardens Williamsburg]] became the first coaster with interlocking loops.<ref>{{Cite RCDB |coaster_name=Loch Ness Monster |location=Busch Gardens Williamsburg |rcdb_number=110 |accessdate=January 18, 2025}}</ref>
It is still the only coaster with this feature, as the only other coasters containing interlocking loops are now defunct: Lightnin' Loops, built by Arrow in [[Six Flags Great Adventure]], was sold in 1992,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amusementpics.com/Lightnin%20Loops.htm |title=Lightnin' Loops |access-date=2007-08-23 |year=2007 |work=Amusement Pics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707140255/http://www.amusementpics.com/Lightnin%20Loops.htm |archive-date=2011-07-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Orient Express (Worlds of Fun)|Orient Express]] of [[Worlds of Fun]] was demolished in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rcdb.com/id21.htm |title=Orient Express |access-date=2007-08-23 |author=Marden, Duane |year=2007 |work=[[Roller Coaster Database]] }}</ref> The first Schwarzkopf shuttle loops with a flywheel launch also first appeared in 1978.<ref name="cg" /> Arrow's Revolution, [[Europe]]'s first looping coaster, was built in 1979 at [[Blackpool Pleasure Beach]] of [[England]].<ref name="cg" /> In 1980, [[Carolina Cyclone]] opened at [[Carowinds]] as the first roller coaster with four inversions.<ref name="tl" /> The [[Orient Express (Worlds of Fun)|Orient Express]] opened at [[Worlds of Fun]] of [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], United States, in 1980, with the newly invented [[Roller coaster elements#Batwing|batwing]] (not to be confused with a boomerang), a single track element with two inversions.<ref name="tl" />

In 1981, [[Vekoma]] invented the [[Boomerang (roller coaster)|Boomerang]] coaster model, which became the most duplicated roller coaster ever. The first Boomerang was built at [[Reino Aventura]] (now [[Six Flags México]]) of [[Mexico City]], [[Mexico]] in 1982.<ref name="vek">{{cite web |url=http://www.iaapa.org/industry/funworld/2004/Jul04/Features/Versatile_Vekoma/Versatile_Vekoma.html |title=Versatile Vekoma |access-date=2007-08-23 |author=Marden, Duane |year=2004 |work=Fun World: International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Magazine |archive-date=2007-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928160509/http://www.iaapa.org/industry/funworld/2004/Jul04/Features/Versatile_Vekoma/Versatile_Vekoma.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Boomerang has had over 50 clones built worldwide from [[Doha]], [[Qatar]], to [[Tashkent Province|Tashkent]], [[Uzbekistan]].<ref name="vek" /> 1982 also brought the first five-inversion coaster, Arrow's [[Viper (Darien Lake)|Viper]] at [[Darien Lake]] in Darien, New York.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bannister.org/coasters/parks/six_flags_darien_lake.htm |title=Coasters: Parks: Six Flags Darien Lake |access-date=2007-08-23 |author=Bannister, Richard F. |year=2007 |work= Richard Bannister: Track Record |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070730174818/http://bannister.org/coasters/parks/six_flags_darien_lake.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-07-30}}</ref>

The record for number of inversions was broken quickly in the following years. Arrow's [[Vortex (Kings Island)|Vortex]] at [[Kings Island]], built in 1987, was the first to have six. The next year, [[Shockwave (Six Flags Great America)|Shockwave]] at [[Six Flags Great America]] broke that record with seven inversions. In 1995, [[Dragon Khan]] in [[Spain]]'s [[PortAventura Park|Port Aventura]] became the first to have eight. In 2002, [[Colossus (Thorpe Park)|Colossus]] at [[Thorpe Park]] in [[Chertsey]], [[Surrey]], England was the first with ten. In 2013, [[The Smiler (roller coaster)|The Smiler]] at [[Alton Towers]] in Staffordshire, England, broke the record again with 14 inversions.

[[File:PKI-Son of Beast.jpg|thumb|[[Son of Beast]] (2000) at [[Kings Island]], the first wooden roller coaster to have an inversion]]

In 2000, Kings Island built [[Son of Beast]], the world's first [[wooden roller coaster]] with a vertical loop. Until then, all roller coasters with any inversions were steel. After structural problems caused an incident in July 2006 that injured several riders, Son of Beast's loop was removed in December 2006 to make it possible to use lighter trains.

In 2002, [[X2 (roller coaster)|X]], now X2, designed by Arrow, opened in [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]]. It is marketed as the world's first [[fourth-dimension roller coaster]], capable of rotating riders upside-down independently of any track elements. This adds difficulty in delineating the number of inversions such rides have. As the riders physically rotate [[Circle|360]] [[Degree (angle)|degrees]] forward and backwards, proponents insist the number of inversions should not include only track elements. According to [[Guinness World Records]], the roller coaster with the most inversions counted this way is [[Eejanaika (roller coaster)|Eejanaika]] ({{langx|ja|ええじゃないか}}, Ain't it great?), another 4th Dimension roller coaster, in [[Fuji-Q Highland]] of [[Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi|Fujiyoshida]], [[Japan]], which rotates riders 14 times. Counting only track elements, however, Alton Tower's The Smiler has the world record for number of inversions, also rotating riders 14 times.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBVojSrWcd8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/kBVojSrWcd8 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=The Smiler is the world's first 14 looping rollercoaster|date=9 May 2013|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Two or more wooden roller coasters with inversions opened in each of 2013, 2014, and 2017. As opposed to the vertical loop that Son of Beast had, [[Outlaw Run]] and [[Hades 360]], [[Mine Blower]] and [[Goliath (Six Flags Great America)|Goliath]] (at [[Six Flags Great America]]) have more complex inversions. Outlaw Run at [[Silver Dollar City]] has a double [[barrel roll]] and a 153° over-banked turn, and Hades 360 has a single [[corkscrew (roller coaster element)|corkscrew]]. Other elements which partially invert riders, such as the [[overbanked turn]] which occasionally turn riders beyond 90 degrees, are not typically considered inversions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/new00/cp_millennium/ |title=Millennium Force: Cedar Point |access-date=2007-08-23 |author=Gieszl, Eric |year=1999 |work=ultimaterollercoaster.com }}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Roller coaster elements]] – includes a list of inversions
*[[List of roller coaster rankings#Inversion rankings|List of roller coaster inversion records]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060115063125/http://www.rcdb.com/er.htm Element Cross Reference] at [[Roller Coaster Database]]

{{Roller coaster}}

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[[Category:Roller coaster elements]]

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