Sand Serpent was a Wild Mouse roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida . The ride originally operated at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia as Wild Izzy in 1996 and later as Wilde Maus from 1997 to 2003. When the roller coaster was relocated to Florida, it was renamed Cheetah Chase from 2004 to 2011 before receiving its last name change.
30-415: Sand Serpent was manufactured by Mack Rides and designed by Werner Stengel . The roller coaster reached a maximum height of 45.9 feet (14.0 m), with a maximum speed of 28 miles per hour (45 km/h), and a total length of 1,213.9 feet (370.0 m). Upon opening at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the roller coaster was received generally well by the public, though its relocation at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
60-472: A 144.3 feet (44.0 m) by 62.3 feet (19.0 m) area. The roller coaster operates with single cars that navigated the layout. The four riders per car are arranged in two rows with two seats across each. Unlike similar Wild Mouse roller coasters produced by Mack Rides, the Sand Serpent model did not feature dips in the track prior to the brake run. The car exited the station into a left turn and entered
90-488: A braking section that slows a train, while a block brake has the ability to stop a train completely in addition to slowing it down. Block brakes are important to roller coasters that operate more than one train simultaneously, in the event that one train stalls on a portion of the track. While modern roller coasters have at least one computer-controlled brake run embedded in the track, older coasters such as The Great Scenic Railway at Luna Park Melbourne may have brakes onboard
120-449: A computer-controlled clamping system that squeeze metal fins attached underneath the train. Friction brakes can be used to slow or stop the train and are the most common form of brakes found on modern roller coasters. They can involve thick metal box beams or thin metal plates. They slide between pairs of friction pads similar to automotive brake pads . Friction brakes are designed to be fail-safe , allowing them to engage even when there
150-533: A musician present, had described the roller coaster jokingly "not for tall people", as the force banged up his knees. Other guests during its opening stated that it was "scarier than you might think", relating it with that of the steel roller coaster Drachen Fire . In covering the state of Virginia 's amusement parks, writers of The Star Democrat had described it as "distinctly different" from others because of its "jerky turns and quick dips" that would appeal to everyone. With its relocation to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay,
180-408: A slight downward slope to let gravity take its course or by using drive tires to push the train out of the block. These are commonly called mid-course brake runs. Roller coasters utilize a variety of braking methods that have evolved over time. Skid brakes involve a long piece of material, often ceramic -covered, that is situated in the middle of the track parallel to the rails . When the brake
210-404: A young entrepreneur, started building carriages and stagecoaches. The Mack Company began building organ wagons and caravans for travelling showmen in 1880, commencing the company's involvement in the amusement industry. Its first wooden roller coaster was built in 1921, the first car ride in 1936, and the first wooden bobsled ride in 1951. By 1952 Mack Rides started increasing its exports of rides to
240-466: Is a fin brake, an alternative name for a friction brake, which involves a series of hydraulic-powered clamps that close and squeeze metal fins that are attached to the underside of a coaster train. Roller coasters may incorporate multiple brake runs throughout the coaster's track layout to adjust the train's speed at any given time. The different types of brake runs are classified under two main categories: trim brakes and block brakes. A trim brake refers to
270-406: Is a loss of power. They are also constructed with a certain measure of redundancy, incorporating extra sets of brakes in the event that one set fails. Opening is done by a bellows type of air-operated actuator, with each set of brakes fitted with its own air supply system that is controlled by supply valves that open and release the brake when it is safe to do so. A heavy spring usually made of steel
300-453: Is engaged, the skid raises and causes friction against the underside of the train, reducing its speed. They can be used to slow or stop the train. Skid brakes were one of the first advancements in roller coaster braking and are typically found on older wooden coasters, such as Leap the Dips , the world's oldest roller coaster still in operation. Friction brakes, commonly called fin brakes, involve
330-431: Is used to hold the brake closed when engaged. Instead of relying on friction, which can often be affected by weather conditions such as rain, magnetic brakes apply resistance through magnetism without making direct contact with the train. They are made up of one or two rows of neodymium magnets . When a metal fin made of copper or a copper-aluminum alloy passes between the rows of magnets, eddy currents are generated in
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#1732863054595360-416: The g-force riders experience at various points throughout the track layout, or for preventative maintenance reasons, reducing wear-and-tear on the trains or track. A proximity sensor often precedes the trim brake in order to identify the current speed of the passing train and determining how much the brake will need to slow the train, if at all. Block brakes also have the ability to slow the train but serve
390-481: The 45.9 foot (14.0 m) tall lift hill . Following the lift, the car descended downward and went into a series of 180-degree turns that run parallel to each other. After the series of turns, the car made a wider continuous downward turn until it straightened out. The car then headed forward into a hill and two tight left turns. Thereafter the car dipped downward and ascended another hill where it takes another two left turns. The car then descended into another drop where
420-568: The Timbuktu section of the park in 1980. In 2011, the ride was rethemed from Cheetah Chase to Sand Serpent. This was done to reduce confusion with the park's new attraction, Cheetah Hunt . The roller coaster is situated in the Pantopia section of the park, which was renamed with the introduction of Falcon's Fury , the park's signature drop tower. Busch Gardens announced in June 2023 that Sand Serpent would close
450-620: The U.S. market. Europa-Park is run by the Mack family. Franz Mack (1921–2010) in 1958 took over the family firm, Mack GmbH & Co (now Mack Rides ), together with his brothers. With his son Roland (b. 1949), he visited the United States in 1972 and was inspired to open a theme park in Germany, as an exhibition site for his company's products. At first, the park was to be located in Breisach . It
480-437: The additional purpose of being able to stop the train completely. This is required on roller coasters that operate more than one train simultaneously on the track. They act as virtual barriers between the trains running on the roller coaster, preventing collisions should one train stop along the course for any reason. Block brake sections must also be engineered so that the train can begin moving again upon release, either by using
510-624: The fin, creating a magnetic force that opposes the fin's motion. The resultant braking force is directly proportional to the speed at which the fin is moving through the brake element. Magnetic brakes can be found in two configurations: Magnetic brakes are silent and provide a smoother riding experience than friction brakes, gradually increasing the braking power so that the people on the ride do not experience rapid changes in deceleration. Intamin began incorporating them with their Accelerator Coaster models, as well as Bolliger & Mabillard beginning in 2004 with their installation of Silver Bullet,
540-603: The first inverted coaster to feature magnetic brakes. There are also third-party companies, such as Magnetar Technologies Corp., which provide a service to retrofit existing coasters with magnetic braking technology to increase safety, improve rider comfort, and lower maintenance costs and labor. A disadvantage of magnetic braking is that the eddy force is not usually stable enough to hold a train completely still, and as such cannot be used as block brakes. Magnetic brakes are often complemented by an additional set of friction brakes or "kicker wheels", rubber tires that make contact with
570-401: The next month for a new family inverted roller coaster named Phoenix Rising . Sand Serpent closed on July 9, 2023. Phoenix Rising subsequently opened on July 21, 2024. Sand Serpent was a stock Wild Mouse roller coaster model manufactured by Mack Rides and designed by Werner Stengel . Specifically, the ride model was the "Wild Maus", and the "Compact Mobile" version. Originally, the track
600-586: The roller coaster was announced to open in April. Wild Izzy officially opened on April 12. After the 1996 season, it was given a European theme and renamed to Wilde Maus. In November 2003, filings by the park for a new attraction were uncovered in James City County that would replace the Wilde Maus roller coaster. After seven years of operation at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the roller coaster closed in 2003 where it
630-693: The roller coaster was minimally covered by newspapers during its quiet debut in February 2004. Mack Rides Mack Rides GmbH & Co KG , also known simply as Mack Rides , is a German company that designs and constructs amusement rides, based in Waldkirch , Baden-Württemberg . It is one of the world's oldest amusement industry suppliers, and builds many types of rides, including flat rides, dark rides, log flumes, tow boat rides and roller coasters. The family that owns Mack Rides also owns Europa-Park . Mack Rides traces its roots back to 1780 when Paul Mack,
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#1732863054595660-439: The second, then passed one million in 1978. As of September 2024, Mack Rides has built 173 roller coasters around the world. Brake run A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track that utilizes some form of brakes to slow or stop a roller coaster train . There are various types of braking methods employed on roller coasters, including friction brakes, skid brakes, and magnetic brakes. The most common
690-411: The train and effectively park it. Another disadvantage is that they cannot be conventionally disengaged like other types of brakes. Instead, the fins or magnets must be retracted so that the fins no longer pass between the magnets. Accelerator Coasters, for example, have a series of magnetic brake fins located on the launch track. Prior to the train's launch, the brakes are retracted out of the way to allow
720-429: The train and rely on a brakeman operator to apply them as needed. Trim brakes are brake run sections that reduce the speed of the train but are not intended to stop the train completely. They may be engineered into a ride during design in anticipation of certain trouble spots, or later retrofitted in areas where trains are traveling at higher-than-expected speeds. Trim brakes can also be added for safety reasons, lowering
750-475: The train headed upward into two tight left turns. Following the turn, the car descended into a hill and into the final brake run where it made a final left turn into the station. One cycle of the roller coaster took around two minutes to complete. Upon its original opening at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the roller coaster was generally well received by the public. In the Daily Press ' coverage, Michael McCary ,
780-430: The train to reach its maximum speed. After launch, the brake fins are raised back in position to stop the train in the event of a rollback . An example of this can be found on Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure . While skid brakes already existed by the time Scenic Railway had been conceived, LaMarcus Adna Thompson decided against using these brakes for his Scenic Railway roller coasters, and instead opted for using
810-458: Was green and had yellow supports, with each car featuring colors from the Olympic rings along with lightning bolts and stars. The last iteration featured blue track and orange supports, with the cars variously colored solid blue, orange, or red. Sand Serpent reached a maximum speed of 28 miles per hour (45 km/h), with the track having a total length of 1,213.9 feet (370.0 m), and encompassed
840-575: Was minimally covered. In December 1995, Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced Wild Izzy, a Mack Rides Wild Mouse roller coaster , would be added to the park for the 1996 season in the Oktoberfest section. It was named after the mascot of the 1996 Summer Olympics , since Busch Gardens was a sponsor of the games. Originally in January, it was reported that Wild Izzy would open later in March. Though in March,
870-671: Was named "Europa-Park" after Breisach's nearby Europaweiher , a small artificial lake that commemorates a historical pilot poll in Breisach held in 1950, in which 95.6% of voters were in favour of European unification . The Breisach site was deemed unsuitable because of flooding hazard, and the project was moved 30 km north, where the Macks bought the park of the historical Balthasar castle in Rust. Europa-Park opened in 1975 with an area of 16 hectares. It had 250,000 visitors in its first year, 700,000 in
900-458: Was removed and replaced with the defunct dark ride , Curse of DarKastle in 2005. In December 2003, the St. Petersburg Times reported that the Wilde Maus would be shipped to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in January 2004 and be renamed to Cheetah Chase. The roller coaster opened on February 28, in the Timbuktu section of the park. Cheetah Chase replaced the defunct Crazy Camel flat ride that opened up with
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