Roller Soaker
Roller Soaker was a suspended roller coaster at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Manufactured by Setpoint USA, the interactive ride opened to the public on May 4, 2002.[1] It was located in the Boardwalk at Hersheypark behind Tidal Force and was the second roller coaster of this type to be built, following Flying Super Saturator at Carowinds installed in 2000.[2] On December 18, 2012, Hersheypark announced through its Facebook page that Roller Soaker would be removed to make way for new water attractions in 2013. The coaster's station is currently occupied by Breaker's Edge, a hydromagnetic water coaster added in 2018.
| Roller Soaker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hersheypark | |
| Location | Hersheypark |
| Park section | The Boardwalk |
| Coordinates | 40°17′29″N 76°39′11″W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | May 4, 2002 |
| Closing date | September 3, 2012 |
| Replaced by | Breaker's Edge |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Suspended |
| Manufacturer | Setpoint USA |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 70 ft (21 m) |
| Length | 1,300 ft (400 m) |
| Speed | 20.5 mph (33.0 km/h) |
| Height restriction | 42 in (107 cm) |
| Trains | 9 trains with a single car. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 4 riders per train. |
| Roller Soaker at RCDB Pictures of Roller Soaker at RCDB | |
The nine cars were capable of holding four riders total: two riders facing forward, and two riders facing backwards. Cars moved in and out of the ride in groups of three. The course was filled with gentle slopes and turns.
Roller Soaker was unique in that each rider was given 4 US gallons (15 L) of water which totals 16 US gallons (61 L) of water for each car. The water could be dropped from the car toward park guests waiting in line or over Intercoastal Waterway lazy river. There were also several water cannons which could be fired at riders from individuals on the ground, and several places where guests were guaranteed to get wet by traveling under a waterfall. For guests of the park who did not wish to get soaked, a "dry path" was marked, which was achieved by covering the path with a wide margin to allow for splash.[1][3]
References
- Marden, Duane. "Roller Soaker (Hersheypark)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- Marden, Duane. "Flying Super Saturator (Carowinds)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- "Roller Soaker". Hersheypark. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2017.