Vekoma facts for kids
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Founder | Hendrik op het Veld |
| Headquarters |
Vlodrop (Roerdalen)
,
The Netherlands
|
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
| Products | Amusement rides |
| Parent | Sansei Technologies |
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is a company from the Netherlands that builds exciting amusement rides. They are especially famous for their roller coasters! The name Vekoma comes from a longer Dutch name, "Veld Koning Machinefabriek," which means "Veld Koning Machine Factory." The company was started in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld.
Contents
How Vekoma Started
Vekoma began by making equipment for farms. Later, in the 1950s, they started building large steel structures for coal mines. When the mines in the Netherlands closed in 1965, Vekoma changed again. They began making steel pipes for companies that worked with oil and gas.
In the 1970s, an American company called Arrow Development asked Vekoma to help build roller coaster parts in Europe. As more and more roller coasters were needed, Arrow taught Vekoma how to build tracks. Eventually, Vekoma was allowed to use Arrow's technology to build their own coasters. In 1979, Vekoma opened three of its own roller coasters in Europe, officially becoming "Vekoma Rides Manufacturing BV."
In 2001, Vekoma faced a difficult time and had to declare bankruptcy. However, they recovered and continued to build rides.
In 2006, Vekoma teamed up with another American company, Chance Morgan. This partnership helped Vekoma sell their rides in North America. Chance also built some of the steel tracks for Vekoma's projects. They built four family-friendly coasters together.
Later, in 2008, Vekoma bought the "Wheels of Excellence" line of Ferris wheels from Ronald Bussink. This meant Vekoma would now make smaller Ferris wheels (40 to 80 meters tall) through a new part of their company called Dutch Wheels BV. Bussink continued to make the really tall wheels (100 meters and up).
In 2012, Vekoma and Chance Rides ended their agreement. But soon after, Chance Rides got a special license from Dutch Wheels to make and sell a specific type of Ferris wheel, the R60, in North America.
On March 30, 2018, Vekoma was bought by Sansei Technologies, a company that also owns another ride maker, S&S Sansei. Even though Vekoma is now part of Sansei, they still operate as their own company, designing and selling rides.
Awesome Roller Coasters
Vekoma is famous for building many different kinds of roller coasters. As of May 2018, there are over 387 Vekoma roller coasters around the world! Some are still being built, and a few have been taken down.
Cool Coaster Types
Here are some of the exciting roller coaster models Vekoma has created:
| Model | First Built | What It's Like |
|---|---|---|
| Bermuda Blitz | 2017 | A sit-down coaster with new trains and restraints. It has many inversions (where you go upside down!). |
| Big Air | 2010 | This coaster used to spin, but now it's known for its unique "hammerhead stall" move. Only one exists in Taiwan. |
| Boomerang | 1984 | A popular shuttle coaster that goes forward and backward. It has three inversions, reaches 117 feet high, and speeds up to 47 miles per hour. |
| Corkscrew with Bayerncurve (no longer made) | 1979 | An older type of corkscrew roller coaster. |
| Dive Pretzel Coaster | 2014 | This coaster climbs straight up 90 degrees and has cool "pretzel loop" elements. |
| Double Loop-Corkscrew | 1981 | An older model with four inversions: two loops and two corkscrews. |
| Flying Dutchman | 2000 | One of the first large coasters where you lie down and feel like you're flying! |
| Giant Inverted Boomerang | 2001 | Similar to the Invertigo, but with vertical lifts that take you straight up. |
| Hurricane | 1989 | This coaster has a vertical loop and a double corkscrew. Only two were ever built. |
| Invertigo | 1996 | An inverted version of the Boomerang, meaning your feet dangle below the track. |
| Motorbike roller coaster | 2004 | A launched coaster where you sit on seats shaped like motorbikes. |
| LSM Launch coaster | 1999 | A launched coaster that uses powerful magnets (LSM technology) to reach speeds around 55 miles per hour. It has three inversions. |
| Space Warp Launch coaster | 2016 | A sit-down launched coaster with new-generation tracks and trains. It has many inversions. |
| Splash Party | 2013 | A slower, inverted coaster designed with water guns and water bombs for a fun splash experience. |
| Stingray | 2009 | A smaller, more compact flying roller coaster. Only one has been built. |
| Suspended Family Coaster | 2001 | An inverted coaster designed for families, similar to the Suspended Looping Coaster. |
| Suspended Looping Coaster | 1994 | A very popular inverted coaster with many different designs. |
| Suspended Thrill Coaster | 2020 | The newer version of the Suspended Looping Coaster, with a different track style. |
| Loop-Corkscrew | 1986 | An older model with two inversions: a loop and a corkscrew. Three of these are still running today. |
| Mine train coaster | 1992 | A roller coaster designed to look like a mine train, often with a Western theme. |
| Junior coaster | 1990 | A smaller roller coaster perfect for children. |
| Shockwave coaster | 2019 | A sit-down launched coaster with new tracks and trains, featuring multiple inversions and sometimes tunnels. |
| Top Gun Launch coaster | 2020 | Another sit-down launched coaster with new tracks and trains, but with a different layout and many inversions. |
| Wooden roller coaster | 2000 | Vekoma also builds classic wooden roller coasters. Two examples are the Thundercoaster in Norway and Loup-Garou in Belgium. |
Vekoma also makes other coaster types like Wild Mouse, Hyper Space Warp, and Powered Coasters.
In 2013, Vekoma made a deal with Rocky Mountain Construction. This allows Vekoma to sell Rocky Mountain Construction's unique roller coasters outside of North America.
Vekoma also helped create the amazing Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride at EPCOT in Walt Disney World. They designed special "omni-coaster" cars that can turn and spin in a controlled way. This ride, which opened in 2022, is one of the longest indoor coasters ever built!
Other Fun Rides
Besides roller coasters, Vekoma also builds other exciting attractions.
Giant Ferris Wheels
Through their Dutch Wheels division, Vekoma makes large Ferris wheels. They have different models like the R40, R50, and R60.
Famous Ferris Wheels
| Ferris wheel Name | Where It Is | When It Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Wheel | Six Flags Darien Lake, Darien, New York, US | 1983-2019 | Closed |
| Giant Wheel | Morey's Piers, Wildwood, New Jersey, US | 1985 | Operating |
| Navy Pier Ferris Wheel | Pier Park, Navy Pier, Chicago, US | 1995 | Moved to a new location |
| Delhi Eye (R50) | Kalindi Kunj Park, Okhla, Delhi, India | 2014 | Operating |
| Hong Kong Observation Wheel | Central, Hong Kong | 2014 | Operating |
| Branson Ferris Wheel (formerly the Navy Pier Wheel) | Branson, Missouri | 2016 | Operating |
| Grande roue de Montréal | Montreal, Canada | 2017 | Operating |
Madhouse Rides
A madhouse is a fun ride that makes you feel like you're turning upside down, even though you're actually staying upright! The room around you spins, creating a cool illusion.
Images for kids
-
Suspended Looping Coaster, a popular Vekoma design
-
Boomerang, another of Vekoma's most popular ride models
-
Invertigo, a variation on the Boomerang design
-
Giant Inverted Boomerang, a more extreme version of Invertigo
-
Vekoma Roller Skater, a small family coaster design
-
Wooden Coaster, One of Vekoma's wooden coasters (Thundercoaster Tusenfryd)
-
Motorbike roller coaster, a specially designed coaster with seats that are like motorbikes
-
Suspended Family Coaster
.JPG)
.jpg)
