Funtime is excited as it looks to 2015. This year saw the opening of record-setting vertical rides and next year looks just as busy.
“It certainly has been thrilling for us,” said Hannes Lackner, the company’s head engineer. “Our rides continue to pop up around the globe, which is certainly exciting. This year we opened our eighth StarFlyer with Six Flags at their New England property and it was another one of our massive 123-meter (403-foot) rides. Next year will see another StarFlyer at Six Flags Mexico, where it will be the second Funtime attraction at the park,” he continued.
The company has stayed busy with other attractions, also. In 2014 the company opened two Slingshots and last year debuted their newest ride, the Skyfall, at Oktoberfest. Despite being a new ride, Funtime has sold four of the drop rides worldwide. The Skyfall was developed with the European showman in mind, but it is available as a park-model attraction, also. Although it stands an exhilarating 80 meters (262 feet) tall, it can be set up in less than one day with no cranes. The ride is a heart-pounding experience, 24 guests are whisked to the top of the tower and then dropped straight down into a set of magnetic brakes.
“We felt that even though there are several freefalls on the market, we could make it much more user-friendly,” said Lackner. “We came up with a unique way to erect a tall tower without a crane and did some other improvements to the ride system, such putting the winch at the bottom of the tower. Since we own and operate some of our attractions, we bring operations experience into our ride design.” Funtime offers the Skyfall in both park and trailer models in a variety of heights and with LED lighting packages.