Gerstlauer continues to unveil new and exciting ways to offer park-goers a thrill. In the spring of 2009 the heavily-publicized Sky Roller opened at Belantis in Leipzig, Germany. In the fall the company’s “Suspended Polyp” debuted at the world famous Oktoberfest and at IAAPA buyers saw the company’s newest concept, the “Sky Fly”.
“It has been an amazing decade of growth for us,” said Siegfried Gerstlauer, the company’s Managing Director. “2009 was a great way to end ten years of new designs and concepts. We not only debuted several roller coasters, including the Launched Euro-Fighter at Hansa Park, we continued to diversify and show customers the breadth of our portfolio.”
The Sky Fly is an outgrowth of the Sky Roller. Both rides allow guests to control the rotation of their vehicle with wings, but the Sky Fly changes the experience slightly. The main boom is now tilted at 45 degrees and every rotation features elevation changes. Gerstlauer commented, “With its capacity of 16 or 24 The Sky Roller is perfect for larger parks. However, the Sky Fly allows us to offer parks a capacity of 6, 8, 12 or 16, which really opens up the market. With a starting price around 500,000 Euro we feel this is an attraction that can find a home ay any property.”
The first Suspended Polyp is owned by German showman Thomas Aigner. When the ride opened at Oktoberfest it was one of the fair’s most popular attractions. Capable of holding 40 guests at once, the Suspended Polyp’s unique motion got everyone’s attention. The ride experience is based upon the Polyp/Octopus rides from the past but with a new twist- open seating that allows riders to be in the middle of the action. Siegfried Gerstlauer said, “The ride looked fantastic on the midway. I think it is a great update of a popular ride and the perfect marriage of new technology and tradition.”