This is what roller coaster enthusiasts are saying about Carowinds and Fury 325
Carowinds patrons had varying takes Monday on how a crack in the structure of a popular roller coaster would impact their confidence in the park’s safety and inspection protocols.
Carowinds temporarily shut down Fury 325 over the weekend due to a crack on one of the ride’s support beams. Fury 325 is billed as North America’s tallest and fastest giga roller coaster.
Carowinds roller coaster shut down days after a crack appeared while people were riding
According to Carowinds, the ride puts out 1-1.5 million rides per year. That makes it one of the park’s most popular rides.
Photos and videos posted online, show that a pillar had completely cracked by Friday.
Luke Chang of Greensboro is a roller coaster enthusiast and a Carowinds passholder.
“I rode it the day before the support fully cracked,” Chang said Monday.
“I don’t think (the supports) are checked enough, but from my understanding, they did their job. I think procedures need to be stricter on how many times they’re checked.”
Carowinds is an amusement park that straddles the South Carolina-North Carolina border, just off Interstate 77 in Fort Mill. Carowinds officials said rides undergo daily inspections to ensure proper function and structural integrity.
When are Carowinds roller coasters like Fury 325 inspected for maintenance, safety?
Chang said he is disappointed at how the crack will impact Fury’s availability.
“This has never really happened, so I can understand, but I still am pretty frustrated about what went on here. It’s just upsetting because it’s most likely gonna be down for the rest of the year. It’s just sad,” Chang said.
Some Carowinds patrons view the crack in the support beam as an isolated incident that doesn’t reflect poorly on the park’s overall safety.
Aidan Stammen is a roller coaster enthusiast who traveled with his family from Ohio to visit Carowinds.
“I was kinda sad about it because it was gonna be my first time on it,” Stammen said. “I’ve always wanted to come to Carowinds because of Fury, and that’s really why we came down here.
“It doesn’t really concern me safety-wise because I think it’s been designed so well that if it has a crack like that, it can easily be fixed, Stammen said.”
NC begins Carowinds roller coaster review after ‘rare’ crack found. Here’s what we know.
Fury 325 was manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, a company whose rides have been dubbed the Cadillacs of roller coasters. Their rides are more expensive to make than other manufacturers, and their coasters have garnered a reputation for quality, reliability and safety, according to Great American Thrills, a website that writes about amusement parks and roller coasters.
There has never been a death or catastrophic failure on a B&M roller coaster.
North Carolina residents Brittany and Travis, who did not want to be fully identified, were visiting Carowinds Monday. The two had different opinions about what kinds of concerns the crack should raise.
“I am not going on that ride. Even if it’s fixed and open, I am not going on it,” Brittany said. “I did hear that it’s been a little shaky for a while, so this seems like a problematic thing.”
Travis took an opposite approach.
“I’ve just always been under the opinion that if I ride a roller coaster, I’m risking my life every time. So if I can see people go up and come back down safely, then I assume I’m not that heavy,” Travis said.
Fury 325 opened in 2015, making it Carowinds’ second newest roller coaster. This has sparked some confusion among visitors who wonder how such a new ride could face structural issues.
“I’ve been coming to Carowinds my whole life, and I rode the Fury when it first was built. It was a fun time,” Travis said. “But Top Gun has been here since I was a kid, and it’s perfectly fine, so what’s wrong with this one?”
Top Gun is the former name of the roller coaster Afterburn, which opened in 1999.
At least one person in Charlotte region who writes about roller coasters also had been discussing what this temporary closure means.
Brandon Stoff, a roller coaster YouTuber based at Carowinds, documents the latest in theme park news on his channel Theme Park Predictions.
Stoff said Fury 325’s unique track design will be helpful in the repair process and in ensuring rider safety.
“That section of track is a sideways angle turn, and you’re traveling at a very high speed, so there’s a lot of pressure on that piece of track,” Stoff said.
“Fury has a big I-Box track. It’s designed to act almost like a support as well, so it doesn’t even necessarily need a support there. Obviously, they should still have one and they do.
“I wouldn’t worry. If anything, it’s going to implement new procedures going forward to make sure nothing like this happens again.
“For this to happen on a B&M, you just don’t hear about that stuff. I’m sure they are shocked and so is Carowinds, but this is a machine. Stuff does break. When it does, you fix it.”
