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For the roller coaster previously named Monster, visit Monster Mouse (Quassy Amusement Park). For the roller coaster at La Ronde, visit Monstre. There is also The Monster.
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Maizières-les-Metz, Lorraine, France
Monster is a steel inverted roller coaster located at Walygator Parc in Maizières-les-Metz, Lorraine, France. It is the first Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster and one of the largest in France. It opened on July 9, 2010, after numerous delays.
History[]
Monster under construction
The ride first opened at Expoland in Suita, Osaka, Japan in 1996. The ride was named Orochi and was antiseismic (built to withstand earthquakes). Orochi and Expoland closed on November 12, 2007 following an accident on the park's Fujin Raijin II roller coaster, in which a women died. After standing but not operating for two years, the ride was bought by Wakygator Parc.
Construction on the ride started in January/February 2010, later than scheduled due to harsh weather. Because of this, Monster's inauguration on April 10, 2010 was delayed. A second inauguration was again delayed, as the TÜV didn't approve the opening of the roller coaster in time. Monster finally opened on July 9, 2010.[1]
Design[]
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Elements |
Layout[]
After leaving the station, the ride begins with a left-hand turn into the 131.3 feet tall lift hill. At the top, the inverted train dips slightly before turning left ninety degrees as it drops 119 feet (36 m) down the first hill. From the bottom the train immediately enters a vertical loop. Next is the zero-g roll followed by the cobra roll which inverts riders twice.
After the cobra roll, the train climbs through an upward spiral and enters a straight section, which previously housed the mid-course brake run. Next the train dives down to the right transitioning into a brief straight section of track. Riders then enter the first of two corkscrews which rotates the train 360 degrees to the left. The track straightens briefly again before turning to the right and entering a short dip before taking riders into the second corkscrew (this portion of the ride is often referred to by enthusiasts as the "dip and flip"). The ride finishes with a helix before making one last left turn into the final brake run.
Trains[]
Although three trains were shipped to France, only one is currently on the track.
Comparison to Raptor[]
Monster is a clone of Raptor at Cedar Point. Many enthusiasts rate Monster higher than Raptor.[2] Because the ride lacks the mid-course brake run its American counterpart has, it keeps the speed up in the second half of the ride. During its move to France, the brakes were removed as they are not required for one-train operation, saving money on maintenance.
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