Insane

From time to time, insane ideas are needed to find solutions for upcoming difficulties. The floor space required when purchasing new attractions always rises a challenge, especially for town parks like Gröna Lund / Stockholm, and leads to extremely creative solutions of placing the rides. For example, there are several coasters built inside and twisted around of each other.

Another way of doing it is shown by the sympathic park with their latest addition, the Intamin Zac Spin Coaster INSANE. In difference to the existing versions Kirnu (Finland) and Inferno (Spain), the size has been significantly enlarged. Thus regarding the height and ride time, but also the external publicity: the attraction is located right beside the ferry landing stage and welcomes arriving passengers from a distance as they stand at the ship's rail, wondering and waving to the riders.

The coaster itself is painted in two colors, track in white and the supports in a heavy violet tone. When the sun shines, the ride emerges wonderfully in the blue sky, and the 5 cars with differently colored decoration discs (blue, yellow, red, black and pink) are whizzing through the meandering track, dragging down the cheering passengers. Depending on the seats loading balance, the tour can be relatively calm or a real wild ride.

The station is accessible from two directions - as a matter of principle. The separation into left and right is done in the queue underneath the station, just before the stairs. Also the maintenance area for the gondolas is located in the basement, they can be lowered with a hoisting platform through a trap door in the stations floor.

The double-chain lift and all transportation wheels in the station and the blockbrake half-way on track are powered with hydraulic motors. They are supplied via collective oil-pressure pipes. On one side, this leads to very low noise during operation, on the other side, the maintenance for those units is much easier than for high-power electrical engines which are normally used for those purposes. The oil pressure is provided by two hydraulic pumps, located in a separate, noise-isolated side building. This due to a minimal distance to the visitors.

The complete wiring and installation on site was done on Gröna Lunds own initiative in order to be able to fix upcoming problems fast and without the need of waiting for external companies. The park wants to keep the attractions breakdown times as short as possible during the short season. There are also enough spare parts available on-site for both hydraulic and electrical systems for immediate replacement.

We are crossing the waiting area, which is admittedly a little bit sparse, towards the station. The waiting area is underneath the station and mainly consists of comic-repros at the walls and zig-zag queue lines. Primary goal for Gröna Lunds crew was to open the attraction for season start and keep it running reliable. But regarding the well-known presentation of the rest of the park, we surely can expect a lot to happen during winter closure.

Curious, we take place in one of the eight-seated waggons, four persons on each side beside of the track, sitting back-to-back. The ride-operators are watching carefully the loading balance of the free hanging gondola, as the weight distribution is responsible for more or less swinging and rollover during the ride. A single-side loading balance will not get the staffs clearance, this would lead to extreme tours with continuous spinning, which the park is not willing and able to expect from the visitors.

The over-the-shoulder restraints are closing, the inner textile harness nestling narrow, but not disagreeable, to the body. After the obligatory check by the ride operators, the safety belts are closed and with a gentle fizzling of the hydraulic valves, the wagon starts moving towards the chain-lift. Right before the exit of the station, the guiding track for the gondolas inclination ends and we get the result of the ride operators weight estimation. I our case, the gondola tilts significantly to one side, which let us hope for some spins during the ride. With a small jolt, the two pusher dogs at the chains grab the wagon and we start climbing upwards, direction sky. Due to the double chain installation, the normally necessary reverse stop with its tooth rack is not needed here, this leads also to a remarkable loss in noise level for the lifthill.

After some meters, the chains are speeding up significantly and we are being raised higher and higher. Depending on the seating orientation, we see the park or the open water and the old village. At the top of the hill, the track starts with a small drop into a valley. The wagon dives in and gains speed. A long, straight section follows, the only one by the way on the whole track beside the station and the block brake, and the riders can admire relaxed the beautiful view. But at the end of the section follows, what is the rides name origin. The passengers sitting in running direction see it coming, the backwards oriented guests are being pulled down unexpectedly, and a wild, insane trip begins. Hill and drop are alternating fast, the gondola swinging independently from each other and turning around their axes under the influence of centrifugal forces, the heading changes and the wagon rushes into the magnetic block brake, nearly coming to a complete stop. The block brake allows two cars riding the track at the same time without any danger, reducing the waiting time during higher affluxion. In our case, the journey continues without a rest. The hydraulic wheels are pushing the wagon towards the next abyss, again, the world turns upside down and we are dashing downwards beside the track. In a bow immediately uphill, only to change direction again and curving down into the next valley. With another turn a little bit up again, rushing headfirst with full speed into the final magnetic brakes at rides end. The waiting crowd underneath is looking up to us, some of them excited, some surprised. Slowly, the wagon floats down the last meters of the track into the station. The gondola are pushed into original position with a hydraulic bar, the safety belts and restraints are opened by the crew members and with a large grin on the face, we are leaving the attraction.

Opposite to the chosen name, Gröna Lund behaved quite reasonable. The ride is - different to its brothers Kirnu and Inferno - sufficiently long to encourage the visitors for a re-ride, even when waiting times are higher. The rides height produces good publicity from far away, and its intensity is well-balanced enough to be convenient for a large number of visitors. Even though it creates a deep breath at first sight for some of the brave Vikings - but Vikings don't know fear, as is known.