Reverse bungee
Modern type of fairground ride
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The reverse bungee (also known as catapult bungee, slingshot, or ejection seat) is a modern type of fairground ride.
The ride consists of two telescopic gantry towers mounted on a platform, feeding two elastic ropes down to a two-person passenger car constructed from an open sphere of tubular steel. The passenger car is secured to the platform with an electro-magnetic latch as the elastic ropes are stretched. When the electromagnet is turned off, the passenger car is catapulted vertically with a g-force of 3–5, reaching an altitude of between 50 metres (164 ft) and 80 metres (262 ft).[citation needed]
Installations
| Name | Park | Country | Manufacturer | Opened | Closed | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SlingShot | Canada's Wonderland |  Canada |
Funtime | 2015 | Open | Reaches heights of nearly 300 feet (91.4 m).[1][2] |
| Slingshot | Carowinds |  United States |
Funtime | 2015 | Open | Reaches heights of up to 300 feet (91.4 m).[2][3] |
| SlingShot | Cedar Point | United States |
Funtime | 2014 | Open | Reaches heights of 360 feet (109.7 m). Located in Gemini Midway section of park.[4] |
| Slingshot | Daytona Beach | United States |
Funtime | 2017 | Located on top of Boardwalk arcade. Removed after larger Sling Shot was added nearby.[5] | |
| Slingshot | Daytona Beach Screamer's Park | United States |
Funtime | 2017 | Open | Replaced smaller Sling Shot located on nearby rooftop. Uploads all on-ride videos to the park's YouTube channel.[6] |
| Slingshot | Jolly Roger Amusement Park | United States |
Funtime | Open | Monolithic structure towers.[7] | |
| Slingshot | Kings Island | United States |
Funtime | 2002 | 2022 | Reaches heights of 275 feet (83.8 m).[8] |
| Catapult | Lagoon | United States |
Funtime | 2002 | Open | Reaches heights over 200 feet (61.0 m)[9][10] |
| Slingshot | Luna Park | United States |
Zamperla | 2011 | Open | Reaches heights of 150 feet (45.7 m). Located in the Scream Zone addition to Luna Park.[11][12] |
| Orlando Slingshot | ICON Park | United States |
Funtime | Open | Allegedly reaches heights over 390 feet (118.9 m).[13] The ride was closed for about six months for testing and additional employee training after the 2022 fall-related death of a teenager on the Orlando FreeFall ride operated at the same park.[14] | |
| Slingshot | Old Town | United States |
Funtime | 2001 | Open | [15] |
| Slingshot | Six Flags Darien Lake | United States |
Funtime | Open | Reaches heights of 300 feet (91.4 m).[16] | |
| Texas Gunslinger | Six Flags Fiesta Texas | United States |
Funtime | Open | Monolithic structure towers. Also referred to as Slingshot.[17] | |
| Slingshot | Six Flags Great Adventure | United States |
Funtime | Open | Reaches heights of 220 feet (67.1 m).[18] | |
| Nightwing | Six Flags New England | United States |
Funtime | Open | ||
| Sling Shot | Magical Midway | United States |
Funtime | 2024 | Reaches heights of 240 feet (73.2 m).[19] |
Beside this, there exist also transportable reverse bungee installations, which are sometimes installed on funfairs.
Safety issues
In August 1998, Jérôme Charron died in a reverse bungee ride accident at the Ottawa Exhibition in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada when he was hurled 40 m into the air before plummeting to his death as his harness had detached. In February 2000, the firm responsible for the ride, Anderson Ventures, was fined $145,000 for this incident.[citation needed]
