Elitch Gardens on Thursday announced a new theme for its Twister II rollercoaster that asks riders to explore the aftermath of a tornado their way to becoming simulated storm chasers.
Twister III: Storm Chaser, as the ride is called, is refurbished version of the Twister II coaster, which was out of service in 2022. It debuts on Saturday, April 29, when Elitch Gardens opens for the season, and will feature a 90-foot drop, 100-foot darkened tunnel, and “the sights, sounds and winds of a real tornado,” according to the amusement park.
“Reimagining this awesome wooden roller coaster is a great opportunity for us to re-introduce one of the most thrilling rides in the park and also offer a new and exciting experience at the same time,” said David Dorman, general manager of Elitch Gardens, in a statement.
Twister III: Storm Chaser and Twister II are longer and taller versions of the original Mr. Twister roller coaster that opened at the park’s previous location on 38th Avenue in 1964.
The announcement — and the promotional YouTube video — comes at a difficult time, however, just a day after a tornado killed five people in Missouri. Other tornados caused wide swaths of damage in Illinois, Kentucky and Iowa over the past few days. There have been at least 63 deaths this year attributed to tornados, and 478 tornado reports in 25 states. That’s double the average for this point in a single year, according to NBC News.
The YouTube video posted on Thursday morning uses simulated digital imagery and sounds from a tornado. It is shown tearing across a version of Elitch Gardens with downtown Denver in the background as lightning and various debris swirl in the foreground amid screaming riders.
Elitch publicist Cindy Hann didn’t address the timing in an email to The Denver Post. “The Twister has had its name since 1964; we simply modified this iconic name as part of our announcement that Twister will be back online in 2023 after being out of service all of last season,” she said.
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