Will the Yukon Striker find gold for roller coaster riders in North America?

It’s the ride that has had theme park enthusiasts waiting all winter for.  The Yukon Striker! It’s been dubbed the fastest, scariest and most exhilarating coaster built to date. With a floorless stadium seating made up of just three rows of 8 riders, the Yukon Striker’s ‘hold and dive’ element pauses train for 3 seconds over a 90-degree drop into an underwater tunnel and also includes a complete 360-degree loop, never before seen on a dive coaster.

Not even open yet … it’s now the holder of three world records:

• The fastest dive coaster at 130 km/h (80 mph)
• The longest dive coaster at 3,625 feet (1,105 metres)
• Tallest dive coaster at 245 feet (75 metres) - includes underground

So, what does a coaster like this cost and how many visitors will it attract in a year? Are these rides loss leaders for parks or must-have investments?  And what’s next – how does a competing park out-prospect the Yukon Striker?

There are a lot of questions to be answered and that’s where our experts can help.

Dr. Martin Lewison is a professor in the Department of Business Management at Farmingdale. He’s also an expert and self-proclaimed junkie when it comes to rollercoasters and theme parks. He has ridden the rails of close to 1900 coasters in 34 countries. He is also a go-to source for national media on the subject. Dr. Lewison is available to speak about this topic – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.