Hakugei (白鯨, "White Whale") is a hybrid steel roller coaster located at Nagashima Spa Land in Mie Prefecture, Japan. It is a refurbished conversion of the former wooden roller coaster White Cyclone, which operated from 1994 to 2018. The ride was renovated by the American company Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), which replaced the original wooden track with steel I-Box Track technology and modified the layout, including the addition of three inversions. Hakugei reopened on 28 March 2019.
History
White Cyclone was a wooden roller coaster manufactured by the Liechtenstein-based company Intamin. It opened in 1994 and was constructed using Alaskan timber. The ride featured a double out-and-back layout with helices, large drops, and bunny hills, and used trains built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. White Cyclone closed on 28 January 2018.
Following the closure, Rocky Mountain Construction refurbished the coaster using its patented I-Box Track technology. The ride's height was increased from 42.4 m (139 ft) to 55 m (180 ft), its speed from 102 km/h (63 mph) to 107 km/h (66 mph), and three inversions were added. The project involved Sansei Technologies for structural alterations to meet Japanese standards, and S&S Worldwide supplied mechanical components including the lift hill and brakes. The renovated ride was named Hakugei and opened on 28 March 2019. It is the first RMC installation in Asia.
Statistics
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Steel (hybrid) |
| Manufacturer | Rocky Mountain Construction |
| Model | I-Box Track (custom) |
| Height | 55 m (180 ft) |
| Length | 1,530 m (5,020 ft) |
| Speed | 107 km/h (66 mph) |
| Inversions | 3 |
| Max vertical angle | 80° |
| Max G-force | 4.0 G |
| Lift system | Chain lift hill |
| Trains | 3 trains, 6 cars each, 2 across in 2 rows (24 riders per train) |
| Height restriction | 130 cm (4 ft 3 in) |
| Cost | ¥2,800,000,000 |
| Ride duration | Approximately 160 seconds |
Etymology
The name "Hakugei" (白鯨) is Japanese for "white whale."
