Bolliger and Mabillard's Beginnings, Flashback to the Space Diver

Giovanola's Influence

The amusement industry is a tight knit, highly niche industry. It is not uncommon for ride manufacturers to split over time, with seasoned employees leaving to join another firm or create their own. At least for well-established North American and European parks, there is a high desire to purchase attractions from known names, due to the absolute necessity to uphold high safety and quality standards. Word of mouth gets around, so even startup firms often have the opportunity to compete if the right minds are behind the vision.

Intamin (formerly known as International Amusement Installations) is one of the most well-known manufacturers of today, however they did not start off as a manufacturer. As a ride broker, they essentially sponsored many smaller firms and assisted to sell their products to parks worldwide. Handling purchase, installation, commissioning, and service, Intamin took a lot of burden off small manufacturers, allowing them to focus on production. Giovanola was one of Intamin's largest clients of the 1980s. Synergy between the firms allowed for Intamin to sell attractions fabricated by Giovanola, including some of the largest steel coaster installations of the decade.

Giovanola, who began the manufacture of steel products in 1888, spent the majority of their almost 120-year history designing and constructing bridges, water tanks, and power plant supplies, among other items. Intamin had reached out to the nearby fabricator in the 1980s, asking them to fabricate and provide the components necessary to build their rides. Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard were two of Giovanola's engineers tasked with the amusement ride production. Bolliger's first task was to manage the fabrication of a swinging ship, Intamin's attraction known as the "Bounty." He immediately began to think that he could design rides of his own, along with his colleague Mabillard. In addition to fabricating parts for Intamin, Bolliger and Mabillard began working on their own designs, which were Giovanola exclusives. Intamin acted as Giovanola's broker, as they had the know-how and ability to sell their products worldwide.

The Space Diver 

Around 1982, Bolliger and Mabillard began development of their own track design, one never before seen in the industry. Utilizing a box beam spine, the track utilized a wider track gauge than most coasters of the time. This allowed for heavier loads, wider trains, and increased precision over traditional methods of track design. Calculations are performed at each 1/16th of an inch, allowing for smoother transitions and more quality control over production. Shaping of the track loosely takes inspiration from vertical loops on Schwarzkopf looping coasters, which experienced high positive G-force through the element. B&M's track became standard for all of their future designs, allowing them to focus on train design and creating unique products. Easily recognizable by its shape, B&M was able to essentially build from the ground up and go worldwide with their brand.

The duo reached out to Werner Stengel for contributions to their first track design. Stengel's bureau consults with manufacturers worldwide, and has been responsible for the structural design, force calculations, fatigue analysis, and much more for hundreds of coasters since 1964. This prototype design would dabble in the areas of "heartlining" and the use of precise calculus in the design of ride elements.

Certain manufacturers used very primitive design methods to create their tracks (such as Arrow Dynamics). Simple geometry and drafting techniques utilizing circles and straight lines led to very rough transitions between segments of rides. Stengel advanced the design techniques by using parabolas for curved elements, and high order derivatives to test for beam deflection when subjected to loads. In engineering, the use of the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory comes to mind for those math nerds interested in further study. Heartlining involves the theory of rotating a track and train around the rider's center (heart area) instead of the center of the track. Not only does this put less uncomfortable forces on the riders but also provides a smoother ride experience.

This concept was critical for an element designed by Stengel known as the "space curve." Today, this ride element is better known as a hairpin drop. Stengel had hoped to create a maneuver that mimicked that of a stunt pilot and included a whopping six hairpin drops into the design (more specifically, five drops and one uphill hairpin). Each drop would turn riders 180 degrees, with a quick and snappy dive towards the ground. While not technically an inversion, the average rider would feel as though they were going upside down. In addition to a camelback hill and upward helix, the ride was designed to be quite forceful and disorienting at times. Fitting into a 215 x 60 foot space, another feature of this layout was that it was compact and was designed to be a "cookie cutter" ride. A variety of parks would be able to fit and afford the design, which Giovanola and Intamin hoped to sell a lot of, similar to models such as Vekoma's Boomerang. In fact, the idea of enclosing the ride inside of a building was considered at times, given the compact size and ability to add special effects. The creation was called the "Space Diver."

Each of the three trains would incorporate 4-abreast seating, another first for a roller coaster. Bolliger and Mabillard had hoped that shortening the car lengths by having a single row as opposed to two would make the vehicles nimbler. Since the cars were tighter together, it allowed for higher articulation in the hitches, allowing the trains to traverse much tighter radii. Operating three trains allowed for a theoretical hourly capacity of 1,100 riders per hour, though Intamin would advertise it as 1,400 riders per hour. On the prototype model, the trains featured lap bar only restraints, later a shoulder harness was added before the first model opened in hopes to provide more upper body stability to riders while experiencing the high lateral forces.

Giovanola produced a fully functioning prototype at their Switzerland facility, allowing interested buyers to visit and observe the running coaster, as well as ride it. Installation of the ride required 130 tons of steel, 900 yards of concrete, and 5,000-man hours in design. This prototype was actually intended to be moved to a park permanently, having the advantage of already being fabricated upon the first sale. In 1984, Intamin sold their first Space Diver to a very prominent buyer, Six Flags.

Z-Force at Six Flags Great America

In 1976, Marriott Corporation opened two theme parks, their first venture in the amusement industry. Built from the ground up, the parks were called Marriot's Great America, with one iteration opening in Santa Clara, California, and the other in Gurnee, Illinois. Marriott focused heavily on the attractions, operations, and food selection of the parks, in hopes of offering world-class standards that were already found in their hotels.

Despite opening to positive reviews, their amusement sector did not generate as much revenue as desired. In fact, a third Marriott Park was planned for Washington, DC, which would be the largest of the trio. Between several failed attempts at developing the DC property, as well as disappointing attendance figures, Marriott exited the amusement industry in 1984 and sold both parks. The Santa Clara property was sold to the city, later being operated by Cedar Fair. In Gurnee, the park was sold to Six Flags.

With 1985 being the second full operating season for Six Flags, they wanted to make a splash. They chose Great America to be the property where the world's first Space Diver would be installed. Known as "Z-Force," the attraction was heavily marketed as a one-of-a-kind and given a light military fighter theme. At a cost of $5 million, the ride was disassembled at Giovanola's plant, fully painted, and sent to Illinois.

The attraction was a major success upon opening on July 10, 1985. Waits were reported to exceed over 2 hours, and the ride was receiving positive feedback. There were some minor complaints over a couple of issues. Because of the bulky shape of the ride bodies, it was hard to see where the train was going. For some riders, this added to the excitement. For others, it was too disorienting and provided a sort of whiplash effect. In addition, on wet days, track lubricant and oils were known to sling around the structure easily and could get on riders due to the compact nature of the ride.

Overall, the ride was held in a positive light and continued to be popular for the park. However, Six Flags already had plans to move the attraction elsewhere. Through the 1980s, the "Six Flags Ride Rotation Program" was active, where the corporation bought a select group of rides that were intended to move from park-to-park every few years to keep popularity high, but cut back on the cost of adding new capital since the rides were already paid for. Essentially each ride that was part of the rotation was dismantled, moved to another park, and re-installed while marketing it as a brand-new ride.

While Z-Force was still very popular for Great America, Six Flags did not want that to diminish over time. Given the coaster's compact nature, it was a perfect selection for relocation. After just three seasons of operation, the ride closed at the end of the 1987 season. Z-Force's site would later be developed for another historic ride, one to be discussed later in this article...

Z-Force at Six Flags over Georgia

Six Flags announced that Z-Force would be constructed at Six Flags over Georgia for the 1988 season. It was marketed as a new attraction, and the public did not know that it was a used ride since without internet at the time, there wasn't much discussion active about the industry. Z-Force itself remained virtually the same, retaining its name, color scheme, and light theme. However, the ride experience notably changed.

During relocation of the ride, it became noticeably rougher despite not being an old piece of equipment. It is believed that due to changes in foundations and the overall land conditions at Georgia, the track wasn't aligned as well as it was in Illinois, leading to rougher transitions. This coupled with the vehicle designs led to a poor, and at times, painful experience. It is quite possible as well that the ride was either rushed or reconstructed poorly to save on costs. The whole point of the ride relocation program was to lower capital investments. By not purchasing new attractions, the only costs of relocation involved disassembly, transport, and reconstruction. All it takes is for one crew to do a half-assed job either on the dismantling or rebuilding on the ride to affect its quality. Maybe Great America was in the boat of "well it's not ours anymore let's get it apart as quick as possible," or on the other hand Georgia may have been falling behind schedule and had to rush assembly. Either way, relocation usually never works out to be a seamless transfer, with the utmost carefulness taken in the handover. Any small imperfections in alignment or the installation would lead to a lifetime of wear and pronounced rough spots.

Six Flags reopened Z-Force in April of 1988. Wait times and reviews did exceed expectations yet again, however feedback diminished rapidly as time went on. An accident that occurred on July 18, 1989 would tarnish the ride's reputation greatly. An 11-year-old boy became unconscious while riding Z-Force. Park medical staff performed CPR on the child, but he was pronounced dead upon being transported to a local hospital. Z-Force reopened on July 22 after a full internal investigation and state inspection. No anomalies were found with the ride and it returned to operation. It is believed that the boy had a seizure while on the attraction, but results of his autopsy were inconclusive. He was hospitalized earlier that month from a fall at home, which may have pointed to an undiagnosed pre-existing condition affecting his health.

Popularity declined, and the ride's roughness led to reduced ridership. A decision was made to close the attraction at the end of the 1991 season. Since the ride still had a considerable service life remaining on it, Six Flags scheduled for it to be relocated yet again, this time to its final home, Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Flashback at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Credit: jgrace2112 on reddit

Z-Force was on the move again, but this time it required a new name. Magic Mountain already had a ride in operation named Z-Force, an Intamin Looping Starship, installed in 1987. Instead, the name Flashback was chosen, dropping any military fighter jet theming from the attraction. Six Flags opened the ride right at the front of the park in the Six Flags Plaza area.

While the ride once again amassed multiple hour wait times upon opening, it was the roughest rendition of the attraction yet. Feedback was very mixed and quickly became negative. Wait times disappeared from the ride, and it was often one of the first attractions closed in the event of short staffing. Park staff nicknamed the ride "Flashbroke" as it was often not operating and was notorious for its roughness.

In 1995, Six Flags installed a full waterpark adjacent to the front of the park and Flashback called Hurricane Harbor. During operation, the loud nature of Flashback caused by its hollow box track and hard nylon wheels was enough to distract lifeguards in the waterpark. Decibel levels exceeded normal standards, and it was hard to listen for guests in need of assistance. Therefore, the decision was made to keep Flashback closed from May to September while Hurricane Harbor was open. This was quite unordinary for an attraction, as the summer season is when demand is highest.

This procedure continued until 2003, when Flashback remained closed indefinitely, not returning to its part-time schedule. Inside the ride area, it became overgrown with trees and foliage. The track was quite dirty and began to rust. 

Park officials began to debate the ride's future, at one point looking to relocate the ride within the park and install new trains to alleviate roughness. The structure could also be filled with sand to help dampen a lot of the noise and vibration from the track. Either option would have been a costly refurbishment for a 20 plus year old attraction that guests simply did not enjoy. At one point, the ride also appeared for sale by International Rides Management.

After the 2006 bankruptcy of the chain, a renewed focus to reduce operating costs swept across the chain. Almost immediately the chain began forcing parks to close, remove, or sell attractions with costly maintenance and lower ridership. Flashback fell into this category, along with some other attractions at the park. Without a buyer stepping up, the ride was demolished in 2007 and recycled. It wasn't until 2013 that Flashback's spot was reutilized for Hurricane Harbor expansion.

Thoughts and Aftermath

It seems as though Six Flags shot themselves in the foot by going through with the ride's first relocation. Z-Force was popular at Great America until the day it closed, whereas it was not enjoyed as much at its following two homes. Six Flags' ride relocation program is certainly an interesting and arguably sensible idea. Why invest into new capital when each park can get refreshed and new experiences guaranteed every few seasons? The stress endured by Z-Force/Flashback through each move took its toll on what can be considered one of the most unique rides to exist in the industry.

As for Intamin, they were seemingly surprised that the Space Diver only sold one time. For me, it is quite strange as Z-Force opened to such high reviews. Six Flags likely fully intended on one model being rotated through the chain, but no other park operators took a bite at the model. At least in the United States, Arrow Dynamics still held a lot of weight as the "premier" manufacturer for coasters, as well as being a trusted name. Giovanola simply did not have as much pull in the industry, even with Intamin as their broker. As time went on, and reviews turned unfavorable for the Space Diver, it likely turned off other parks. There were certainly cheaper "cookie cutter" ride models available for a smaller price than the reported $5 million Space Diver.

So, what happened to Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard? After the development of the Space Diver, they had reused their track design to create a stand-up coaster with Giovanola/Intamin. In 1987, Giovanola's upper management had changed, with Bolliger and Mabillard deciding to leave the firm and start their own small engineering firm. B&M agreed that they would not make amusement rides anymore, focusing on other projects and keeping their company to a lean 4 employees.

Robert Mampe, who was a staff engineer at Great America sought out assistance from B&M to redesign some bobsled vehicles on a Giovanola Swiss Bob that the park had acquired from Six Flags Great Adventure in 1989. Mampe had worked with the duo during the construction of Z-Force. After much encouraging, he convinced Bolliger to work on amusement rides again. The relocation of Z-Force had left a hole in Great America's lineup since its removal in 1987. Mampe had wanted to install a major stand-up coaster similar to Giovanola's that Claude and Walter had designed. For 1990, Great America installed Iron Wolf, the world's largest stand-up coaster and B&M's first as their own manufacturer. Because of Mampe's contributions to the initial success of the small firm, he eventually left Six Flags and became a US representative for B&M, assisting with design, sales, and service.

Credit: Themeprkgc at Wikimedia

Intamin and Giovanola slowly broke off as well, with Intamin mostly designing their own products and moving to other fabricators for production. Giovanola also went their own way, continuing to produce rides but at a very slow pace unlike before. They went bankrupt and closed in 2001.

Stories in the amusement industry often take twists, turns, and have surprises, much like the rides that the industry features. In this story, we learn the dependencies and relationships between Bolliger and Mabillard, Giovanola, and Intamin. Once partners to create a first of its type attraction later all turned into competitors. Also, without Six Flags Great America and Bob Mampe, would B&M even be around today? B&M has gone on to specialize in the design of roller coasters, creating 136 since their first in 1990. But for this article, this was their origin, a highly controversial coaster with very mixed reviews. I think that this shows that perseverance is a great quality to have, as if something doesn't work at first, it is important to learn from the mistakes and try again.