 OFFICIAL COMPANY NAME: Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Incorporated
PRESIDENTS/FOUNDERS: Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard
LOCATION: Monthey, Switzerland
BOLLIGER & MABILLARD COMPANY INFORMATION
Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard. The two men that single-handedly changed the slumping roller coaster world of the late 20th century. Not only did they get the coaster world back action, they made new prototype rides no person ever expected to see. From their first stand-up coaster to the latest in hi-tech coaster design, Bolliger & Mabillard have no-doubt put themselves in with the higher echelons of roller coaster production.
Bolliger and Mabillard both started in coaster manufacturing whilst with renowned coaster designers Intamin AG. But 1990 started their career as a pair. From their offices in Monthey, Switzerland, B&M they designed their first roller coaster. It was the stand-up coaster, Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America. It was an automatic surprise, as no one has heard about this new company. People were surprised to find it super-smooth and its 4-row seating led to great capacity rates. With Iron Wolf being an instant hit, B&M went off the design a similar stand-up coaster, Vortex, at Six Flags Magic Mountain in southern California. Although an almost mirror image as Iron Wolf, Vortex seemed to be a bit of a failure and people had though B&M had rushed into making it. With B&M now known in the coaster industry, they were prepared to design arguably the most innovative ride in history. Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America was the world's first inverted roller coaster, and everyone in the coaster industry was stunned to see this awesome new ride come from a "rookie company." The ride trains were similar to ski-lifts, as the train hung underneath the track, instead of on top of it, and riders feet dangled to the ground below. The ride opened to rave reviews, and to this day still thrills riders at many different Six Flags parks. Of course, B&M weren't done yet.
In 1993, B&M designed their first sit-down coaster. It was Kumba, the seven-inversion roller coaster that opened at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Of course, a few years before, fellow coaster company Arrow Dynamics constructed a seven-inversion mega looper coaster, but the ride seemed more of a failure to the rides lack of consistency and horrible train design. B&M made this ride in a dizzying fashion, with the track swooping underneath tunnels, and sweeping through trees. The ride is still in operation today, still thrilling thousands of riders each year.
The upcoming years proved that B&M was now in-charge of the coaster industry with new rides coming out like Dragon Kahn, Mantis, Alpengeist, and Oblivion. In 1999, though, came arguably their best ride to date. The Incredible Hulk Coaster, at the new Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, featured seven inversion, nearly 3500 feet of track, and some of the best theming you will ever find for a roller coaster. The ride's key feature is that, unlike most traditional coasters, this ride was boosted from 0 mph to 45 mph in less than two seconds, onto the twisting track. Hulk, uses the key boost to its advantage, and is considered by many one of the best steel roller coasters in the world. Also in 1999, B&M designed two more different prototype coaster designs. They were called the speed coaster and the floorless coaster. The speed coaster was in the hypercoaster class, with either the lift or drop being 200 feet of higher. Top speed excessed 72 mph, and contained no inversions. The speed coasters are among people favorites and we will definitely see more coming in the near future. The other coaster design by B&M was the floorless. Basically, it was a sit-down coaster, without a floor or sides. The floorless coasters are highly intense due to the fact you feel like you're "unsafe and could fall out." These type of coaster includes heart-stopping experiences, but are a little slower than most sit-down coasters. None the less, this coaster is becoming one of B&M's most favorite to construct.
2002 brought a new experince to the coaster world, with B&M yet designing a new prototype ride, although it wasn't going to be a brand new experience to the general public. B&M was releasing their version of the Vekoma "flying dutchman." The flying dutchman was a flying roller coaster, in which for most of the ride, you were in the flying position. The dutchman coaster were opened to mixed reviews, which promted, Air, B&M's first flying roller coaster, that featured two inversions. The ride was opened at world-class theme park Alton Towers in United Kingdom. Air opened to extremely good reviews, although the ride was short (under 2700 feet) and not even 50 feet high. Therefore, Air deemed more a family coaster, as Alton Towers wanted it, although it provides a thrilling experince that can be found on now flying dutchman. Unlike the dutchman, B&M's flying coaster went up in the flying position, instead of on your back. You board the ride as you would an inverted coaster, with the exceptions of different harnesses. During the same time Air was being built, B&M was getting prepared for a more intense flying coaster. The coaster is called Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags over Georgia. The ride was built with a nearly 75-foot higher lift hill than Air, and featured the world's first pretzel inverted loop. The ride is a few feet longer than Air and is being called the world's most invense flying coaster, due largely in part to the extreme pretzel loop. The pretzel loop is unlike in other loop, as you dive into it and swoop out that leaves a pretzel looking inversion. The pretzel loop is arguably the most intense inversion in the world.
Bolliger & Mabillard will continue to make good rides for the next generation of people, and each of their rides will always be considered top-notch or world-class, most because their made carefully by the world's best roller coaster manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard.
BOLLIGER & MABILLARD DESIGN THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ROLLER COASTERS:
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Stand-Up
- Inverted
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Sit-Down
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Dive Machine
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Floorless
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Speed
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Flying
Bolliger & Mabillard Box-Section Spine Steel Track
Bolliger & Mabillard's steel box-section track is used on all of their non-inverted coasters. Giovanola manufactures the track for Bolliger & Mabillard, and use it for the few coasters they build. Six Flags over Georgia's stand-up coaster, The Georgia Scorcher, features this type of track.
Bolliger & Mabillard Inverted Box-Section Spine Steel Track
This track is used on all Bolliger & Mabillard inverted roller coasters, which means the track is above the train. The inverted box-section track is used only by Bolliger & Mabillard, and is extremely easy to recognize. Six Flags over Georgia's Batman: The Ride and Superman: Ultimate Flight feature this type of track.
RIDES BUILT AT SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA
BATMAN: THE RIDE-- Six Flags over Georgia's first B&M roller coaster, and also there first inverted coaster. Built in 1997, the sleek 2700 feet glide through Gotham City, and speeds of up to 50 mph.
THE GEORGIA SCORCHER-- The second B&M roller coaster to hit Six Flags over Georgia came in 1999, when B&M made their common stand-up coaster. Fitted onto a very small piece of land, the ride features a 107 foot high lift hill and two inversions.
SUPERMAN: ULTIMATE FLIGHT-- B&M's third installment at Six Flags over Georgia is easily one of their best creations. Superman is B&M's second flying coaster, and first in the Western Hemisphere. The ride features the world's first pretzel inverted loop, which is arguably the most intense inversion ever. This is easily many guests favorite ride at Six Flags over Georgia.
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