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Fury 325

Coordinates: 35°06′20″N 80°56′33″W / 35.10548°N 80.94246°W / 35.10548; -80.94246
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Fury 325
Fury 325's entrance plaza
Carowinds
LocationCarowinds
Park sectionThrill Zone
Coordinates35°06′20″N 80°56′33″W / 35.10548°N 80.94246°W / 35.10548; -80.94246
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateMarch 25, 2015 (2015-03-25)
Opening dateMarch 28, 2015 (2015-03-28)
Cost$30 million
ReplacedRipcord
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
ModelHyper Coaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height325 ft (99 m)
Drop320 ft (98 m)
Length6,602 ft (2,012 m)
Speed95 mph (153 km/h)
Inversions0
Max vertical angle81°
Capacity1470 riders per hour
Height restriction54 in (137 cm)
Trains3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Fury 325 at RCDB
Video

POV video of Fury 325

Fury 325 is a steel roller coaster located at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Fury 325 opened as the world's tallest giga coaster on March 28, 2015. It features 6,602 feet (2,012 m) of track and a maximum height of 325 feet (99 m), which ranks it as the third-tallest roller coaster in the world and the tallest overall that uses a traditional lift hill. The ride reaches a maximum speed of 95 mph (153 km/h), winding through high-speed curves and passing by the park's main entrance.

Fury 325 was the Best New Ride of 2015 in the annual Golden Ticket Awards published by Amusement Today, and since 2016, it has consistently ranked as the world's best steel coaster in the same annual publication. A major issue with a support column was identified in the summer of 2023, leading to a lengthy closure during an investigation and subsequent repairs.

History

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In September 2012, the Charlotte City Council discussed plans for a proposed roller coaster in one of its meetings. There, it was revealed that the ride would cost approximately $30 million.[1] In a closed-session meeting, it was mentioned that the roller coaster would stand 70 feet (21 m) taller than the park's 232-foot (71 m) Intimidator roller coaster, indicating a height of 302 feet (92 m).[2] Cedar Fair, which owned Carowinds,[3] filed trademark applications for the names Centurion, Fury, and Fury 325 on October 18, 2013, January 23, 2014, and June 9, 2014, respectively.[4][5][6] In February 2014, the Centurion trademark was suspended after another trademark application using the same name was found by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.[7]

Sections of track pending installation in 2014

Blueprints revealing Fury 325's track layout were leaked in July 2014.[8] In a marketing effort the following month, the park sent a beekeeper to deliver a partially burnt bug net with a card saying, "you're gonna need a much bigger net to capture the thrills of the 2015 Carowinds season", to several media outlets in the Charlotte area.[9] This was a reference to the ride's hornet theme. On August 12, a microsite on Carowinds' website advertised a new, upcoming ride to be named Centurion.[10] The real name, Fury 325, was revealed at an event held at the park's Harmony Hall Marketplace on August 21, 2014.[11] A similar hoax was conducted by Kings Island leading up to the announcement of Banshee in 2013.[12]

The park stated that Fury 325 would be manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M).[11] The first piece of track was installed on September 29, 2014. Within the week, the structure for the storage track was erected.[13] By October 24, the brake run was complete;[14] by October 26, the base of the lift hill was installed.[15] On December 4, the lift hill and first drop were completed.[16] On January 30, 2015, the final piece of Fury 325's track was put in place.[17][18] Fury 325 completed its first test run on March 4, 2015.[19] On March 25, Carowinds held the coaster's media day.[20] The ride officially debuted three days later on March 28, 2015, when Carowinds' 2015 operating season began.[21][22]

Fury 325 suffered a setback on June 30, 2023, when a large crack on one of the ride's support pillars was spotted by a park bystander.[23][24] The ride was closed later that day,[23] and it remained closed for more than a month pending an investigation by the North Carolina Department of Labor and the replacement of the pillar.[25] A thorough inspection was also conducted by the park and the ride's manufacturer, B&M, which concluded that the fracture occurred along the weld line of the support column.[26][27] It was also determined that "unidirectional bending fatigue" was to blame for the fracture,[28] and photos indicated that the crack may have started to form 6–10 days prior to June 30.[29][30] Additional cracks were discovered and repaired by welding.[31] The issues led to the park enhancing its safety inspection procedures, including the use of drones for "hard-to-reach areas".[32] A new support column was installed in mid-July,[33] and Fury 325 reopened to the public on August 10, 2023.[25]

Ride experience

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Partial view of Fury 325's layout. Support column at far-right cracked in 2023, prompting an extended shutdown.

Once the train is loaded and secured, it dispatches from the station, passes over the transfer track, and begins climbing the 325-foot (99 m) chain lift hill.[15][34] The humming sound of a hornet is played twice during the ascent – once at the beginning and a second time after a voice announces safety directions to riders. After reaching the top, the train drops toward the ground at an 81-degree angle, accelerating up to 95 mph (153 km/h).[35] It then enters a 190-foot-high (58 m) barrel turn,[36] followed by a high speed s-curve that crosses the North Carolina and South Carolina state line.[37] After passing over the park's north entrance, the train makes a banked turn to the left leading into a 91-degree overbanked horseshoe turn which stands 157-foot (48 m) off the ground.[34][36]

The train then dips down, passing under the entrance pathway and through several illuminated hexagons – an element the park refers to as the "hive dive".[37] This is followed by a second banked turn to the left, which reaches a height of 101 feet (31 m) and crosses the state line once again.[34] After a section of straight track, the train travels over a 111-foot (34 m) camelback hill.[34] A double helix carousel and a pair of camelback hills follow, before the track ends with the final brake run leading back to the station.[34][36] According to Carowinds, one complete cycle of the ride lasts 3 minutes and 25 seconds.[35][37]

Characteristics

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Track

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Fury 325 features a track length of 6,602 feet (2,012 m) and a lift hill that stands 325 feet tall (99 m). Due to the ride's height and proximity to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the park had to receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to build the attraction.[38] The track is mostly teal with a lime-green bottom, while the supports are white.[15][39] The color scheme required 3,400 U.S. gallons (13,000 L; 2,800 imp gal) of paint, and the total weight of the track is approximately 2,700 metric tons (3,000 short tons). The roller coaster occupies approximately 8.4 acres (3.4 ha) of land.[39][40]

Trains

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The ride operates with three open-air, steel and fiberglass trains, each containing eight cars.[15][39] Riders are seated in teal-colored seats and secured by lime-green lap bars. The front of each train is either silver, dark grey, or black and features the ride's logo. There is a single row of four riders per car for a total of 32 riders per train.[15] Every seat has its own "clamshell" lap bar restraint and seat belt.[39] This configuration supports a theoretical capacity of 1,470 riders per hour.[15][40]

Theme

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Fury 325 is hornet-themed roller coaster, which takes its inspiration from the city's moniker during the American Revolution, when Charlotte was called "a hornet's nest of rebellion".[11] Carowinds likened the intensity of the coaster's layout to "an angry hornet chasing its target".[37][35] Although its teal track matches one of the Charlotte Hornets NBA team colors, Carowinds did not make a direct connection between the two.[11] The NBA team was previously named the Charlotte Bobcats, but the team's original name Charlotte Hornets was restored the previous year in 2014.[41]

Entrance

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The entrance plaza that precedes the line queue features various decorations themed to the ride. A large Fury 325 logo can be seen on the left side. The sign displays a small, hexagon-patterned base below the main logo. At night, the sign lights up with neon colors.[37] Riders exiting the ride pass through a small souvenir shop, and an on-ride camera booth is stationed behind it.[20] A large Golden Ticket Award sign, added some time after opening, is located here as well.[42]

The plaza leads into Fury 325's main entrance. There are two queues: a standard queue and a Fast Lane queue. The entrance also features 10 hexagons on the sign that forms an archway, and the sign is illuminated at night.[37][42] Guests have access to a test seat on the right side of the entrance.

Records

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Fury 325 set new records and came close to breaking others when it opened in 2015. It became the world's tallest giga coaster[35] – a roller coaster that exceeds 300 feet (91 m) in height[43] – surpassing Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land by 6.7 feet (2.0 m).[34][44][45] Its maximum speed of 95 mph (153 km/h) ties it with Steel Dragon 2000 for being the fastest among roller coasters with a traditional lift hill.[46] As of 2024, Fury 325 is the fifth-tallest and fourth-longest steel roller coaster in the world, and it is tied as sixth-fastest.[45][46][47] In North American rankings, the roller coaster is the tallest, fastest, and longest among non-launched, steel roller coasters.[48][49][50]

Fury 325 is also the tallest roller coaster to be built by Bolliger & Mabillard, following on the heels of the company's first giga coaster, Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland; it opened in 2012. Leviathan reaches a maximum height of 306 feet (93 m).[51][52]

Reception

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Initial reception following the announcement of the ride was positive. Chip Sieczko, a representative from American Coaster Enthusiasts, said, "This is not a Carolina story, this is not a national story. This is an international deal. It's going to be insane."[53] Arthur Levine from About.com (now Dotdash Meredith) stated that the roller coaster will make an impression at the front of the park.[54] In 2024, a reviewer for Chicago television station WGN-TV said: "Fury isn't tucked away in the back of the park, it's front and center, daring and enticing guests to take it for a ride." He praised the airtime hills, the underpass beneath the entrance pathway, and the banked turns, saying that the ride had an appropriate name.[55]

Awards

[edit]

Fury 325 was awarded Best New Ride in the 2015 Golden Ticket Awards (GTA) published annually by Amusement Today, and it ranked fourth overall among steel coasters.[56] The following year, it ranked first overall in the same publication,[57] and it has retained the top position ever since.[58]

Golden Ticket Awards: Top steel Roller Coasters
Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Ranking 4[56] 1[57] 1[59] 1[60] 1[61] 1[62] 1[63] 1[64] 1[65]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Elkins, Ken (September 12, 2013). "Carowinds could get city, county incentives for planned $50M expansion". Charlotte Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  2. ^ Harrison, Steve (September 18, 2013). "New Carowinds ride to be 70 feet taller than Intimidator". Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  3. ^ "Cedar Fair Properties". Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  4. ^ "Centurion". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  5. ^ "Fury". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  6. ^ "Fury 325". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  7. ^ "U.S. Trademark Application NO. 86094874 – Centurion – 20884-600 Suspension Letter". United States Patent and Trademark Office. February 4, 2014. Archived from the original on May 19, 2025. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  8. ^ Hart, Lance. "Carowinds". Screamscape. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
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  10. ^ "Centurion Homepage". Carowinds. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c d Janes, Théoden (August 21, 2014). "Carowinds to get one of the world's tallest, fastest coasters". Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  12. ^ ""The Bat" Hoax Website". Kings Island. 2013. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  13. ^ "Fury 325 – Day 1 & 5 Photos". Facebook. Carowinds. October 3, 2014. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  14. ^ "Fury 325 – Brake Run Complete". Facebook. Carowinds. October 24, 2014. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  15. ^ a b c d e f Marden, Duane. "Fury 325 (Carowinds)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  16. ^ "Fury 325 topped off". Twitter. Carowinds. December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  17. ^ "Carowinds installs final track section for Fury 325 record-breaking coaster". Amusement Today. February 2, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  18. ^ "Buzz builds as Carowinds adds final piece of track to Fury 325". Charlotte Observer. January 30, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  19. ^ "Fury325 just made its first successful test run". Twitter. Carowinds. March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  20. ^ a b "Fury 325 Media Day Reports from Carowinds Park". Park Journey. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  21. ^ "How to Design a Roller Coaster That'll Make You Beg For Mercy". Bloomberg.com. April 24, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  22. ^ Walters, Joanna (March 28, 2015). "Hold on tight: World's tallest 'giga' roller coaster opens in North Carolina". the Guardian. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Mayorquin, Orlando (July 2, 2023). "Large Crack Spotted in Roller Coaster Prompts Its Shutdown". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 3, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
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  25. ^ a b Patrick, Jessica (August 10, 2023). "Carowinds reopens Fury 325 rollercoaster, closed for over a month". WRAL. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  26. ^ Hauser, Nikki (July 6, 2023). "New support column for Carowinds' Fury 325 ride expected next week". WBTV. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  27. ^ Crabtree, Melanie (July 6, 2023). "Carowinds issues statement on Fury 325 roller coaster". WXII. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  28. ^ Muccigrosso, Catherine; Blackmon, Chyna (March 16, 2024). "New details reveal what led up to Carowinds Fury 325 roller coaster pillar damage". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  29. ^ "Crack in Carowinds roller coaster may have formed 6–10 days before closure, commissioner says". WTVD-AP. July 10, 2023. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  30. ^ Lee, Hank (July 12, 2023). "'Thank God no one was injured': Carowinds starts repairs on Fury 325 coaster". wcnc.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  31. ^ Muccigrosso, Catherine (March 21, 2024). "New details reveal what led up to Carowinds Fury 325 roller coaster pillar damage". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
  32. ^ Lee, Hank; Walker, Austin (July 6, 2023). "Carowinds announces plan to repair Fury 325 after support beam cracked". WCNC. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  33. ^ Lee, Hank (July 19, 2023). "Fury 325 update: Testing now underway after cracked support beam replacement". wcnc.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  34. ^ a b c d e f MacDonald, Brady (October 29, 2014). "Carowinds' Fury 325 joins an elite club of world's tallest coasters". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
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  40. ^ a b "Ride Stats". Carowinds. August 21, 2014. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
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  52. ^ Er-Chua, Gloria (August 18, 2011). "Canada's Wonderland shows us next year's tallest, fastest ride". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
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  54. ^ Levine, Arthur (August 22, 2014). "Carowinds to Unleash its Fury in 2015". About.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  55. ^ Leshock, Marcus (August 22, 2024). "FURY 325: Riding North America's tallest, fastest giga coaster at Carowinds". WGN-TV. Nexstar Media Group. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  56. ^ a b "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  57. ^ a b "2016 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  58. ^ "Golden Ticket Issue 2019" (PDF). Amusement Today. 23 (6.2): 51. September 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 30, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2019. We are incredibly excited that Fury 325 has won best steel coaster in the world for the fourth consecutive year!...
  59. ^ "2017 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  60. ^ "2018 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  61. ^ "2019 Top 50 Steel Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
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  63. ^ "2022 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  64. ^ "2023 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Amusement Today. 27 (6.2): 66–70. September 2023. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  65. ^ "2024 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2024. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
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