Alpine Bobsled

Alpine Bobsled (formerly known as Sarajevo Bobsled and Rolling Thunder) was a steel bobsled roller coaster at the Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor amusement park in Queensbury, New York. Manufactured by Intamin, the coaster first opened to the public in 1984 at Six Flags Great Adventure. It was later relocated to Six Flags Great America in 1989, then to Six Flags Great Escape in 1998. Alpine Bobsled closed permanently on September 4, 2023, to make room for The Bobcat.

Alpine Bobsled
Previously known as Sarajevo Bobsled at Six Flags Great Adventure (1984-1988) Rolling Thunder at Six Flags Great America (1989-1997)
Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor
Park section	Fest Area
Coordinates	43.3511°N 73.6877°W / 43.3511; -73.6877
Status	Removed
Opening date	1998 (1998)
Closing date	September 4, 2023 (2023-09-04)
Replaced by	The Bobcat
Alpine Bobsled at Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor at RCDB
Six Flags Great America
Coordinates	42.3658°N 87.937°W / 42.3658; -87.937
Status	Removed
Opening date	1989
Closing date	1997
Replaced by	Raging Bull
Alpine Bobsled at Six Flags Great America at RCDB
Six Flags Great Adventure
Coordinates	40.139°N 74.4381°W / 40.139; -74.4381
Status	Removed
Opening date	1984
Closing date	1988
Replaced by	Great American Scream Machine
Alpine Bobsled at Six Flags Great Adventure at RCDB
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Intamin
Model	Bobsled roller coaster
Height	64 ft (20 m)
Length	1,490 ft (450 m)
Speed	35 mph (56 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	1 min. 40 sec.
Height restriction	42 in (107 cm)
Trains	6 trains with a single car. Riders are arranged 2 across in 4 rows for a total of 8 riders per train.

History

Alpine Bobsled car and entrance on display at Six Flags Great Escape

The coaster was originally built in 1984 at Six Flags Great Adventure as Sarajevo Bobsled to commemorate the 1984 Olympics. The coaster was well received by the public.^[1]

Sarajevo Bobsled was part of Six Flags' ride rotation program, and was moved between parks multiple times.^[2] In 1988, Sarajevo Bobsled was dismantled to make room for Great American Scream Machine, which would open the next year.^[3] Sarajevo Bobsled was moved to Six Flags Great America for the 1989 season, opening as Rolling Thunder.^[4]

In 1995, the ride was dismantled once more to make way for the construction of the Southwest Territory. The ride remained in storage until 1997, when it was relocated for a final time to Six Flags Great Escape to open in 1998.^[4]

In August 2023, Six Flags Great Escape announced Alpine Bobsled would close on September 4, 2023, citing the ride's sensitivity to "even small amounts of rain and high humidity."^[5] The park later revealed on August 30, 2023 that Alpine Bobsled would be dismantled to make room for The Bobcat.^[6] On September 4, 2023, members of the American Coaster Enthusiasts gathered at Six Flags Great Escape to take their final rides on the Alpine Bobsled, which officially closed at the end of the day.^[7] Following its removal, a monument to the coaster with the ride's USA-themed train was placed where Alpine Bobsled's queue entrance was previously.^[8]

Characteristics

Alpine Bobsled featured 1,490 feet (450 m) of track, painted white on the inside and white and purple on the outside. The coaster reached a maximum height of 64 feet (20 m) and a top speed of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h). After ascending a chain lift hill, the two-across, four-row trains traversed a series of turns on trough-like track during the approximately one-minute-and-forty-second ride. The coaster was manufactured by Intamin and Giovanola.^[8]

The alpine theme of the coaster was inspired by the park's proximity to Lake Placid, New York, where the 1980 and 1932 Winter Olympics, both of which included bobsled races, were held.^[9][10][11] The ride had six cars, all themed from different countries: the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Jamaica, Canada and Switzerland.^[9][8] An archway decorated with an old Olympic-style bobsled formed the entrance to the coaster's queue.^[8]