SeaWorld Orlando has released new renderings and details for its upcoming “surf coaster,” now named Pipeline.
Rendering of the new-for-2023 Pipeline coaster (SeaWorld)
Theme Park Tribune has previously reported that the ride would be the first of a new model from Swiss coaster firm Bolliger & Mabillard, the same manufacturer behind Kraken, Mako and Manta at SeaWorld Orlando. Riders will be in a stand-up position on ride vehicles that look like giant surfboards, with the seats moving vertically to “mimic the sensation of riding on a wave,” according to a SeaWorld press release.
Pipeline layout from above (SeaWorld)
Unlike older B&M stand-up coasters, Pipeline will feature a 60 miles per hour launch right after the loading station. The 110-foot-tall coaster will have one inversion, called a “wave curl” and five airtime moments along its 2,950 feet of track.
The “wave curl” inversion (SeaWorld)
What we don’t know is exactly when it will open. While the new ride has been under construction for several months on a site next to Bayside Stadium, Tuesday’s announcement did not include any update on an opening date beyond a spring 2023 timeframe.
Pipeline will be the seventh coaster at SeaWorld Orlando, which is now being marketed as the “Coaster Capital of Orlando.” It’s also one of several new large rides coming to the SeaWorld chain in 2023, in contrast to other regional parks which have so far announced mostly small-scale additions for next year.