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Ride Profile
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ZIPRIDER at Wildcat Mountain
Year-round family fun in New Hampshire
Wildcat Mountain in Pinkham Notch, New amusement park ZipRider would most likely be
Hampshire, is one of America's most prominent treated as an upcharge ride. A lot of parks have
ski resorts, but now guests can fly down the avoided this strategy and yet SkyCoasters and
mountainside without snow – all year round. Slingshots continue to operate under this fee
Paul Ruben takes a ride schedule."
For Tom Caughey, Wildcat's general manager, the
Z
ipRider is a new high-tech version of the decision to add ZipRider made sense. "Wildcat
classic gravity-powered zip line that usually Mountain ski area is located in the White Mountain
consists of a pulley suspended on a cable National Forest in Northern New Hampshire," he
mounted on an incline. Commonly found in the explains. "We needed a ride that would be permitted
canopy tours of Latin America, zip lines can be by the US Forest Service, the county, and state of
dangerous, the ZipRider however is not. Hundreds of New Hampshire. The ZipRider fit the need very
thousands have ridden without incident. nicely.”
Just as the outdoor amusement industry strives to Wildcat already had uphill transportation in place
extend its operating season, so too do ski resorts. and uses a chair lift to move riders up to the top of
These are no longer five to six-month operations. the ride. A great terrain profile brings the ride to the
Summer business is becoming a major part of their base lodge. Yet according to Cylvick, hilly terrain is
strategy to add more attractions and keep people not always needed. “It does help but we can build
longer, just like the amusement industry. ZipRider is tall towers if necessary. It just depends on the desired
one such attraction, an attractive year-round length of the ride and clearance over other obstacles.
upcharge addition, just as it can also be for These two factors often dictate the height of the
amusement parks. At Wildcat Mountain the attraction towers in any design.”
commands a fee of $20, or $10 for a repeat ride.
"ZipRider is a high Canopy Discovery
capacity, high revenue Terra-Nova has its roots in the ski industry, although
producing ride that can the inspiration for the ZipRider came from somewhere
operate year round and else, as Cylvick explains: "I had worked for Park City
has minimal impact on the Mountain Resort for 11 years," he recalls, “then while
environment," confirms Eric my wife and I were in Costa Rica on a surf trip we
Cylvick, president and experienced a canopy tour in the cloud forest. We
CEO of Terra-Nova LLC, were amazed at the range of people drawn to this
creator of the ZipRider. "It activity. As an engineer I quickly began to think of
allows customers to ways to adapt this experience to the mountainous
experience the terrain of ski resorts."
mountainous terrain of a Riding one of Wildcat's four ZipRider cable lines
resort in the most thrilling combines exhilarating feelings of flight with beautiful
yet safest way possible.” scenery. It is the only year-round attraction of its kind
"Summer business for ski on America's East coast. Riders are strapped securely
resorts has become critical into a comfortable harness and fly down the
Wildcat Mountain is home to a to meet business objectives," observes Larry Hays, in mountainside, descending 2,100ft over trails, tree
number of attractions including a charge of exclusive sales of resort attractions for tops and the Peabody River to a landing platform.
Scenic Gondola Ride
Wiegand Sports and ZipRider North America. "In an During the 50 to 55-second ride they drop 522ft and
58 NOVEMBER 2008
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