Griffon profile picture

Griffon

A legendary beast will descend in 2007!

About Me

My name is Griffon, Busch Gardens Europe's newest thrilling addition scheduled to take flight in late Spring of 2007!
Height: 205 feet
Speed: 71 mph
Angle of descent: 90 degrees
Inversions: 2
Duration 3:00 minutes
And here is the press release, straight from Busch Gardens itself:
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (August 23, 2006) -- Teased since early July with park billboards touting "Like Nothing Else in the World," Busch Gardens Europe took the plunge and unveiled its latest steel marvel, Griffon, the world's tallest and only floorless dive coaster. Currently under construction, this diving, driving force in roller coaster engineering will debut at Busch Gardens late spring 2007.
Griffon will send riders through an extraordinary journey 205 feet up and 90 degrees straight down at more than 70 mph – and that's just the beginning. The name Griffon evokes the power and speed of a mythical beast that is part eagle and part lion. The ride twists, turns and plunges – giving riders a breathtaking adventure unlike any coaster experience in the world.
"With its adrenalin-pumping vertical drops, high speed, a mid-air pause, multiple coaster elements and overall experience, Griffon is certain to fulfill thrill seekers' expectations," said Donnie Mills, executive vice-president and general manager for Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA.
Griffon will incorporate two Immelman loops (a simultaneous loop and roll, the name of which was derived from the World War I German flying ace who invented the tactical maneuver). The world's first floorless dive coaster also incorporates a second 130-foot dive and one water feature with spectacular viewing platforms where ride watchers can share in the thrills. Each floorless coaster car will consist of three, 10-person wide rows.
"The view will be spectacular and every seat on Griffon will offer an excellent ride," said Mills.
The roller coaster is being constructed by Bolliger & Mabillard of Monthey, Switzerland on the former LeMans Raceway site in the French section of the Williamsburg theme park. Griffon is the fifth member of the park's family of renowned coasters.
Construction began July 6, 2006. The most recent roller coaster to debut at Busch Gardens was Apollo's Chariot in 1999.
Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA in Williamsburg are Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks. Other Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks include Busch Gardens Africa and Adventure Island in Tampa Bay; SeaWorld Adventure Parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Sesame Place, a children's play park near Philadelphia; and Discovery Cove in Orlando, a family vacation experience featuring interaction with dolphins and other marine animals. For more information, visit buschgardens.com or call (800) 343-7946.
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This is strictly a fan-inspired myspace page. The creators of this page have no affiliation with Anhueser Busch and intend to follow all of Busch Gardens' policies.
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My Interests



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MAJOR UPDATE!!!
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~Le Mans is officially closing on July 5th 2006 to make room for the "New France Espansion"

~Several trees have orange tape around them, indicating that they will be torn down during construction

~Markers have begun to appear all over Le Mans Raceway

~A recent rumor suggests that Le Mans Raceway will close following the July 4th Celebrations so that construction can pick up the pace

~A recent rumor is circulating saying that the "attraction" that Busch Gardens Europe is planning will in fact be a B&M Dive Machine featuring floorless-trains with 2 rows of 10 passengers for a total of 20 riders per train

~The "attraction" will rise above 60 feet in four locations

~James City County released unanimous approval for the project, requiring the construction to have begun by April 2007

~A height waiver was filed for an expansion that may "reach heights of 210 feet"

~The parcel of land that I will stand on is at least 5 acres in size

~LandMark Design Group is working on the project. They are the people behind nearly every other major expansion the park has made in it's entire history. That means that I am going to be something BIG

~I will be replacing some pre-existing attraction, most likely Le Mans Raceway which stands just north of Alpengeist, where the expansion is said to be made

I'd like to meet:

SheiKra, Oblivion, and Dive Machine G5

Heroes:

Bolliger and Mabillard