Construction of the attraction began in August 2006.[1] Wicked was designed by Werner Stengel and manufactured by Zierer,[2] with fabrication subcontracted to Stakotra Manufacturing.[citation needed] The total cost to construct the ride was $10 million, and it opened to the public on June 1, 2007.[2][3] The ride has been described as "very smooth" and "lack[ing] any jerking or shaking" by Deseret News, which also noted that riders were secured unusually by their ankles and thighs, instead of traditional shoulder or lap restraints.[3]
Wicked is located in the south midway of the park, in an area previously used for parking.[3] Its track is a teal green, and it has silver supports. The supports of the launch tower are yellow.
Ride experience
The train leaves the station and immediately enters a dark tunnel. A siren and loud booming sound effect can be heard before the linear synchronous motor (LSM) launches the train straight up the 110-foot (34 m) vertical launch hill at 41 mph (66 km/h). The launch is in two parts, with a short boost launch inside the tunnel and a longer, vertical launch straight up the top hat element. After cresting, it descends vertically down the other side of the top hat element, accelerating to a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h). This is followed by a small airtime hill with a trim brake and a whip around an Immelmann turn. The track levels out before sending riders up into a zero-g roll, followed by a short descent into a shallow turn. The train descends into a double half-pipe, twists right then left, and proceeds into a downward helix that twists back to the left. The train dips into a tunnel before lifting and leveling out into the final brake run. Every so often, a launched train will fail to make it over the apex of the tower. At this time, the emergency brakes will deploy and the car will enter a slowed descent back into the launch tunnel. The ride was engineered with incidents like this in mind,[citation needed] so it can be easily reset and relaunched at a greater speed, ensuring that the train will make it over the crest of the hill.
