Richard Bannister

In late 2009, a bunch of intrepid enthusiasts went to the Canary Islands for two days, visiting two permanently installed roller coasters and the only Hard Rock Café in the area. Twelve years and change later it was time to do more or less the same thing, albeit with the numbers reversed: a weekend away to visit two newly installed Hard Rock Cafés and one new roller coaster.

Wooland Fun Park is part of the Holiday World complex, a family entertainment center located close to the southern coast of Gran Canaria. When I first visited back in 2009 the place felt like a somewhat disreputable fairground, and while that was more than adequate for this enthusiast (and I suspect most people reading my ramblings), management decided that it was worth spending some money on a comprehensive overhaul. The investment included both theming upgrades and new rides, the most important of which was a brand new roller coaster.

In a surprise move, the owners elected to purchase their star attraction from Technical Park. Though well-known for flat rides of all descriptions, most notably the Street Fighter, the company had previously built just one gravity montaña rusa for a travelling carnival in Venezuela. That ride has been operational in a park in downtown Caracas since 2011, though as of this writing no western enthusiasts have managed to visit it there due to the difficult security situation.

Montaña Rusa (#2981) is a somewhat larger design than its predecessor, labelled by the manufacturer as the Speedway. The ride experience is remarkably good for what is to all intents and purposes a prototype. The two trains seat twelve passengers in six rows, each of which has a shared lap bar that is both comfortable and effective. The train takes a long time to ascend the lift hill, but once out on course it handles the rails smoothly with no jarring whatsoever. The layout isn't particularly forceful, with the notable exception of a pair of helices close to ground level, but it is pleasant and varied, and a nice change from the ubiquitous Galaxis and Zyklons so beloved of carnivals the world over. I managed a total of five laps, including both front and back; there was no obvious difference between locations.

The park is also home to a swinging ship with stand-up cages with the unique name of Pirate Bay. I've done a few of these over the years and they're great fun, though they require a somewhat stronger constitution than I'm equipped with at this stage in my life. Rather than risk pavement pizza I decided instead to wrap my visit with the Rueda Panoramica for some overhead photos. There were no problems riding alone in a car, and the operator was happy to let me stay on until I'd gotten all the shots I wanted.