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Thursday, August 21, 2014

California Great America's Gold Striker

     Santa Clara - Gold Striker began with a soft opening, promotions and other events, to publicize the ride.  Gold Striker features an old West theme.  The ride is 108 feet tall.  When Gold Striker opened in 2013 it had been one of the most anticipated additions to California Great America in the park's history.  Gold Striker reaches speeds of up to 54 miles-per-hour and a maximum fifty-degree angle.  Gold Striker is 3,200 feet long and lasts over two minutes.  Gold Striker is California Great America's eighth roller coaster and is located in the Celebration Plaza area, it wraps around Star Tower, with views overlooking the new 49ers stadium.  The roller coaster is  California Great America's wooden, chain-lifted (versus launched) coaster with a maximum height of  108 feet and a maximum drop of 103 feet.  Gold Striker has a top speed of 53.7 miles per hour and length of 3,197 feet, with a ride length of two minutes and thirteen seconds.  Gold Striker is the first roller coaster built at California Great America since 2001.  Trains are 12 cars with two across seating, for a total of 24 riders per train.
     When opened Gold  Striker was the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in Northern California.  Gold Striker is a wooden, twisting, coaster that features, an eighty-degree banked curve, and a station fly-by.  The name Gold Striker was chosen to recognize the pioneering and adventurous spirit of the California gold seekers who rushed the area in 1849.  California Great America is an amusement park owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.  California Great America is one of four major amusement parks that operate around the Bay Area.  California Great America is the only amusement park in Northern California that has a water park within the park grounds.  According to Wikipedia, a permit was issued to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company in May 2012.  Cedar Fair filed a trademark for the name Gold Striker.  Gold Striker was officially announced on August 29, 2012, as being the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in Northern California.  Representatives of the San Francisco 49ers were on hand at the ceremony, since the ride is themed and named after what built the city of San Francisco, the California Gold Rush.  February 20, 2013, California Great America announced the first drop will be fully enclosed, setting the record for world's longest initial drop tunnel on a wooden coaster.  March 6, 2013, the park announced it would be holding a, first rider, auction for Gold Striker.  The public could spend money to be first to ride until April 28, 2013.  However, California Great America made it possible for the public to take some early rides on April 30, 2013, while a commercial for the park was being done.  Gold Striker officially opened June 1, 2013.   See full story, www.greatamericaparks.com  
        

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