Roller coaster thrill-seekers can now ride the new Fønix coaster, unveiled in April 2022 at Fårup Sommerland in Denmark. At 40 meters (131 feet) in height and 905 meters (nearly 3,000 feet) in length, Fønix has a top speed of 95 kilometers per hour (59 mph). It represents a substantial investment for the park and distinguishes Fårup Sommerland with a competitive offering to other major coasters around the world.
“Here in Fårup Sommerland, we take great pride in presenting a roller coaster that is without comparison the biggest in Denmark — a fact that will come to leave a significant imprint on both the Danish and the international amusement landscape,” says Fårup Sommerland CEO, Niels Jørgen Jensen. “Owing to this historic investment, we at Fårup Sommerland are now looking into a tremendously exciting season; and we hope and trust that, by way of such a substantial addition, we will be able to attract both Danish and international guests to the benefit of Fårup Sommerland as well as the rest of the Danish tourist industry in general.”
In addition to extreme size, height and speed, Fønix was designed to deliver riders substantial “airtime” — the experience of weightlessness achieved through drops, loops and twists — of which the Fønix boasts 14 different elements. At the same time, Fønix introduces a unique design feature to the roller coaster community: a so-called “stall loop” that combines the classic loop with an inverse “camelback,” thus providing an experience of zero gravity for 2.5 seconds.
Anticipation among roller coaster enthusiasts in Denmark and around the world had been building ever since Fønix was officially announced about a year ago. “A ride of this nature is simply wonderful news for us here in Europe. The days of looking jealously west at parks in the U.S. are over,” says Justin Garvanovic, founder of the European Coaster Club.
Fårup Sommerland has invested close to DKK 100 million (US$14.1 million) in Fønix, which means that the roller coaster is the largest investment in the history of the park. The second-largest investment, at roughly DKK 44 million (US$6.2 million), was made in 2013 with Fårup Sommerland’s presentation of the attraction, Orkanen.
Fønix was built by Dutch Vekoma, a world leader in roller coaster manufacturing.
