SANTA CLARA — There’s nobody sitting next to you on either side.
In other words, nobody to help you as you descend a 90-degree drop at 52 mph.
Such was how California’s Great America Vice President and General Manager Raul Rehnborg described the park’s newest roller coaster, RailBlazer, during an unveiling event Wednesday morning.
Manufactured by Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction, RailBlazer will lift riders to a height of 106 feet and plunge them through a variety of twists, turns and inversions.
The ride is unique, Rehnborg said, as it features an eight-passenger single file train that traverses through a single rail track.
RailBlazer is expected to open in spring 2018 at the Santa Clara theme park.
“We think it’s going to be pretty awesome,” Rehnborg said. “The best thing is that it’s a prototype attraction; there is no other coaster right now like it in existence. It will be an opportunity to give guests a new perspective that they wouldn’t have on any other coaster.”
RailBlazer is themed after California’s Highway 1, reflecting the mountain regions of the Central Coast and Bay Area.
The ride is the first attraction announced from Great America’s new master plan, a rezoning effort approved by the Santa Clara City Council in January that allows the park flexibility to add taller rides and increase its operating schedule.
A large group of American Coaster Enthusiasts members attended the unveiling event, including Brian Laschkewitsch of La Selva Beach.
“I’m very excited about it,” he said. “I think it’s really a great addition to the park.”
Laschkewitsch said he was looking forward to the single rider aspect of RailBlazer, and praised Great America for its new master plan.
“I think it’s incredible what this park has done,” he said. “There’s not only a great master plan, but premium rides that this park has needed for quite some time.”
