Kumba
I5 · Cedar Point & The Midwest
I5 · № 125/159
Kumba
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay · US · B&M Sit-Down Coaster
UNOFFICIAL · NOT PARK-ENDORSED
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Also at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Fast facts
- A steel sit-down coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard, Kumba opened in 1993. bolliger-mabillard.com
- The track rises 43.6 metres above Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. bgthistory.com
- Visitors travel at a top speed of 96.6 kilometres per hour. buschgardens.com
- The journey includes seven inversions. buschgardens.com
- Kumba can carry approximately 1,700 visitors per hour. coasterpedia.net
- Its celebrated arrangement includes a vertical loop, dive loop, cobra roll, zero-g roll, and interlocking corkscrews. coasterpedia.net
The story of Kumba
Busch Gardens announced Kumba in November 1992 as a major steel addition to the Congo section. The coaster opened the following year, bringing a new landmark to the Tampa park. bgthistory.com· en.wikipedia.org
Kumba was the park's third roller coaster and its first designed especially for Busch Gardens. It was also Bolliger & Mabillard's first sit-down roller coaster, an important early achievement for the Swiss manufacturer. bgthistory.com· bolliger-mabillard.com
The design introduced several notable arrangements to the coaster world, including a dive loop and interlocking corkscrews. Its vertical loop wrapped around the lift hill, making a striking figure against the Congo landscape. coasterpedia.net· amusementsource.media
When Kumba arrived, its vertical loop was the tallest in the world, while the ride also held Florida distinctions for height, speed, and length. Its success helped encourage Busch Gardens to continue building a succession of great steel coasters. bgthistory.com· en.wikipedia.org
Sources
- bolliger-mabillard.com Preferred source
- bgthistory.com Acceptable source
- buschgardens.com Acceptable source
- coasterpedia.net Preferred source
- en.wikipedia.org Acceptable source
- amusementsource.media Acceptable source