Blue Fire

Blue Fire is a special kind of roller coaster called a "launched roller coaster" at a place called Europa-Park. It opened in 2009 when the park added a new area that looks like Iceland. Blue Fire was the first of its kind made by Mack Rides, and it was the tenth roller coaster at the park. It is also the first one at Europa-Park that flips riders upside down.

When it first opened, a company called Gazprom helped pay for the ride. But in 2022, when Russia started a conflict in Ukraine, the park stopped working with Gazprom because the company is owned by the government of Russia. The ride is famous for its tagline, "Discover Pure Energy," which talks about the exciting feeling riders get when they go on Blue Fire.

Layout

Blue Fire is a fun mix of a dark ride and a launched roller coaster. It starts with a dark ride that lasts about 45 seconds. Then, the train quickly speeds up to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2.5 seconds using a special linear synchronous motor launch.

After launching, the train goes over a turn that reaches up to 38 metres (124 ft 8 in) high. Next, it goes through a vertical loop that is 32 metres (105 ft 0 in) high, making it the tallest loop on any launched roller coaster in Europe. The ride continues with a twisty horseshoe roll that goes over part of a lake, followed by a bumpy hill and ends with a heartline roll before stopping.

The twisty horseshoe roll on Blue Fire was the first of its kind in Europe and the first on any roller coaster made by Mack. Only one other roller coaster had this before Blue Fire, which was Maverick at Cedar Point.

Mack Rides also sells a version of Blue Fire's ride without the dark ride part. One example is Battle for Blue Fire at Quancheng Euro Park, and another is Steel Taipan at Dreamworld, which adds some extra twists to the ride.

Construction

Blue Fire opened in 2009 as part of a new Iceland-themed area at Europa-Park. The park’s directors, Roland and Jürgen Mack, began work on this area in June 2008. They shared exciting updates about Blue Fire on their website starting in July 2008, talking about its fast launch, twists, and Iceland theme.

Construction started in September 2008, and the park shared more details in a press release on September 18. They explained that Blue Fire would be the first launched coaster built by Mack Rides and had the tallest loop for a launched coaster in Europe. Workers finished building the track by mid-December 2008. To make space for Blue Fire, part of the Fjord-Rafting ride was temporarily closed but reopened before the 2009 season.

Trains and colour scheme

Blue Fire has five trains, each with five cars. Each car can hold two rows of two riders, allowing 20 people per train. Only four trains run at a time, with the fifth kept as a spare. Riders sit in stadium-style seats with lap bars for safety, unlike some other coasters that use different restraints.

The coaster features blue tracks and light gray supports. The design of its theme was created by P&P Projects.

Sponsorships

From 2010 to 2019, Blue Fire had a sponsor, a big Russian energy company called Gazprom. They even built a large exhibition hall called the GAZPROM Theme World - The Wonder of Energy. In 2020, the sponsor changed to Nord Stream 2, which was an extension of the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipelines. However, when the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the sponsorship stopped, and the Nord Stream 2 project was cancelled. The exhibition hall was renamed to "Blue Fire Dome", and all signs of the old sponsorship were removed.

Height restriction

Europa-Park has set some rules for who can ride Blue Fire. To ride, you must be at least 1.30 metres tall, which is about 51 inches or 4 feet 3 inches, and you must also be at least 7 years old.

Awards

Blue Fire, the exciting roller coaster at Europa-Park, has been recognized for its innovation and design. Since it opened in 2009, the coaster has received several awards that celebrate its unique features and thrilling experience. These honors show how Blue Fire stands out among other roller coasters around the world.