Chance Rides

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Chance Rides Manufacturing
Private
Industry Amusement ride manufacturing
Founded Chance Manufacturing: 1961
Chance Rides Manufacturing: 2002
Headquarters Wichita, Kansas[1]
Key people
 Harold Chance, Richard (Dick) Chance, Michael Chance
Products Roller coasters, thrill rides, family rides, gentle rides
Subsidiaries Chance Morgan
Website http://www.chancerides.com/

Chance Rides Manufacturing is a roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. The company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufacturing facility are located in Wichita, Kansas.

History

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"Chance Operations" redirects here. For other uses, see Chance Operations (disambiguation).

Chance Manufacturing was incorporated in 1961 by Richard H. (Harold) Chance. Harold Chance had been involved in the amusement business since 1946 building small trains for the Ottaway Amusement Company. He designed a 24-inch gauge replica of the C. P. Huntington, a well-known steam locomotive built in 1863.[2] Titled by the same name, Chance's C. P. Huntington is the company's most successful product line.[1] In 1967, Chance began producing Starliner Trams under the subsidiary Chance Coach. In 1970, Chance acquired the assets of the Allan Herschell Company. Richard G. Chance (Dick Chance) assumed control of the company and formed Chance Industries, Inc. in 1985 to oversee the various divisions – Chance Rides, Chance POS, and Chance Operations.[1] In December 1986, Chance then acquired Bradley & Kaye, a ride manufacturer specialized in children's rides and carousel figures.[3]

Modern era

For several years, Chance Rides Manufacturing products were sold under the brand Chance Morgan. In 2011, the company reintroduced the Chance Rides brand which encompasses Chance Morgan Coasters, Inc. and Chance Rides Manufacturing.[1] On September 17, 2011, trade publication Amusement Today presented Chance Rides with the Golden Ticket Award for Supplier of the Year, in honor of the company's 50th anniversary.[4]

Chance carrousels

Chance began selling carrousels (deliberately spelled with two 'Rs') in 1971 following the acquisition of the Allan Herschell Company the previous year. Chance modified the Herschell design giving it a more ornate style.[1] After Chance purchased Bradley & Kaye in December 1986, Chance was able to use the molds and manufacturing rights to 62 carousel figures produced by Bradley & Kaye owner, David Bradley. He had carefully reproduced prized carousel animals from famous carvers over the previous 20 years and new molds were cast at the Chance facility under his direction, until Bradley died in 1988.[5] These famous reproductions with spectacular detail have been included on Chance carrousels since the late 1980s. With the merger of the D. H. Morgan line of carousels, some of the unique Morgan figures have been added to the collection as well. Although fiberglass, the magnificent detail and menagerie of different styles of horses and other figures have become a trademark of Chance Rides carrousels.[1]

Chance Wheels

Chance American Wheels logo.jpg

The first Ferris wheel from Chance, the Astro Wheel, was sold to showman Don Franklin and debuted at the 1967 Iowa State Fair. It featured 16 cars with two passengers per car.[6] The first park model, an 80-foot Giant Wheel, was built in 1975 at Valleyfair amusement park in Minnesota.[7] It features 18 cars holding four passengers per car and is still in operation. The Century Wheel was introduced in various sizes in both park and portable models in the mid-1980s.[citation needed]

In 2006, Chance worked with Ronald Bussink Professional Rides of Switzerland and Dutch Wheels BV, a division of Vekoma Rides, to produce larger wheels such as the Niagara SkyWheel which stands 53.3 m (175 ft) tall.[8] It features 42 air-conditioned cars seating eight passengers per car.[9] According to Chance Rides director Angus Jenkins, the larger wheels are known as observation wheels as opposed to Ferris wheels, since they carry riders in enclosed cars rather than in open seats.[10]

On October 19, 2012, Chance Rides announced a long term license agreement with Bussink Design GmbH for the exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the R80XL Giant Wheel in North America.[11] Chance Rides will market the R80XL, which is over 250 ft (76 m) tall, under an affiliate company, Chance American Wheels. The first R80XL wheel was manufactured by Maurer German Wheels in Munich, Germany, and will be delivered early in 2013; three more R80XL wheels are currently under construction by Maurer.[12] The first U.S. version, built by Chance, is expected to be ready for delivery by the beginning of 2014.[13] Chance Rides/Chance American Wheels will continue to manufacturer and sell R60 wheels in North America under an exclusive license from Dutch Wheels BV.[8]

Notable wheels include:

Chance coasters

Chance Manufacturing's first roller coaster was the Toboggan, a portable ride in which a small vehicle climbed vertically up a tower then spiraled back down around the same tower. The ride was invented by Walter House of Amarillo, Texas, and Chance acquired the manufacturing rights and started producing it in 1969. The coaster was designed to be a carnival ride, fitting on two trailers, but several units were purchased by amusement parks where they were set up as permanent attractions. Chance built 32 of these units, two of which still operate at a permanent park.[22] In 1998 Chance introduced the Big Dipper children's coaster. With the integration of the D. H. Morgan line into Chance Rides in 2001, the company acquired track manufacturing technology and the ability to offer a variety of coaster designs. D. H. Morgan was an offshoot of Arrow Development, original developer of tubular steel track, first used on Disney's Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction. In 2006, Chance formed an alliance with Vekoma.[23] Chance Rides represented Vekoma in North America and manufactured the steel track for select projects. On October 17, 2012 Chance Rides and Vekoma discontinued their agreement to produce rides together for the North American market.[24]

Steel roller coasters

Chance Rides steel roller coasters currently in operation.

Opened Name Park Notes Ref
1971 Toboggan Lakemont Park [25]
1993 Wild and Wooly Toboggan Little Amerricka [26]
1998 Joust Dutch Wonderland [27]
1999 Big Dipper Michigan's Adventure [28]
2001 Wile E. Coyote's Grand Canyon Blaster Six Flags Over Texas [29]
2002? Toboggan Xingqinggong (China) [30]
2004 Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster Six Flags Over Georgia sold by Chance Morgan [31]
2005 Superman el Último Escape Six Flags México sold by Chance Morgan [32]
2008 Steel Lasso Frontier City sold by Chance Morgan under license from Vekoma [33]
2008 Eagles Life in the Fast Lane Hard Rock Park/Freestyle Music Park sold by Chance Morgan under license from Vekoma [34]
2008 Shake, Rattle & Rollercoaster Hard Rock Park/Freestyle Music Park sold by Chance Morgan under license from Vekoma [34]
2013 Freedom Flyer Fun Spot America sold by Chance Rides under license from Vekoma [24]
2014 Lightning Run Kentucky Kingdom First Hyper GT-X Coaster [35]

Current Chance rides

Past Chance rides

  • Astro Wheel[52]
  • Casino (variation of the Trabant)[52]
  • Chaos [53]
  • Falling Star[1]
  • Flying Bobs (originally by Herschell)/Thunderbolt (rethemed Bobs)[52]
  • Inverter [54]
  • Music Fest (variation of the Flying Bobs) [55]
  • Olympia Bobs (originally by Herschell)[52]
  • Pump-It Handcar[52]
  • Radar[52]
  • Rok-N-Rol (originally by Herschell)[52]
  • Rotor[4]
  • Sea Dragon (predecessor to the Pharaoh's Fury)[1]
  • Sidewheeler[52]
  • Skydiver[1]
  • Sky Wheel (originally by Herschell)[52]
  • Slingshot [56]
  • Space Shuttle[52]
  • Star Fighter[52]
  • Suspended Family Coaster[24]
  • Toboggan[52]
  • Trabant[4]
  • Tumbler (a lifting, double-wheel version of the Skydiver- was known as Wheel Barrow. Only one built)[52][57]
  • Turbo[1]
  • Twister[52]
  • Wagon Wheel (variation of the Trabant)[52]
  • Wagon Wheeler[52]
  • The Zipper[4]
  • Zumur[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ One of a Kind ‘Giant Wheel’ Debuts in Niagara Falls, Canada
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ R80XL Giant Wheel
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Breathtaking views of Niagara Falls Aboard the First Chance Morgan R60 Giant Wheel
  20. ↑ New R60 Giant Wheel Coming to Myrtle Beach, SC
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ C.P. Huntington Train Specs
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ 52.00 52.01 52.02 52.03 52.04 52.05 52.06 52.07 52.08 52.09 52.10 52.11 52.12 52.13 52.14 52.15 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  54. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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