Refresh of Carolina Cyclone for the 2022 Season
Ashlyn Pecchio
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For over 40 years Carowinds has been the home of Carolina Cyclone. This classic attraction is filled with nostalgia, as many Carolinians remember it as their first upside-down roller coaster experience. In addition to capturing the hearts of guests, Carolina Cyclone broke world records when it debuted at Carowinds. Through the years, Carolina Cyclone has undergone many changes.
Carolina Cyclone Debuts in 1980
In 1979, just six years after opening, Carowinds announced a new roller coaster that would put the park on the map as a destination for thrills. At the time of announcement, the attraction did not have a name.
Jerry Helms, former vice president of operations at Carowinds, was present when the name was finally decided, and remembers the process.
“If I recall correctly, it was called the Carolina Cyclone because of all the inversions and spinning. Someone on the marketing team said, ‘that’s like a big storm,’” Helms said. “It made perfect sense, and I never really questioned it. When I rode it the first time, I said ‘yep, that’s why they named it the way they did.’”
Carolina Cyclone was the third attraction at Carowinds manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, alongside Carolina Goldrusher and the original Powder Keg Log Flume, now defunct. It debuted as the first roller coaster in the world to feature four inversions.
Carolina Cyclone under construction in 1979.
Carolina Cyclone's Many Looks Through the Years
Over the years, Carolina Cyclone has had multiple paint schemes. In 1980, the coaster featured a bright red track with black supports. In the following years, Carolina Cyclone featured a teal track with navy supports, as well as a dark blue and gray theme.
In recent years, guests have become familiar with the attraction’s multi-colored paint scheme of yellow, orange, and blue.
Carolina Celebrates its' 40th Anniversary with New Trains
In 2019, Kings Island, located in Mason, Ohio, announced the retirement of Vortex, a roller coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics. The trains from Vortex were sent to Carowinds, where work began creating new trains for Carolina Cyclone.
Carowinds' maintenance teams begins to sand Vortex trains to prepare for new paint.
The shells of Vortex’s trains now ride on top of the chassis of the original Carolina Cyclone trains. The shells were also sanded and repainted to fit Carolina Cyclone’s color scheme at the time. Combining the trains was an easy process since Vortex and Carolina Cyclone had the same manufacturer.
Although the park was closed, the coaster received an upgrade in 2020 with the new trains.
Carolina Cyclone Gets a Fresh Look in 2022
Carowinds recognizes the significance of a classic coaster like Carolina Cyclone. To keep the ride looking its’ best, associates have been hard at work giving Carolina Cyclone a fresh new look in 2022.
When Carolina Cyclone closed for the season in October of 2021, associates began sandblasting the coaster’s track and supports to prepare them for a fresh coat of paint. During WinterFest, guests noticed the new turquoise and white paint appearing on the ride.
While paint crews were hard at work outside, maintenance associates could be found sanding and painting the coaster’s trains inside various maintenance sheds and warehouses behind the park. Each train still has a unique color scheme. Both trains feature a yellow and orange color scheme, inverse of each other. A new modern cyclone emblem was added to both head cars.
Carolina Cyclone’s new color scheme was met with excitement from guests on Opening Day, Saturday, March 12. The turquoise track and white supports glisten in the Carolina sun. The contrast between the track color and train colors makes the ride pop and draws the eyes of guests as riders soar over the midways.
Visit Carowinds to see Carolina Cyclone’s new look for yourself. Purchase a 2022 Gold Pass to enjoy unlimited visits, free parking, exclusive discounts and more.
