Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) is a roller coaster manufacturing and construction company based in

Hayden, Idaho Hayden is a city in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. Located in the northern portion of the state, it is a suburb of nearby Coeur d'Alene and its population was 15,570 at the 2020 census. History The origins of the city of Hayden has ...

, United States. It is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for

wooden roller coaster A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also be ...

s. Founded by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon in 2001, it has built over 20 roller coasters. In 2023, amusement ride manufacturer Larson International merged with it.

History

In 2001, Rocky Mountain Construction was established by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon. Fred Grubb previously had experience in the construction industry having worked on

custom home Home construction or residential construction is the process of constructing a house, apartment building, or similar residential building generally referred to as a 'home' when giving consideration to the people who might now or someday reside t ...

s and

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

exhibits. The company has worked on several projects including the construction of

roller coaster A roller coaster is a type of list of amusement rides, amusement ride employing a form of elevated Railway track, railroad track that carries passengers on a roller coaster train, train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements, usua ...

water park A water park (also waterpark, water world, or aquapark) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming ...

steel building A steel building is a metal structure fabricated with steel for the internal support and for exterior cladding, as opposed to steel framed buildings which generally use other materials for floors, walls, and external envelope. Steel buildings a ...

s, miniature golf courses and go kart tracks. In 2009

Alan Schilke Alan Schilke (, ) is an American engineer and roller coaster designer based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. He first made his mark on the industry by designing the 4th Dimension roller coaster, X2 (roller coaster), X2, while working with Arrow ...

of Ride Centerline began providing design and engineering work for Rocky Mountain Construction. He previously worked with

Arrow Dynamics Arrow Dynamics was an American manufacturing and engineering company that specialized in designing and building amusement park rides, especially roller coasters. Based in Clearfield, Utah, the company was the successor to Arrow Development (19 ...

(later

S&S Worldwide S&S may refer to: *''Sense and Sensibility'', a novel by Jane Austen *'' Salt and Sanctuary'', a video game *Sword and sorcery, a subgenre of fantasy and historical fantasy *Simon & Schuster, a publisher *S&S Cycle, a manufacturer of aftermarket eng ...

) to design

Tennessee Tornado Tennessee Tornado is a roller coaster at Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States. It debuted April 17, 1999, and was Dollywood's first major coaster expansion as well as one of Arrow Dynamics' last major coasters. Th ...

, Road Runner Express, and X. Working with Rocky Mountain Construction, Schilke and Grubb designed the I-Box track for wooden roller coasters. The first installation of this track technology debuted on

New Texas Giant New Texas Giant is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. It originally opened as Texas Giant, which was the tallest wooden roller coaster, wooden coaster in the world when it debuted in 1990. Manufactured b ...

Six Flags Over Texas "Six flags over Texas" is the slogan used to describe the six sovereign countries that have had control over some or all of the current territory of the U.S. state of Texas: Spain (1519–1685; 1690–1821), France (1685–1690), Mexico (1821� ...

in 2011. In late 2011, Schilke announced that the company would be working on two projects throughout 2012 which would both open in 2013. These were later revealed to be an I-Box retrack of

The Rattler "The Rattler" is a 1986 song by Scottish alternative rock group Goodbye Mr Mackenzie and has become their most enduring track, often referred to as a "lost classic" of the Scottish music scene. The song was often described as " Springsteen-es ...

Six Flags Fiesta Texas Six Flags Fiesta Texas, formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Fiesta Texas, is an amusement park in San Antonio, Texas, United States. It opened on March 14, 1992, in the La Cantera master-planned development and district as the ...

and a new roller coaster designed from scratch at

Silver Dollar City Silver Dollar City is a theme park in Stone County, Missouri, near the cities of Branson, Missouri, Branson and Branson West, Missouri, Branson West. The park is located off of Missouri Route 76 on the Indian Point peninsula of Table Rock Lake ...

named

Outlaw Run Outlaw Run is a wooden roller coaster located at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Designed by Alan Schilke, Outlaw Run is the first wooden roller coaster manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and became the first wooden coast ...

. The track technology used for Outlaw Run, which allows a square beam of wood to be twisted, took 4 years to develop. It allows Rocky Mountain Construction to design layouts with maneuvers that are not traditionally possible with wooden roller coasters such as heartline rolls. Grubb has stated the technology could be used for new elements in the future. Some new elements were realized with the announcement of ''

Goliath Goliath ( ) was a Philistines, Philistine giant in the Book of Samuel. Descriptions of Goliath's giant, immense stature vary among biblical sources, with texts describing him as either or tall. According to the text, Goliath issued a challen ...

'' at

Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America is a amusement park, theme park located in Gurnee, Illinois, within the northern Chicago metropolitan area. The theme park originally opened as Marriott's Great America on May 29, 1976, as one of two theme parks built ...

. The ride features a

dive loop Roller coasters are widely known for their drops, inversions, airtime (rides), airtime, and other intense ride elements that contribute to the ride. They are also made up of a variety of features and components responsible for the mechanical opera ...

and a

zero-g stall Roller coasters are widely known for their drops, inversions, airtime, and other intense ride elements that contribute to the ride. They are also made up of a variety of features and components responsible for the mechanical operation and safety ...

. The ride opened in June 2014. In 2013, Rocky Mountain Construction signed a deal with

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

amusement ride firm

Vekoma Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is an amusement ride manufacturer. Vekoma is a syllabic abbreviation of Veld Koning Machinefabriek (Veld Koning Machine Factory) which was established in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld. History The company originally manu ...

. The agreement allows Vekoma to sell Rocky Mountain Construction's roller coasters outside the North American market. In 2014,

Kolmården Wildlife Park Kolmården Wildlife Park () is a zoo that opened in 1965 overlooking Bråviken bay in Sweden. It is the largest zoo in Scandinavia, includes the first dolphinarium in Scandinavia, which opened in 1969 and has daily shows, and the world's first ...

in Sweden announced plans to build the first Rocky Mountain coaster in Europe called

Wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

, which opened on June 28, 2016. To handle increased demand, Rocky Mountain Construction opened a new factory, twice the size of their existing one, in August 2014. In a press release on April 11, 2023, amusement ride manufacturer Larson International, known for its

Fire Ball The Fire Ball is a type of amusement ride manufactured by Larson International. It replaced a series of Larson rides manufactured prior to its unveiling, the first being the Super Loops and the second being the Ring of Fire. The ride features a ...

models, merged with Rocky Mountain Construction.

Technology

* I-Box Track (also known as Iron Horse Track) – Rocky Mountain Construction's most common product. A formation of replacement steel track for wooden roller coasters. The first installation of this track was on Texas Giant at

. * I-Box (Large Track Version) – Specifically designed to run the S&S Free Spin 4D coaster clones. * Topper Track – Installed on several coasters around the United States. The track is designed to reduce the maintenance required for a wooden roller coaster and provide a smoother ride experience. This steel track replaces the upper layers of laminated wood. * Wooden roller coaster

trains A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...

– specifically designed to run on the company's own Topper Track, however, they could be added to other wooden roller coasters as well. The trains feature steel wheels as opposed to polyurethane wheels found on most trains. * 208 ReTrak – Debuting in 2021 on Silverwood's Tremors roller coaster, similar to the I-box track, 208 is designed to be used as a replacement for sections of old wooden coasters to decrease maintenance and add lifespan to the coaster as well as increase rider comfort and enjoyment. * Wild Moose – A version of the classic wild mouse coaster type using I-Box track, featuring entirely redesigned trains and a compact layout. * Raptor Track – A single rail steel track that features inline seating for passengers. * T-Rex Track – Similar to Raptor track, the T-Rex track is a single rail track. It is a larger single rail model that permits two seat-wide trains on the track rather than one. * Swing Axle Trains – Debuting in 2018 on Twisted Timbers, the Swing axle train features a pivoting front axle allowing for smoother transitions between elements.

List of roller coasters

, Rocky Mountain Construction has built or refurbished 29

s around the world. All of them are currently operating, except for the newest which has not yet opened to the public.

Other projects

Topper Track, no layout changes

* Tremors at

Silverwood Theme Park Silverwood Theme Park is an amusement park located near the city of Athol in northern Idaho, United States, near the town of Coeur d'Alene, approximately from Spokane, Washington on US 95. Gary Norton opened the park on June 20, 1988. ...

Construction

Aftershock In seismology, an aftershock is a smaller earthquake that follows a larger earthquake, in Epicenter, the same area of the Mainshock, main shock, caused as the displaced Crust (geology), crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock. Large earthq ...

Corkscrew A corkscrew is a tool for drawing Cork (plug), corks from wine bottles and other household bottles that may be sealed with corks. In its traditional form, a corkscrew simply consists of a pointed metallic helix (often called the "worm") attach ...

* El Toro at

Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located approximately southeast of Trenton, New Jersey, Trenton in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelph ...

T Express T Express () is a wooden roller coaster at the Everland theme park in Yongin, South Korea. T Express opened on March 14, 2008, in the European Adventure section of the park, and is themed after a small town in the Alps. The coaster was constru ...

Everland Everland () is South Korea's largest theme park. It is located at the Everland Resort in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. In 2018, it received 5.85 million visitors and was ranked 19th in the world for amusement park attendance. As of 2010, Everla ...

Timber Terror Timber Terror is a wooden roller coaster located at Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho. Originally, the ride had been called Grizzly, but the park had to change the name to Timber Terror in 1997 to avoid litigation and confusion with the wood ...

* Tremors at

Villain A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...

Geauga Lake Geauga Lake was an amusement park in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, Ohio, Bainbridge Township and Aurora, Ohio, Aurora, Ohio. It was established in 1887, in what had been a local recreation area adjacent to Geauga Lake (lake), a lake of th ...

* Timberhawk at

Wild Waves Theme Park Wild Waves Theme & Water Park is an amusement park and water park in Federal Way, Washington. Opened in 1977 as The Enchanted Village (with its accompanying water park, Wild Waves, opening in 1984),''Washington State's Enchanted Parks Announces ...

Source:

Repairs

* The Boss at

Six Flags St. Louis Six Flags St. Louis, originally known as Six Flags Over Mid-America, is an amusement park in Eureka, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Owned and operated by Six Flags, it has eight themed areas with attractions, dining, and live entertainment, ...

* Cornball Express at

Indiana Beach Indiana Beach is an amusement park located on Lake Shafer in Monticello, Indiana. The resort was developed by the Spackman family, who owned it from 1926 to 2008. The park was then sold to Morgan RV LLC, Apex Parks Group, LLC, and now is owned an ...

* Hoosier Hurricane at

* Hurricane: Category 5 at

Myrtle Beach Pavilion The Myrtle Beach Pavilion was a historic pay-per-ride, no parking fee, 11-acre amusement park that was located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at the corner of 9th Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard. It was just a few blocks down from another Myrtl ...

Mega Zeph Mega Zeph was a wooden roller coaster located at the now demolished Six Flags New Orleans theme park, in the Eastern New Orleans area of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally opening on May 20, 2000, as Jazzland's signature ride. Foll ...

Six Flags New Orleans Six Flags New Orleans was a Amusement park, theme park located near the intersection of Interstate 10 in Louisiana, Interstate 10 and Interstate 510 in New Orleans. It first opened as Jazzland in 2000, and a leasing agreement was established wit ...

Predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...

Six Flags Darien Lake Six Flags Darien Lake (also known as Six Flags Darien Lake Resort and formerly known as Darien Lake Fun Country, Darien Lake, and Darien Lake Theme Park Resort) is a 1,200-acre (4.86 km2) amusement park and resort located in Darien, New York ...

* Psyclone at

Six Flags Magic Mountain Six Flags Magic Mountain, formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Magic Mountain, is a amusement park located in Valencia, California, northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It opened on May 29, 1971, as a development of the Newha ...

Woodland Run Woodland Run is a wooden roller coaster at the Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky. The ride opened as Thunder Run in August 1990 and operated until October 2009, when the park was abandoned by its then-operators, Six Flags (1961–2024), S ...

Kentucky Kingdom Kentucky Kingdom, formerly known as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, is a theme park in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The park includes a collection of amusement rides and the Hurricane Bay water park. Kentucky Kingdom is at the intersection ...

* Tremors at

- 208 ReTrak * Twister II at

Elitch Gardens Theme Park Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park, colloquially known as Elitch's (formerly known as Elitch Zoological Gardens, first and second incarnation of Elitch Gardens, Elitch Gardens - The Great Escape and Six Flags Elitch Gardens), is an amusement park ...

* Hurler at

Kings Dominion Kings Dominion is an amusement park in Doswell, Virginia, United States, north of Richmond, Virginia, Richmond and south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, featuring over 60 rid ...

* Blazing Fury at

Dollywood Dollywood is a theme park that is jointly owned by Herschend Family Entertainment and country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton through her entertainment company, Dolly Parton Productions. It is located in the Knoxville metropolitan area in Pig ...

* Hell Cat at Clementon Park - 208 ReTrak Source:

Miscellaneous

Boulder Beach Boulder Beach is a rocky beach on the Pacific Ocean, located on the south side of Otago Peninsula, some by road east from central Dunedin, New Zealand. In addition to being relatively difficult to access physically due to the steepness of th ...

– water park * Great Escape –

Skycoaster Skycoaster is the name of a free-fall and flight-simulating amusement park attraction produced and managed by Skycoaster Company, LLC.. On the Skycoaster, riders in groups of 1 to 3 are harnessed in specialized Flight Suits (in a face-down, p ...

installation *

Six Flags America Six Flags America is an amusement park in Woodmore, Maryland, United States,Skycoaster Skycoaster is the name of a free-fall and flight-simulating amusement park attraction produced and managed by Skycoaster Company, LLC.. On the Skycoaster, riders in groups of 1 to 3 are harnessed in specialized Flight Suits (in a face-down, p ...

installation *

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly known as Six Flags Marine World, Marine World, The New Marine World Theme Park, and Marine World Africa USA) is a 135-acre (55 ha) animal theme park located in Vallejo, California, off of Interstate 80 i ...

–

installation * S&S Free Spin 4D clones - Construction of the track using the I-Box Large Version *

–

installation * Stoneridge Resort – miniature golf course * Triple Play Indoor Water Park – water park *

Utah Olympic Park The Utah Olympic Park is a winter sports park built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and is located in Summit County, Utah, Summit County ( east of Salt Lake City) northwest of Park City, Utah, Park City, Utah, United States. During the 2002 games ...

– Xtreme ZipRiders * Wild Water West – water park, go kart track and miniature golf course Source:

References

External links

* {{Roller coaster manufacturers Companies based in Idaho Companies established in 2001 Roller coaster manufacturers 2001 establishments in Idaho Roller coaster designers