A big day in Belgian themeparkhistory. Today is the day Walibi Belgium revealed the name of Turbine, the Schwarzkopf Shuttle Looper that closed in 2008. Starting from the second week of June, the legendary rollercoaster is back. Turbine becomes Psyké Underground!
Everybody already knows the history of Psyké Underground, which opened in 1982 and was the first launched rollercoaster in Europe, under the name Sirocco. A freak accident on August 27th 1997 caused the ride to be enclosed and live on under the name Turbine. Turbine had it's last ride in November 2008.
From Sirocco to Psyké Underground
Underneath, a small documentary about the history of Psyké Underground:
Discover Shimmeria with Psyké Underground
The enviroment and zone around the coaster will become 'Fabulous', a city in the world of Shimmeria. This colorfull town beholds many shops, a hotel and ticketboxes for the underground and a factory that produces fireworks. This little city becomes the entrance to this new ride. The whole project behind Turbine had a 6.000.000 EUR budget.
The story behind Psyké Underground
The Psyké Underground is located in a little village at Shimmeria, named Fabulous. From the outside, people can see some shops, a disco, a factory that produces firworks (Pyro Technics Inc.) and a ticketbox for the local underground.
You are hosted by the famous 300-year old pink dragon, Vita Drakovitz, and her little waterspraying creatures to have a guided tour around the village. But instead of that, visitors are merged into an old and abandoned underground station that beholds a huge special machine. While waiting, visitors will enjoy a pré-show, to get them into the mood of the new ride.
After that, you can take the train. But once you get in this train, there is no way out. And when one of those creatures accidentaly pushes the wrong button, the train is launched at 85 kmph into complete darkness.
What follows is a wild ride through the dark underworld of Shimmeria. Underway, visitors are exposed to a dark hallway, filled with special effects, illuminated bats along the way, finally facing a huge 3D projected watermonster while hanging upside down in the huge looping!
Psyké Underground; behind the scenes!
Source: Walibi Belgium - May 16th 2013
