Highest average age for a roller coaster ride, world record set in Gothenburg, Sweden

October 19, 2024

Gothenburg, Sweden--On a crisp autumn day, over 200 seniors from across Sweden boarded Valkyria, Europe’s longest Dive Coaster, in Gothenburg, Sweden, and smashed a world record, achieving an average rider age of 80.1 years and setting the new world record for the Highest average age for a roller coaster ride, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"Earlier this year, Liseberg called for adventurous seniors to join an attempt to break the world record for the highest average age on a roller coaster. The previous record, set in 2003 at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the UK, was 75.25 years," the Adobo Magazine says.

“We were overwhelmed by the response – over 200 seniors from across Sweden signed up for the chance to be part of this historic event,” added Mårten Westlund, Head of PR and Communications at Liseberg.

"On a crisp autumn day, these brave seniors boarded Valkyria, Europe’s longest Dive Coaster, and smashed the record, achieving an average rider age of 80.1 years.

"The idea, “70 is the New 17,” is brought to life in the PR-driven campaign Super Seniors campaign, centered around a world record attempt designed to attract media attention.

"The Super seniors generated e.g. three live segments on national TV, and approximately two hours of live broadcasting from the amusement park on two regional stations of Sweden’s national public radio broadcaster.

"Additionally, the Super seniors broke Liseberg’s TikTok record with 1,036,000 views."

"The highest average age of passengers on a roller coaster is 75.25 years, set by a group of 32 riders on the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire, UK, on 24 September 2003," the Guinness World Records says.

“We are curious to see if we can fill a Valkyria train, with 18 seats, with adventure-seeking seniors for an exhilarating ride on September 3,” said Mårten Westlund, PR and communications manager at Liseberg," the Blooloop.com says.

"Valkyria is Europe’s longest dive coaster. It boasts a height of 47 metres and a maximum speed of 105 km/h, as well as a 50-metre drop.

"“In conjunction with this, we will also attempt to set a world record for the highest average age in a roller coaster ride. That’s our goal, but the most important thing is to have fun together and show that the amusement park is for all ages.”

"Helix is a double launched coaster at Liseberg in Gothenburg, Sweden, built by Mack Rides. It opened in 2014, offering top speeds of 100 km/h, seven inversions, and three moments of weightlessness along 1,381 metres of track. Helix was the third launched coaster from Mack Rides, after Blue Fire at Europa-Park and Manta at SeaWorld San Diego," the Blooloop.com says.

"Liseberg – Scandinavia’s largest amusement park – has opened a new coaster called Luna. Luna features 242 metres of track and speeds of up to 68 km/h. “Our goal is to become one of the world’s greatest amusement destinations, in all seasons,” said Andreas Andersen, the park’s CEO."

"Achieving the world record was fantastic, but the most important thing was that we could demonstrate seniors’ right to have fun and experience excitement,” said Mårten Westlund, PR and Communications Manager at Liseberg," the Mynewsdesk.com says.

The record-breaking ride took place on Tuesday morning on Valkyria, Europe’s longest Dive Coaster – a roller coaster with a vertical drop of 50 meters. The new world record was set with an impressive average age of 80.1 years!

"The previous record was set in Blackpool in 2003, where a roller coaster train at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the UK had an average age of 75.25 years."

"Liseberg is an amusement park located in Gothenburg, Sweden, that opened in 1923. It is one of the largest in number of visitors with about three million visitors annually.

"Among the noteworthy attractions is the wooden roller coaster Balder, twice (2003 and 2005) voted as the Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster in the world in a major international poll. The park itself has also been chosen as one of the top ten amusement parks in the world (2005) by Forbes magazine and second best in Europe (2022) by IAAPA.

"In addition to the summer season, the park is also open during October to December, albeit with fewer rides operating, hosting a Halloween season with various houses of horrors and a Christmas market, with traditional Swedish cuisine such as mulled wine and specialties such as döner kebab made from reindeer meat." (Wikipedia)

"This is not a record for a coaster track, but for a specific trip on one of the park's coasters this morning. So what is the record?
The highest average age for riders on a roller coaster - 80.1 years," the Theme Park Insider says.

"Today's record was set on the park's Valkyria - which already held a European record as the continent's longest Dive coaster.

""Achieving the world record was fantastic, but the most important thing was that we could demonstrate seniors' right to have fun and experience excitement," Liseberg PR and Communications Manager Mårten Westlund said in a release issued by the park."

"Valkyria is a steel Dive Coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard operating at Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. Opened on 10 August 2018, it is Europe's longest and tallest Dive Coaster. The name Valkyria is derived from the Norse mythology creature Valkyrie, a mythological creature that brought fallen warriors to the afterlife.

"Upon dispatching from the station, the train immediately begins its ascent up the 154.2-foot (47.0 m) tall lift hill. At the top, the train makes a 90° right-hand turn and engages with the holding chain at the drop. After halting for a few seconds, the train is released into its signature 164-foot (50 m) drop into a tunnel, and immediately pulls up into an immelmann inversion.

"It crosses over the canal into a banked turn and a zero-g roll. A clockwise turnaround helix and a brief dip leads to the final inversion, a lengthened heartline roll, whereas a final right hand turn leads into the final brake run. A final left-hand 180° leads back into the station." (Wikipedia)