US Thrill Rides
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Amusement park ride design |
| Founded | 1990s |
| Founder | William Kitchen |
| Defunct | December 21, 2022 |
| Fate | Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; operations ceased |
| Headquarters | Orlando, Florida , United States |
| Products | Thrill ride attractions (Polercoaster, SkyQuest, SkySpire, SkyView, UniCoaster) |
US Thrill Rides operated as a design and consulting firm in the entertainment sector, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with a focus on developing thrill ride attractions throughout the United States.
History
The inception of the SkyCoaster dates back to 1992 when William Kitchen and Ken Bird created it, prompting Kitchen to establish Sky Fun I Inc. to promote the product to amusement parks. In 1998, Canadian company ThrillTime Entertainment International purchased the business for $12 million and rebranded it as SkyCoaster Inc., while Kitchen continued his involvement as a consultant.
Following this, Kitchen introduced the SkyVenture, marketed through SkyVenture, LLC. Its inaugural installation debuted near Wet 'n Wild Orlando on International Drive in July 1998, attracting distinguished guests including former President George H. W. Bush.
Later, Kitchen founded US Thrill Rides, which was responsible for developing various attractions such as UniCoaster flat rides, SkyQuest transport rides,[1] SkySpire, and the Polercoaster, designed in partnership with Intamin.[2]
In November 2022, the portfolio of rides owned by Kitchen was acquired by Martin & Vleminckx. Subsequently, on December 21, 2022, US Thrill Rides filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and quietly ceased its operations.
Products and technologies
US Thrill Rides concentrated on designing and producing amusement park rides and attractions.
Polercoaster
The Polercoaster was a collaborative development between US Thrill Rides and Intamin, featuring a towering structure equipped with glass elevators leading to an observation platform. Encircling the tower was an El Loco style steel roller coaster. Launched in 2012, this concept was devised by Bill and Michael Kitchen of US Thrill Rides to allow amusement parks with limited space to incorporate full-scale roller coasters. By November 2014, Kitchen licensed exclusive Florida rights for the Polercoaster design to Skyplex, where the first model—dubbed "Skyscraper"—was planned to become the tallest roller coaster worldwide, with construction aimed for 2017. Although initial progress was made on the Skyplex project, it never commenced construction nor opened as intended in 2020. In 2023, Winter Park Construction (WPC) confirmed that the project was officially canceled and would not proceed.
SkyQuest
Introduced in 2010, SkyQuest is a cable-car style transportation ride featuring enclosed gondolas and sheltered boarding platforms designed to move passengers along a track or between stations.
SkySpire
SkySpire is an attraction consisting of a tall tower with glass elevator access to an observation deck, complemented by fully enclosed gondolas spiraling upward around the tower in a double helix formation. It was initially selected as the centerpiece for San Diego Bay’s revitalization initiative but faced substantial delays after 1HWY1 assumed lead responsibility for redesigning and managing the project.
SkyView
SkyView was envisioned as a lightweight Ferris wheel structure ranging from 200 to 1000 feet in height, engineered for high wind resistance. Unlike conventional Ferris wheels, it employs a chain-driven mechanism to circulate gondolas and can be constructed in shapes beyond the typical circular design. Although there were plans to install 300-foot SkyView wheels in Orlando and Las Vegas, none have been realized; instead, competing large-scale wheels such as the Orlando Eye and High Roller have come to dominate those markets.
UniCoaster
The UniCoaster was a compact amusement attraction engineered to simulate the sensation of a looping roller coaster. Until 2020, the design was exclusively licensed to Chance Rides. However, Kitchen discontinued this exclusivity and started promoting variations such as the "Unicoaster Roulette" to casino venues, aiming to mitigate revenue losses caused by COVID-19-related closures of theme parks.
Notable installations
| Year | Ride | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | BrainSurge (UniCoaster) | Nickelodeon Universe – Bloomington, Minnesota | First installation in a theme park |
| 2010 | Octotron (UniCoaster) | Belmont Park – San Diego, California | Removed as of December 2024 |
| 2012 | SkyQuest | Indianapolis Zoo – Indianapolis, Indiana | |
| 2013 | Unicoaster (UniCoaster) | Happy Valley Tianjin – Tianjin, China | |
| 2016 | Trouble Twist (previously Zero Gravity) (UniCoaster) | Galaxyland – Edmonton, Alberta | |
| 2019 | Jimmy Neutron Atom Smasher (UniCoaster) | Nickelodeon Universe American Dream – East Rutherford, New Jersey | |
| 2021 | Time Tumbler (UniCoaster) | Doha Quest | |
| 2022 | Rivet Town Roller (UniCoaster) | Genting SkyWorlds – Genting Highlands, Malaysia |