Pipeline: The Surf Coaster made history when it opened at SeaWorld Orlando on May 27, 2023, debuting as the world’s first B&M Surf Coaster and the first new stand-up roller coaster design since 1999’s Georgia Scorcher. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride reimagines the classic stand-up format with surfboard-shaped vehicles and a track that shifts riders up and down through the layout, mimicking the sensation of riding a wave.
Riders stand in a launched surfboard-style car that accelerates via LSM launch before tackling an overbanked curve, a corkscrew inversion, and dual helix sections. The signature moment is a ‘wave curl’ element built to replicate a surfer’s alley-oop maneuver, giving Pipeline a genuinely unique identity among Orlando’s thrill rides.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: SeaWorld Orlando
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M)
- Opened: May 27, 2023
- Height: 110 feet (34 m)
- Top speed: 60 mph (97 km/h)
- Length: 2,950 feet (900 m)
- Inversions: 1
The Ride Experience
Pipeline stands out for its standing, surfboard-shaped trains, which run two per side with six cars each, carrying 24 riders at a time for about a 1 minute 50 second journey. After an LSM launch propels the train out of the station, riders face an overbanked curve, a corkscrew, and a horseshoe-shaped turn before finishing through a dual helix.
The ride’s engineering trick is a track system that raises and lowers the riders’ seating position mid-course, producing sudden airtime moments meant to evoke the drop and rise of riding a wave. Guests must be at least 54 inches tall to ride unaccompanied and no taller than 78 inches to fit the standing restraints.
A New Chapter for Stand-Up Coasters
Before Pipeline, the stand-up roller coaster category had been dormant for over two decades, with most existing examples either retired or converted to sit-down trains. B&M’s Surf Coaster concept revived the format as a prototype, pairing it with surf theming throughout the queue and station to tie into SeaWorld Orlando’s broader push toward original, story-driven thrill rides.
Explore more: Explore more roller coaster guides.
Pipeline: The Surf Coaster FAQs
What manufacturer built Pipeline: The Surf Coaster?
Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) built Pipeline as the debut installation of its new Surf Coaster model.
How tall do you need to be to ride Pipeline?
Riders must be at least 54 inches tall to ride without an accompanying rider, and no taller than 78 inches.
How fast does Pipeline: The Surf Coaster go?
The coaster reaches a top speed of about 60 mph during its launch and course.
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Photo: Danielle & Mike Rumble of Ride On Orlando / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.