History

Skyline Attractions, LLC was founded in summer 2014 by four amusement industry veterans. From left to right: Bill Wydra, Jeff Pike, Chris Gray, Evan Souliere

Skyline Attractions, LLC is an amusement rides manufacturer and designer based out of Orlando, Florida, USA. The company has had a hand in record-breaking roller coasters, revolutionary new ride concepts, and other projects at some of the world’s premier theme parks. The relatively young company’s history can be traced back to the early 2010s and includes wooden roller coasters, children’s rides, and Cincinnati chili.

The concept of Skyline Attractions was first dreamed up by three Great Coasters International, Inc. (GCII) employees – VP of Sales & Design Jeff Pike, Design Engineer Evan Souliere, and Procurement and Assembly Director Chris Gray. The trio had worked for the award-winning wooden roller coaster manufacturer for a cumulative 30+ years, designing and building some of the world’s best thrill rides. They had played critical roles in many of the company’s biggest and best attractions and, during their time at the company, had been involved in the design, sales, operation, and/or maintenance of more than 25% of the world’s operating wooden roller coasters. But they were itching to expand outside of wooden roller coasters and take some wild new ride concepts for a spin.

The three GCII employees were joined by a fourth amusement industry veteran, Bill Wydra, and began to discuss starting a new amusement rides company. They wanted this new company to offer more than just one type of attraction and have a diverse range of rides for all age groups and thrill levels. While brainstorming what to call the new venture, Pike spotted a cup from the Cincinnati-based chain of chili parlors, Skyline Chili, and the new company’s name was found – Skyline Attractions.

Skyline Attractions, LLC was officially launched on July 1, 2014. The company started small with GamesURide, an innovative concept that married carnival games with amusement rides. This included the Strike-U-Up (a thrilling take on the popular High Striker game), followed by Spin-U-Win. The two ride models would go on to have successful runs at parks and events across the country.

The first SKYnext event was hosted in 2015 for future theme park industry professionals. The event has expanded over the years, attracting more and more bright, young individuals. Pictured are the attendees of SKYnext 2017.

One of the earliest goals of Skyline Attractions was to support the future of the amusement industry by investing in the next generation of industry professionals. Skyline Attractions hosted its first SKYnext event in March 2015 to accomplish this. SKYnext is an opportunity for the future leaders of the theme park industry to network, learn about themed entertainment companies, and establish lifelong connections.

Following Games-U-Ride and the Crazy Couch children’s ride, Skyline Attractions unveiled Skywarp. Since redesigned and reengineered as Skywarp II, this compact roller coaster ride offered big thrills for a low price and would enable even the smallest of parks to have a thrilling, inverting roller coaster of their own. The first installation, Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster, opened less than two years later at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California, USA. A variant of the ride, the Horizon (since succeeded by Horizon II), opened in 2019 at SeaWorld San Diego in San Diego, California, USA with the debut of Tidal Twister.

One of Skyline Attractions’ latest and most exciting ventures is P’Sghetti Bowl Children’s Coaster, a first-of-its-kind children’s roller coaster ride. The attraction uses a weld-free track design to minimize costs and ensure a smooth, enjoyable experience. The first P’Sghetti Bowl Children’s Coasters are opening soon at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Over Georgia in San Antonio, Texas, USA and Austell, Georgia, USA, respectively.

Skyline Attractions’ roots to GCII and wooden roller coasters has remained strong. Skyline Attractions has provided its design and engineering services for many popular rides, such as Texas Stingray at SeaWorld San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

In addition to Skyline Attractions’ own line-up of amusement attractions, the company’s roots in GCII and its world-class wooden roller coasters has remained strong over the years. Skyline Attractions has provided its design and engineering expertise to help bring GCII’s wooden roller coasters to life, including Mystic Timbers (Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, USA), Wicker Man (Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England), Texas Stingray (SeaWorld San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas, USA), and Roaring Timbers (Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park in Kiên Giang, Vietnam). Skyline Attractions engineers have also spearheaded design projects for the premier wooden roller coaster manufacturer, including the Infinity Flyer train design and Titan Track steel track design.

Looking toward the future, Skyline Attractions continues to innovate and help define the future of the theme park industry with its growing portfolio of rides, attractions, and experiences.