Hybrid Coaster

A hybrid coaster pairs the wooden support structure of a traditional coaster with a precision steel I-box track manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). The I-box track allows for much tighter radius curves, beyond-vertical drops, and inversion elements that would be physically impossible on traditional laminated wooden track. RMC developed this technology primarily to renovate ageing, rough wooden coasters — transforming layouts that were painful to ride into world-class experiences with intense airtime, multiple inversions, and dramatic drops.

RMC conversions have produced some of the most acclaimed coasters in the world. Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point, converted from Mean Streak in 2018, is frequently cited as the single best roller coaster on the planet in enthusiast polls. In Europe, Untamed at Walibi Holland (a new-build RMC hybrid opened in 2019) consistently ranks among the continent's top coasters. Wildfire at Kolmården, a new-build on a mountainside, is another celebrated European example. The RMC hybrid concept changed the calculus for parks with ageing wooden coasters, offering a path to world-class status without demolishing existing infrastructure.