Coaster enthusiasts have claimed for the last several years that new B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) coasters aren’t as smooth as they used to be with a rattle or shake. Complaints have centered on rides like Penguin Trek at SeaWorld Orlando and Iron Menace at Dorney Park. It seems like sport now every time a new B&M opens, like Tormenta, to wait for reports of if it has the B&M rattle. There has been much speculation as to the cause ranging from issues with the ride bearings or something with the train to inconsistencies with the track gauge causing the train to go “hunting” for center. This rattle is not like riding an old school wooden coaster or anything, but merely a departure from the glass smooth rides B&M has gotten a reputation for over the years. So did something in the design change? Is it a quality control issue? There are rumors of B&M ending a long relationship with track supplier, Clermont Steel, could this all be related?

SeaWorld Orlando built Pipeline, the world’s first “surf coaster” by B&M (Bolloger & Mabillard) in 2023. It was a prototype that was meant to be an improvement on the old stand-up coasters. It could also potentially provide B&M another genre of coasters to sell along with it’s wing, hyper, Giga, dive and other models. Pipeline got rather solid reviews from the public, but another surf coaster has yet to be built. However, it turns out there was a good reason why, but that may now be about to change. In 2024 Vekoma filed suit against B&M claiming the “surf coaster” design violated their patent US7987793B2. However, several months ago a judge dismissed this case with prejudice (meaning Vekoma cannot sue again) and thus B&M is now clear to sell its design to other parks without fear of subsequent patent infringement lawsuits. This could potentially open the door for more surf coasters in 2027 and beyond.