Without Robert Mampe of Six Flags Great America we may not have Montu, SheiKra, Kumba and the upcoming Phoenix Rising!

Every company starts somewhere and that includes Bolliger & Mabillard, better known by coaster enthusiasts as B&M today. It’s an origin story you can read elsewhere, but essentially Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard used to work for a steel manufacturing company called Giovanola (who built some roller coasters), but struck out on their own after Giovanola had a restructure. They had a relationship with Robert Mampe, a Six Flags Great America staff engineer, from some previous projects and  asked the new company to design and build a stand-up roller coaster for the park. This ride would eventually be known as Iron Wolf (POV here) it still exists today as Firebird (formerly Apocalyse) at Six Flags America where it was relocated in 2012. This would be the first B&M roller coaster that at the time was probably most famous from being featured in the Richie Rich movie. Two years later in 1992 they would design and open Batman: The Ride, the world’s first inverted coaster, also at Great America and this cemented B&M as a prominent roller coaster manufacturer.

The rest they say is history. The stand-up thing largely remained more of a gimmick (although B&M is trying to bring it back with Pipeline at SeaWorld). However, the inverted coaster took off and soon the ride was cloned with most parks getting a copy. Other chains globally also got in on the invert and this included Montu at Busch Gardens in 1996, which many consider the ultimate of this ride style. Eventually we’d get the floorless coaster, the dive coaster, the winged coaster and the hyper coaster from B&M, totaling over 100 coasters worldwide. Next year Busch Gardens alone will operate 4 B&M’s with Montu, Kumba, SheiKra and the new family coaster Phoenix Rising. B&M is also known for quality and reliability across the industry.

One has to wonder though what would have happened if they hadn’t gotten those first couple of projects and opportunities? Would they have just been another young company that didn’t make it? Back at the time before Iron Wolf there were only 4 total employees of B&M! Six Flags Great America was my home park as a kid and I remember riding Iron Wolf, but especially Batman. This was a time before widespread internet where a ride announcement consisted of an article in the local paper or a sign at the park of “coming next year”, so there wasn’t the anticipation and coverage of new rides we get today.

I remember showing up at the park the second day Batman: The Ride was open and basically wondering, “What is this strange thing?” The theming was awesome with a station that looked like the bat cave and the ride was like nothing I had ever experienced. You sat below the tracks, music played, the floor dropped away and you where whisked out of the station. In the front I surmised this was as close to flying as I was ever going to get. I had also ridden Iron Wolf, which was fun, but I could tell immediately that Batman was something different. Of course back then I had no idea who B&M was , I just knew this new ride was awesome! Below is some great historic footage of the ride’s opening.

Kind of makes you wonder who that company is today that may be the major roller coaster manufacturer in 30 years? Perhaps it’s Zamperala reimagining Top Thrill Dragster? Maybe Six Flags is at it again with Six Flags Over Georgia and Fiesta Texas opening Kid Flash Cosmic Coaster by the Skyline Attractions?

The coming years will tell the tale, but on this Thanksgiving thank you Robert Mampe and Six Flags Great America for helping jump start the B&M we know today. I hope everyone gets the chance to ride the original Batman at Great America or maybe take a trip to Six Flags America and ride the first B&M, Iron Wolf (now Firebird) and appreciate how these rides changed an industry for the better!