Volcano, The Blast Coaster

Volcano, The Blast Coaster, or simply Volcano, is a launched inverted roller coaster at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Designed by both Paramount Parks and Werner Stengel and built by Intamin, Volcano was the world's first inverted roller coaster to feature an LIM (linear induction motor) and is the only one of its kind that completes a full circuit. Since its opening on August 3, 1998, Volcano has been one of the more popular rides in the park. Most of Volcano's circuit is located inside a man-made volcano, making it an enclosed roller coaster.HistoryVolcano was designed around a dormant attraction originally known as The Lost World, and later as Smurf Mountain. Declining popularity towards the end of the 1980s led to the removal of the mountain's last two rides in 1995 and cast doubt on the area's future. On July 22, 1997, Paramount Parks announced plans to revitalize the mountain by making it the future site of a new roller coaster.In late 1997, Volcano, The Blast Coaster, was announced. LIM technology was still somewhat new and the ride had many bugs in the launch system. This issue wasn't new to the park, having encountered similar problems with the nearby Flight of Fear. Volcano had a soft opening on August 3, 1998. The ride officially opened on August 15, 1998. During the 1998 season, the ride operated at half-capacity, with every other row loaded. In 1999, the bugs were fixed and Volcano was running at full capacity. In 2005 and 2010, Volcano's structure was given a fresh coat of paint. In 2014, Volcano's queue line was improved.