Fønix at Farup Sommerland is the tallest and fastest coaster in Denmark.
This new-for-2022 attraction is now the signature attraction at this Danish theme park
and it’s another winner from Vekoma. And I think it’s a perfect fit for Farup Sommerland.
Find out why in this review! Vekoma has introduced a series of
next-generation looping coaster models over the past decade. Gone are the days of poor
tracking. Now the company has been pumping out glass-smooth layouts filled with diverse elements.
Their layouts have flawlessly blended inversions and airtime hills into one complete experience.
Arguably their most popular installation amongst enthusiasts is Legendia’s Lech Coaster.
This is a Bermuda Blitz model and it’s one of the most intense rides in the world. So when Fønix
was announced, enthusiasts were dreaming of Lech Coaster 2.0. This is the company’s Wildcat model
and I’m going to bury the hatchet. This ride is not as intense as Lech Coaster. Not even close.
Think of something more in line with forces of Energylandia’s Abyssus. However, I think that’s
a good thing for the park it’s located at. The park asked for a ride lighter on the
forces than Lech Coaster and Vekoma delivered exactly that. Don’t expect any ejector airtime
or greyout forces here. This coaster is pure fun and super reridable. And it’s clearly a
winner. Ever since opening, this coaster has routinely had the longest line in the park.
It has hovered around the 20-30 minute mark most days, which is more than worth it for a ride like
this. And everyone getting off is all smiles. The park worked this coaster into the park
seamlessly. It was placed in the back corner so it didn’t disturb the relaxing,
forest vibe of the park. The green track blends in with the trees, so you surprisingly can’t really
see the coaster until you’re right on top of it. And it’s surprisingly quiet too. Both the main
layout and lift hill make minimal noise. The area by the attraction is a dream for
photographers. The park built observation paths under the coaster. They didn’t have to do this,
but they clearly wanted to showcase their newest coaster. The queue line itself
also offers some nice vantage points. Fønix translates to Phoenix or Firebird.
The main layout has no theming, but you have bright red and yellow trains
plus some bird theming in the station, including a giant cage. The ride also has a nice looking logo,
although I find it funny how much it resembles that of Six Flags America’s Firebird.
The ride runs two trains, each seating up to 16 riders across 4 cars. Like many of the new
Vekomas, this coaster has over-the-shoulder restraints. They consist of a lap bar that
rests above your waist and a soft vest that hugs your upper body. While they are more
restrictive than restraints from manufacturers like Intamin or Mack, they are comfortable and
I don’t think they inhibit the ride’s forces much since the vests have some give to them.
The crew loads the trains quickly and typically had the next train ready to go once the prior
one hit the brakes. This kept the line for the park’s most popular attraction moving.
Every seat delivers a great ride on Fønix, but I preferred the back car.
It maximizes the first drop and a few of the bunny hills have more power back there.
Once dispatched, you navigate a small dip, rise upwards, and ascend the ride’s 131 foot or 40
meter tall lift hill. You don’t get much of a view because of how many trees surround the park,
but you’re at the top in short order. Then you’re thrown over the 80 degree first drop.
I was expecting this drop to offer some wild ejector airtime like most drops this steep,
but that wasn’t the case. This sort of signaled what type of forces this coaster would provide.
I got very strong and sustained floater airtime in the back car though. Those up front even get
some lift, but nothing compared to the back car. The pullout is the most forceful on the coaster
by far, but it only offers decent positive forces, not enough to cause
greyouts…and trust me I can greyout quite easily. Next is the first of three inversions,
a one-of-a-kind stall loop. It rides like an inverted top hat that holds
you upside-down at the apex longer, so this element offers some sweet hangtime.
I also really like the transition out of this element. As you dive back down to the ground,
you twist 180 degrees back in the direction you entered the element.
This maneuver is extremely whippy in the back, as you’re quickly pulled through it.
Next is this hill combining elements of an overbank and camelback. You twist into and out of
the element like an overbank, but it straightens out at the top for a traditional airtime hill.
And you get some good, semi-sustained floater airtime here. It’s one of the
few sustained airtime moments on the ride. Most of the airtime moments are quick pops.
You then fly through the most intense element on the ride, a high-speed barrel roll. The train
careens through this inversion much like the one on Maxx Force. You won’t get any hangtime
or airtime here, but you do get wicked laterals as the ride tosses you sideways like a ragdoll.
You then twist upwards and navigate a double down. It offers two nice bursts of floater
airtime in the back. Those up front get some airtime too, but it’s noticeably weaker.
The train then charges over an S-hill. I think this little hill has the ride’s most aggressive
airtime moment for everyone. It’s a stronger pop toeing on very strong floater to weak ejector.
Next is the corkscrew that pierces through the station. This element is great for a few
reasons. One, it offers a fantastic visual both on and off-ride as you narrowly avoid
the station’s walls. Two, it offers really strong laterals like the prior barrel roll.
The subsequent valley briefly blasts riders with positives.
The train then wraps upwards into an outer banked hill.
This is the one hill that’s stronger up front, giving good floater airtime. Those in back get a
decent pop, just not as forceful. The subsequent hop back down to the ground does the opposite,
giving the better airtime for those in back. Fønix then zips over back-to-back bunny hills
that give solid floater for everyone. These elements are quick but fun.
Next is the final turnaround section, which consists of a wave turn and an s-hill.
The former gives weak lift up front, but a decent sideways pop in back. Then the s-hill
unfortunately does nothing up front, but it does gently levitate those in back out of their seat.
You then hop into the final brake run, giving those up front one last burst of airtime
before smoothly coming to a stop. This ends the 2969 foot or 905 meter long coaster.
While this coaster doesn’t have the intense airtime or positive forces you may expect,
I think this coaster is very well-paced. It’s a rapid-fire series of airtime hills and inversions.
And this is one of the smoothest coasters in the world. There isn’t a hint of a rattle anywhere.
So what would I rate Fønix? I would give this coaster an 8.5 out of 10. This is a great looping
coaster. I’d call this coaster the B&M hyper of the next-generation Vekomas. It offers a super
smooth and enjoyable ride experience. The positive forces and negative Gs aren’t excessive to
allow it to fit-in with the family-friendly crowd Farup Sommerland attracts, but the ride is still
a ton of fun. While it’s not overly intense, the ride still offers over a dozen airtime hills and
three excellent inversions. This is the clear star of Farup Sommerland and well worth experiencing.
So those are my thoughts on Fønix at Farup Sommerland. How do you think it compares to
the other new Vekomas? Let me know your thoughts down below. If you enjoyed this review, I’d
appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a
lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!