Desperado (roller coaster)

{{Distinguish|Desperados (ride)}}{{Infobox roller coaster |name=Desperado |image=Primm (8).jpg |caption= |location=[[Buffalo Bill's|Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino]] |section=Old Western Times |type=Steel |type2= |status=Closed |opened={{Start date and age|1994|08|11}}<ref>{{cite news | title = PRIMM SPRUCING UP CALIFORNIA-NEVADA BORDER |first=Dave |last=Palermo |publisher= Las Vegas Review-Journal/Sun |date= August 7, 1994}}</ref> |closed={{End date and age|2020|2}} |year=1994 |manufacturer=Arrow Dynamics |designer=[[Ron Toomer]] |model=Hypercoaster |track=Ron Toomer |lift=Chain |height_ft=209 |drop_ft=225 |length_ft=5843 |speed_mph=80 |inversions=0 |duration=2:43 |angle=60 |capacity=900 |cost=$30,000,000 |acceleration= |gforce=4 |restriction_in=52 |trains=3 |carspertrain=5 |rowspercar=3 |ridersperrow=2 |rcdb_number=103 |coordinates={{Coord|35|36|51|N|115|23|04|W|display=title,inline|region:US-NV_type:landmark_source:dewiki}} }} '''Desperado''' was a [[steel roller coaster]] located at [[Buffalo Bill's|Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino]] in [[Primm, Nevada]], [[United States]], a part of the [[Primm Valley Resorts]] complex, straddling the state borders of California and Nevada. Designed by [[Arrow Dynamics]] and fabricated by Intermountain Lift, Inc.,<ref>{{cite web|title=Amusement|url=http://intermountainlift.com/amusement.htm|publisher=Intermountain Lift, Inc.|accessdate=September 5, 2014|date=July 30, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108130751/http://intermountainlift.com/amusement.htm|archivedate=November 8, 2014}}</ref> Desperado was one of the tallest [[roller coaster]]s in the world when it opened in 1994, being listed by the [[Guinness Book of Records]] as the world's tallest roller coaster (for 1996).<ref name="Official fact sheet">{{cite web|title=Desperado Roller Coaster Fact Sheet|publisher=Primm Valley Casino Resorts|date=August 13, 2001|url=http://www.primmvalleyresorts.com/pages/pressroom_pressrelease.asp?PressID=8|accessdate=2007-03-13|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324011152/http://www.primmvalleyresorts.com/pages/pressroom_pressrelease.asp?PressID=8|archivedate=March 24, 2006}}</ref> A [[hyper coaster]], Desperado reached a height of {{Convert|209|ft}}, featuring a {{Convert|225|ft|m|adj=on}} drop and was ranked as the [[List of roller coaster rankings#Longest steel roller coasters|seventh longest coaster in the world]], featuring a track length of {{convert|5843|ft|}}. It also was among the fastest hyper coasters, attaining a maximum speed of {{Convert|80|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, with riders experiencing up to 4 [[G-force|G]]'s.<ref>{{cite RCDB|rcdb_number=103|coaster name=Desperado|location=Primm Valley Resorts}}</ref>

A portion of the ride ran indoors through the main area of the casino. Since February 2020 and the [[COVID-19 lockdown]]s, Desperado has been closed and not operating, but still receiving monthly maintenance checks and test runs from ride technicians.<ref name="Closure-LVW" />

==History== [[Gary Primm]] opened a [[casino]] called [[Buffalo Bill's]] on May 14, 1994, and he wished to attract people driving on adjacent [[Interstate 15 in Nevada|Interstate 15]] to his new casino. Primm contracted [[Arrow Dynamics]] to build a highly visible roller coaster. The ride opened to the public on August 11, 1994, as one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world. The ride's {{convert|209|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} [[lift hill]] was the tallest in the world, second behind only the [[Big One (roller coaster)|Pepsi Max Big One]] at [[Blackpool Pleasure Beach]] in England that opened the same year. Its drop length of {{convert|225|ft}} and top speed of {{convert|80|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} were tied in the country with Kennywood's [[Phantom's Revenge|Steel Phantom]], which also featured a {{convert|225|ft|adj=on}} drop and top speed of {{convert|80|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. ''[[Guinness World Records|The Guinness Book of World Records]]'' recognized Desperado in its 1996 publication as the tallest roller coaster in the world.<ref name="Official fact sheet" />

For his ''Top Secret'' special that first aired on February 24, 1999, magician [[Lance Burton]] staged a death-defying escape in a stunt where he was tied to the roller coaster's track and had to break out of handcuffs in order to escape.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/news/archives/february99/news_feb99.shtml |title= Lance Burton's Escape On The Desperado To Air Next Wednesday |accessdate=2007-04-18 |work= }}</ref>

In February 2020, due to the onset of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Buffalo Bill’s Casino was temporarily closed, along with Desperado and their [[log flume]] which closed indefinitely.<ref name="Closure-LVW">{{cite news |last=Ventura |first=Leslie |title=Has Primm's Desperado roller coaster made its final descent? |url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/2020/feb/13/has-primms-desperado-roller-coaster-made-its-final/ |accessdate=February 18, 2020 |work=Las Vegas Weekly |date=February 13, 2020}}</ref> The casino reopened on December 23, 2022, but Desperado remained closed.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}} In 2023, it was reported that the roller coaster would be part of a casino-wide refurbishment, in an effort to bring back previous guests.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}} Casino general manager Jerry West stated that the ride had been kept properly maintained and functional during the nearly three-year closure, with test runs occurring regularly. He added that the coaster will be subject to a "sign-off process" involving legal and mechanical inspections before reopening.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website|https://www.primmvalleyresorts.com/amenities/family-attractions/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Desperado (Roller Coaster)}} [[Category:1994 establishments in Nevada]] [[Category:2020 disestablishments in Nevada]] [[Category:Affinity Gaming]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Primm, Nevada]] [[Category:Roller coasters in Nevada]] [[Category:Roller coasters opened in 1994]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Clark County, Nevada]]