by Chris Guinn

Created on: April 12, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Everyone knows of Bush Gardens as a great theme park. Bush Gardens: Africa in Tampa Florida is home to many great thrill rides, and one in particular, Sheikra. This roller coaster was made famous in 2005 when it opened because of its innovative features, like its 200 foot 90 degree drop and speeds soaring upwards of 70 miles per hour, but now the famed roller coaster is getting a new makeover. SheiKra is going to be converted to a completely floorless coaster!

Now guests to the Bush Gardens theme park can experience the chills and thrills of the rollercoaster in its floorless form, meaning your feet can no longer brace you in your moments of fear. The track will remain completely the same, and most of the modification will be to the loading platform and the cars that move along the track itself. The fear factor is actually what is increasing with this change, nothing mechanical.

When riding a roller coaster you're scared enough as it is, but the psychological factor of not having a floor to support you will increase the experience 10 fold. Now guests will have an unobstructed view of the 200 foot 90 degree drop that has made the coaster famous. In fact SheiKra is only the third rollercoaster in the world to have such an innovative feature, and has quickly become the number one thrill ride in the Central Florida area.

May 28th will be the last day in which guests to the Bush Garden theme park will be able to ride Sheikra in its current form. After this coming Memorial Day the Sheikra coaster will be shut down for approximately three weeks in order to under go its floorless transformation. SheiKra is already the United States first dive coaster, and now it will be updated in order to deliver a new thrill to patrons of the park.

It is true that Bush Gardens Tampa hosts a wide variety of other coaster, like the Montoo and Python, but none have been as successful as the Sheikra and its magnificent drops, loops and speed. So if you have been to the park recently then you may need to take a trip back to experience the new thrills Sheikra has to offer. And if you never been, then there has never been a better time to go! SheiKra in its new floorless form is slated to re-open late June or early July, with great anticipation and just in time for the busy summer months of activity.

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