Great Coasters International | interview with Clair Hain | blooloop

This year, Great Coasters International, Inc. (GCII), a pioneer in wooden roller coaster design, celebrates its 30th anniversary. The company is known for its innovative wooden coasters that blend nostalgia with modern engineering.

With an in-house team of expert engineers, construction specialists, and project managers, the company has delivered top award-winning rides for theme parks worldwide, including Busch Gardens, SeaWorld San Antonio, Cedar Fair, Efteling, Six Flags and more. Highlights include Mystic Timbers at Kings Island, Thunderhead at Dollywood, and Gold Striker at California’s Great America.

In addition to designing and building roller coasters, GCII offers maintenance and refurbishment services. It works closely with park operators to ensure their coasters’ longevity and smooth operation, providing ongoing support and expertise.

GCII’s journey over the last three decades has been one of passion, innovation, and a commitment to creating thrilling, memorable experiences for riders worldwide. Clair Hain, Jr., president and co-founder of Great Coasters International, speaks to blooloop about the company’s journey so far, what makes its coasters unique, and the exciting future ahead.

Great Coasters International was founded in 1994. Headquartered in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, it is known globally for its expertise in creating, building, and maintaining exceptional wooden coasters. GCII’s goal is to create exhilarating and immersive coaster experiences with an emphasis on protecting and enhancing the natural surroundings. It prides itself on pushing the limits of wooden coaster technology. Impressive elements like banked turns, airtime hills, inversions, and steep drops can all be found on GCII’s coasters.

When Hain and former partner Mike Boodley started the company, they had no idea where it would lead, he says. Boodley was a successful coaster designer for Custom Coasters International, and Hain himself built a reputation in the industry as a master coaster builder.

Their vision for GCII was built on mutual respect and understanding: “I understood what he was trying to do with his designs, and he understood what I could do with the engineering.” This synergy led to their first major project: the Wildcat at Hersheypark. “That’s where we were able to mould the process and bring our ideas together.”

That first project showcased their potential and laid the foundation for GCII’s core values. “Our goal was to make rides smoother and last longer. At the time, wooden coasters required a lot of maintenance, with top layers needing replacement within six months. We wanted to extend that, to make our rides more durable,” he says.

The Wildcat became a proving ground for their concepts. Hain spent hours at Hersheypark, observing riders, analysing the track’s performance, and developing ways to improve durability and minimise maintenance. “I would sit on a bench, watching the ride react, and then take those observations back to Mike. That’s how we started developing new ideas,” he recalls. The company’s dedication to improving ride longevity became one of its trademarks.

As the company grew, GCII became known for expanding the boundaries of what wooden roller coasters could achieve. Each project became a stepping stone, building on previous successes.

“Every ride we built, we took it one step further,” Hain says. “We knew what worked, so we kept pushing the envelope.”

However, the company faced challenges along the way. In the second decade, Boodley left the company due to medical issues, but his departure didn’t hinder the company’s growth. Instead, it marked the beginning of a new era for GCII, with Hain leading the charge to train and develop a new generation of designers. “It wasn’t just about me anymore,” he says. “It was about building a team that could take what we had learned and apply it to bigger, longer, and faster coasters.”

GCII’s emphasis on innovation led to the introduction of new technologies, such as steel structures to support the wooden tracks and the development of the Titan Track, designed and engineered by Skyline Attractions. The Titan Track, a hybrid steel and wood track, was designed to offer a smoother ride and increased durability, giving GCII a new edge in the competitive coaster market.

The Titan Track was a game-changer for GCII. The weld-free steel track allows the company to offer a smoother ride experience and accommodate more complex manoeuvres on wooden coasters, like inversions, which are traditionally only possible on steel coasters. “The Titan Track was a natural progression, combining the best of both worlds—wood and steel,” says Hain.

The engineering behind Titan Track sets the system apart from any other hybrid rollercoaster. The true wood-to-steel transitions create a unique ride experience, allowing classic rides to retain the original layout. GCII calls it the first true hybrid. In contrast, other hybrid attractions feature either wooden supports with steel tracks or steel supports with wooden tracks. This system allows for a seamless transition between the track’s steel and wood sections on any style support system.

The steel track also requires less maintenance than the traditional wooden track.

Titan Track was unveiled during an after-party at Fun Spot America in Orlando during IAAPA Expo 2019. Less than a year later, a full piece of the track was installed on the White Lightning roller coaster’s out-and-back return section. While in the past, wooden coasters received a full steel re-tracking process, GCII allows a wooden coaster to be re-tracked only in parts that require a smoother ride.

Another stand-apart feature of Great Coasters International is its in-house Millennium Flyer trains. These are cushioned and styled similarly to traditional roller coaster cars. They can also be customised with ride branding. In 2018, GCII revealed a new train design, the Infinity Flyer, which is capable of inversions and other exciting innovations.

The Infinity Flyer trains allow for increased flexibility in design and track layout. These lighter, more versatile trains can handle tighter turns and steeper drops, pushing the boundaries of wooden coaster design even further. The innovations introduced by GCII have not only kept wooden coasters relevant but have also enabled them to compete with their steel counterparts in terms of both thrill and longevity.

This new train can be seen on the Zambezi Zinger at Worlds of Fun in Missouri, which opened last year. “That ride was a real breakthrough for us,” Hain says. “It was the first time we used a spiral lift hill on a wooden coaster, and we also used the Infinity Flyer trains for the first time. It’s really an example of how far we’ve come.”

Despite these technological advancements, GCII remains deeply committed to preserving the nostalgia and artistry of wooden coasters. For Hain, the appeal of wooden coasters lies in their unique sensory experience. “It’s the noise, the feeling of being out of control, the structure so close around you—it’s like riding in a convertible car down a winding mountain road,” he says. “People love that sense of nostalgia and excitement.”

Hain also believes that wooden coasters create a deeper emotional connection with riders, one that transcends generations. “I hear it more with wooden coasters than with any other type of ride. People don’t just say, ‘Let’s go to the amusement park.’ They say, ‘Let’s go ride the Twister’ or ‘Let’s ride the Phoenix.’ It’s about that specific ride that people fall in love with, and wooden coasters seem to have that special something that keeps bringing them back.”

As the theme park industry increasingly emphasises sustainability, GCII is also adapting its materials and processes. Hain’s daughter Olivia, project manager at GCII, has a background in environmental studies and has brought fresh insights into the company’s approach to sustainability. “We’ve been looking at new materials, including glue-laminated wood and other options, but safety is always our top priority,” Hain explains. “It’s something we’re actively working on and constantly testing new products.”

Looking ahead, Hain envisions a future where GCII continues to evolve and expand its offerings. This includes a potential shift towards steel coasters:

“We’re already developing steel coasters with loops and corkscrews,” he says, hinting at exciting changes on the horizon. Despite this shift, Hain says the company will also stay true to its roots in wooden coaster design, ensuring that future generations will continue to enjoy the same thrills that have captivated riders for decades.

While Great Coasters International is known for its passion for crafting high-quality wooden roller coasters, this ethos also extends into its workplace culture.

Employees can contribute new ideas to the design and construction process because the organisation cultivates a collaborative environment that encourages creativity and innovation. Craftsmanship is highly valued, focusing on meticulous attention to detail and a dedication to providing exhilarating and seamless coaster experiences.

GCII’s culture emphasises cooperation, open communication, and a shared commitment to expanding what is feasible in the attractions sector while upholding a welcoming environment where each person’s input is respected.

Joyce Stablewski, office manager, has been with the firm for over 18 years. She shares her perspective on what makes GCII a unique place to work:

“Working here has been a wonderful experience. We are a very small company, but we are a close family. Clair and all of our employees really care for our customers. Our customers become part of the family, and we strive for customer satisfaction and loyalty long after the coasters are completed.

“Clair’s work ethic is 365 days a year. He always wants to make sure that his employees are taken care of. He is a wonderful owner/boss and cares deeply about us.

“I have always loved my job, and every day in the last 18 years has never been the same. It’s very challenging and I love meeting new people and adding new family members with our new customers.”

As GCII enters its next decade, Clair Hain is focused on passing the torch to the next generation of coaster designers, including his daughter and nephew. “I’m trying to mould them, to transfer everything I know into their heads,” he says. “It’s not easy, but we get a little closer every day.” While Hain plans to stay involved in the industry for some time yet, he is gradually handing over the reins, preparing the company for a future without him at the helm.

“I don’t want to see the company fail; I’ve seen that happen in other businesses. But I believe in the team we’re building,” he says. His vision for GCII’s future is one of continued innovation and growth, focusing on creating new experiences while maintaining the integrity and artistry that have defined the company’s work over the past 30 years.

A post shared by Great Coasters International (@greatcoastersinternational)

For Hain, the ultimate reward is seeing riders’ reactions. “I love watching people get off a ride and immediately run back to the entrance to ride it again. That’s what I live for—creating something that people want to experience over and over again.”

As Great Coasters International celebrates its 30th anniversary, its journey is far from over. With a rich legacy behind it and exciting new projects on the horizon, GCII will continue shaping the future of the roller coaster industry for many years to come. With Clair Hain at the helm and a new generation of designers, project managers, and mechanics ready to take the reins, the future looks bright for GCII.

As Hain says: “Keep your eyes open in the next year or two. Stay tuned for more exciting things in the future.”

Get the latest attractions industry news direct to your inbox, every day.