On this day in 1987, West Edmonton Mall's infamous roller-coaster reopened roughly one year after a deadly malfunction.
The Mindbender coaster opened in 1985 as part of an expansion of WEM's Fantasyland amusement park, aimed at appealing to more adult crowds. The $6-million attraction was created by Werner Stengel and Anton Schwarzkopf, two of the most influential and celebrated designers in all of coasterdom. With just shy of 1,300 metres of track and reaching a maximum height of 44 metres, the Mindbender was the tallest indoor roller-coaster in the world when it opened, and it would keep that distinction for the next 30 years.
It was also an intense ride. Loops were a trademark of Stengel and Schwarzkopf's designs, and the Mindbender sent riders through three loop-de-loops during its short runs, reaching speeds of up to 95 km/h. That wild ride, in such a compact space, soon gave it a reputation among roller-coaster enthusiasts.
But in less than a year, the reputation turned to notoriety. On June 14, 1986, one of the Mindbender's cars derailed just as the coaster was entering the third and final loop of the track. At the time, the only safety restraints on the coaster were bars across the laps of riders to hold them in. When the car was damaged, the restraints opened, and four people were thrown from the ride. Three were killed, and the fourth was critically injured. Others received minor injuries.
The tragedy is still considered one of the worst roller-coaster disasters in history. An investigation into the accident later determined that the wheel assembly of the car had come apart, likely due to a combination of flawed design and inadequate maintenance. The ride was shut down for seven months as changes were made to the cars. Several new safety features were installed, including additional restraints. The incident also led to several recommendations to change the way Alberta inspected amusement rides.
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Following the accident, the Mindbender went on to operate for another 33 years and became one of the mall's most iconic attractions. It also continued to be a favourite among coaster enthusiasts, for the intensity of the ride and the high G-force, tested to top out at up to 5.4G, putting it on par with the forces experienced in a fighter jet.
The ride began to decline in popularity in the 2000s and beyond. It was closed to the public in 2020, with the ride officially shut down three years later. The ride was dismantled, and for now, the space where the Mindbender used to be still remains empty. Last month, WEM officials said they were still in the process of planning a new ride for where the famous coaster once stood, but have not released specific details. The mall and its indoor amusement park (now named Galaxyland) were also recently featured in a discussion about urbanism by the YouTuber CityNerd, following his visit to Edmonton earlier this summer.
This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.