FEATURE/1,149-foot Stratosphere Tower will have a monkey on its back; 70-foot animatronic gorilla ride will be added to Las Vegas' newest landmark property.LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Feb. 13, 1996--Promising to become Las Vegas' most highly themed mega resort property when it opens in April, the $500 million Stratosphere hotel, casino and tower has added yet another mammoth-sized attraction to its imposing 1,149- foot Stratosphere Tower. Scheduled to be operational in late 1996, an approximately 70-foot gorilla ride will scale the leg of the Tower, with up to 48 passengers per trip seated inside. The animatronic gorilla, whose arms, legs and head will move as it climbs while a sound system provides a "growling" sound, is the third unique attraction to be added to Stratosphere Tower, the cornerstone of the spectacular property now under development by the Stratosphere Corp. at the top of the Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip (also known as The Strip) is a 4 mi (6.7 km) section of Las Vegas Boulevard South, most of which has been designated an All-American Road. . The world's highest roller coaster, The High Roller high roller n. Slang 1. One who spends freely and extravagantly, as for luxuries or entertainment. 2. One who gambles rashly or for high stakes. 3. , and the world's highest acceleration thrill ride, The Big Shot, soon to be operational on the Tower more than 900 feet in the air, will be opened along with the rest of the property in April. The gorilla ride is the brainchild of Stratosphere Chairman Bob Stupak Bob Stupak (born April 6, 1942 in Pittsburgh) is a well-known Las Vegas casino owner and entrepreneur. He is the son of Chester Stupak, a man who operated the longest running floating craps game in Pittsburgh. and Grand Casinos Grand Casinos NYSE: GND was a casino operator that started out managing several casinos in Minnesota in 1990. The company ceased to exist when it was purchased by Hilton Hotels which then merged it with its other gaming properties to form Park Place Entertainment in Chief Executive Officer Lyle Berman Lyle Berman (born August 6, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is a professional poker player and business executive. Business Berman grew up in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota where he graduated in 1964 with a degree in business administration. . Gaming and entertainment giant Grand Casinos, which recently topped Fortune magazine's list of the 100 fastest growing companies in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , controls 42.7 percent of the project and is supervising the design, development and operation of Stratosphere. "What began as a whim has become a larger-than-life, spectacular ride that is sure to become the talk of Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. and the country," said Stratosphere President David Wirshing. "The gorilla completes our hat trick hat trick n. Sports 1. Three goals scored by one player in one game, as in ice hockey. 2. Three wickets taken in cricket by a bowler in three consecutive balls. 3. of magnificent attractions on the Tower and illustrates our commitment to provide Las Vegas visitors with an unsurpassed, exhilarating and totally unique resort experience." The gorilla ride will climb to about 630 feet before descending to the second-story retail area of the Tower, where passengers will load and unload. At one point during the ride, the gorilla will shudder and drop several feet, heightening the thrills for passengers. One-way glass located in the gorilla's back will allow passengers incredible views including the Las Vegas Strip. The animatronic gorilla is being designed by Stockbridge, Vermont-based Advanced Animations, while ride experts Structures and Machines Construction (S&MC) of Reggio Emilia, Italy -- the same company that designed the High Roller -- is supervising the engineering and construction of the ride mechanism. Situated at the 909-foot mark of the 1,149-foot Tower, America's tallest free-standing observation tower and three times taller than any other building in Las Vegas, The High Roller roller coaster is guaranteed to get the adrenaline rushing as it travels around the Tower on 865 feet of track. Seating a total of 36 riders in nine four-passenger cars, The High Roller makes three clockwise rotations, banking sharply at 32 degree angles, and will be able to accommodate 800 riders per hour. It was designed by German master Werner Stengel Werner Stengel is a notable German roller coaster designer and engineer. He is the founder of Stengel Engineering, also known as Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH (or Ingenieur Buero Stengel GmbH). , the "guru of roller coaster design," in collaboration with S&MC. Also sure to leave an indelible impression on thrill seekers Thrill Seekers was a television series aired in 1973 and 1974. It was hosted by Chuck Connors and featured people who did dangerous stunts. Other works Thrill Seekers (USA) / The Time Shifters is The Big Shot, a breathtaking state-of-the-art ride designed by S&S Sports Power of Logan, Utah Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 42,670, a substantial increase over the 1990 figure of 32,771. The estimated population in 2006 had increased to 47,660. . Offering a similar free-falling invigoration made popular by bungee jumping bungee jumping Sport in which the jumper falls from a high place with a rubber (“bungee”) cord attached both to his or her feet and to the jump site, and, after a period of headfirst free fall, is bounced partway back when the cord rebounds from its maximum , The Big Shot thrusts 16 passengers 160 feet in the air along a 228-foot mast extending like a needle from the top of the Tower. Travelling at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour, the ride shoots passengers from the 921-foot level of the Tower to the 1,081-foot level, reversing to negative G-force for a 100-foot drop, and then letting them free-fall back approximately 60 feet to the launching pad. Riders will experience G-forces of more than four G's going up and less than zero as they reach the very top and change direction. Visitors can access both The High Roller and The Big Shot by travelling in one of four high-speed double-deck elevators travelling at 1,800 feet per minute that whisk them to the top of the Tower in 30 seconds. "We wanted to offer visitors unique rides that are as spectacular and awe-inspiring as the resort property itself," said Wirshing. "From The High Roller and The Big Shot to the innumerable dining, hospitality and entertainment alternatives offered to visitors, Stratosphere is sure to become one of America's TOP tourist attractions, with more than 6 million expected to visit each year." Stratosphere Tower will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and will boast indoor and outdoor observation decks, a 360-seat revolving restaurant, a 220-seat cocktail lounge and three wedding chapels ... all located more than 800 feet in the air. Giving visitors little reason to venture beyond its impressive doors, the "World's Fair" themed Stratosphere will also include one of the world's most imaginative and expansive casinos, a 97,000- square-foot gaming center featuring three uniquely themed pavilions with 2,400 slot machines, 70 gaming tables, a sportsbook and a keno lounge; six "World" themed restaurants, providing an abundant variety of dining alternatives; a spectacular 140,000-square-foot shopping mall; and a luxury hotel with approximately 1,500 tastefully appointed guestrooms, including 120 suites for premium guests and exclusive "High Roller" suites offering first-class comfort and exceptional amenities. An additional 1,000 hotel rooms and a first-class pool and spa area will be added in the fall, while an out-of-this-world aquarium is scheduled to be added in 1997. Stratosphere's exceptional showroom will feature the uproariously talented comedian/impressionist Danny Gans, whose headline show will debut on May 16. Hailed as the "Cirque de Soleil of Voice," Gans has received critical acclaim on Broadway, in television shows including "Married...With Children," and in movies including the hit "Bull Durham." Stratosphere Corp., a publicly traded company publicly traded company A company whose shares of common stock are held by the public and are available for purchase by investors. The shares of publicly traded firms are bought and sold on the organized exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. building the world's most imaginative destination resort, trades on the NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on exchange under the symbol TOWV. Stratosphere is located at 2000 S. Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas. CONTACT: Wills Communications Inc. Cindy Rubin Elliott/Terry Wills, 310/524-0200 or Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most Tom Bruny/Patricia Marvel, 702/383-4752 |
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