Larson International
Larson International is a designer and manufacturer of amusement rides based in Plainview, Texas. The company has designed its own collection of amusement rides, as well as owning rights to rides originally designed by Bisch-Rocco and Sellner Manufacturing.
History
J & S, Rides, Inc., currently doing business as Larson International, dates back to at least 1988.In January 2002, Larson International, along with AmTech and International Ride Services, hosted the annual Amusement Industry Manufacturers & Suppliers Safety Seminar.
In February 2002, Larson International acquired the rights to Bisch-Rocco's Flying Scooters ride. In the late 1920s, Alvin Bisch and Ralph Rocco designed a rotating, ride-like device for training pilots. In the 1930s, this design evolved into the Flying Scooters amusement ride. Several installations were manufactured by Bisch and Rocco. The first new installation by Larson International was purchased by California's Great America and installed in 2002.
In January 2011, Larson International purchased Sellner Manufacturing, an amusement ride company based in Faribault, Minnesota. Sellner Manufacturing's foundations date back to 1923 when Herbert W. Sellner invented a Water-Toboggan Slide. In 1926, Sellner invented the Tilt-A-Whirl ride and founded Sellner Manufacturing. The company invented other products over the years, but the Tilt-A-Whirl was its most popular ride, with nearly 1,000 units manufactured to 2010. In the late 2000s, Sellner Manufacturing, which was then led by great-granddaughter Erin Sellner Ward, was facing financial difficulties. The State Bank of Faribault approached Larson International for a possible takeover. Larson International's acquisition saw the company gain ownership of everything except Sellner's building. This included the relocation of all ride plans, molds, computers, office furniture, equipment and machines, to Larson International's Plainview facility.
Products
Former products
In the past, Larson International has had informal alliances with other manufacturers including Chance Rides, S&S Power and NBGS, whereby the manufacturers would assist in the fabrication of each other's rides in exchange for revenue sharing. Products previously designed and manufactured by Larson International are shown in the table below.| Name | Introduced | Description | |
| High Roller/Crazy Train | 1989 | ||
| Moby Dick | |||
| Ring of Fire | 1988 | new name replacing Super Loop and renamed Fire Ball. | |
| Space Loop | |||
| Super Loop | early 1970s | renamed Ring of Fire in 1988 and Fire Ball in 1999. |
Installations
Many of Larson International's ride have been sold to fairground operators as portable, travelling rides. A listing of rides permanently installed at amusement parks is shown in the table below.| Ride name | Park | Country | Type | Opened | Status | Ref |
| Air Crow | Indiana Beach |  United States | Flying Scooters | 2005 | ||
| AtmosFEAR | Morey's Piers | United States | Super Shot | 2005 | ||
| Bourbon Street Fireball | Six Flags America | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2015 | ||
| Brain Drain | Elitch Gardens Theme Park | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2014 | ||
| Brain Drain | Frontier City | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2015 | ||
| Brain Drain | Magic Springs and Crystal Falls | United States | Super Shot | 2018 | ||
| Cedar Creek Flyer | Dorney Park | United States | Flying Scooters | 2015 | ||
| Chaos El Diablo Loop Coaster | La Ronde Six Flags Great Adventure |  Canada | 22M Giant Loop | 2019 2015 | ||
| Dare Devil Chaos Coaster | Six Flags Discovery Kingdom | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2015 | ||
| Delirious | Valleyfair | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2018 | ||
| Dragons Fly | Castle Park | United States | Flying Scooters | 2008 | ||
| El Diablo Loop Coaster | Six Flags Over Texas | United States | Giga Loop | 2019 | ||
| Eye Of The Storm | Kentucky Kingdom | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2017 | ||
| Fearfall | Kentucky Kingdom | United States | Super Shot | 2014 | ||
| Fireball | Six Flags Fiesta Texas | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2016 | ||
| Fireball | Six Flags New England | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2016 | ||
| Fireball | Six Flags St. Louis | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2016 | ||
| Flying Aces | Idlewild Park | United States | Flying Scooters | 2007 | ||
| Flying Eagles | California's Great America | United States | Flying Scooters | 2002 | ||
| Flying Eagles | Canada's Wonderland | Canada | Flying Scooters | 2016 | ||
| Flying Eagles | Valleyfair | United States | Flying Scooters | 2016 | ||
| Flying Fish | Story Land | United States | Flying Scooters | |||
| French Quarter Flyers | Six Flags America | United States | Flying Scooters | 2014 | ||
| Frontier Flyers | Hersheypark | United States | Flying Scooters | 2003 | ||
| Greezed Lightnin' | Great Escape | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2016 | ||
| Hair Raiser | Luna Park Sydney |  Australia | Super Shot | 2013 | ||
| Harley Quinn Spinsanity | Six Flags Over Georgia | United States | Tilt-A-Whirl | 2015 | ||
| Hornet's Nest | Darien Lake | United States | Flying Scooters | 2012 | ||
| Kong | Morey's Piers | United States | Flying Scooters | 2015 | ||
| Lake Erie Eagles | Cedar Point | United States | Flying Scooters | 2014 | ||
| Lakeside Gliders | Michigan's Adventure | United States | Flying Scooters | 2013 | ||
| Mardi Gras Hangover | Six Flags Great America | United States | Giga Loop | 2018 | ||
| Phoenix | La Ronde | Canada | Flying Scooters | 2016 | ||
| Professor John's Flying Machines | Kentucky Kingdom | United States | Flying Scooters | 2014 | ||
| Rolling Thunder | Six Flags Darien Lake | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2015 | ||
| Screamin 'Eagles | Great Escape | United States | Flying Scooters | 2013 | ||
| Spinsanity | Six Flags Fiesta Texas | United States | Tilt-A-Whirl | 2016 | ||
| Surfside Gliders | Knott's Berry Farm | United States | Flying Scooters | 2013 | ||
| The Joker Chaos Coaster | Six Flags Over Georgia | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2015 | ||
| The Mad Mocking Bird | Dollywood | United States | Flying Scooters | 2019 | ||
| Tourbillon | La Ronde | Canada | Tilt-A-Whirl | 2018 | ||
| Winged Warrior | Frontier City | United States | Flying Scooters | 2014 | ||
| Wonder Woman Flight School | Six Flags Over Georgia | United States | Flying Scooters | 2016 | ||
| Woodstock Gliders | Kings Island | United States | Flying Scooters | 2015 | ||
| Woodstock Gliders | Worlds of Fun | United States | Flying Scooters | 2016 | ||
| Zenith | Méga Parc | Canada | Hubbles Wheel | 2019 | ||
| Zero G | Indiana Beach | United States | 22M Giant Loop | 2016 | ||
| Happy Valley Shenzhen |  China | 22M Giant Loop | 2018 |