With all of the excitement surrounding Holiday World's and Kennywood's latest ride announcements, this coaster needed some discussion as well.

Here's the press release:

Efteling and GCI sign for cooperation

8/12/2009

This morning, Bart de Boer and Clair Hain Jr. (president of GCI), signed the agreement for the construction of the new ride Joris en de Draak (George and the Dragon). In 2010 the wooden racer-coaster Joris en de Draak will be open in the Ruigrijk part of the Efteling. It's the first racer-coaster in Northwest-Europe and that makes the ride unique.

Joris en de Draak

In the new, double rollercoaster Joris en de Draak, the visitors will be divided in to two tracks: Water and Fire. There will be a battle for the quickest laptime, where the Dragon will not be unheard. The visitors will be real 'dragonhunters', just like the legendary Joris, who defeated in the early days a dragon and saved an innocent girl. Joris en de Draak will be placed on the place of Pegasus, by the Flying Dutchman. It'll be a cool, themed coaster for the entire family in an exciting and natural environment.

Facts & Figures Joris en de Draak

Length: 2 x 2300ft

Height: 70,5ft

Number of trains: 4

Max. speed: 43,4 mph

Minimum height: 3,6ft

Great Coasters International,Inc.

GCI is a famous American company specialised in building wooden family coasters. They have won many awards througout the years, such as Wooden Coaster of the Year 2005 & 2006. The company distinguishes by by the authentic and passionate way their rides are built. The first woorden rollercoaster was built in 1996 for Hersheypark, Pennsylvania and in 2006 the company expanded by building coasters in Europe as well.

I for one am extremely excited to see this coaster. GCI always makes solid rides and this, I'm sure, will be no exception.

This seems like it would be like a great coaster! If they add some themeing it could be 100x better!

Why does Europe get more GCI(s) and here in the states there is no one openly stating that GCI is building a coaster? I really wish I could get to Europe to ride this one and El Toro...

And before some confused youngun' points out that El Toro is an INTAMIN, this is the El Toro that fcbaseball speaks of:

http://www.rcdb.com/4274.htm?p=0

GCII indeed!

Or as Jeff and Chris call it:

The real El Toro!