When will SeaWorld Orlando's Pipeline surf coaster open?

ORLANDO, Fla. - The new Pipeline surf coaster is set to open in SeaWorld Orlando this spring. 

While an exact date has not been officially announced, theme park officials say annual passholders will be among the first to experience the one-of-kind ride.

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Unlike most coasters, riders will be standing up in a surfing position, giving them the experience of wave jumping as they are launched at top speeds of 60 mph – as if they were actually surfing in the ocean. 

At some point during the nearly two-minute ride, riders will feel like they are hanging loose when their seats rise and fall to mimic the sensation of riding on a wave while sending them through several gnarly twists and turns, officials say.