Boomerang

Looopings reported that Bellewaerde Park invested again in the classic Boomerang from 1984. The reason was technical work on the second lift, where the train is pulled upward during the ride before returning backwards toward the station. The park renewed components around the chain drive and linked the work to safety, wear management and comfort. For visitors, the most visible effect was meant to be a more reliable and quieter coaster: the train should engage more smoothly and the familiar mechanical noise should be reduced. The article fits a broader phase in which Bellewaerde keeps the ride alive not only through paintwork, but also through technical upkeep. Boomerang is historically important because the Ieper installation became the prototype for a coaster type later repeated in many parks. The investment shows that the park does not treat this old Vekoma as retired heritage, but as an attraction that remains operationally relevant through targeted upgrades.

This article focuses on a security incident at Bellewaerde, but it is clearly relevant to Boomerang because the trespasser climbed the coaster's lift. The trigger was a YouTube video in which a creator and camera operator walked through the park at night during the Christmas season. Boomerang became one of the most striking locations in the footage because its lift structure was entered without permission. For visitors, the story is less about the normal ride experience and more about safety around a major attraction outside opening hours. The park reacted angrily and indicated that legal steps were expected, giving the incident a formal aftermath. Historically, the article adds a different kind of source to Boomerang's record: alongside maintenance, malfunctions and colour changes, there was also a moment when physical access to the coaster became news. In this case, the attraction functions as a visible symbol of park security, risk and the limits of online stunt behaviour.

This Looopings article is directly about an operational incident involving Boomerang at Bellewaerde. During a ride, the train stopped on the second lift hill, the point where the classic shuttle coaster is normally pulled up again before the backwards part of the ride. Technicians chose not to keep riders in the train until the issue was resolved, but instead guided them down using the evacuation facilities. For visitors, such an event matters because it shows how the emergency procedures of an older coaster are used in practice. The park stated that there was no panic and that Bellewaerde remained open that evening. Historically, the incident carries extra weight because the Boomerang in Ieper is not just any Vekoma: it opened in 1984 and is regarded as the first classic Boomerang. The report therefore fits the wider story of an iconic but technically demanding attraction that is still heavily used after many decades.