Stampida

In February 2025, PortAventura took a major step to future-proof Stampida. The wooden racing coaster from 1997 was being fitted with steel titan track on parts of its layout, a Great Coasters International technique also used on rides such as Joris en de Draak. Photos showed a double curve receiving grey steel track sections.

The work matters because Stampida has long been known as a rough wooden coaster. In 2007, the original trains were replaced by vehicles from Dutch supplier KumbaK, but Looopings noted that this did not improve the ride comfort. With titan track, PortAventura chose a different route: reducing wear, easing maintenance pressure and making the ride smoother without turning the entire attraction into a steel coaster.

For visitors, the renovation offers the prospect of a more comfortable ride. For fans, it touches a wider debate about wooden coasters: how much steel can be added before the original character changes? Stampida remained closed at the start of the season, showing that this was more than routine winter maintenance.

In early 2025, Stampida again drew attention because of ride comfort. In a Looopings article about Dutch theme park vlogger Niels Kooyman’s disappointing PortAventura trip, the twin wooden coaster became the biggest pain point. During a ride on one of the tracks, he said he received such a hard jolt that he bruised his ribs.

Kooyman said he remained in pain for the rest of the weekend and had to take painkillers. He therefore skipped the second Stampida track. That detail says a lot about the ride’s reputation: as a racing coaster, Stampida invites guests to compare both sides, but his first ride was enough.

The story fits into the wider image of Stampida as a beloved but rough wooden coaster. Soon after, news emerged that PortAventura was adding steel titan track to parts of the layout. One visitor’s painful experience therefore became part of a broader discussion about comfort, maintenance and the future of this CCI classic in Far West.

In the summer of 2023, Stampida made the news not because of a technical change, but because of the state of its queue. A short social media video showed visitors waiting for the twin wooden coaster next to wooden fences covered in stuck chewing gum. Graffiti was also clearly visible.

The report highlighted another part of the ride experience: not the coaster itself, but everything guests see before boarding. For a wooden coaster with a strong Far West setting, the queue is part of the first impression. If that environment looks dirty, it affects the mood before the train even leaves the station.

Fan reactions gave the story its bite. With PortAventura day tickets costing 65 euros at the time, social media users mocked the resort for investing in new paid experiences rather than cleaning Stampida’s queue. For the attraction’s history, this is a small but telling snapshot: Stampida remained popular enough to draw queues, yet also faced visible maintenance and image challenges.