Mahuka

Two months after its celebrated opening, Mahuka faced its first major setback. Walibi Rhône-Alpes reported that the new headline attraction was temporarily unavailable, while the official website went further and stated that Mahuka was unavailable for an indefinite period. The park did not give a specific cause.

Looopings placed the closure in the context of the young Intamin hot racer, which had only recently opened as a European first. For visitors, the practical impact was uncertainty: anyone travelling to the park specifically for Mahuka could not be sure of riding. For fans, the situation stood out because technically ambitious new attractions can go through early reliability issues, although the reason for this closure remained unclear.

The article matters for Mahuka's history because it shows that the coaster's story was not only about a high-profile opening. The operational vulnerability of a new thrill ride became part of the timeline as well, adding a more realistic chapter to the attraction's first season.

On 15 June 2024, Mahuka reached the moment Walibi Rhône-Alpes had been building toward for years: its official opening. After several weeks of testing, the coaster entered service during an opening ceremony. Looopings highlighted the European first: Mahuka was the continent's first single-rail coaster and an Intamin hot racer.

The opening article brought together the full promise of the ride. The coaster is 600 metres long and 18 metres high, with three inversions, thirteen moments of weightlessness and two launches that push it to 67 kilometres per hour. Its two trains each consist of nine single-seat cars, placing every rider close to the track. The minimum height requirement is 120 centimetres.

The wider context mattered as well. Mahuka opened as part of Exotic Island and helped mark the 45th anniversary of Walibi Rhône-Alpes. Together with Tiki Fruits and the temple story built around a fire god, the investment of more than 10 million euros became not just a technical milestone but a themed expansion for the park.

In April 2024, the most tangible part of Mahuka was revealed: the train. Walibi Rhône-Alpes presented nine individual one-seat cars arranged in a single line, immediately showing why the hot racer concept promised a different sensation from a traditional coaster. Every rider would sit on the centre line of the track, with no neighbour beside them, making the closeness to the rail part of the thrill.

Looopings placed the reveal in the build-up to an expected June opening. The train also carried the ride's adventure tone: it looked like a weathered safari jeep and even included a reference to the old Walibi logo. The key figures remained central to the story as well: two launches, thirteen moments of weightlessness, 600 metres of track, 18 metres in height and a top speed of 67 kilometres per hour.

For visitors, this article made Mahuka feel very real. The ride now had not only a layout and a story, but also a distinctive seating experience.