Freak Out is a Frisbee-type pendulum ride model manufactured by the Dutch amusement ride manufacturer KMG. The ride combines a swinging pendulum with a rotating passenger assembly and is a smaller relative of KMG's Afterburner.
The Freak Out accommodates 16 passengers in four gondolas and has a theoretical capacity of 480 passengers per hour. The transportable version is carried on a single trailer and is designed to be assembled by two people in approximately three to four hours.
The model has been produced in relatively large numbers. In 2014, amusement-industry publication CarnivalWarehouse reported that approximately 50 genuine Freak Outs were operating worldwide, including 19 in the United States. In 2019, the 58th example, The Beast, was delivered to Big Rock Amusements.
Design and operation
The Freak Out consists of a pendulum arm carrying a freely rotating passenger assembly. Four gondolas are mounted around the assembly, with four passengers in each gondola, giving the ride a total capacity of 16 passengers per cycle.
According to KMG, the Freak Out uses a similar ride motion to the larger Afterburner. The Freak Out swings from front to back relative to its transport structure, while the Afterburner swings from side to side. The Freak Out also requires less ground space.
During operation, the passenger assembly rotates while the pendulum swings, producing simultaneous swinging and rotational movement.
KMG specifies dimensions of 14.5 by 11.1 by 19.8 metres and a weight of approximately 28 tonnes. The electrical specification is 3×400 V at 100 A, with a power requirement of 62 kW.
Transport and setup
The transportable version is constructed on a single centre-construction trailer. KMG states that a two-person crew can assemble the attraction without a separate crane in approximately three to four hours.
The model is offered in both transportable fairground and permanent amusement park configurations.
Production history
The first Freak Out was completed in 2002 and entered service in the Netherlands as Kick Down under Jarno Otten. It was subsequently sold to British operator William Henry Clark.
Many KMG machine numbers end with a sequential Freak Out production number. Later manufacturer-plate research has identified previously unknown early examples, including number 12 for Miguel Safie of El Salvador, number 15 for Alvaro Garcia of Spain and number 16, which passed through Myers International Midways, Arnold's Amusements and later Wagner's Carnival.
The 50th Freak Out was completed for Windy City Amusements in 2014. The 58th, The Beast, was delivered to Big Rock Amusements in 2019.
Production continued during the 2020s. Jungle Beat, built in 2023 for Torsten Freiwald in Germany, is Freak Out number 65, while Tom Heine's Airpower, also completed in 2023, is number 66.
A new unit named The Viper was delivered to Mr. Ed's Magical Midways in 2024 and is documented as the 67th Freak Out.
Two Freak Outs were shipped to the United States in April 2024, one to Mr. Ed's Magical Midways and another to Fiesta Shows. The latter operates as Warrior.
A further Freak Out was completed for an Irish customer in late 2024 and entered service under Brian Magee in 2025. Its production number has not been publicly confirmed.
Installations
The following list combines documented KMG machine numbers, manufacturer-plate records, government amusement-ride permit registers, contemporary industry reports and specialist ride databases.
The status column represents the latest documented status found in those sources. It should not be interpreted as a real-time operational status.
No. Current or latest documented name Current or latest documented operator/location Country First operated Serial number Last documented status 1 Kick Down William Henry Clark United Kingdom 2002 KMG-2002-FRB-16-058-01 Operating 2 Freak Out Playworld Amusements, later ownership unknown United States 2003 KMG-2002-FRB-16-059-02 Status unclear 3 Freak Out Warren & Charles James United Kingdom 2003 KMG-2002-FRB-16-060-03 Operating 4 Chaos Mark Thurston Jnr. United Kingdom 2003 KMG-2002-FRB-16-062-04 Operating 5 Tornado Hugo's Tivoli Norway 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-063-05 Operating 6 Oblivion Scott Manning United Kingdom 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-064-06 Operating 7 Freak Out Mark Benson United Kingdom 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-067-07 Operating 8 Freak Out Crabtree Amusements United States 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-068-08 Operating 9 Freak Out James Danter United Kingdom 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-069-09 Operating 10 Freak Out John Silcock United Kingdom 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-070-10 Operating 11 Freak Out William Roberts United Kingdom / Ireland 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-071-11 Operating 12 Freak Out Miguel Safie El Salvador 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-072-12 Status unclear 13 Freak Out Henry Studt United Kingdom 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-073-13 Operating 14 Freak Out Rainbow Valley Rides United States 2003 KMG-2003-FRB-16-074-14 Operating 15 Freak Out Alvaro Garcia Spain 2004 KMG-2003-FRB-16-075-15 Status unclear 16 Freak Out Wagner's Carnival United States 2004 KMG-2003-FRB-16-076-16 Operating 17 Inferno Reithoffer Shows Orange United States 2004 KMG-2004-FRB-16-077-17 Operating 18 Freak Out Andreasson / Axel's Nöjesfält Sweden 2004 KMG-2004-FRB-16-078-18 Operating 19 X-Factor Franz Deinert Germany 2004 KMG-2004-FRB-16-079-19 Operating 20 Freak Out Joe White United Kingdom 2004 KMG-2004-FRB-16-080-20 Operating 21 X-Flight John Davis United Kingdom 2004 KMG-2004-FRB-16-087-21 Operating 22 Freak Out Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas United States 2005 KMG-2004-FRB-16-093-22 Status unclear 23 Freak Out Campbell Amusements Canada 2005 KMG-2005-FRB-16-097-23 Operating 24 Freak Out Fiesta Shows United States 2005 KMG-2005-FRB-16-098-24 Offered for sale after acquisition of Warrior in 2024 25 Tango Martin Draper United Kingdom 2005 KMG-2005-FRB-16-099-25 Operating 26 Flic Flac G. Cervera Spain 2005 KMG-2005-FRB-16-105-26 Operating 27 Mega Swing Boursier France 2005 KMG-2005-FRB-16-107-27 Operating 28 X-Factory Delaporte France 2006 KMG-2006-FRB-16-113-28 Operating 29 Freak Out Jay Barwick United Kingdom 2006 KMG-2006-FRB-16-117-29 Operating 30 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown KMG-200?-FRB-16-1??-30 Unknown 31 Tornado 2 Perrin Print United Kingdom 2007 KMG-2006-FRB-16-122-31 Operating 32 Freak Out Ritchie Wilmots United Kingdom 2007 KMG-2007-FRB-16-123-32 Operating 33 Freak Out Christian Horne United Kingdom 2007 KMG-2007-FRB-16-126-33 Operating 34 Freak Out Wright's Amusements United States 2007 KMG-200?-FRB-16-1??-34 Operating 35 Freak Out DeVey family / Anderton & Rowland United Kingdom 2007 KMG-2007-FRB-16-132-35 Operating 36 Freak Out North American Midway Entertainment United States 2008 KMG-2008-FRB-16-138-36 Status unclear 37 Freak Out Fantasy Amusements United States 2008 KMG-2008-FRB-16-139-37 Status unclear 38 Devil Rock Roger Tuby United Kingdom 2008 KMG-2008-FRB-16-144-38 Operating 39 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown KMG-200?-FRB-16-1??-39 Unknown 40 V.I.P. Reynald Wetzel Switzerland 2011 KMG-2011-FRB-16-172-40 Status unclear 41 Freak Out Poor Jack Amusements United States 2011 KMG-2011-FRB-16-175-41 Operating 42 Freak Out Treasure Island, Stourport-on-Severn United Kingdom 2012 KMG-2012-FRB-16-183-42 Operating 43 Airforce – The Ride Kurt Meisel Germany 2013 KMG-2013-FRB-16-189-43 Operating 44 Freak Out Frazier Shows United States 2013 KMG-2013-FRB-16-190-44 Operating 45 Freak Out B&B Games and Rides Australia 2013 KMG-2013-FRB-16-195-45 Operating 46 Freak Out Alpine Amusements United States 2014 KMG-2013-FRB-16-200-46 Operating 47 Freak Out Butler Amusements United States 2014 KMG-2013-FRB-16-196-47 Operating 48 Freak Out All Around Amusements United States 2014 KMG-2014-FRB-16-201-48 Operating 49 Spring Break Smith's Leisure / Frankie Smith United Kingdom 2014 KMG-2014-FRB-16-197-49 Operating 50 Freak Out Windy City Amusements United States 2014 KMG-2014-FRB-16-203-50 Operating 51 Freak Out Botton's Pleasure Beach United Kingdom 2016 KMG-2016-FRB-16-220-51 Operating 52 Freak Out Brown's Amusements United States 2016 KMG-2016-FRB-16-22?-52 Status unclear 53 Freak Out Ottaway Amusements United States 2016 KMG-2016-FRB-16-2??-53 Status unclear 54 F5 Powers Great American Midways / Family Kingdom United States 2017 KMG-2017-FRB-16-237-54 Operating 55 Freak Out Evans United Shows United States 2017 KMG-2017-FRB-16-243-55 Operating 56 Freak Out Drouwenerzand Attractiepark Netherlands 2018 KMG-2018-FRB-16-245-56 Operating 57 No Limit Joseph / Clayton Manning United Kingdom 2019 KMG-2019-FRB-16-258-57 Operating 58 The Beast Big Rock Amusements United States 2019 KMG-201?-FRB-16-2??-58 Operating 59 No Limit Pride of Texas Shows United States 2020 KMG-201?-FRB-16-???-59 Status unclear 63 The Beast Campy's Blue Star Amusements United States 2022 KMG-2022-FRB-16-276-63 Operating 64 Freak Out Powers & Thomas Midway Entertainment United States 2022 KMG-2022-FRB-16-278-64 Operating 65 Jungle Beat Torsten Freiwald Germany 2023 KMG-2023-FRB-16-303-65 Operating 66 Airpower Tom Heine Germany 2023 KMG-2023-FRB-16-305-66 Operating 67 The Viper Mr. Ed's Magical Midways United States 2024 KMG-202?-FRB-16-3??-67 Operating
Unresolved production numbers 60–62
Three Freak Outs were completed around 2020 between the documented numbers 59 and 63. Available public records identify the rides but do not conclusively establish which of the three carries production numbers 60, 61 and 62.
Name Operator/location Country Year Serial number Last documented status Freak Out Paul Maurer Shows United States 2020 KMG-20??-FRB-16-???-6? Status unclear SuperNova Bakken Denmark 2020 KMG-20??-FRB-16-???-6? Operating The Brute Cole Shows Amusement Company United States 2020 KMG-20??-FRB-16-???-6? Operating
Drouwenerzand Attractiepark
A Freak Out was delivered to Drouwenerzand Attractiepark in the Netherlands in March 2018. The attraction accommodates 16 passengers.
The manufacturer's plate identifies the attraction as KMG-2018-FRB-16-245-56 and lists Drouwenerzand as the first owner. It is dated 28 March 2018 and specifies a maximum operating height of 22 metres, a gondola rotation speed of 20 rpm and a total weight of 26,000 kg.
The 26-tonne figure on the 2018 manufacturer plate differs from KMG's current general specification of 28 tonnes for the Freak Out model.
Other documented installations
Several additional Freak Outs are documented without a conclusively established production number. Some may correspond to unresolved or transferred units in the numbered list.
Name Operator/location Country First documented Status Notes Flic Flac FAF Atracciones Spain Unknown Operating A separate Spanish Freak Out from the number 26 Flic Flac is reported in specialist records. Freak Out California Carnival Company United States 2018 Status unclear Ordered from KMG for delivery in 2018. Freak Out Powers Great American Midways United States Unknown Status unclear Listed separately from the number 54 F5 in some records. Warrior Fiesta Shows United States 2024 Operating Second Freak Out delivered to Fiesta Shows. Chassis number XL920P091RL001709; exact Freak Out production number not publicly confirmed. Freak Out Brian Magee Ireland 2025 Operating Completed in late 2024 and delivered for the 2025 season; exact production number not publicly confirmed.
Restraints
The standard Freak Out uses over-the-shoulder restraints. KMG has also supplied an alternative restraint configuration. The unit delivered to B&B Games and Rides in Australia in 2013 was documented as the first Freak Out with the newer restraint system.
Copyright and patent disputes
KMG has taken legal action concerning rides it considered copies of the Freak Out design.