On September 26, 1996, Knott's Berry Farm announced a new roller coaster for the 1997 season called Windjammer Surf Racers.

[5] Knott's reported problems including misaligned and poorly designed tracks, defective safety restraints, and wrinkles in the main frame of the trains.

The park also alleged that the ride's design flaws prevented operation during medium winds, sometimes stalling even during slight breezes, which Knott's called an "embarrassment.

[7] In June 2001, the park erected construction walls surrounding Windjammer Surf Racers, and the nearby Headspin scrambler ride was relocated.

Windjammer Surf Racers was a unique coaster; it involved small Wild Mouse-like trains running on a full size track.

The mechanism was designed to simulate a wind effect - giving riders the sensation of being caught in the eye of a Pacific storm.