Top 15 Steel Coasters - part 2
8. Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Il) - near Chicago
This was the first inverted coaster ever built. It opened way back in 1992. It's not that high (100 feet), and it's not terribly fast (50 MPH). However, the compact design means it takes it's inversions basically one after the other with no down time. It's pretty darn intense, probably still the most intense inverted coaster out there, as the Bolliger and Mabillard designed coasters have gotten larger, but less intense since the mid-1990s. This ride was so successful that clones of it were placed in 7 Six Flags theme parks. (The one in Six Flags New Orleans was moved to Six Flags Fiesta Texas years later and renamed Goliath after the New Orleans park was flooded during Hurricane Katrina, never to reopen.) Even other parks have ordered the same coaster, but used a different name. The coaster is at two different parks in San Antonio. (Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Sea World San Antonio under the name Great White) There's one in Kuwait, one in Montreal (in park owned by Six Flags, but not a Six Flags park), one in Spain, and one in Japan. It's one of the most cloned rides out there, and for good reason. Recently, some of the Six Flags parks have begun facing the train backwards for a few weeks at a time. I'm sure it's quite sickening. Six Flags Great America has the best version though, due to the upkeep of it's themeing on the ride and in the queue line.
7. Raptor at Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)
From the first inverted coaster to the third one. This one was built in 1994, and was the fifth inverted coaster built altogether. 1993 had seen the opening of Top Gun at California's Great America (then called Paramount's Great America) and the opening of the first Batman clone at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. Raptor opened just after Nemesis, B&M's 3rd invert, was opened at Alton Towers in England. At the time, it was the largest, tallest, fastest inverted coaster in the world. Unlike most think, it's not themed to the dinosaur (Jurassic Park had just come out the summer before.), but to present day birds of prey. The ride is 137 feet tall with a 119 foot drop. It goes 57 MPH and has 6 inversions. It's a very different experience from Batman, as it focuses less on close to the ground movements and more on interacting with the midway.
6. Maverick at Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)
At the same park as Raptor, but built 13 years later and located on the other side of the park is Maverick. It's one of only two coasters at the park that's got themeing. (The other being their mine train.) The coaster is themed to the old west, and surprisingly the themeing is kind of well done. Cedar Point is an amusement park, not a theme park. They do have two old west themed areas in the back of the park, however, where this coaster and the aforementioned mine train reside. This coaster also has a different manufacturer than Raptor. This ride was made by Intamin, who made Millenium Force earlier on the list. Unlike the other two coasters, this one broke no records. It's just a really fun ride. It's also one of the longer coasters at the park. It's got two inversions, two launch sections, plenty of airtime (which can be slightly painful as it has shoulder harnesses), and goes 70 MPH at the height of the second launch.
5. Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion (Doswell, VA) - outside of Richmond
This is the only coaster on this list from my home park. This is the sister coaster to Millennium Force at Cedar Point. This one is 5 feet smaller at 305 feet, has a 85 degree first drop as opposed to an 80 degree one, is 3 MPH slower at 90 MPH, and is about 1,400 feet shorter. However, most agree it's the better ride. Whereas Millennium Force tried to give the feeling of smooth, graceful flight, this coaster is themed to Dale Earnhardt and NASCAR racing. So it focuses more on an out-of-control feel with a lot of sudden changes in direction. It's a very twisty, curve based layout, but still has some pretty good airtime on it's 3 hills. It had modifications done to it after it's first year open, as people were blacking out during the first curve. They made it so the end of that curve starts an uphill climb instead of waiting until after the curve is over to trim speed. It opened in 2010, sadly in the Congo section of Kings Dominion, which doesn't make sense. However, neither did placing the Italian Job coaster there or Flight of Fear, which is themed to aliens...
4. Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)
This is the last Cedar Point coaster on this list, I swear. If you've ever rode a steel coaster that was just turns and a bunch of airtime filled hills, you have this coaster to thank. Those coasters that are over 200 feet tall, but under 300 and don't go upside down are referred to as hyper coasters. And this one was the first. It opened in 1989 and was the first coaster to break the 200 foot barrier. It's 205 feet tall with a 195 foot drop. It's just hills a pretzel turnaround, and more hills. May not sound like much, but the airtime on this one is very very powerful. And it's really really fun. It's not too intense, so families can ride together. There's great views of Lake Erie from the top of the first hill as well. Night rides are a must. It's over 5,000 feet long and reaches a speed of 72 MPH. It was designed by Arrow Dynamics, a now defunct coaster company. (They built most looping coasters until B&M came on the scene in the early 1990s.)
3. Storm Runner at Hersheypark (Hershey, PA)
Well, here's yet another western themed coaster. And it's by the same company that did Maverick. (Intamin) This one too is launched, but other than that is a very different experience. This is a one of a kind coaster. It's short, but it packs a punch. The ride is less than a minute long, but has 3 inversions (but no regular loops), some great airtime, and a very forceful launch to 72 MPH in 2 seconds. It is 150 feet tall with a 180 foot drop thanks to Hersheypark's hilly topography. It opened in 2004, the third of Intamin's accelerator coasters, and the first with inversions. It's also the first one that wasn't essentially a one trick pony that just launched you up a really high hill, then down again. (May I state that Hersheypark is one of the best parks in America? Great well rounded selection of rides and coasters.)
2. Mind Bender at Six Flags Over Georgia (Austell, GA) - outside Atlanta
Anton Schwartzkopf made the best steel coasters ever made. Forceful, no shoulder harnesses despite the loops (he designed his coasters to utilize centripetal force to keep people forced into the seats), and very very smooth. Also, they look great and have low height restrictions so kids can ride. This coaster opened way back in 1978 as one of the first few looping coasters made. The first coaster with a standard loop (corkscrews started in 1975) was opened in 1976 in California (also a Schwartzkopf) and parks rushed to put looping coasters in. This coaster, like most Schwartzkopf ones, uses the terrain of the area it's in. It's located in and around a small valley. The ride technically only has two loops, but is advertised as having 3 due to having what we call an inclined loop. It doesn't take you upside down, but it is shaped like a loop and overbanked. The ride is one of the most fun forceful rides I've been on... and it's only 80 feet tall and only goes 50 MPH. Height and speed aren't everything. I can't wait to ride this again about 10 times this summer.
1. Skyrush at Hersheypark (Hershey, PA)
Here we are, the newest coaster on the list. Opened in 2012, the coaster may not look that intense, but it's the most terrifying, thrilling coaster I've been on. I couldn't put my hands up on this one for fear of my shirt flying right off my back and the feel of danger. There's no real danger involved, but the airtime is so forceful that you feel as if you'll be tossed dozens of yards out of the coaster seat. The trains have a unique design. The two interior seats are above the train with a floor there and everything. The two on the sides are above and to the sides of the track and there's no floor. Here's a picture of what I'm describing.
Pretty coaster, ain't it? The coaster is basically a hyper coaster. It's 212 feet high with a 200 foot drop. There's no inversions, but there's lots of hills and curves. Made by Intamin, it's sort of like a smaller, more intense version of Intimidator 305, but with the new seat styles and less spread out. I'm serious folks, the airtime on this one I don't think has been surpassed. Definitely the most intense coaster in North America (I've had this confirmed by quite a few other enthusiasts who have been to the parks I have not.) Do not hesitate. Take a trip to Hersheypark and ride this. (And expect no circulation in your legs by the end of the ride due to how the restraints push down on you due to the G-forces.)
No comments:
Post a Comment