Boomerang is a steel shuttle coaster at Mid America Adventure in Eureka, Missouri (formerly Six Flags St. Louis), built by Dutch manufacturer Vekoma using its popular Boomerang model. Riders are launched up a chain lift tower, released to race through a cobra roll and a vertical loop, then yanked backward through the same elements tail-first for a disorienting second pass.
The ride isn’t new, even though it only opened at this location on June 8, 2013. It began life in 1989 as Flashback at Six Flags Over Texas, where it operated for more than two decades before being dismantled, shipped north, and reassembled in the park’s Illinois section as Boomerang.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Mid America Adventure (Eureka, Missouri)
- Manufacturer: Vekoma
- Opened: June 8, 2013 (originally opened 1989 as Flashback)
- Height: about 116.5 feet
- Top speed: about 47 mph
- Length: 935 feet
- Inversions: 3 elements (cobra roll and vertical loop), each traversed twice (6 total)
The Ride Experience
A single train carries riders up a chain-lift tower on one end of the track. After cresting the top, the train drops forward through a cobra roll and a vertical loop before climbing the opposite tower, pausing, and rolling backward through both elements again. The full cycle lasts under two minutes but delivers forces up to about 5.2 G, among the more intense sensations of any coaster in its size class.
From Flashback to Boomerang
The ride’s relocation is part of its identity. As Flashback at Six Flags Over Texas, it ran from 1989 until 2012, when it was removed to make way for the Texas SkyScreamer. Rather than scrapping the structure, Six Flags shipped the Vekoma Boomerang north and rebuilt it in Eureka, where it took on its current name.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Park apps, mobile ordering and photos kill a battery by 3 p.m. This one snaps on magnetically, so there's no cable to snag on a restraint.
Ride with your glasses on and keep them. Many parks allow glasses on rides if they're strapped, so check the ride rules first.
Small enough to ride with on most coasters, big enough for a phone, card and keys. Two zippers mean nothing falls out upside down.
Boomerang FAQs
How many inversions does Boomerang have?
The layout includes a cobra roll and a vertical loop, and since the train runs the circuit both forward and backward, riders experience each element twice for a total of 6 inversions per ride.
Was Boomerang always at this park?
No. It opened in 1989 as Flashback at Six Flags Over Texas and operated there until 2012. It was relocated and reopened as Boomerang at the Eureka, Missouri park in June 2013.
How fast does Boomerang go?
The coaster reaches a top speed of about 47 mph during its forward launch down the first drop.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson from Los Angeles, California / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.