Designed as a terrain wood twister, Prowler winds through wooded, uneven ground rather than a flat open lot, giving the layout a naturalistic, out-and-back feel. The ride earned the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride in 2009 and has consistently placed among the top-ranked wooden coasters in the world since its debut.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Manufacturer: Great Coasters International (GCI)
• Opened: May 2, 2009
• Height: About 102.3 feet
• Top speed: About 51.2 mph
• Length: About 3,074 feet
• Inversions: 0
• Drop: About 85.9 feet

The Ride Experience

Riders climb a slow lift hill above the treetops before dropping into a sharp 180-degree turn that launches the train into a series of diagonal twists and airtime-filled hills. The wooded terrain setting means the track banks and dips with the natural contours of the land, making each turn feel tighter and faster than the stats alone suggest.

Prowler runs two Millennium Flyer trains, each seating 24 riders two-across in 12 cars, giving it a capacity of about 850 riders per hour. The full circuit takes roughly two and a half minutes, blending classic wooden-coaster air time with the smoother ride quality GCI’s train design is known for.

History and Recognition

Worlds of Fun announced Prowler on September 1, 2008, as its second wooden coaster after 1989’s Timber Wolf, and the $8 million ride opened the following spring. It quickly drew praise from the enthusiast community, winning the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride in 2009 and landing among the top ten wooden coasters worldwide in that year’s rankings.

More than a decade later, Prowler remains a signature attraction in the park’s Africa-themed section, valued by coaster fans for its terrain-hugging layout and sustained airtime moments rather than sheer height or speed records.

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Prowler FAQs

Who manufactured Prowler at Worlds of Fun?

Prowler was designed and built by Great Coasters International (GCI), a manufacturer known for terrain-based wooden coasters.

How tall and fast is Prowler?

Prowler stands about 102.3 feet tall with an 85.9-foot first drop and reaches a top speed of around 51.2 mph.

Does Prowler have any inversions?

No, Prowler is a traditional out-and-back wooden coaster with no inversions, focusing instead on airtime hills and sharp turns.

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Since its debut, Mamba has held the title of Missouri’s tallest, fastest, and longest continuous-circuit coaster. Its out-and-back layout relies purely on speed and airtime rather than inversions, sending riders down a 205-foot first drop before a 184-foot second hill, a sweeping 580-degree helix, and a series of camelback hills.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Worlds of Fun, Kansas City, Missouri
• Manufacturer: D.H. Morgan Manufacturing
• Designer: Steve Okamoto
• Opened: April 18, 1998
• Height: 205 feet
• Top speed: 75 mph
• Length: about 5,600 feet
• Inversions: 0

The Ride Experience

Mamba’s ride begins with a chain-lift climb to 205 feet before plunging into the coaster’s signature first drop at a steep 66-degree angle. From there, trains rocket through a 184-foot second hill and a broad 580-degree helix that pins riders to their seats with roughly 3.5 G’s, before working through five consecutive camelback hills that deliver strong bursts of airtime along the way back to the station.

With three trains carrying 36 riders each, Mamba was engineered purely around speed and terrain rather than loops or corkscrews, a design choice that has kept its out-and-back layout feeling relentless for over two decades. Its full circuit takes around three minutes, one of the longer ride durations among American steel hypercoasters.

A Missouri Landmark

As of 2026, Mamba remains tied with Steel Force at Dorney Park as the ninth-longest steel coaster in the world, and it still holds the record as Missouri’s tallest, fastest, and longest continuous-circuit coaster. The ride’s track was repainted from red to green in late 2024, refreshing its look for a new generation of riders.

In October 2025, the park conducted safety inspections after reports of seat belt malfunctions, replacing 18 worn buckles before reopening the ride on October 30, 2025. Nearly three decades after opening, Mamba continues to be one of the signature attractions at Worlds of Fun.

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Mamba FAQs

How tall is Mamba at Worlds of Fun?

Mamba’s first drop and overall height measure 205 feet, making it Missouri’s tallest coaster.

Does Mamba have any inversions?

No. Mamba is a hypercoaster with zero inversions, relying on its out-and-back layout, hills, and a 580-degree helix for thrills.

When did Mamba open?

Mamba opened to the public on April 18, 1998, after being announced in September 1997.

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Once launched, the ride packs a cobra roll, sidewinder, and corkscrew into a tightly wound ‘spaghetti bowl’ layout across 2,705 feet of track, delivering four inversions and forces up to 4.5 Gs in roughly 75 seconds. The ride’s restraints were reworked in 2002, swapping uncomfortable over-the-shoulder harnesses for individual ratcheting lap bars, and the attraction received a full theming and queue refresh in 2021.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas
• Manufacturer: Premier Rides
• Designer: Werner Stengel (Ing.-Büro Stengel)
• Opened: May 28, 1999
• Height: 78.8 ft (24.0 m)
• Top speed: 60 mph (97 km/h)
• Length: 2,705 ft (824 m)
• Inversions: 4

The Ride Experience

There’s no lift hill on Poltergeist. Instead, linear induction motors catapult the six-car trains to 60 mph in under four seconds, immediately sending riders into a cobra roll before the layout winds through a sidewinder and a corkscrew. The whole circuit is over in about 75 seconds, with the train’s momentum reversing at points as it threads back through the compact course.

The launch coaster carries 24 riders per train across two trains, with a 54-inch height requirement. Its dense, twisting footprint made it one of the more physically intense rides in the park when it debuted, which is part of why the original over-the-shoulder restraints were swapped out in 2002 for lap bars that riders found far more comfortable.

History and Updates

Poltergeist has operated at Six Flags Fiesta Texas since 1999, making it one of the longer-running attractions in the park’s coaster lineup. In July 2021, the ride closed for a multi-month refurbishment that added an air-conditioned indoor queue, new theming elements, and a full repaint of the station and track before reopening that September.

The coaster remains a staple of the park’s steel coaster collection, valued for its short but intense launch-driven layout that packs inversions into a small footprint rather than relying on height or length.

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Poltergeist FAQs

What launches Poltergeist instead of a lift hill?

Poltergeist uses linear induction motors (LIMs) to launch its trains from a standing start to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, eliminating the need for a traditional chain lift hill.

How many inversions does Poltergeist have?

Poltergeist has four inversions, including a cobra roll, sidewinder, and corkscrew, packed into a compact 2,705-foot layout.

When did Poltergeist open?

Poltergeist opened at Six Flags Fiesta Texas on May 28, 1999, and it was manufactured by Premier Rides and designed by Werner Stengel.

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Rising 113 feet above a former rock quarry, the coaster was also notable as the first roller coaster named after a female superhero, tying its theming to the DC Comics icon Wonder Woman. It shares its debut year and track technology with a near-twin, RailBlazer at California’s Great America, which runs a mirror-image layout of the same Raptor design.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas
• Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction
• Opened: May 12, 2018
• Height: 113 feet
• Top speed: 52 mph
• Length: 1,800 feet
• Inversions: 3
• Track type: Single-rail (Raptor)

The Ride Experience

Riders board single-file cars that travel along a single steel eye-beam rail rather than the twin rails of a conventional coaster, giving the train a distinctive rocking sensation through turns. After a 100-foot drop, the layout twists through three inversions, including a dive loop, a cutback, and a corkscrew, at a maximum vertical angle of 90 degrees.

Six Flags engineered a continuously moving station for the ride, so the three eight-car trains rarely stop to load and unload, a design meant to keep the single-file boarding process moving efficiently for the roughly 600 riders per hour the coaster can handle.

A New Track Technology

The coaster served as one of two prototypes for Rocky Mountain Construction’s Raptor track system, a design engineer Alan Schilke developed to allow tighter, more fluid layouts than twin-rail track permits. Its success helped establish single-rail coasters as a category that RMC has since built at parks worldwide.

The ride replaced the Power Surge water ride and was originally slated to open in March 2018 before two delays pushed its debut to May. It underwent a refurbishment beginning in 2023, with new trains introduced afterward.

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Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster FAQs

What makes the Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster unique?

It was the world’s first single-rail roller coaster to open, using Rocky Mountain Construction’s Raptor track, which seats one rider per row on a single steel rail instead of the usual twin-rail track.

How fast does the Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster go?

It reaches a top speed of about 52 mph after a 100-foot drop.

Where is the Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster located?

It’s located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Texas, where it opened on May 12, 2018.

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The $20 million ride was a centerpiece of a major park expansion and quickly became known for its terrain-hugging layout, which winds through a former quarry and sends trains out over cliff edges at both the top of the lift hill and the helix following the loop. Its signature 145-foot vertical loop held the record as the tallest on a steel coaster in the world from 2000 until Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Full Throttle surpassed it in 2013.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio, Texas
• Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
• Opened: March 11, 2000
• Height: 168 feet
• Top speed: 70 mph
• Length: 4,025 feet
• Inversions: 6

The Ride Experience

Trains climb a lift hill before dropping into a sequence of six inversions, starting with the massive 145-foot vertical loop that made the ride famous. Riders then move through a zero-g roll, a 78-foot cobra roll, and interlocking corkscrews, all while seated in floorless trains that heighten the sense of speed and exposure. The full circuit takes about 2 minutes and 35 seconds to complete.

Because the layout was built into the park’s old quarry terrain, the coaster feels more intense than its stats alone suggest, with track passing close to rock walls and the train appearing to launch out over open cliffs at two points in the ride.

Legacy and Updates

When it opened in 2000, Superman: Krypton Coaster was among the first floorless coasters B&M ever produced, a format that has since become a staple at parks worldwide. Its record-setting vertical loop kept it in coaster enthusiast conversation for over a decade. In 2016, Six Flags Fiesta Texas briefly outfitted the ride with Samsung Gear VR headsets as part of a virtual reality coaster experiment, a feature that has since been removed in favor of the traditional ride experience.

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Superman: Krypton Coaster FAQs

How fast does Superman: Krypton Coaster go?

The coaster reaches a top speed of 70 mph during its first drop and loop sequence.

How many loops and inversions does the ride have?

It has 6 inversions total, including a 145-foot vertical loop, a zero-g roll, a cobra roll, and two corkscrews.

Is Superman: Krypton Coaster a floorless coaster?

Yes, it’s a B&M Floorless Coaster, meaning riders sit in open-floor seats with the track visible directly beneath their feet.

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RMC reused much of the old coaster’s support structure while replacing the wooden track with its signature I-Box steel track, a technique the company pioneered on rides like New Texas Giant. Designed by RMC’s Alan Schilke, Twisted Cyclone opened to the public on May 25, 2018, transforming a rough, aging wooden ride into a smooth, inversion-packed hybrid.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Six Flags Over Georgia
• Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC)
• Opened: May 25, 2018
• Height: about 100 ft (30 m)
• Top speed: about 50 mph (80 km/h)
• Length: about 2,400 ft (730 m)
• Inversions: 3

The Ride Experience

After a 100-foot chain lift, Twisted Cyclone drops at a 75-degree angle into a sequence that RMC designed to combine airtime-heavy hills with disorienting inversions, including a zero-G roll and a barrel roll. Two trains, each holding 24 riders across six cars, keep the line moving on a layout that lasts roughly a minute and a half.

The result feels distinct from typical steel coasters because much of the ride still traces the footprint of the original wooden Georgia Cyclone, giving it tighter, more twisted transitions than a coaster built from scratch would usually have.

From Wooden Cyclone to Steel Hybrid

Georgia Cyclone opened in 1990 as a near-clone of Coney Island’s famous Cyclone, but decades of wear left it rough and costly to maintain. Six Flags closed it in mid-2017 and brought in RMC, which had already proven the wood-to-steel hybrid conversion concept at other parks.

By keeping large portions of the original support structure and lift hill while installing new I-Box steel track, RMC delivered a faster, more inversion-heavy ride without building an entirely new structure from the ground up.

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Twisted Cyclone FAQs

Is Twisted Cyclone a wooden or steel coaster?

It’s a steel hybrid coaster. RMC replaced the wooden track of the original Georgia Cyclone with its I-Box steel track while reusing much of the existing support structure.

What ride did Twisted Cyclone replace?

It replaced Georgia Cyclone, a wooden roller coaster that opened in 1990 and closed in July 2017 after nearly 28 years of operation.

How many inversions does Twisted Cyclone have?

Twisted Cyclone has 3 inversions, including a zero-G roll and a barrel roll, reaching speeds of about 50 mph.

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Here are seven proven differences between the two ends of the train, and how to use them to pick the perfect seat for your riding style.

1. The Back Row Gets Whipped Over Every Drop

This is the big one. When a train crests a hill, gravity doesn’t take over until the center of mass passes the peak. If you’re in the back, the front half of the train is already plunging while you’re still climbing — so when you finally reach the crest, the train is already accelerating. You get yanked over the top faster than free fall, producing that stomach-in-your-throat lurch coaster fans call “the whip.”

The Physics Classroom’s amusement park unit breaks down the math, but your inner ear already knows it: back-row airtime is sharper, more sudden, and more negative-g than anywhere else on the train.

2. The Front Row Owns the View — and the Anticipation

Sit up front and there’s nothing between you and the track but air. You see every drop, inversion, and headchopper coming, which turns the ride into a visual experience as much as a physical one. That crawl over the lift hill with the whole layout spread out below you? Only the front row gets it.

There’s a psychological cost, though: the front row also gets the full dose of anticipation dread on the way up. If the scariest part of a coaster for you is the climb, the back row hides the drop until it’s too late to worry about it.

3. Speed Feels Faster Up Front (Even Though It Isn’t)

Every car on the train travels at the same speed at any given moment — rigid body, remember. But the front row feels faster because of wind blast and unobstructed visual flow. With no riders ahead of you breaking the airstream, a 70 mph coaster delivers its full 70 mph of wind to your face. On hyper coasters and launch coasters, that wind is half the thrill.

The back row trades wind for force. You won’t feel the speed on your skin as much, but you’ll feel it in your body every time the train changes direction.

4. Launches Hit Differently Depending on Your Row

On a launched coaster, the acceleration is identical for every seat — but the experience isn’t. In the front, you watch the track blur toward you with nothing in your peripheral vision but scenery streaking past. On a compressed-air launcher like Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America, which hits 78 mph in under two seconds, front-row riders describe the launch as feeling like being fired out of a cannon into open sky.

Back-row riders on launches get a subtler bonus: by the time your car hits the launch track, you’re watching the rest of the train already screaming ahead of you — a violent visual cue that makes the acceleration read as even more sudden.

5. The Middle Is Genuinely the Smoothest — That’s Not a Myth

Coaster nerds sometimes dismiss the middle of the train as the “boring” choice, but the physics is real: the closer you sit to the train’s center of mass, the closer your ride matches the designer’s intended forces. Less whip, less lurch, fewer vibration harmonics from the wheel assemblies at the ends of the train.

If you’re riding with a first-timer, a kid stepping up to their first big coaster, or anyone nervous about intensity, the middle rows are the honest recommendation. Same track, gentlest interpretation of it.

6. Wing and Suspended Coasters Rewrite the Rules

Seat position matters differently on coasters where you’re not sitting over the track at all. On a wing coaster like X-Flight at Six Flags Great America, the bigger choice is which side of the train you’re on — each wing sweeps through a completely different arc in every roll, and near-miss elements are usually tuned for one side at a time.

Row still matters — back rows on winged and inverted trains swing wider through inversions — but on these layouts, ask the ops for a side before you fight for a row. Check the layout on RCDB before you visit and you can plan exactly where the near-misses are aimed.

7. The Queue-Time Tax Is Real — Spend It Wisely

Most parks run a separate front-row queue, and it routinely adds 15–30 minutes. The back row usually costs nothing extra — you just ask, or drift to the last air gates. That makes the back row the best value in coaster riding: elite airtime, zero surcharge.

A sensible strategy for a one-day visit: ride everything once in whatever row moves fastest, then spend your re-rides deliberately — front row on the coasters with views and launches, back row on the airtime machines.

So — Front Row or Back Row?

If you chase airtime, whip, and raw forces: back row, no contest. If you chase views, wind, and the full sensory hit of speed: front row is worth the extra wait. And if you’re easing someone into the hobby, the middle of the train is the kindest introduction a big coaster can give.

The best answer, of course, is “yes” — the same coaster becomes two different rides depending on where you sit, which is the cheapest re-ride upgrade in any park.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the front row or back row scarier on a roller coaster?

For most riders the back row feels scarier because it whips over drops faster than free fall, creating stronger negative-g “airtime.” The front row feels scarier psychologically on the climb, since you see every drop coming.

Why does the back of a roller coaster feel faster?

The whole train moves at the same speed, but back cars cross each hill after the train’s center of mass has already started descending — so they’re pulled over the crest at above free-fall acceleration, which your body reads as extra speed and force.

Which roller coaster seat is best for first-time riders?

The middle of the train. It sits closest to the center of mass, so it gets the smoothest, most moderate version of the ride with the least whip and vibration.

Is the front row worth the extra wait?

On coasters with standout views, launches, or heavy wind-in-your-face speed, most fans say yes. On airtime-focused coasters, skip the front-row queue and grab the back row instead — it’s usually a shorter wait for a more intense ride.

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Riders sit in pairs on either side of the track with nothing above or below them, giving an exposed, wing-like sensation as the train banks through the course. The ride’s signature moment comes when trains thread through a custom-built air traffic control tower structure via a tight opening known as the keyhole element, creating a heart-stopping near-miss illusion.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois
• Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
• Opened: May 16, 2012
• Height: 120 ft (37 m)
• Top speed: 55 mph (89 km/h)
• Length: 3,000 ft (910 m)
• Inversions: 5

The Ride Experience

After climbing the 120-foot lift hill, X-Flight plunges into a beyond-vertical dive drop before racing through a series of inversions, including zero-g rolls, an Immelmann loop, and an inline twist. Because riders are seated to the side of the track rather than above or below it, the wing-coaster layout amplifies the feeling of flight through every twist and turn.

The ride’s most talked-about moment is its keyhole flythrough, where the train narrowly threads a gap in a purpose-built air traffic control tower prop. Combined with the exposed wing seating, the near-miss element has made X-Flight one of the park’s most photographed and discussed attractions since it debuted in 2012.

Design and Legacy

X-Flight cost an estimated $12 to $15 million and replaced the Splashwater Falls and Great American Raceway attractions at Six Flags Great America. Its announcement in September 2011 made it the first wing coaster formally announced for North America, even though Wild Eagle ultimately opened first.

The layout runs 3,000 feet with a 1-minute-15-second ride time, carried by two eight-car trains seating riders four across in a single row for 32 guests per train. More than a decade after opening, X-Flight remains a signature thrill ride in the park’s coaster collection.

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X-Flight FAQs

What type of roller coaster is X-Flight?

X-Flight is a Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Coaster, a design where riders sit in pairs on either side of the track with no seating above or below them.

How many inversions does X-Flight have?

X-Flight has 5 inversions, including a dive drop, zero-g rolls, an Immelmann loop, and an inline twist.

What is the keyhole element on X-Flight?

The keyhole is a signature moment where the train passes through a narrow opening in a custom-built air traffic control tower structure, creating a dramatic near-miss effect.

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The ride is best known for its compressed-air launch system, which fires trains from 0 to 78 mph in just 1.8 seconds, a figure marketed as the fastest acceleration of any launched coaster in North America. Riders then race through a compact but intense layout packed with four inversions, including a signature dive loop, before returning to the station in about 23 seconds.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois)
• Manufacturer: S&S – Sansei Technologies
• Opened: July 4, 2019
• Height: 175 ft (53 m)
• Top speed: 78 mph (126 km/h)
• Length: 1,800 ft (550 m)
• Inversions: 4

The Ride Experience

Riders board one of two 16-passenger trains and are launched by a compressed-air system that reaches highway speeds in under two seconds, a sensation closer to a drag strip than a traditional coaster’s chain lift. From there the layout twists through elements including a heartline roll and a steeply banked dive loop, packing four inversions into a ride that lasts roughly 23 seconds.

Because of its abrupt launch, Maxx Force uses lap bars combined with seatbelts and shin guards rather than the over-the-shoulder restraints common on other launch coasters, keeping the focus on speed rather than airtime.

Design and Records

At its 2019 debut, Six Flags promoted Maxx Force as having the fastest acceleration of any launch coaster in North America and the fastest inversion of any coaster in the world at roughly 60 mph. The ride cost approximately $15 million and stands where the park’s Pictorium IMAX theater once operated before its 2018 closure and demolition.

The coaster underwent noise-mitigation adjustments after its debut season to address community concerns about the sound of its air-launch system, and it has continued operating as one of Great America’s headline attractions in the years since.

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Maxx Force FAQs

How fast does Maxx Force go?

Maxx Force reaches a top speed of 78 mph (126 km/h), launched from 0 mph in just 1.8 seconds using a compressed-air launch system.

How many inversions does Maxx Force have?

Maxx Force features four inversions, including a heartline roll and a steep dive loop, packed into a ride lasting about 23 seconds.

What replaced by Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America?

Maxx Force was built on the site of the Pictorium, the park’s longtime IMAX theater, which closed in 2018 to make way for the coaster.

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The ride made history immediately, setting three world records for wooden coasters: the longest drop at 180 feet, the steepest descent angle at 85 degrees, and the fastest top speed at 72 mph. More than a decade later, Goliath still holds all three records, cementing its reputation as one of the defining wood-steel hybrid coasters of the modern RMC era.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Six Flags Great America
• Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC)
• Opened: June 19, 2014
• Height: 165 feet
• Top speed: 72 mph
• Length: 3,100 feet
• Inversions: 2
• Max drop: 180 feet at 85°

The Ride Experience

Riders climb 165 feet before plunging into an 85-degree, 180-foot drop that sends the train underground through a dark tunnel beneath the midway. From there, Goliath keeps up the pace with a dive loop and a zero-gravity stall, its two inversions, along with a pair of overbanked turns, all delivered at speeds up to 72 mph in a ride lasting roughly 1 minute 45 seconds.

The coaster runs two trains of six cars each, carrying 24 riders per train, with RCDB listing an hourly capacity of about 600 riders. Its blend of RMC’s steel-topped Topper Track with a wooden support structure gives Goliath the smoother, more forceful ride style that made RMC’s hybrid conversions and new builds popular throughout the 2010s.

Records and Construction History

Goliath was built on the footprint of the former Iron Wolf, reusing much of that ride’s station and queue line before lengthening the station to accommodate Goliath’s longer twelve-row trains. Construction began in September 2013 and involved roughly 35 workers over about nine months.

At its 2014 opening, Goliath claimed three wooden coaster world records simultaneously: longest drop, steepest angle, and fastest speed. It remains the record holder in all three categories, standing as a landmark achievement for RMC during the company’s early years of building record-setting wood-steel hybrids.

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Goliath FAQs

What records does Goliath hold?

Goliath holds three wooden coaster world records: the longest drop (180 feet), the steepest angle (85 degrees), and the fastest speed (72 mph).

Who manufactured Goliath at Six Flags Great America?

Goliath was built by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) using its Topper Track system, which combines a wooden structure with a steel running surface.

What is Goliath’s hourly rider capacity?

According to RCDB, Goliath has an hourly capacity of about 600 riders, running two 24-rider trains.

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