Shockwave was a steel stand-up roller coaster that operated at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, from March 23, 1986, until August 9, 2015. Built by the Japanese manufacturer Togo, it was only the third stand-up coaster the company ever installed, and it rose on the site of the park’s earlier Galaxie coaster.
Over nearly three decades of operation, Shockwave carried more than 22 million riders through a 95-foot drop, a 360-degree vertical loop, and a 540-degree helix, all while riders stood upright in its distinctive restraint system. The ride closed permanently in 2015 and was demolished later that year, making way for the Delirium flat ride in 2016.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Kings Dominion
- Manufacturer: Togo
- Opened: March 23, 1986
- Closed: August 9, 2015
- Height: 95 ft (29 m)
- Top speed: 50 mph (80 km/h)
- Length: 2,231 ft (680 m)
- Inversions: 1
The Ride Experience
Riders boarded Shockwave in a station with a tilted floor that sloped toward the exit, letting gravity roll trains out rather than relying on a mechanical dispatch system. Once underway, the stand-up trains, seating riders two across in six cars each, climbed a 95-foot lift hill before diving into a course built around a single vertical loop and a sweeping 540-degree helix that pressed riders nearly parallel to the ground.
The two-minute layout reached speeds up to 50 mph across 2,231 feet of steel track, giving Kings Dominion visitors a rare Togo stand-up experience that was one of only a handful of its kind ever built in the United States.
History and Legacy
Shockwave replaced Galaxie, a coaster that had closed following a fatal 1983 accident, and became one of Kings Dominion’s signature attractions for nearly 30 years. The ride cost about $4 million to build and remained popular into the 2010s, though it also saw a fatal incident in 1999 when a rider intentionally freed himself from the restraints.
By the time it closed in August 2015, Shockwave was the last operating Togo stand-up coaster in the United States, a distinction that cemented its place in American coaster history even after demolition made room for the Delirium flat ride in 2016.
Explore more: Explore more roller coaster histories.
Shockwave Photo Archive: July 2001
These are original ThrillZing photos of Shockwave taken at Paramount’s Kings Dominion on July 12 and 13, 2001, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the TOGO stand-up coaster in its blue, green and orange paint: the entrance sign, the station and lift hill, a train of standing riders in the vertical loop, and the structure at dusk. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
Shockwave FAQs
When did Shockwave at Kings Dominion open and close?
Shockwave opened on March 23, 1986, and closed permanently on August 9, 2015, after nearly 30 years of operation.
Who manufactured Shockwave?
Shockwave was built by the Japanese manufacturer Togo, making it only the third stand-up roller coaster the company ever installed.
What replaced Shockwave at Kings Dominion?
Shockwave was demolished in late 2015 and replaced by Delirium, a Mondial Revolution flat ride, which opened in 2016.
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