Some record-breakers look the part. Vild-Svinet — Danish for The Wild Boar — does not. Tucked into BonBon-Land, a candy-brand theme park in Holmegaard, Denmark, this 72-foot coaster with a cartoon boar on the front of each car was, when it opened on 16 May 2003, the steepest roller coaster on Earth.
Vild-Svinet was the prototype for the Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter — the first ever built — and the first roller coaster in the world with a first drop steeper than 90 degrees. Its 97-degree plunge launched an entire category of beyond-vertical coasters that manufacturers are still one-upping today.
Key Stats
| Height | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Drop angle | 97° (beyond vertical) |
| Speed | 45 mph (72.4 km/h) |
| Length | 1,404 ft (428 m) |
| Inversions | 1 (vertical loop) |
| Duration | About 1 minute |
| Trains | 4 single-car trains, 8 riders each |
| Manufacturer / model | Gerstlauer / Euro-Fighter (prototype) |
| Designer | Werner Stengel |
| Opened | 16 May 2003 |
| Park | BonBon-Land, Holmegaard, Denmark |
The First Beyond-Vertical Drop in the World
Before 2003, “straight down” was the limit of coaster drop design. Vild-Svinet broke through it: its 97-degree first drop tips riders past vertical, tucking the track back underneath the crest. The record stood until Steel Hawg opened at Indiana Beach in 2008, and the escalation hasn’t stopped since — today’s champions on our list of the steepest roller coaster drops in the world hang past 120 degrees, but every one of them traces its lineage to this Danish boar.
The ride itself is short and punchy: a vertical lift to 72 feet, the historic drop, an overbanked turn, a vertical loop and a run of camelback hills, all in about a minute. Legendary engineer Werner Stengel handled the design, and the industry took notice — the ride collected the FKF Award in 2003 and was ranked among the most innovative coasters of its year.
A Prototype That Launched a Dynasty
Gerstlauer built Vild-Svinet as the proof-of-concept for its Euro-Fighter line, and the formula — vertical lift, beyond-vertical drop, compact inversions, small single-car trains — became one of the most successful thrill-ride templates of the 2000s and 2010s. Dozens of Euro-Fighters followed across Europe and North America, from Typhoon at Belgium’s Bobbejaanland (2004) to Tantrum at Six Flags Darien Lake (2018).
That a world-first sits in BonBon-Land — a park themed to a Danish candy company, famous for its irreverent humor — only adds to its charm. The Wild Boar remains the park’s flagship coaster and a pilgrimage stop for coaster historians.
FAQ
What does Vild-Svinet mean?
Vild-Svinet is Danish for “The Wild Boar.” The ride’s cars carry wild boar theming to match the name.
Why is Vild-Svinet historically important?
It was the first Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter ever built and the first roller coaster in the world with a beyond-vertical (97-degree) first drop. It was the world’s steepest coaster from 2003 until 2008.
How tall and fast is Vild-Svinet?
Vild-Svinet stands 72 feet (22 meters) tall and reaches 45 mph (72.4 km/h) over a 1,404-foot layout with one vertical loop.
Photo: Håkan Dahlström via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
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