When it debuted, Wicked Cyclone earned the distinction of being the first hybrid coaster on the East Coast. Its signature elements include a 200-degree zero-g stall and two zero-g rolls, plus what was at the time a world-first ‘double-reversing bank airtime hill’ — a combination that made it an instant hit with enthusiasts and earned it a second-place finish in the 2015 Golden Ticket Awards for Best New Ride.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Six Flags New England, Agawam, Massachusetts
• Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction
• Opened: May 24, 2015
• Height: 109 ft (33 m)
• Top Speed: 55 mph (89 km/h)
• Length: 3,320 ft (1,010 m)
• Inversions: 3

The Ride Experience

Riders board one of two 24-passenger trains and ascend a 109-foot chain lift hill before plunging at a 78-degree angle. The layout blends airtime-heavy hills with three inversions: a massive 200-degree zero-g stall that briefly holds riders upside down, followed by two zero-g rolls that deliver a floating, twisting sensation. The combination of Rocky Mountain Construction’s IBox steel track — layered over the original wooden structure — produces a remarkably smooth ride with intense lateral and ejector forces throughout.

The back half of the course dives into a series of low-to-the-ground twists and quick direction changes, making full use of the 3,320-foot layout. Capacity runs at 24 riders per train, and Six Flags New England also offers Fast Lane access for those looking to minimize wait times on busy summer days.

From Cyclone to Wicked Cyclone

Wicked Cyclone’s story begins with Cyclone, a traditional wooden coaster that opened at Six Flags New England on June 24, 1983, and carried more than 15 million riders over three decades. By 2014, the aging structure was closed and handed over to Rocky Mountain Construction for their signature RMC conversion treatment, which replaces the wooden track with steel IBox rail while retaining the original wooden support structure.

The $10 million transformation took roughly a year, and the result was a coaster that bore little resemblance to its predecessor in terms of intensity or layout. Where Cyclone was a classic out-and-back wooden ride, Wicked Cyclone became a terrain-hugging, inversion-packed hybrid that quickly rose into enthusiast rankings as one of the best coasters in New England.

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Wicked Cyclone FAQs

What type of roller coaster is Wicked Cyclone?

Wicked Cyclone is a steel hybrid coaster built by Rocky Mountain Construction using their IBox track system. It uses the original Cyclone wooden support structure but replaces the wooden rails with smooth steel track, combining the classic feel of a wooden coaster’s layout with a modern steel ride quality.

How many inversions does Wicked Cyclone have?

Wicked Cyclone features three inversions: a 200-degree zero-g stall and two zero-g rolls. These elements are woven into a fast, airtime-heavy layout that keeps riders off their seats throughout the course.

Is Wicked Cyclone suitable for first-time thrill seekers?

Wicked Cyclone is rated as an extreme coaster by most standards — it hits 55 mph, drops at a 78-degree angle, and throws riders through three inversions. It is best suited for riders who are already comfortable with high-intensity roller coasters rather than those new to the experience.

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Photo: Martin Lewison from Forest Hills, NY, U.S.A. / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Where Hurler was a rough, repetitive out-and-back wooden coaster, Twisted Timbers emerged with 20 distinct airtime moments, 3 inversions—a barrel roll, a cutback, and a zero-g roll—and 3 overbanked turns, all with the silky smoothness RMC’s steel rail is known for. The coaster ranked third among new rides in the 2018 Golden Ticket Awards and quickly cemented itself as a must-ride at Kings Dominion.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Kings Dominion, Doswell, Virginia
• Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction
• Opened: March 24, 2018
• Height: 111 ft (34 m)
• Drop: 109 ft (33 m)
• Top Speed: 54 mph (87 km/h)
• Length: 3,351 ft (1,021 m)
• Inversions: 3

The Ride Experience

Twisted Timbers crests its chain lift and immediately plunges riders into a 109-foot drop before launching into a relentless sequence of twists, airtime hills, and overbanked turns. The three inversions—a barrel roll near the first drop, a cutback, and a zero-g roll—are woven between 20 moments of ejector and floater airtime, keeping riders weightless far more often than grounded.

At a top speed of 54 mph the pacing never meaningfully lets up across the 3,351-foot layout. The I-Box track delivers a smoothness that stood in sharp contrast to the wooden Hurler it replaced, earning praise from enthusiasts and earning Amusement Today a 38th-place ranking on its 2018 top-50 steel coasters list.

From Hurler to Twisted Timbers

The original Hurler opened at Kings Dominion in 1994 as a near-clone of the Hurler at Carowinds, both designed by International Coasters Inc. By 2015 the ride had grown rough enough that Kings Dominion closed it permanently. Rocky Mountain Construction was contracted to rebuild the track using their patented I-Box steel rail system, which sits atop the original wooden support structure.

The conversion took roughly two years and resulted in a coaster that shares almost nothing with its predecessor beyond the wooden skeleton. Twisted Timbers stands as a prime example of RMC’s ability to resurrect aging wooden coasters, and the transformation was dramatic enough to draw national attention when the ride debuted in spring 2018.

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Twisted Timbers FAQs

What type of coaster is Twisted Timbers?

Twisted Timbers is a hybrid roller coaster. Rocky Mountain Construction kept the original wooden support structure from Hurler but replaced all of the track with their I-Box steel rail system, producing a ride that looks like a wooden coaster but handles inversions and aggressive elements like a steel one.

How tall is Twisted Timbers and how fast does it go?

The coaster stands 111 feet tall and reaches a top speed of 54 mph (87 km/h) on a drop of 109 feet.

What replaced Hurler to become Twisted Timbers?

Hurler was a wooden roller coaster that operated at Kings Dominion from 1994 to 2015. Rocky Mountain Construction converted it into Twisted Timbers using I-Box steel track technology, and it reopened on March 24, 2018.

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Photo by Susanne Koppert on Pexels.

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Named in tribute to Fun Spot America CEO John Arie Jr., the coaster wasted no time earning acclaim — it won the 2023 Golden Ticket Award for Best New Attraction Installation and climbed to a ranking of #13 among global steel coasters by 2025. Its signature elements, the world’s first Raven Truss Dive and the largest Zero-G stall in the United States, cemented ArieForce One as one of the most inventive RMC installations ever built.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Fun Spot America Atlanta
• Location: Fayetteville, Georgia
• Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction
• Model: I-Box
• Opened: March 31, 2023
• Height: 154 ft (47 m)
• Drop: 146 ft (45 m) at 83°
• Top Speed: 64 mph (103 km/h)
• Length: 3,400 ft (1,000 m)
• Inversions: 4
• Airtime Moments: 16

The Ride Experience

After cresting a 154-foot lift hill, riders are hurled down an 83-degree, 146-foot first drop before the layout launches into a relentless sequence of inversions and ejector airtime. The ride’s four inversions include a barrel roll, a Zero-G roll, and the centerpiece Zero-G stall — held at a leisurely, weightless angle longer than any other stall in the country. Throughout the roughly 1-minute-40-second runtime, the train dishes out 16 distinct airtime moments, keeping riders guessing until the final brake run.

The most talked-about moment on ArieForce One is the world-first Raven Truss Dive, a novel inversion that threads the track through the coaster’s own support structure. Designer Joe Draves incorporated the element to make use of the park’s compact footprint while adding a visual spectacle that enthusiasts describe as one of the most photogenic inversions in the RMC catalog.

Awards and Enthusiast Reception

ArieForce One’s debut year was immediately recognized by the amusement industry: it captured the 2023 Golden Ticket Award for Best New Attraction Installation, a high-profile honor voted on by coaster enthusiasts worldwide. Within two years of opening it had climbed to #13 on global steel coaster rankings, a remarkable achievement for a ride at a regional family entertainment center rather than a major theme park.

The coaster’s success surprised many observers given that Fun Spot America Atlanta is a relatively small park in suburban Fayetteville. Its rise underscores RMC’s reputation for delivering world-class thrills regardless of park size, and has drawn coaster enthusiasts from across the country making dedicated road trips solely to experience ArieForce One.

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ArieForce One FAQs

Where is ArieForce One located?

ArieForce One is located at Fun Spot America Atlanta in Fayetteville, Georgia.

Who built ArieForce One?

ArieForce One was designed and built by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) using their I-Box steel track system. The layout was designed by RMC’s Joe Draves.

What makes ArieForce One unique among roller coasters?

ArieForce One features the largest Zero-G stall in the United States and the world’s first Raven Truss Dive inversion, a novel element that passes through the coaster’s own support structure. It also packs 16 airtime moments and 4 inversions into its 3,400-foot layout.

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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Opened in 2015, it was the longest hybrid coaster in the world at debut, blending a 128-foot drop with airtime hills, a Top Gun Stall inversion, and a signature ‘high five’ moment.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain, California
• Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction (hybrid)
• Opened: 2015
• Height: 121 feet
• Top speed: 57 mph
• Length: 4,990 feet
• Signature: Dueling layout, Top Gun Stall, ‘high five’ moment

The Ride Experience

Twisted Colossus runs a single train through a long, intertwining layout that duels with the next train. Riders pass each other at the ‘high five’ near-miss, float through the Top Gun Stall, and get RMC’s trademark ejector airtime across nearly a mile of track.

From Colossus to Twisted Colossus

The original Colossus was a giant 1978 dual-track wooden coaster. RMC re-tracked it with steel I-Box rail in 2015, weaving the two sides into one continuous dueling circuit and reviving a Magic Mountain icon.

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Twisted Colossus FAQs

Why is it called Twisted Colossus?

It’s the RMC hybrid rebuild of the classic wooden coaster Colossus, with a twisting, dueling layout.

What is the ‘high five’ on Twisted Colossus?

A near-miss moment where two passing trains line up so riders can reach out toward each other.

How long is Twisted Colossus?

About 4,990 feet – among the longest hybrid coasters.

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Photo: METRO96 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Rocky Mountain Construction rebuilt the defunct wooden coaster Gwazi into a steel-and-wood hybrid, opening Iron Gwazi in 2022 with a near-vertical 91-degree first drop.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Florida
• Manufacturer: Rocky Mountain Construction (hybrid)
• Opened: 2022
• Height: 206 feet
• First drop: 206 feet at 91 degrees
• Top speed: 76 mph
• Inversions: 3
• Length: 4,075 feet

The Ride Experience

Iron Gwazi crests its lift and drops at a beyond-vertical 91 degrees, hitting 76 mph before tearing through three inversions and a barrage of airtime hills. It packs RMC’s signature mix of steep drops, ejector air, and snappy transitions into a compact, relentless layout.

From Gwazi to Iron Gwazi

The original Gwazi was a rough dueling wooden coaster that closed in 2015. RMC kept the wooden structure and re-tracked it with steel I-Box rail, transforming a retired ride into one of the best coasters in the world.

Explore more: types of roller coasters.

Iron Gwazi FAQs

How tall is Iron Gwazi?

206 feet, making it the tallest hybrid roller coaster in North America.

How steep is Iron Gwazi’s drop?

A beyond-vertical 91 degrees.

What was Iron Gwazi before?

It was rebuilt by RMC from the defunct wooden coaster Gwazi.

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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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