Life is a rollercoaster baby!
Leap The Dips Lakemont Park, USA
The world’s oldest roller coaster, a 41 foot (12.5 metres), wooden monster built in 1902, may seem a little tame by today’s standards, running a figure of eight formation at a top speed of just 10 mph (16 kmph), however as a piece of theme park nostalgia it just can’t be beaten.
Son of Beast King's Island, USA
The tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in America Son of Beast is over 7000 feet (2134 metres) long and pulls a massive 4.5 g-force at its fastest curve. Since it opened 30 years ago, the ride has taken over 40 million riders and gained a cult following for its signature counter clockwise, enclosed double helix finale.
Steel Dragon 2000 Nagashima Spa Land Amusement Park, Japan
Opened in 2000 (The Year of the Dragon) Steel Dragon is the world’s longest roller coaster at 8133 feet (2479 metres). With a top speed of 95 mph (153 kmph), the monster coaster is also earthquake protected and cost a whopping $50 million to construct.
X2, Six Flags Magic Mountain USA
The world’s only 4th dimensional roller coaster, not only speeds along 3610 feet (1100 metres) of track, but each seat also independently rotates through 360°, meaning that you spend an awful lot of the ride hanging upside down. Now that’s what we call a ride.
Superman the Escape, Six Flags Magic Mountain, USA
Faster than a speeding bullet, Superman The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain has eclipsed coasters from California to Krypton. The L-shaped monster is both the world’s fastest (100 mph/161 kmph) and tallest (415 feet/126.4 metres). And it really flies, slamming straight up 41 stories before plummeting back to base, leaving riders rattled and weightless for and incredible 6.5 seconds.
Colossos, Heide Park, Germany
Colossos is the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in Europe and the second tallest in the world. Speeding up to 197 feet (60 metres) into the air at speeds of 75 mph (121 kmph), the ride’s steepest drop falls at a 60° angle and leaves riders weightless for just long enough to revisit their breakfast.
The Ultimate, Lightwater Valley, Amusement Park, England
At 1.5 miles (2.4 km), The Ultimate is a truly thrilling ride, providing panoramic views of North Yorkshire before it twists and turns its way back through dark forest. A rarity among modern theme park attractions, this ride lasts for almost six minutes.
T Express, Yongin, South Korea
Universally ranked among the world’s most exciting roller coasters, T Express was the first ride of its kind to be built in Asia. An unusual three train set up, this ride is currently the world’s steepest wooden coaster.
White Cyclone, Nagashima Spa Land, Japan
The longest wooden roller coaster outside America, White Cyclone has been thrilling riders since 1995. Constructed out of enough Alaskan timber to construct nearly a thousand homes, this roller coaster reaches top speeds of around 65 mph (105 kmph).
F1 Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi
When Ferrari World opens on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi late in 2010, it will boast the world’s fastest roller coaster, The F1. This ‘racing coaster’ will send two competing, Ferrari styled cars, at speeds of up to 150 mph (241 kmph), along parallel tracks in a race to the finish line. Bring a helmet.
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