At the end of last month's column, we mentioned that we would be featuring our top ten steel coasters. This was even more of a challenge because steel scream machines come in a diversified array of designs, sizes, and styles. There's looping and non-looping, stand-up and sit-down, floorless, impulse, inverted, suspended, launched, and shuttle roller coasters, and combinations thereof.
Our method for creating this list was the same as the wooden coasters. We separately did blind lists of 15 favorites, and subsequently compared them. This time our choices weren't quite so similar, but we had no problem coming to an agreement on the top ten. Although the list is most influenced by the thrill factor, we also gave weight to the best coaster in any one style. As we did with the wood coaster column, we will include six honorable mentions at the end.
We acknowledge that these are our personal choices, and we look forward to hearing about yours.
#10 - Big Bad Wolf
Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA
Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is the ultimate suspended steel roller coaster. This ride delivers extreme drops and turns. It careens through a Bavarian village giving riders the illusion that they narrowly miss crashing into homes and buildings in the town square. The end of its three minute ride concludes with a giant drop down to the river below.
She's not scared of the Big Bad Wolf (Photo by Joyce Harris)
Riders chase the Big Bad Wolf (Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens Williamsburg)
Big Bad Wolf takes the dive to the river (Photo by Joel Rogers www.coastergallery.com)
#9 - Volcano - The Blast Coaster
Paramount's Kings Dominion, Doswell, VA
Volcano - The Blast Coaster, built by Intamin, was the first launched inverted roller coaster. The ride begins with a 70 mile per hour whoosh out of the boarding station. It then takes you inside the 155 foot high, fire spewing, volcano. The train erupts vertically through the summit and into the first of four inversions. A front seat ride on this one is a visual treat you'll never forget.
Volcano - The Blast Coaster blasts out of the summit (Photo by Joel Rogers www.coastergallery.com)
The volcano spews fire (Photo by Gonchar www.coasterimage.com)
#8 - Nitro
Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
Nitro is one our favorite Bolliger and Mabillard mega coasters. This L-shaped out-and-back features a banked helix on the return trip and endless airtime loaded bunny hills. The ride's giant and relentless drops make it an absolute winner.
Nitro's magnificent first drop (Photo by Gonchar www.coasterimage.com)
Nitro's ascending spiral before the brake run (Photo by Joel Rogers www.coastergallery.com)
#7 - Xcelerator
Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, CA
Xcelerator, by Intamin, goes from 0 to 80 miles per hour in 2.3 seconds, zooms up 205 feet and drops vertically to the ground. With 1950's theming and and rock n' roll music, riders feel like they've gone back in time. After the rush, the ride ends in a delightful helix.
Xcelerator topping its 205 foot summit (Photo by Gonchar www.coasterimage.com)
Xcelerator heads towards the finale (Photo by Joel Rogers www.coastergallery.com)
#6 - Montu
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Tampa, FL
Montu is one of the finest Bolliger and Mabillard inverted steel coasters. It turns riders upside down seven times, and features theming from Egyptian mythology. At an earlier time, live crocodiles swam beneath the station exit. Montu has tunnels, trenches, drops, flips, and turns. It's smooth and amazing.
Montu's first inversion is a giant vertical loop (Photo by Joe Schwartz www.joyrides.com)
Montu screams through one of its underground trenches (Photo by Joel Rogers www.coastergallery.com)
#5 Riddler's Revenge
Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, CA
Riddler's Revenge is the largest and smoothest of the Bolliger and Mabillard stand-up looping coasters. It features six inversions at speeds up to 65 miles per hour. This coaster is famous for its enormous size and huge ride elements. As a bonus, the station music is "Ecuador/Bruce Wayne Edit" by Sash, a highly charged Latin techno beat that pumps up waiting riders.
Riddler's Revenge - riders look down on the lift hill from the first vertical loop (Photo by Joe Schwartz www.joyrides.com)
Riddler's Revenge - looks like giant green spaghetti (Photo by Joe Schwartz www.joyrides.com)
#4 Kraken
Sea World Orlando, Orlando, FL
Kraken is a giant among B & M floorless looping coasters. It's built over water, and performs seven inversions on its 4,177 feet of track. This coaster is extremely thrilling, yet gentle, smooth and very re-ridable. Reaching speeds of sixty five miles per hour, Kraken has three tunnels and an unexpected deep dive into the lagoon. The underwater lair is infested with live eels which add a certain creepiness to the ride.
Kraken - beautiful to behold, beastly to ride (Photo courtesy of Sea World Orlando)
Kraken - on the vertical loop at sunset (Photo courtesy of Sea World Orlando)
#3 Top Thrill Dragster
Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point held the record for the world's highest and fastest roller coaster for over two years. Built by Intamin, the hydraulic launched trains go from 0 to over 120 miles per hour in four seconds. The riders are shot up a 420 foot tower and descend straight down for an adrenaline rush second to none. Although the ride lasts just 22 seconds, the afterglow lasts all day.
Top Thrill Dragster - the height of excitement at Cedar Point (Photo courtesy of Cedar Point)
Exhilarated riders approach the bottom of their 400 foot drop (Photo courtesy of Cedar Point)
#2 Superman: Ride of Steel
Six Flags New England, Agawam, MA
Superman: Ride of Steel is a non-looping mega coaster built by Intamin. It boasts of speeds up to 77 miles per hour, has overbanked turns, tunnels, and unbelievable airtime. In 2006, the publication Amusement Today rated this ride the number one steel coaster.
Superman greets his guests at the entrance (Photo by Shredley)
Superman: Ride of Steel - a gorgeous view of the first drop (Photo courtesy of Six Flags New England)
Superman: Ride of Steel at its midpoint (Photo by Joel Rogers www.coastergallery.com)
#1 Millennium Force
Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
Our favorite roller coaster, bar none, is Millennium Force at Cedar Point. The ride is incredibly smooth, steep, and fast. Reaching a height of 310 feet with a 300 foot first drop, this scream machine has no equal in our opinion. This Intamin masterpiece travels at speeds up to 93 miles per hour, with a maximum vertical angle of 80 degrees. It's hard to describe the feeling one gets during and after this ride, but at its conclusion, almost everyone is laughing and screaming with delight.
Millennium Force's first drop is 300 feet straight down (Photo by Joe Schwartz www.joyrides.com)
Riders zoom through one of many overbanked turns on Millennium Force (Photo by Ryan Brietzke www.xtremecoastin.com)
Millennium Force - what more can we say? (Photo courtesy of Cedar Point)
Other wonderful steel roller coasters receiving our honorable mention are:
Viper - Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, CA
Alpengeist - Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA
Medusa - Six Flags Marine World, Vallejo, CA
Goliath - Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, GA
Top Gun: The Jet Coaster - Paramount's Carowinds, Charlotte, NC
Wild Mouse - Beech Bend, Bowling Green, KY
Next month, we'll go to Dollywood in the Great Smoky Mountains of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Much Aloha!
-Joni and Shredley
Next Installment: Chapter XXXIX: Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN
Related Links:
www.cedarpoint.com
www.sixflags.com
www.seaworld.com
www.paramountparks.com
www.knotts.com
www.buschgardens.com
www.beechbend.com
www.rcdb.com
www.joyrides.com
www.coasterimage.com
www.coastergallery.com
www.xtremecoastin.com
www.aceonline.org
