Have We Seen the Last of the True Record Breaking Roller Coasters?
The recent announcement that Ferrari Experience’s F1 Coaster will be capable of 150 mph had me thinking. While this would be a record setting roller coaster, officials from the park said that they might actually operate it at lower speeds. This begs the question: Are we reaching the limits of roller coaster thrills? As part of a series of posts over the next week, dubbed “Record Breaking Roller Coasters Week”, I want to examine the record breaking coaster era and its possible demise. The human body can only take so many g-forces before a ride becomes uncomfortable or dangerous. Are we near that ceiling? Ferrari Experience’s reining in of the F1 Coaster could point to the end of an era.
The Roller Coasters with the Most Loops
The past four decades have produced a steady increase in technological advances and thrilling breakthroughs. In the 70′s it was the corkscrew and then the vertical loop. Then in the 80′s there was a race for the roller coaster 
with themost loops and a few new loops appeared. In my travels, I’ve been able to ride three former record holders for most loops: Corkscrew at Cedar Point (3), Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds (4), Viper at Darien Lake (5), and Vortex at Kings Island (6). The most loops title faded in importance as a ceiling was hit at seven loops for years. Bolliger & Mabillard’s Dragon Khan claimed the crown with eight loops for a while and finally in 2002 Intamin likely ended the race for good with Colossus. The Thorpe Park coaster and its clone in China share the record for most loops at ten. But really, the looping record race took a back seat to the height and speed chase in the 90′s.
The Tallest & Fastest Roller Coasters
Cedar Point’s Magnum XL-200 set off what has been affectionately known as the Coaster Arms Race for the tallest roller coaster in the World. As height became the most prestigious record to hold, speed came with it until the invention of LSMs (Linear Synchronous Motors). They helped Superman The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Tower of Terror at Dreamland tie for a new 100mph speed record. Other launch technologies emerged and finally in 2005 our current speed and height record champ, Six Flags Great Adventure’s Kingda Ka, set the bar at 128 mph and 456′ for speed and height respectively. Ring Racer opened briefly this year and will re-open next year likely breaking Kingda Ka’s record only to be surpassed by the F1 Coaster.
The Steepest Roller Coasters: The Final Frontier?
For a while it looked like steepness might be the final frontier. Touting an unimaginably steep drop was cool for a few years. Busch Gardens Tampa brought the first B&M dive machine, SheiKra, to our shores and with it a 90-degree drop. While the concept was neat, I was underwhelmed by the actual drop. Today, 90-degree drops are so 4 years ago. Dollywood’s Mystery Mine, Hersheypark’s Fahrenheit, and several other coasters in other countries have surpassed that level of steepness. Then, last year’s Steel Hawg and this year’s Mumbo Jumbo in Flamingoland went even a step further with 111 and 112-degree drops. Can these drops really be pushed much further?
What’s Next?
So what will the next record setting trend be? Aside from loops, height, and speed, the only other technological advancement to speak of would be that of the 4th dimension roller coasters. There are only a few in the World, but a ride like Magic Mountain’s X2 is worthy of the label of ground-breaking thrill ride. On the other hand, it doesn’t attain an easily marketable title. It’s an insane ride and offers some unprecedented rider positions, but X2 doesn’t really lend itself to any superlatives like tallest, fastest, or longest.
I’m more of a fan of roller coasters that don’t boast the staggering stats or most superlatives, but do deliver the goods. And by that I mean airtime, speed, surprises, and just a great overall package. So, if the record-breakers are dying off, I wouldn’t be too upset.
What’s Your Take?
Are we near the end of the record-breaking era or do you think technology will push the envelope even further? Leave a comment below. Image 1 courtesy of CoasterImage. Image 2 courtesy of the Sun.
November 13, 2009 at 04:07
I hope the record-breaking era never stops, at least steepest woodie should continue. i hope it never ends, and that records such as height and speed will keep continuing, cedar point will probably build a 500 footer some time soon anyway, i don`t think it will end, at leasts not now, but even if it dose end, they can still make coasters, it`s not as bad as no coasters. anyway, height record-breakers are getting so short because they cost to much.
May 7, 2011 at 07:10
Cedar Point are really stripped for space at the moment (and probably money).
May 8, 2011 at 13:07
I know, but I posted this more than a year ago.
November 13, 2009 at 07:22
You've been on Great American Scream Machine at Great Adventure, that had the most loops at 7 as well. It was also tallest and fastest for less than a month.
I'm a Great Adventure guy, gotta have my pride haha
November 13, 2009 at 11:23
Wasn't Vortex the first roller coaster with 6 inversions?
November 13, 2009 at 12:00
Yep. Darien Lake's Viper set the record with 5 when it opened, not 6. I forgot that I rode Vortex as well.
November 13, 2009 at 15:01
I think the steepest record is coming along as the new age height/speed record. I mean 456 feet and 120+mph are pretty tough to surpass unless the park plunks down a ton of money in the process. Steepness just seems like an easy and less expensive way to add an "…in the world" to the promotion of the ride. But really, shouldn't Screamin' Squirrel take that title already? Isn't that basically a 180 degree drop?
November 13, 2009 at 16:01
I'd be ok with someone working on increasing lengths … try to unseat The Beast as the longest wooden coaster. Or intensity … The Voyage is the only coaster I have managed to ride repeatedly to the point of near exhaustion.
November 13, 2009 at 16:11
You're right Brian, I forgot about the Screaming Squirrel. I'm not sure how those saxophone elements don't count as drops. Maybe because they're so short?
Good point Judy. I forgot about the longest coaster title. That one could be contested for years and years to come. And I'd be first in line for a terrain coaster longer than the Beast. If it was designed by B&M and built at Busch Gardens Williamsburg I think I'd just retire to end off on a good note.
May 8, 2011 at 13:10
I'm pettey sure they don't count because They're technicaly inversions. You could say that a loop has a 180 degree drop, but people don't say it's a drop because it's also an Inversion.
November 13, 2009 at 18:16
The best part about The Beast is how totally dark the night rides can be. There's something extra exciting about tearing around on a track with no clue as to where you are going. I'll never forget my first night ride on The Beast!
November 14, 2009 at 07:28
Yeah, night rides on large coasters really heighten the excitement levels! I remember riding Nitro once at night in a fairly heavy fog; I probably couldn't see more than 200 feet around, it was just great! I'd love to see how the Beast rides in similar conditions.
November 14, 2009 at 08:19
I think while speed may be topped out eventually, acceleration may not be.
And yeah, long terrain coasters would be amazing. What I want is someting like powder keg, but accelerating THROUGH the woods, then you get a tophat hill, where you can see all of the wilderness, before going back down
November 14, 2009 at 13:57
Brain, if screaming squirles` drop is 180*, it would also pull up, so it would be a double dip, not a drop. but i saw the pic. and it had a slight slant to it, so yes, it is the worlds steepest.
Judy, Chetta at Wild Adventures is the longest woddie, just check About.com
November 14, 2009 at 14:33
Cheetah
Length: 2680'
Height: 92'
Drop: 90'
Speed: 52 mph
The Beast
Length: 7359'
Height: 110'
Drop: 141'
Speed: 64.8 mph
November 14, 2009 at 15:46
sry, i mixed up Chetta whith Ultimate at Lightwater Valley. Ultimate is 7442' long. so still, the beast isn`t it.
November 14, 2009 at 17:39
Quil……Ultimate is a steel coaster…….Judy said "longest wood coaster", which The Beast is. For you satisfaction thought the longest coaster in the world is Steel Dragon 2000 at 8133'. So there are your two number ones in the world in length for each type.
November 15, 2009 at 03:58
No, Ultimate is wood, check About.com.
November 15, 2009 at 04:42
Quil it is steel, check out this picture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_tvotw/2583813999…
November 15, 2009 at 05:32
from http://www.rcdb.com — Roller Coaster Database … great reference site with statistics, photos and news articles for just about every coaster in the world.
Roller Coaster: Ultimate
Amusement Park: Lightwater Valley (Ripon, Yorkshire, England, UK)
Type: Steel – Sit Down
Length: 7442'
Height: 107'
Speed: 50 mph
Steel Dragon — this thing has 3 lift hills!
Length: 8133' 2"
Height: 318' 3"
Drop: 306' 9"
Inversions: 0
Speed: 95 mph
November 15, 2009 at 07:06
stop with about.com…..anyone can put stuff up there……rollercoaster database buddy!
November 15, 2009 at 08:12
Living in the UK, I can confirm that the ultimate is indeed a steel roller coaster and not wooden as it appears to be in many pictures.
November 15, 2009 at 10:16
Quil, I can see why you'd think it's wooden. According to Wiki it has trestles made of wood. Kind of like Excalibur at Valleyfair! or Adventure Express at Kings Island. But based on the actual rails, it is a steel coaster. And please use Roller Coaster Database for reference.
May 19, 2012 at 00:09
now does that make a ride like the texas giant now steel instead of a wooden? or just a hybrid?
May 19, 2012 at 04:22
It's technically a steel roller coaster because a coaster's type is based on what its rails are made of. I guess you could call it a hybrid if you want, but I don't really use that term because it's not descriptive. See, RCDB classifies it as a steel coaster.