Gold Striker Coming to California’s Great America in 2013
California’s Great America just announced their 2013 roller coaster Gold Striker. The new wooden roller coaster was designed by Great Coasters International (GCI). It will be located in the Celebration Plaza section of the park and it will wrap around the Star Tower. Gold Striker will be the park’s eighth roller coaster and its first new roller coaster in more than a decade.
Gold Striker’s theme is a reference to the California Gold Rush of 1849. The ride begin with a 103-foot first drop. Then, it will thrill riders with its high-speed twists, turns, and a station fly-by on its 3,197-foot long ride. Gold Striker will top out at a speed of 54 miles per hour.
While Gold Striker has been custom-made for Great America’s terrain. Coaster enthusiasts may see the ride’s similarities to other GCI woodies like American Thunder at Six Flags St. Louis, Apocalypse at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and even Thunderhead at Dollywood. These roller coasters have been well-received so there’s no reason to thing Gold Striker won’t do just as well.
Here’s a video of California’s Great America’s Gold Striker:
I’ll be adding my take in a bit, for now, what’s your take on Gold Striker? How do you think it looks? Leave a comment below and vote in this first impression poll.
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September 1, 2012 at 11:52
Well, now we just need Knotts to announce their hyper or giga coaster for next year
September 24, 2012 at 08:27
lol Yeah. But there are rumors that Knott will build a Dive Machine.
September 1, 2012 at 12:26
Cool! but…
Why do they still make so much woodies? It's not that I don't like them but now you can have Gigas, Winged, multi launched, 4D coasters,… which are, I think much more exiting and less shaky !
September 3, 2012 at 05:22
GCI woodies aren't all that shaky and they do great layouts that do have a very cool flow to them with lots of small variations and twists and turns. I like them quite a bit!
September 4, 2012 at 01:56
This will be the tallest GCI in the United States and just as fast as Thunderhead. There will now be two great coasters at Great America.
December 2, 2012 at 13:27
I am so happy that my home park is getting a new great ride! Now it will have 3 Good coasters