Coasting to a white-knuckle world
Agence France Presse | 20 May
The idea of paying nearly 1,700 dollars to be catapulted up a vertical incline the height of a 45-story building at 130 miles per hour comes naturally to the likes of Jeremy Delong.
"Worth every cent," the 22-year-old naval serviceman from Ohio concluded as he disembarked from the maiden run Thursday of "Kingda Ka" -- the world's newest, tallest and fastest roller coaster.
Installed at the Six Flags Theme Park near Trenton, New Jersey, the monster ride uses a hydraulic launch system to slingshot riders horizontally from 0 to 205 kilometers (128 miles) per hour in 3.5 sickening seconds.
Fact Sheet: http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greatadventure/pdf/kingdaka-factsheet.pdf
The momentum flings the 18-seater train into a 90 degree climb to a height of 139 meters (456 feet), followed by a vertical plunge through a three-quarter spiral and a final jaunt over a 39-meter (129-foot) high "camel hump."
With the entire ride lasting under a minute, the thrill cost Delong 33 dollars per second, after he bid 1,692 dollars on the Internet auction house eBay for the right to be on the first run.
"I was willing to pay up to 2,000 dollars if necessary," said Delong, a member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts club, who has ridden 146 other coasters across the United States.
"The launch alone is phenomenal ... there's this incredible force, this pressure on your chest and then your eyes start streaming from the wind," he gushed to an increasingly appalled looking reporter from Japan.
"No, really .. it doesn't hurt," he added quickly. "It's one of the most exhilarating feelings ever."
Delong was joined in the front car by Jeff Skonieczny, 34, another coaster addict who bid 1,156 dollars for his seat and was quite candid about why.
"Bragging rights," he crowed. The general manager of an office supply store in Southbridge, Massachusetts, Skonieczny has no problems fitting his obsession into his work schedule.
"I can take time off when I want. I'm the manager," he said.
To put the velocity of Kingda Ka into perspective, a Ferrari 360 Modena takes one more second to accelerate to half the speed.
A fighter plane launched off an aircraft carrier gets to 150 mph in about two seconds, while a Top Fuel dragster car can reach 100 mph in less than one second.
While statistics like those exceed what Kingda Ka has to offer, they carry the significant side risk -- as the ride's project manager Jeff Glinter pointed out -- of almost certain death for the armchair layman.
"This ride is a way to provide an exceptional thrill, very safely, that you just couldn't get anywhere else," Glinter said.
"Basically, it's like an extreme sport for the masses," agreed Steve Urbanowicz, 46, a professional "coaster historian" and author of the devoted rider's bible, "The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion."
Kingda Ka's assumption of the world record coaster crown ends the two-year reign of the "Top Thrill Dragster" ride at Cedar Point, Ohio, which boasted a top speed of 193 kilometers (120 miles) per hour and a maximum height of 128 meters (420 feet).
According to Urbanowicz, who has ridden nearly 900 coasters worldwide, holding the title means an enormous boost for a theme park's popularity.
"Everybody takes notice," he said. "Another park could have 30 of the world's best coasters in terms of design, quality and experience, but if you have the tallest then you'll draw the bigger crowds."
While the hardened coaster pros enthused over such elements as Kingda Ka's "hang time" (the feeling of weightlesness as the train crests the top of the incline), there were some whose ashen faces betrayed more delicate constitutions.
"Horrifying. Everyone else was screaming happily. I think I managed one long, extended gurgle of panic," said Drew Parker, 35.
"They told me I would be able to see the Manhattan skyline from the top," Parker added. "I can't say I took the time to look."
Agence France Presse | 20 May
The idea of paying nearly 1,700 dollars to be catapulted up a vertical incline the height of a 45-story building at 130 miles per hour comes naturally to the likes of Jeremy Delong.
"Worth every cent," the 22-year-old naval serviceman from Ohio concluded as he disembarked from the maiden run Thursday of "Kingda Ka" -- the world's newest, tallest and fastest roller coaster.
Installed at the Six Flags Theme Park near Trenton, New Jersey, the monster ride uses a hydraulic launch system to slingshot riders horizontally from 0 to 205 kilometers (128 miles) per hour in 3.5 sickening seconds.
Fact Sheet: http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greatadventure/pdf/kingdaka-factsheet.pdf
The momentum flings the 18-seater train into a 90 degree climb to a height of 139 meters (456 feet), followed by a vertical plunge through a three-quarter spiral and a final jaunt over a 39-meter (129-foot) high "camel hump."
With the entire ride lasting under a minute, the thrill cost Delong 33 dollars per second, after he bid 1,692 dollars on the Internet auction house eBay for the right to be on the first run.
"I was willing to pay up to 2,000 dollars if necessary," said Delong, a member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts club, who has ridden 146 other coasters across the United States.
"The launch alone is phenomenal ... there's this incredible force, this pressure on your chest and then your eyes start streaming from the wind," he gushed to an increasingly appalled looking reporter from Japan.
"No, really .. it doesn't hurt," he added quickly. "It's one of the most exhilarating feelings ever."
Delong was joined in the front car by Jeff Skonieczny, 34, another coaster addict who bid 1,156 dollars for his seat and was quite candid about why.
"Bragging rights," he crowed. The general manager of an office supply store in Southbridge, Massachusetts, Skonieczny has no problems fitting his obsession into his work schedule.
"I can take time off when I want. I'm the manager," he said.
To put the velocity of Kingda Ka into perspective, a Ferrari 360 Modena takes one more second to accelerate to half the speed.
A fighter plane launched off an aircraft carrier gets to 150 mph in about two seconds, while a Top Fuel dragster car can reach 100 mph in less than one second.
While statistics like those exceed what Kingda Ka has to offer, they carry the significant side risk -- as the ride's project manager Jeff Glinter pointed out -- of almost certain death for the armchair layman.
"This ride is a way to provide an exceptional thrill, very safely, that you just couldn't get anywhere else," Glinter said.
"Basically, it's like an extreme sport for the masses," agreed Steve Urbanowicz, 46, a professional "coaster historian" and author of the devoted rider's bible, "The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion."
Kingda Ka's assumption of the world record coaster crown ends the two-year reign of the "Top Thrill Dragster" ride at Cedar Point, Ohio, which boasted a top speed of 193 kilometers (120 miles) per hour and a maximum height of 128 meters (420 feet).
According to Urbanowicz, who has ridden nearly 900 coasters worldwide, holding the title means an enormous boost for a theme park's popularity.
"Everybody takes notice," he said. "Another park could have 30 of the world's best coasters in terms of design, quality and experience, but if you have the tallest then you'll draw the bigger crowds."
While the hardened coaster pros enthused over such elements as Kingda Ka's "hang time" (the feeling of weightlesness as the train crests the top of the incline), there were some whose ashen faces betrayed more delicate constitutions.
"Horrifying. Everyone else was screaming happily. I think I managed one long, extended gurgle of panic," said Drew Parker, 35.
"They told me I would be able to see the Manhattan skyline from the top," Parker added. "I can't say I took the time to look."
Preferably before school lets out.
