World’s Craziest Roller Coasters
April 16, 2008
Roller coasters have long been a huge draw for thrill seekers everywhere. Nothing quite says “being alive” like testing fate on a speeding bullet, dipping and spinning around a steel cage of death. White knuckled, heart racing, screaming until the ride comes to an end and you laughed the words… one more time!
If you’re looking for one of the wildest and craziest roller coasters rides around, then look no more. We have gathered the best of the best for thrill seeking roller coaster junkies.
1. Superman: Ride of Steel
At a height of nearly 21 stories, “Superman: Ride of Steel” is the world’s top-rated coaster. This steel sit-down mega-coaster sits along the banks of the Connecticut River at Six Flags New England in Springfield, Massachusetts.
With a 221 foot drop, Superman reaches a top speed of 77 miles per hour and delivers a lot of airtime (that funny feeling of weightlessness as the coaster goes over a hill), making it a favorite of coaster enthusiasts.
There is an identical coaster at Darien Lake in New York.
Superman: Ride of Steel has won the Golden Ticket Award for “Best Steel Coaster” from Amusement Today.
In 2004, a man suffered fatal injuries when he was thrown from the ride.
Thrill Network reviews the Ride of Steel: Link
2. Millennium Force, Cedar Point, OH
When Millennium Force opened in 2000 at Ohio’s Cedar Point, it broke ten world records.
Towering at a height of 310 feet, Millennium Force is one of the tallest and fastest gigacoasters in the world, with a huge 300-foot vertical drop and a top speed of 93 miles per hour.
Manufactured by Intamin AG of Switzerland, Millennium Force cost $25 million to build and was the first gigacoaster ever constructed.
Nearly 12 million people have ridden the coaster since it opened in 2000.
A review of Millennium Force… found at…http://coasterenthusiast.com
3. Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson Township, NJ
At Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, NJ, the tallest and fastest coaster in the world looms high over the rest of the park.
Towering at an incredible height of 456 feet (45 stories!), Kingda Ka is a strata-coaster (exceeds a height of 400 feet) and accelerates from 0-128 miles per hour in less than four seconds.
A hydraulic launch shoots the train straight-up the 456-foot tower, pauses at the top and goes straight downward into a 270-degree spiral.
Kingda Ka debuted on May 21st, 2005, becoming the fastest and tallest roller coaster in the world, surpassing the record set by Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point, which is 420 feet tall and goes 0-120 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds.
The ride shoots you 90 degrees into a quarter-turn, and then the train shoots straight-down vertically into a 270-degree spiral. It then goes down a valley and up a 129-foot camel hump, providing much airtime.
Short but terrifying. The ride is short, hardly 30 seconds long.
Here are reviews from ultimaterollercoaster.com and The Coaster Critic’s Blog
4. Alpengeist at Busch Gardens Europe, Williamsburg, VA
Alpengeist, the “Ghost of the Alps,” debuted in 1997 at Busch Gardens. At a height of 195 feet, Alpengeist is one of the world’s tallest, fastest and most twisted inverted roller coasters.
It is also one of the world’s tallest and fastest full-circuit coasters.
The ride was manufactured by Bollinger and Mabillard (B&M) and is themed after a runaway ski lift. With six inversions and a 170-foot drop, Alpengeist reaches speeds of 67 mph.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveynin/142351317/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neuski/168082215/
Review of Alpengeist by the The Coaster Critic’s Blog
5. Expedition GeForce, Holiday Park
Expedition GeForce, located at Holiday Park in Haßloch, Germany, is one of the largest coasters in Europe. Expedition Geforce is nearly 174 feet tall and reaches speeds of close to 75 miles per hour. Since its debut in 2001, Expedition Geforce has been a favorite of coaster enthusiasts.
Expedition GeForce is a mega-coaster manufactured by Intamin AG. The ride’s 82-degree drop is the steepest in all of Germany. The considerable amount of airtime delivered by the ride has made it a favorite.
6. Pyrenees, Shima, Japan, Parque Espana-Shima Village in Japan
Pyrenees is an inverted steel coaster that opened in 1997 at Japan’s Parque Espana. At a height of 147 feet and eight inches, Pyrenees riders will experience speeds of 62.1 miles per hour and six inversions.
Pyrenees is the signature ride at Japan’s Parque Espana. It is regarded by many to be one of B&M’s best inverted coasters. However, due to its location, the ride has not been ridden by many coaster enthusiasts.
7. Griffon, Busch Gardens Europe
Themed after the mythical “griffin,” a creature that is part lion, part eagle, Griffon is the world’s tallest floorless dive coaster. This B&M diving machine opened officially on May 25th, 2007 at Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, VA.
At a height of 205 feet, Griffon has two inversions and hits speeds up to 71 miles-per-hour. Griffon is the world’s only coaster to seat ten people across in a row. Once riders are strapped in, the floor drops out from underneath them, leaving their legs dangling.
After climbing the lift hill to the height of 205 feet, the train pauses and then goes into a 90-degree fall, 205 feet straight down!
The ride also features a 146 foot Immelmann loop, a 130-foot drop that goes at an 87-degree angle, when it then proceeds to splash into a pool of water, producing a spray of water that can be up to 45 feet high.
8. X2 Coaster (formerly known simply as X), Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, and California
The X2 (formerly known just as X) Coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California is a “fourth-dimension” roller coaster in which the riders sit in seats in wing-shaped trains that extend out to the side of the tracks and rotate 360 degrees head-over-heels, much like the carnival ride, the Zipper.
X was redesigned and renamed X2 for 2008. New redesigned trains and tunnels with light shows were added and it is set to reopen in the spring of 2008.
It is the world’s first 4th dimension roller coaster and the last coaster to be build by Arrow Dynamics. The train’s seats rotate 360 degrees backwards or forwards as the train goes along the track.
X first opened to the public on January 12, 2002. It reopened after being repainted, new trains were added, new special effects added—reopened April 1st, 2008.
9. Colossus at Thorpe Park, Chertsey, England
Located at Thorpe Park in England, Colossus was the first and only coaster to have ten inversions. Manufactured by Intamin AG, Colossus is 99 feet tall and reaches speeds of 45 miles per hour.
It is the first coaster in the world to have ten inversions. There is an exact replica of the ride at Chimelong Paradise in Guangzhou, China.
Reviewed by Theme Park Insider
10. Goliath at Six Flags over Georgia
Goliath at Six Flags over Georgia is a 200 foot high steel sit-down coaster with a 174 foot drop and speed of 70 miles per hour. Goliath is a hyper coaster made by B&M. It is spread over an 8.5 acre area of the park.
The ride is located in the USA section of the park, which was renovated during the early 90s to give it a 50s America sort of theme.
Goliath was named #9 in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards list of the top 50 steel roller coasters for 2006, which was the year that it opened. In 2007 it moved up a spot to #8.
Great post. Thanks for taking the time to write it. I’ve been on Alpengeist but it has been a long time, some of these look absolutely amazing. The wait time for me is scarier than the ride though.
that is cool
the top thrill dragster should be on here
I blacked out on the Millennium Force as we came down from the very top. It was pretty scary. The line for the ride is hours and it was so short of a ride. Definitely worth it though.
well i think the x should be number one cause once u ride it ull want 2 keep going. i think it should be number 2.
very cool! i haven’t had the chance to ride any of the ones mentioned - but i plan to one day!
wow these costers are freakin crazy i want on 4 of them but the rest just look like youd die if u ride it lol
this is so coooooooooooolllllllllllllllllllllll
im goig to thrope park and
im going to go on thisssssssssss
for sureeeeeeeeeeeeee
I went on king da ka and superman ride of steel no offence king da ka much better
man dat was great but i wish i could afford all those like the one in england that looked like a toilet damn i wanna go on all them cuz i am a thrill seeker and i wanna grow up to be a rollercoaster rider that goes frm park to park jst to test them even now cuz im 15 yrs old man i want to go on them!!!! they are the awsomemess roller coasters ive evuh seen biatch!!!
I’ve been on alpengiest and king da ka. I liked them, but rollar coasters don’t scare me at all.
Mellenium force looks awesome though. Seems like Cedar point has a bunch of good coasters. I’m probably gonna head over there soon.
goshhhh those are insane aha.
ive been on Alpengeist and the Griffon, and ive been
tempted to go on Kingda Ka, but damnnn that one is maddd scary. aha.
The Griffon aka SheiKra at Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL
Also Alpengeist aka Montu at Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL
You should put that on the captions. Hey, Virginia can’t have all the credit. =\
no offense or anything but i have been on all the rides and superman ride of steele is the best one out of them all so go there.
The Griffon is incredible, the sickest part is sitting in the front row and dangling there for that approx 4.5 seconds looking straight down at the track and then just being thrown down, there is no other sensation like it!!!!!!!
It is smooth as silk, although it did break down 3 times that I know of the day we were there, which was a little disappointing
The best feeling coaster is still Apollo’s Chariot, you cannot beat the high you get on each hill
them roller coasters r sick m8
awsome
yeah I went on the Kingda Ka at six flags new jersey and it was pretty scary I closed my eyes the whole time and almost passed out but I made it through the ride and it was totally worth it. :]
I went thorpe park 2dayy, and rode the colosuss anddd the stealth i think stealth should be on here coz it goes over 200 ft tall!
i went on fARENHEIT AND STORM RUNNER IN HERSHEY THEY SHOOD DEFINENTLY BE HERE.
i didnt think that expedition ge-force is good enough to be on here
the shikra in busch gardens, tampa, fl should be up here
that kingda ka looks horrific
yeahh!! ive been on that Kingda Ku
its amaziiin!
i have badd spellinng!(notEnglishverygood..) but i looking forward to it 
im goin on that Millenniumn force (if spelt rong
Ride of Steel is so much better than Kingda Ka. Kingda Ka is all of 28 seconds long, the scary part is like 15. Ride of Steel is a marathon.
las atracciones estas son mui fuertes i no sabemos ond stan i kiero ir porfavor decirme ond stannn,,,,
adeuu pringaos;)
Check out Hershey Park’s Storm Runner videos on youtube… similar to Kingda Ka but WAY MUCH better more than just the climb and fall… also new Fahrenheit is great too.
Ya, stiffy is right, Hersheys Storm Runner should definitely be on there, and the Fahrenheight looks like fun, i virtually rode it. Maybe even add the Great Bear, thats a Hershey Park steel classic.
Hey!Every other blog I have read about Busch Gardens Tampa, has been lacking in information. Your insight into Busch Gardens Tampa is sooooo much better than anything else I have read. Thanks Michelle
omg! All of these rides are scary! I ♥ scary rollercoasters!!!!!!
I’ve been on the X2 at six flags california recently, like last tuesday. It was so intense. They have sound built into the seats, starts playing metalica enter the sandman as you ride up, then as your going over one of the loops it shoots fire out at you.
So new things. new colors, new pyrotechnics, new sound system, also when your in line, they have a bunch of plasmas with awesome music playing clips from Break.com, having people hurt themselves by doing increidbly stupid but awesome stunts.
It was an awesome ride!
ok kingda ka should be number 1 by far! superman was great but nothing can compare to sitting front row on kingda ka going 120 miles per hour! my hair was in a tight ponytail and my elastic flew out of my hair anyways and it was a mess after i got off. luckily it was dark haha!
I live in mass, and have been in the front seat of superman many times….
From everyone I’ve talked to, top fuel dragster @cedar point kills it.
Although it is a GOOD ride!
The Behemoth at Canada’s Wonderland is pretty awesome but I’m surprised you didn’t put any wooden roller coasters on the list. Surely no ‘crazy’ roller coaster list could be complete without one.
The Beast would be my pick.
i haven’t rode any of these except for goliath (CRAZZYYY, but i still crave more of a thrill than it), but i’ve been craving a super wicked roller coaster for some time now. the cannonball at lake winnepesaukah just doesn’t cut it.
Ive been on Griffon, Alpengeist, and x2. there all great rides (i think x2 should be lanked 4th not 8th)but anyway all greta rides and idk how kingda ka and millenium force aren’t 1 and 2 but aside from that great rides, id really liek to try some of the others out
(and on another note how did that golitah beat out magic mountain goliath o well)
Been on Millennium Force, Kingda Ka, Aplengeist. They should be in that order. The Beast should definetly be in there for the best woody.
wowa! funnn!
I have to tell you. No matter what anybody thinks, Kingda Ka is the best frekin ride ever!!!!
If you’re ever in Australia, check out Superman Escape at Movie World on the Gold Coast. I don’t think it’s better than the ones listed but it would give them a run for their money - its an awesome ride.
x2 is so insane i think it should be number one…. yes the others have the great starts and drops but the 4d ride is so insane especially when fire is lit in front of u and ur seat spins round and round im hoping they make more rides like that but different then roller coasters will evolve and become more insane
The ones at Bush Gardens look pretty wicked.
Out of all these I’ve only ridden Kingda Ka at sixflags, NJ.
i’ve been on colossus, the same day i went upside down on a coaster for the first time. It was great!!!
goliath is super creeeyy(: but very fun definitly not for the the people scared of heights well everybody needs to go down to six flags over georgia and ride goliath
goliath is very scary yall should go to six flags and ride it you will not be disappointed just a little scared
Kinda Ka was stolen from Cedar Point’s Top Thrill Dragster and Superman is a weak ride. You ever heard of Son of Beast before the 2006 accident-it had a loop before that. And it is still the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world!! Get that on this list and get rid of Superman!
this is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cool woo
you got golitaths speed wronge ti goes 85 not 70
these coasters arecrazy i never rode 1 but i want to ride X.they dont look scary on the videos but they’re probably really scary in person!!
these coasters look crazy i really want to ride X!
Heyahh i have been on coluss It was great i love stealh aswell and rush
I am a total roller coaster fanatic but ive been on so many that im not scared of any of them. i miss that butterfly feeling you get in your stomach when dropping down.
I rode on Alpengeist and Griffon just recently and both sent chills down my spine
if you havent already you need to go on europes only stand up roller coaster which is at DRAYTON MANOR in staffordshire in england. it is brilliant i went on it 7 times in 1 hour!!!!
Yeah, I’ve been on Kingda Ka in NJ. It’s so awesome!! It’s really short, but it is definately worth it!
you should go to alabama adventure. you should ride the louptiloup roler coster.
if you havent ridden the golioth yet you should ride it.i have ridden the golioth 15 times in 2 hours without barfing.
WOW
Haha those were some sick rides! I agree with Tom, the dragster should be on there! But that green one with the really really big hill on it would take a lot to get me on it. :]
these 10 rides are definetely on my bucket list….i think millenium force and kingda ka will definetely bring my heart to my mouth….cant wait.
lol thx for the clips i really want to go on the kingda ka i think it should be 1 well cuz its the tallest and fastest oh we;;
DUDE I WANT TO GO ON THESE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!CRAzy COASTERS!!!
ohhmiigoshh !
wow!!!!!!! this rollercoaster looks crazyyyy!!!!!!
i would never go on it. haha
LOL i went on the king da ka and after i got off my heir was standing up as if i was a chiken i was iaphing like crazy.
Yo, you should add NITRO at Six Flags Great Adventure
I would SOOOO go on Goliath
cool page =]>
i have been on the griffin and the alpeingeist 4 times in a row on both of them ! and i loved them
this should be updated cuz bizarro number 1
i LOVE ROLLERCOASTERS I HAVE BEEN TO EVERY THEM PARK IN THE U.S ANDHAVE RIDDIN ALL THE ROLLERCOASTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3
hey im gona ride intimidator at carowinds
X 2 is awsome i went on it and i went on goliath but the 1 at magic mountain
WHERES STEEL DRAGON?!?!?!?!?!?!?
alright those look really bad a** …never been on any but i hope to some time in the future…!!!! keep em coming haha lol…=]=]=]
I dont go on anything higher than 10 ft.
this looks scary….. i don’t think i will ever go on it……. i am scared of heights as well….
im………………
DIZZY
I LOVED Superman (but now Bizzaro)
Bizarro was SOO cool and fun
wheres the dragster? that thing is brutal.
I went on Kinda Ka and it was AMAZING! It was my first day riding real roller coasters and what have I been missing out on!?!?! I’ve turned into an adrenalin junkie! Get me on the other 9!
Hey guys I jus wanna say I live in Massachusettsin s town over from sprinfield and I wanna say superman us
Amazing! I loved it i was scared at
First but once u go on u love it. Also I’m pretty sure it’s
In agawam not Springfield every1 just
Says it’s in spirngfield cuz that place is
Well known
i WENT ON GOLIATH (G.A) BUT I GOT A BOOK ON all the other ones but i wanna ride kingda ka and millinium force and X > X IS THE PINK RIDE> oh yea i love coasters FOREAL
dats pretty kool but i neva wood go on dose kreepy rolla coastas. i wood vomit mah head off
these were awesome I don’t think you need to change anything on this post.(can’t wait till’ I’m tall enough to ride one of these creative coasters)
ive been on superman at six flags new england but now its called bazoro the rest look fun