Following weeks of cryptic messages, Six Flags Great America finally announced Thursday that it will debut a new record-breaking dive coaster at the suburban Chicago amusement park — and it will have something no other coaster in the world does. Sandra Torres reports.
Weeks of anticipation built up from cryptic messages posted by Six Flags Great America on social media came to a resolution Thursday, with the park announcing their first new roller coaster since 2019, a record-breaking ride called "Wrath of Rakshasa," which will debut in 2025.
The roller coaster will feature both the world's steepest drop on a dive coaster, as well as the most inversions on a dive coaster, boasting a 96-degree beyond-vertical drop and five inversions.
But what exactly is a dive coaster?
Here's what to know about the roller coaster model that has thrilled millions in America, though not too many in the Midwest:
What is a dive coaster, and what makes it different from other roller coasters?
A steel roller coaster model produced by Bolliger & Mabillard, dive coasters feature a unique seating configuration, with guests riding in three-row trains while seated anywhere from six to 10 riders across. In the case of Wrath of Rakshasa, riders will be seated seven across.
Dive coasters earn their name from their first drop, typically well over 100 feet and taken at a vertical or beyond-vertical angle.
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In addition to the drop being incredibly steep, riders are held at the top of the lift hill for several seconds by a holding brake, tilting riders forward while offering a perilous view of the plunge ahead before descending down.
The trains on most dive coasters, including Wrath of Rakshasa, are floorless, meaning that riders' feet will dangle over the track, with the floor used for boarding disappearing after the train is dispatched.
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Riders will be secured with an over-the-shoulder vest restraint, similar to the one utilized on fellow Great America coaster X-Flight.
B&M, the manufacturer behind Wrath of Rakshasa, has frequently partnered with Six Flags Great America in the past, creating Batman: The Ride, Raging Bull and X-Flight, among others.
How tall and fast is Wrath of Rakshasa?
The upcoming roller coaster will be the third
-tallest roller coaster in the park once it opens, standing at 180 feet tall.
The coaster's drop will be the third-largest in the park at 171 feet, behind Raging Bull's 208-foot drop and the 85-degree, 180-foot drop on Goliath.
Featuring 3,239 feet of track, Wrath of Rakshasa will also reach top speeds of 67 miles per hour, which will make it the fifth-fastest roller coaster in the park upon opening.
In addition to the unique drop and blazing speed, the coaster will also feature five inversions, giving riders plenty of time upside down on the thrilling ride.
Wrath of Rakshasa will be located in the park's County Fair section, also home of Demon and American Eagle, the former of which was subject to removal rumors that turned out to be unsubstantiated, as Demon will remain at the park.
How many dive coasters are there?
Wrath of Rakshasa will be the 18th dive coaster constructed by Bolliger & Mabillard, though just their eighth in North America.
Many roller coaster enthusiasts in the Midwest are particularly deprived of the few American dive coasters, with only one, Valravn at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, located in the Midwest.
The other six dive coasters operating in North America can be found below:
- SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - Tampa, Florida
- Griffon - Busch Gardens Williamsburg - Williamsburg, Virginia
- Valravn - Cedar Point - Sandusky, Ohio
- Yukon Striker - Canada's Wonderland - Vaughn, Ontario, Canada
- Emperor - SeaWorld San Diego - San Diego, California
- Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger - Six Flags Fiesta Texas - San Antonio, Texas
- Iron Menace - Dorney Park - Dorneyville, Pennsylvania
The dive coaster with the largest drop is Yukon Striker, which plunges riders 245 feet while reaching speeds of nearly 81 miles per hour.
What led up to the announcement?
The announcement comes nearly one month after Six Flags began releasing several cryptic messages, teasing fans on social media with a series of unusual posts and sparking much speculation on what could be next.
The most recent post came Wednesday, as officials revealed they would make an announcement at 11 a.m. Thursday, however, details were released earlier.
It all started on July 18, when a video was shared to the park's social media accounts with the caption "Something iS coming, just wAit."
Then one week later, another six-second video clip showed the eyes of what appeared to be a predatory animal with the same #FearThe Wrath message.
That clip was captioned "it lieS thRougH the demonS eyeS."
On Aug. 1, the park posted the words "you don't wAnt to See it AngRy" to its social media channels, displaying another six-second video clip with the message #FearTheWrath.
In that instance, the clip was accompanied by what appeared to be the scratch of a claw.
Last week, a telling message was posted on the park's social media, when it shared an eight-second video quickly flashing the following words in order:
TEASE DEMON SEVEN STEEL FIVE DROP 2025, followed by #FearTheWrath message.
The caption mirrored the similar teases, reading "SometimeS it'S oKAy to wAit."
Fans focused in on the word choice, potentially referring to the Demon ride, a looping roller coaster that has been at the park since its opening in 1976 and has operated under its current theme since 1980.
"If y'all take away the Demon I'm gonna be so sad," one enthusiast replied on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Another commenter wondered if this meant Demon would be undergoing a restoration, while others alluded to an unoccupied space near Demon that was formerly home to the Buccaneer Battle, a water ride where patrons riding in a boat would be sprayed by onlookers with water guns.
"Demon would be 'looking' towards the old Buccaneer Battle area," one commenter said on Facebook.
Replies from roller coaster enthusiasts on X correctly predicted the park was adding a dive coaster.
While the park hasn't welcomed a new roller coaster in five years, a new flat ride, Sky Striker, debuted at the park last month.
The announcement follows a merger between amusement park giants Six Flags and Cedar Fair, which created the new Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
The company teased towards new investments in both rides as well as food and beverage, with the post-merger entity operating 42 amusement and water parks across 17 states and three countries.
Similar announcements in other parks throughout the company have started to come through as well, with Kings Dominion in Virginia set to receive a launched wing coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard, while Canada's Wonderland is set to add Alpen Fury, a launched roller coaster with nine inversions, the most in North America for a coaster of its kind.
