The Midwest's "tallest pendulum thrill ride" officially opens this weekend at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, the park said Thursday.
Construction for the ride, called "Sky Striker" -- which towers over the park at 17-stories and swings back and forth through the air, reaching speeds up to 75 miles per hour -- began last year. It opens to the public this Saturday, officials confirmed.
According to the park, the ride gives an "intense feeling of weightlessness."
“Sky Striker is set to redefine the thrill experience at Six Flags Great America,” Park president John Krajna said in a release.
NBC 5's Lisa Chavarria got a first spin on the ride earlier this month.
"An amazing sensation of weightlessness as this height," Chavarria said while on the ride.
As the pendulum swung back and forth, Chavarria went higher and higher and drifted back and forth, moving faster and faster.
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"The spinning is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be," Chavarria said. "But my hair. ...wow. I Definitely should have tied my hair in a pony tail."
"If I'm drooling guys, my apologies," Chavarria said while flying back and forth through the air.
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Later in the morning, Chavarria took a few more turns on the ride -- this time, with her hair safety secured in a pony tail.
"It's my third time riding it," Chavarria said around 7 a.m. "Am I feeling woozy? Just a little bit."
The new attraction will be located in the park's "County Fair" section, located near the historic American Eagle roller coaster while replacing the land formerly occupied by "Dare Devil Dive," a skycoaster freefall attraction that required an additional fee to ride.
In 2019, Chavarria took a ride with NBC 5 videographer George Mycyk on the park's newest ride at the time, MaxxForce.
The theme park, at 1 Great America Parkway in Gurnee, opened for the season April 20. The park is open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with summer hours through 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. soon going into effect on select days.
On top of Sky Striker, Six Flags Great America boasts a whopping 15 roller coasters, the second-most of any park in the Midwest, only trailing Cedar Point.
