A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Lightning Loops, the very first looping coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. Lightning Loops was a big thing when it opened in 1978, and the looping feature, of course, was what drew the thrill seekers in. Loops on roller coasters was a new thing at the time, and it was one of the first new ride design features that would prove to be big draws over the years.
In the annual roller coaster wars among amusement parks
around the world, the competition is always fierce, and the thrill seeker
always comes out the winner. Seemingly
every year, newer and more innovative ride designs are introduced, taller,
faster, steeper, etc. One of my favorite
roller coasters at Great
Adventure was introduced in 2006 as having the steepest drop of any coaster
in the world at 76 degrees. Though that
record has since been eclipsed, El Toro still packs a mean punch!
El Toro means “The Bull” in Spanish and this wooden roller
coaster is as wild as a ride on its namesake, for sure! The ride is not your usual wooden roller
coaster in that it is constructed of prefabricated pieces of wood, which are
laser cut in a factory and give the coaster’s effects
much more precision, and a smoother ride, than your average woodie.
The lift hill is also very different than a traditional
coaster of any kind in that it doesn’t use a chain to get the train to the top
of the first hill. Instead El Toro
employs a cable lift, which gets the cars up there frighteningly fast before
banking to the left and into that steep, steep drop. Absolutely thrilling! The coaster is nearly 19 stories high, and
runs about 70 mph through a series of terrifyingly sharp banks and turns, with
plenty of airtime. I love it! So sit back, press play, and take a ride on El
Toro:
Check out these Yahoo articles by me on the coasters of Six Flags Great Adventure:
Image Source: team liquid
Wow, that looks like one awesome roller coaster!
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