Six Flags Magic Mountain hopes it will soon be going downhill at Full Throttle. The Valencia theme park is finishing up construction on a ride called Full Throttle set to open this summer. The park’s corporate parent, Six Flags Entertainment Corp. in Grand Prairie, Texas, claims the ride will hold a record as the tallest and fastest looping roller coaster in the world. The ride will feature several zero-to-70 mile per hour accelerations and a backward launch into a tunnel. It will be located on a hillside that formerly was the site for Log Jammer, a ride that opened with the park in 1971. A Full Throttle-themed area with stores and food vendors will surround the new attraction. John Gerner, managing director at consulting firm Leisure Business Advisors LLC in Richmond, Va., said the ride will give adrenaline addicts a kick but it will have broader appeal. “It’s a loop roller coaster with the tallest loop but not aimed at being scary. It will be exciting for teens but not too scary for kids,” he said, adding that new rides each year have become a necessity in the theme park business to attract patrons. Last year, Magic Mountain broke a record by opening the tallest vertical drop ride in the world. Drop of Doom lets guest strap into a seat and fall 400 feet. Financially, Six Flags finds itself hurtling upwards after a Chapter 11 bankruptcy four years ago. The company reduced its losses and reported record first-quarter revenue of $88 million (Losses are typical for theme parks in the winter months). “It’s another exciting roller coaster for a park that is the thrill capital of the world,” said Kurt Dahlin, a roller coaster blogger based in Santa Clarita. – Lucy Guanuna
Pulling Out All Stops For Record Ride
