The Official Student-Run Newspaper of California High School

The Californian

The Official Student-Run Newspaper of California High School

The Californian

The Official Student-Run Newspaper of California High School

The Californian

A guide to the Bay Area’s most rockin’ rollercoasters

Northern California is known for its great rollercoasters from two amusement parks: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo and Great America in Santa Clara.

With summer just around the corner, these parks with most thrilling coasters will be filled with screaming kids, endless lines, and the hot California sun.

By narrowing down the top five rollercoasters between these two parks, we’ll ensure a decreased waiting time and the biggest thrill of the summer.

Starting with Great America, we rode the most thrilling rides in the park, Flight Deck and Delirium.

Flight Deck is a hanging ride that propels the rider at 50 miles per hour through loops, corkscrews and large drops. This particular ride really does make the rider feel as though they are soaring through the air as they skim over water.

This ride offers a fast fly through the perilous track and gives the rider the thrill they’re seeking. As always, this ride offered the lovely “mid-coaster” photo, which can be viewed at the exit of the ride.

Delirium is a powerful spinning pendulum that swings the rider into the air. The ride starts out with the rider sitting as the ride itself spins and swings like a pendulum, gaining speed with each swing. If nausea is a problem, then this ride shoould be avoided. The ride is fun and can make the rider feel dizzy and disoriented in that “adrenaline rush” way.

Our next stop was Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, where we rode the park’s most exhilirating rides, which are Medusa, Kong and Superman Ultimate Flight.

The first ride was Medusa, with nearly 4,000 feet of track and a top speed of 65 mph. Opened in 2000, Medusa was considered the tallest, fastest, longest, and most technologically-advanced rollercoaster in Northern California.

Being the longest and fastest rollercoaster offered at Six Flags, this ride was really worth the wait. Medusa offers a smooth ride that takes the rider high above the park through exhilarating loops and drops.

Don’t forget to smile for the camera on the ride and check out the photos after exiting the ride.

Kong was the next ride on the list. Suspended over the ground at a height of 155 feet, this ride really brings the thrill. Released to the public in1998, Kong brings riders through nearly 2,200 feet of twists, turns, corkscrews, and a 360-degree loop.

Kong was mostly shaky and not a very enjoyable experience. Though it was a great ride the shakiness means the rider’s head is thrashed against the restraints. This also cost the ride some of its thrill.

Superman Ultimate Flight opened nearly a year ago at Six Flags and is one of the most popular rides. Industry experts have called it among the “Top 10 most anticipated theme park attractions of 2012.”

The rollercoaster is 15 stories tall and has a top speed of 62 mph, so the rider soars through the air like the Man of Steel of himself.

Superman Ultimate Flight is definitely one of the best rides in the park.

Buckled into a small cart, the rider is suddenly propelled forward and backwards before gradually coming to stop. One downside of this ride is the fact that the rider is only secured in with a bar over jis or her lap. Some people argue that this added to the thrill of the ride.

All of these rides offer something different, but some coasters were better than others.

In fifth place, the least enjoyable ride is Kong at Six Flags. With its jolting motions and jerky stops, this ride took the biggest toll on people’s bodies.

Fourth place is taken by Delirium. The ride was an exciting experience, but the threat of nausea afterwards caused the ride to drop its ranking.

In third place, Flight Deck was fun, suspenseful and a thrilling ride.

Taking second place is Medusa with its smooth ride throughout.  It makes riders feel like they were gliding through the air.

Out of all of these rides, the one that gave the most thrilling and exciting ride experience was Superman Ultimate Flight. Being the newest and the most exciting ride, it was a whole new experience and made the rider feel like Superman saving the world once again.

The exhilaration from these rollercoasters is the best way to kick off summer. People love a good thrill and we guarantee that these roller coasters are the biggest and best thrills in the Bay Area.

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Emily Mun, Editor In Chief
Caitlin Stein, News Editor
   

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