BBC writer travels the world looking for scary roller coasters

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

Technology has transformed the theme park thrill ride, fuelling a global arms race to create the fastest, tallest, scariest roller coasters the world has ever known.

Read more from The BBC.

I've been to all those rides.
But I travel the world by YouTube...

^I was thinking the same thing when I saw the headline lol

Look no further than Magic Mountain. I'll never forget riding the original in the back row. Diving head first on the first drop is pretty crazy/ insane. And then throw in the flipping seats and other elements. One wild and scarry ride. I bought my on-ride photo, the only one I've ever purchased. I looked horrified in it.

Batman: Backwards sounds pretty nasty. But, I haven't ridden it.

Astroworld.....Gone But Not Forgotten

X/X2 was the biggest POS I've ridden to this day, and I've been on a decent number of rides. I hated that thing, and I even gave it a couple of chances.

There aren't many out there that I hold in less regard than that ride.

I had the exact opposite reaction. Have ridden it on 2 separate occasions (both in the original incarnation) and I can't get enough of that first drop from the back of the train. It's such a completely unique element which is actually "Holy ****" scary.

Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."

Every time I've ridden it, I've walked away with a headache. I wouldn't waste my time on it unless it had a very, very short line and I was with someone who hadn't ridden before.

X is one of those I'm terrified to eventually ride but am totally psyched for as well. I'm more scared about the roughness than anything else because I've heard many comments like Josh's about the jarring and vibration. I'm not a fan of Arrow, so...

"Look at us spinning out in the madness of a roller coaster" - Dave Matthews Band

Re: X2 - ride an inside seat. Riding up front minimizes the bounce as well (but the difference is nowhere near as great as the inside/outside one).

Not sure how it has aged, but the one time I rode X (in its second season, I think) I thought it was amazing. I'm sure that if I rode it many times it may wear off, but it was maybe the only ride I got off of and thought "what the hell just happened?"

You must be logged in to post