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Almost all roller coasters have
one main feature in
common
-
while riding them, you are in a sitting
position. However, a few rides require a different position to ride, such
as the Flying Dutchman, where riders lay down, and the stand-up coaster, where
riders stand, not sit.
Standing tall at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia,
CA
is The Riddler's Revenge: the world's tallest, fastest, and most twisted
stand up coaster.
Built in 1998 by roller coaster
geniuses Bolliger and
Mabillard, Riddler's Revenge stands 156-foot in the air and sends riders flying
at speeds of 65 mph. The ride is the second B&M coaster
to
be
installed
at
Six
Flags
Magic
Mountain
-
the first being
Batman: The Ride.
.............
The ride's
boarding station is equipped with flashing green lights and techno music is
played. Once you enter the trains, you straddle the bicycle seat, pull
down your restraint and lock in the safety belt. Before long, you are
heading towards the lift hill.
Once you reach the
top of the lift, you
head
over the
standard B&M dip, and then
fly
down
an incredible 146-foot drop, which twists to
the left. As you reach the bottom, you begin to feel the strong positive
g's. You then head into the ride's first
inversion
-
a 124-foot vertical loop, which offers a ton of hang time at the top.
From the bottom of the
first inversion, you enter the first of two diving loops. These
disorienting inversions also feature a ton of hang time at the top. After the second dive loop, you
enter an inclined loop, which is a standard loop that is tilted 45°. After this, you hit a small bunny
hop, which gives some great airtime, and make a upward right-hand turn into the
mid-course brakes.
The brakes
are applied very lightly; coming off the bake run, you take a surprisingly fun
dip into the first of two barrel rolls. After you exit the barrel roll,
you take a left hand turn into a bunny hop, which offers some more
airtime. Next up, you travel through a spiral and then down a dip into the
ride's final inversion, another barrel roll, which travels over the queue line.
Your three-minute
journey concludes with a right-hand banked turn into the final brake run.
.............
Riddler's Revenge is
one of B&M's
finest
projects
to
date. The ride is very smooth, fast, fun, and disorienting. The
only
major
flaw
of
the
ride
is
the
lack
of intensity and forces. But if you are looking for an awesome stand-up
coaster with a wide variety of elements, then be sure not to miss The Riddler's
Revenge.
Rating: 8/10
Pluses:
-
Wide
variety of elements
-
Smooth
-
Hang time
Minuses:
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