When Six Flags Marine World decided that they wanted a world-class wooden coaster, they decided to take the easier route and use an already proven design.  They contracted Great Coasters International to build a clone of Roar, a wooden twister that stands at Six Flags America.

Marine World's version of Roar was built in 1999.  The ride stands 95-feet in the air, reaches a maximum speed of 50 mph, and features twenty-two crossovers.  The ride’s twister design allows the park to fit the 3,467-foot layout in a fairly compact area.

One aspect of the ride that separates Marine World’s version of Roar from the one in Six Flags America is the train design.  The 24-passenger trains feature an open front and look similar to the rolling stock used on roller coasters in the early 20^th century.

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The queue takes guests underneath the ride and leads them up a set of stairs into the station.  Once you enter the station, you board the unique trains and pull down the lap bar and fasten the restraining belt.  The trains are comfortable but don’t have a ton of legroom.

Once you leave the station, you pass through a small section of twisted track that leads to the 95-foot lift hill.  From the lift, you get a great view of the park’s newest coaster, Vertical Velocity.

Once you reach the top, you begin to soar down the 90-foot first drop, which twists to the right.  Now traveling at speeds of 50 mph, you head into the ride’s first fan turn, which offers a ton of laterals.  From the bottom of the fan turn, you take a left-hand banked turn into a hill, which provides a bit of airtime.  Coming out of the hill, you head into another fan turn, which results in more laterals.  This leads into another hill, which twists to the left.  From here, you fly over another small hill, which provides more negative Gs.

Next up, you head over another fan turn that takes you near the ride’s first drop.  This leads into a long segment of twisted track, partly enclosed by a 200-foot long tunnel.  Following this point, the train maneuvers through a banked turnaround and over a small dip.  After this, you head through one last banked turnaround and onto the final brake run.  You then navigate a long section of flat track and a few turns, and head back into the station.

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Roar is an awesome wooden twister with tons of laterals and a fun, twisted layout.  The ride is smooth, has great pacing, and a unique train design.  But if you are looking for a ride that delivers a ton of airtime, you won't find it with Roar.

However, if laterals and a twisted layout are your thing, then you will definitely be pleased with Roar, which is easily one of the best wooden coasters on the west coast.

• Lots of laterals

• Great pacing

• Unique train design

• Lacks airtime

-Jeff B.

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