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Scariest Roller Coasters in the World

You’ll either be smiling or barfing after riding one of the many scariest roller coasters of the world.

By George GottPublished 8 years ago 8 min read
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Some roller coasters have rotten personalities, and are some of meanest sons of bitches that ever rattled man. They give you a headache and bruised ribs, and some roller coasters make you wait three hours in line for a 60 second thrill ride. With roller coasters, as with everything else, there is the good and the bad that comes along with these rides combined with its own personality. Roller coaster buffs travel the country hunting for the cleverest, highest, fastest, steepest, meanest ride. These people have strong opinions, and these opinions, along with my own experiences, are the basis for the following craziest and scariest roller coasters list.

An Act of Rebellion

Image via Daily Dot

Why do people ride roller coasters? Most will say it's the only place in society where a person is allowed to scream their heads off. Dr. Lawrence Balter, professor of psychology at New York University, attributes riding coasters as an act of rebellion, “rebellion against parents who made us behave. . . . The ‘Look, ma, no hands!’ bit shows that you've left their sheltering arms.” But many coaster buffs scoff at this. They say that they first rode a roller coaster on a dare, were scared silly and became determined to lick their fear.

How safe are roller coasters? The fears that cars will jump the track and that passengers will be thrown out are unfounded. Cars cannot jump the track, because special under track wheels prevent them from flying upward and side friction wheels keep them on course. Passengers cannot be thrown out, because an iron bar that is locked across the passenger's lap can be released only by an attendant, or by a special track device at the end of the ride. Almost all accidents are caused by passengers either standing or changing seats. Either by law or for insurance reasons, roller coasters must be inspected every day—board by board.

Feel safe? Then consider this: During a two-minute ride, your weight is stretched 2.7 times the force of gravity. If you weigh 100 pounds, you'll go to 270 at the bottom of hills and through sharp curves—and that’s nothing compared with what's being done to your mind.

Our criterion was rather clear-cut. It's not the height, curves, or speed that make a great roller coaster. It's how these hills, curves and drops are combined and paced. It's the total ride. Contrasting wood and steel coasters, wood shapes to a curve better and has give. A metal coaster gives a tight ride and tends to bruise the rider with the abruptness of its transitions but they can out perform in a way wooden coasters cannot. So while you get your adrenaline ready, here are the best and craziest roller coasters in the world that will throw you for a loop.

Formula Rossa, Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Image via YouTube

Don’t blink or you’ll miss it! The Formula Rossa, located in Abu Dhabi at Ferrari World, as of 2016 is the fastest roller coaster in the world. The Formula One-inspired ride uses a hydraulic launch system to launch the coaster across a flat stretch of track. The coaster goes from 0 to 100 mph in just two seconds, quickly outpacing the acceleration times of even the fastest commercially available automobiles. By the end of the 1.4-mile course, the coaster tops 150 mph and exerts a staggering 1.7Gs of force. Riders are even required to wear a pair of sky diving goggle during the ride, helping to protect them against the elements that could prove harmful at such speeds.

Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ, USA

Image via Six Flags

Before Formula Rossa swooped in and claimed the Fastest Roller coaster title, Kingda Ka, located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson New Jersey USA, was, as its name would imply, the king of both speed and height. At a height of 456 feet, this is the tallest coaster in the world and was the first time I threw up in my mouth and had to swallow it. This roller coaster zooms at a face-distorting 128 mph acceleration paired with the dizzying height will take your breath away, literally.

Takabisha, Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan

Image via Fast Japan

This ride is not for the weak of heart. The Takabisha in Japan has a stomach-turning 121 degree drop angle at a 141 foot drop, which holds the Guinness World Record title of the steepest steel roller coaster in the world. The word ‘Takabisha’ roughly translates "high-handed" or "domineering" in English.The Japanese name is is a pun, in that the three kanji in the name literally mean ‘high fly car’. With speeds of 62 mph and sharp 180° turns, this roller coaster is sure to make someone barf their retainer out.

The Smiler, Alton Towers, Staffordshire, UK 

Image via Ace Online

You either might be smiling or crying after this crazy ride. The Smiler is a steel roller coaster located at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. It features 14 inversions and holds the world record for most inversions on a steel roller coaster. A key feature of the ride is the large spider-like structure that serves as a center point for the coaster track, called ‘The Marmaliser’ with the distinct function to manipulate riders into "smiling". It is also equipped with a wraparound screen, which displays graphics and video relating to the theme of the ride. The track is divided into 5 block sections, permitting up to 5 cars to be moving on the ride at once.

Colossos, Heide Park, Soltau, Germany 

Image via Imascore

Unlike traditional wooden roller coasters, Colossos at Heide Park in Soltau, Lower Saxony, Germany was prefabricated, meaning the tracks were laser cut in a factory to achieve a higher degree of precision. Colossus is actually the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in Europe and the tallest operating roller coaster in the world! It has a whopping height of 198 feet and a crazy drop of 159 feet. The rides maximum speed can reach up to 74.6 mph! Tempted to ride?

The Beast, Kings Island, Mason, Ohio, USA

Image via Theme Park Tourist

When The Beast opened in 1979, it was the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world, but has since lost that title. However, the Beast is still the longest wooden coaster in the world and the longest roller coaster in the US. It spans more than 35 acres utilizing the surrounding terrain for many of its design. It also features a lengthy ride time that lasts more than four minutes. Get used to wearing a neck brace because you’ll sure to have permanent whiplash after riding this Beast!

Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri, USA 

Image via Adventures By Daddy

The Outlaw Run is known as being the first wooden roller coaster with multiple inversions, in which riders are turned upside-down and then back upright, the 2,937-foot-long ride features three inversions and a top speed of 68 miles per hour making the Outlaw Run the fourth-fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. The 162-foot-tall first drop of the ride is the second steepest in the world among wooden roller coasters, at 81 degrees beyond horizontal angle. Be sure to keep your hands in the rides as to avoid any splinters as you are twisted around by this monster.

Millennium Force, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, USA

Image via Cedar Point

Since its debut, Millennium Force at Cedar Point, has been voted the number one steel roller coaster ten times in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards and called called a ‘milestone in roller coaster history’. Upon completion in 2000, Millennium broke six world records and was the world's first ‘Giga Coaster’, a roller coaster that exceeds 300 feet in height. It was briefly the tallest and fastest in the world until Steel Dragon 2000 opened later the same year. It was the first roller coaster to use a cable lift system rather than a traditional chain lift. The coaster has a 310 ft (94 m), 45-degree lift hill with a 300 ft (91 m) drop and features two tunnels, three over banked turns, and four hills. It has a top speed of 93 mph. Attracting over 20 million riders as of 2012, Millennium Force changed the way roller coasters were built and this is the reason why people still wait on the longest wait line in the world, almost 4 hours!

Cyclone, Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, USA

Image via Wikimedia

Arguably the most famous roller coaster in the world, the Cyclone in Coney Island, New York will scare the pants off you even today. It has frightened over 10,000,000 riders and counting, including everyone from Grace Kelly to Al Сapone. But don't think this is just a historic landmark ride; the Cyclone is an unholy terror! The first drop is 85 feet, but it feels like 150, and the curves equal or better any ride in the world. Is it any wonder that the Cyclone has been used in efforts to cure coughs, smoking, stuttering, hiccups and even blindness? The proof of the ride’s unmitigated violence is the array of objects that have been found below its tracks: wallets, wigs, earrings, false teeth, glasses, shoes—even a bra!

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About the Creator

George Gott

Writer & Social Media Editor for Jerrickmedia who is an avid reader of sci-fi and a fierce defender of women, minority, and LGBTQ rights.

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