File photo \/ The Shorthorn staff<\/a><\/p>\nThe Tormenta Rampaging\u00a0Run, the world\u2019s first giga-dive coaster, according to a Six Flags press release, is set to break multiple records, and opened to guests Thursday. <\/p>\n
Tony Clark, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation regional manager of public relations, said a giga coaster is any roller coaster that is 300-399 feet, combine that with the classic dive coaster, and a giga-dive coaster is born. <\/p>\n
The Tormenta, while a feat in itself, isn\u2019t the park’s first foray into record-breaking coasters. <\/p>\n
In 1990, Six Flags opened one of its first record-breaking coasters, The Texas Giant. <\/p>\n
The Texas Giant was the world’s tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster, according to Six Flags Over Texas Source, the park\u2019s online guide. <\/p>\n
Boasting 900,000 feet of lumber, 1,200 concrete piers, 10 tons of nails and 81,270 bolts, the $5.5 million dollar attraction became one of the most popular roller coasters of the decade. <\/p>\n
In 1998 and 1999, the coaster won Amusement Today\u2019s Golden Ticket Award for \u201cBest Wooden Coaster,\u201d though the coaster\u2019s popularity would soon wane in the 2000s, according to the guide. <\/p>\n
The coaster was temporarily closed in 2009 as Six Flags Over Texas decided it was time for the ride to be given new life. <\/p>\n
The ride reopened in 2011 as a new hybrid rollercoaster with a 10-foot increase to its lift hill and donning the name The New Texas Giant. <\/p>\n
Eleven years after the original Texas Giant entered Arlington\u2019s skyline, Six Flags opened its second record-breaking coaster \u2014 Titan. <\/p>\n
In November 2000, during an interview with Ultimate Rollercoaster, Timothy L. Baldwin, at the time south central regional representative for the American Coaster Enthusiasts, said The Texas Giant gained worldwide attention for its unprecedented heights in wooden coasters. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo have a steel coaster tower 100 feet taller than the Giant is a massive undertaking that will have coaster fans counting the days until its premier,\u201d Baldwin said.<\/p>\n
When first built, Titan became the state\u2019s tallest roller coaster, reaching heights of 245 feet, according to Six Flags Over Texas Source. Even with its tremendous height, the ride’s largest drop would go further, measuring 255 feet due to an underground tunnel. <\/p>\n
Reaching speeds up to 90 mph, the ride installed a misting system to ensure the wheels didn\u2019t melt, ensuring safe operations for those seeking the high-speed thriller. <\/p>\n
The $25 million dollar ride was part of the park\u2019s 40 year anniversary season, much like its descendant, Tormenta. <\/p>\n
In celebration of the park\u2019s 65 year anniversary season, Tormenta will stretch Arlington\u2019s skyline. <\/p>\n
The ride has broken six world records; tallest dive coaster at 309 feet, highest 95 degree beyond vertical drop at 285 feet, fastest dive coaster at 87 mph, highest immelmann inversion at 218 feet, tallest vertical coaster loop at 179 feet and longest dive coaster at 4,199 feet. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe technology of this ride is really about building the dive coaster, but building at a higher height,\u201d Clark said. <\/p>\n
As if the height itself wasn\u2019t enough of a thrill, the ride pauses for three seconds after reaching the top of the 285-foot, 95 degree beyond vertical drop, giving riders a view of the far reaching ground below. <\/p>\n
\u201cTormenta Rampaging Run is just the beginning of the investments and changes we\u2019re making to Six Flags Over Texas,\u201d Clark said. \u201cThis is just the start.\u201d <\/p>\n
@noahloganlittle<\/p>\n
news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Six Flags Over Texas at Arlington is a theme park featuring shows, games, food and over 45 rides.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":368142,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[150,152,151,992,56915],"class_list":["post-368141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arlington","tag-arlington","tag-arlington-headlines","tag-arlington-news","tag-city","tag-life_and_entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=368141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/368142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=368141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=368141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=368141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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