JACKSON – There was a series of loud explosions heard within the township recently but it was all planned and it notes the end of a familiar attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure.
Kingda Ka was the tallest and second-fastest roller coaster in the world but it was brought down in a controlled implosion, crumbling into a pile of rubble around 7 a.m. on February 28. The implosion went ahead of schedule as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office posted a warning to residents on Facebook that they may hear “a series of rapid explosions” coming from the township theme park between 9 and 10 a.m.
The roller coaster had survived various routine mechanical failures that precipitated months-long closures. It also endured occasional lawsuits from injured riders and even a lightning strike.
The king passed on some two months prior to its 20th birthday. Six Flags management proclaimed it the “King of Coasters” when it opened to great fanfare in 2005, shooting riders up a 456-foot tall “top hat” hill at speeds of up to 128 miles per hour.
This made Kingda Ka, at the time, the fastest roller coaster on the planet. The top hat crested over the wooded area, and its bright green track and bright orange cars could be visible for quite a distance on a clear summer day.
The height record held through its lifetime, but the speed record was broken by Formula Rossa, a coaster at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. That coaster opened in 2010 and boasts a top speed of 149 miles per hour.
Kingda Ka fell to the ground with great speed as well. It was only a matter of seconds, concluding its two-decade run as one of the world’s most famous roller coasters of all time.
Six Flags Great Adventure management called its demise part of the park’s “growth and dedication to delivering exceptional new experiences.” In November, Six Flags announced that the coaster would be retired to make room for $1 billion in investments.
Park President Brian Bacica noted in a statement at that time that “we understand that saying goodbye to beloved rides can be difficult, and we appreciate our guests’ passion. These changes are an important part of our growth and dedication to delivering exceptional new experiences.”
Demolition day saw area residents and roller coaster fans taking one last gaze at Kingda Ka before the implosion occurred but when one icon goes another takes its place and the theme park is already gearing up for its newest attraction that will be here in a flash.
The Flash or rather “The Flash Vertical Velocity” will have a red-carpet ceremony preview later this month. The ride is named after the popular DC Comics superhero.
The scarlet speedster is a crimson costumed, yellow booted and golden winged crusader of justice seen in two live TV series, one motion picture plus various animated series and in the Warner Brothers Justice League feature film.
The Flash emerged on the comics scene in 1940 and got a revamp to the version most pop culture fans are familiar with in 1956. This will be the first-look at North America’s first super boomerang coaster.
