| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kingda Ka was an Intamin AG launched sit-down roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey.[1] It is the tallest and second fastest roller coaster in the world, claiming the titles from Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. The ride was the fifth Intamin Accelerator Coaster built when it opened in late 2005. It held the claim as the world's tallest roller coaster throughout its operating life as Falcon's Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya had not opened yet.
Experience[]
One of Kingda Ka's four trains advance out of the station after it is locked and checked. Next, it'll pass through the switch track and on to the hydraulic launch track.
History[]
On September 29, 2004, it was announced that Kingda Ka would be added to the Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in 2005. This announcement occurred at an event held for roller coaster enthusiasts and the media. The event revealed the park's goal to build "the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth", reaching 456 feet (139 m) and accelerating up to 128 mph (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. The ride would be part of the Golden Kingdom, an 11-acre (4.5 ha) themed area being developed at Six Flags Great Adventure. Six Flags CEO Kieran Burke said: "This is the first step in a process of really transforming Six Flags Great Adventure from the largest regional theme park in the world to a true regional destination."
Intamin subcontracted Stakotra to assist with construction. On January 13, 2005, workers completed Kingda Ka's tower with a topping out ceremony. For the ceremony, one 50-story crane was used to hoist two workers to the top of the ride; another crane lifted a 9,000-pound (4,100 kg) steel beam, with an American flag, to the ride's pinnacle. The ride was still under construction when the park opened for the season in March 2005. The attraction was originally scheduled to open on April 23, 2005, but its opening was delayed to May 21, as the park stated that more time was needed to complete testing. A media event was held two days prior on May 19, 2005.
Upon its opening, Kingda Ka became the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, taking both world records from Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. Intamin designed both Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster, and the two share a similar design and layout that differs primarily by the theme and the additional hill featured on Kingda Ka. Both rides were built by Stakotra and installed by Martin & Vleminckx. Though Kingda Ka was popular among both the general public and roller coaster enthusiasts, its use of relatively new technology meant that Six Flags Great Adventure had to hire a dedicated maintenance team for the ride. Because of maintenance issues, the ride was closed for almost two months during its first season, and it was closed for an additional three weeks at the beginning of the 2006 season. Kingda Ka continued to be the world's fastest coaster until Formula Rossa at Ferrari World opened in November 2010.
On August 29, 2013, Six Flags Great Adventure officially announced Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom for the 2014 season. The new attraction was attached to the Kingda Ka coaster. The drop tower features three gondolas integrated into the existing structure which was also built by Intamin. Kingda Ka closed at the start of the 2014 season in order to construct Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom on to Kingda Ka. Kingda Ka reopened on weekends on Memorial Day Weekend and fully reopened when Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom was completed on July 4, 2014.
Closure[]
On November 10, 2024, the coaster closed for the season as rumors started spreading about its permanent closure.[2][3] On November 14, 2024, Six Flags Great Adventure announced that Kingda Ka, Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, Green Lantern, Twister Top, and the parachute drop (the latter of which permanently closed in 2022) would all be removed from the park to make way for at least two new attractions, including The Flash: Vertical Velocity (which already started construction in 2024) and another record-breaking coaster in 2026.[4] Demolition began in January 2025 and the top hat structure was imploded on February 28, 2025.[5] The remains of the ride were sent to Klein Recycling in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey.[6]
World records[]
Kingda Ka is the tallest roller coaster in the world at 456 feet, and is the second-fastest roller coaster in the world, just behind Formula Rossa. Kingda Ka took the title as the world's tallest and fastest rollercoaster from Top Thrill Dragster in 2005. It had the title of fastest rollercoaster in the world taken from it in 2010 by Formula Rossa. The ride is still the fastest in the Americas. Even though Kingda Ka is known for being the tallest roller coaster in the world, Top Thrill Dragster broke the record first.
Incidents[]
The ride has a number of incidents, although they were all minor.
One was in June 2005, just months after the ride opened, when a bolt on the main hill came loose, causing the cart to go the incorrect speed, which then prevented the ride to be completed fully. The hill was redone after a brief closure.
In May 2009, lightning hit the main hill, damaging it. The hill had to be repaired after a two-month closure, and it was then reopened in August.
Occasionally, the ride might suffer a rollback, which is when the cart doesn't fully go over the main hill, and instead, goes back down the hill. This is common, and it always happens on Intamin rollercoasters. The cart has been designed with magnetic brakes, so it can rollback safely, and be launched again.
In August 2011, Hurricane Irene hit New Jersey and caused unspecific damage on the main hill and the other rollercoasters around it. The theme park was closed before the hurricane approached. The ride was repaired after a year of closure.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Six Flags Great Adventure website
- ↑ Online rumor sparks fear Great Adventure is closing Kingda Ka roller coaster by Matt Trapani, News 12. 2024-11-13.
- ↑ Official Statement Regarding Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure by Coliwood Studios, YouTube. 2024-11-13.
- ↑ Kingda Ka Roller Coaster to Be Removed for New Additions at Six Flags Great Adventure by Ken Knickerbocker, MSN. 2024-11-19.
- ↑ [Kingda Ka] implosion by CoasterGuy95, Reddit. 2025-02-28.
- ↑ [Kingda Ka] has arrived at the scrap yard by A_MAST, Reddit. 2025-03-07.
External links[]
- Kingda Ka - Six Flags Great Adventure at Six Flags (archived 2024-11-14)
- Kingda Ka at Coasterpedia
- Kingda Ka at the Roller Coaster DataBase
- Kingda Ka at the Six Flags Wiki
- Kingda Ka at Wikipedia