X-Flight: America's First Winged Coaster

NBC Chicago: It's called X-Flight and it's meant to feel like you're flying.

"Defy gravity on our ground-breaking wing coaster with no track above or below you," reads the plug for Six Flags Great America's new roller coaster.

The amusement park chain announced Thursday X-Flight will open in 2012 in Gurnee as a 55 mph coaster that climbs 12 stories, boasts zero-g rolls and 3,000 feet of drops -- all without customary track below or above cars.

Riders sit in pairs on either side of a main track with their feet dangling. Per the theme, rides will "fly" top-speed toward a structure before making a last-minute vertical flip.

"We're the first to announce plans for a wing coaster in the U.S.," according to a statement from the park.

X-Flight was designed by the Swiss manufacturer that designed Raging Bull, Superman and Batman rides at the park. The coaster debuts in spring.

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World's First Transformers Ride to Open in December

eTravelBlackboardAsia: Universal Studios Singapore announced that it will debut the world’s first TRANSFORMERS ride this December, allowing its guests to be among the first to experience the blockbuster theme park attraction, aptly named TRANSFORMERS The Ride.

Based on the iconic brand from Hasbro and the popular film franchise directed by Michael Bay, who is also the creative consultant for the thrill ride, it will tell an original TRANSFORMERS tale using realistic high definition 3D media, sophisticated visual effects, and one of the most elaborate roaming flight simulator systems ever integrated into a ride-car vehicle.

Setting a new standard in immersive theme park attractions, TRANSFORMERS The Ride brings to life the story of the battle between the heroic AUTOBOTS and the villainous DECEPTICONS. Guests will be transported into the world of TRANSFORMERS as members of the Human-AUTOBOT alliance called N.E.S.T., giving them the chance to ‘Live The Movies™’ and putting them right in the thick of the action protecting the Allspark from the DECEPTICONS.

Mr. Dennis Gilbert, Senior Vice President of Attractions at Resorts World Sentosa, said: “The extension of the TRANSFORMERS movie franchise into a theme park thrill ride is an exciting part of the natural progression. This blockbuster, which made waves around the world with its stunning special effects and non-stop action, is the perfect recipe for a dynamic, thrilling theme park ride like none before it.”

Mr. Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative, said: “This ride is truly one of a kind, pushing the boundaries of hyperrealism. We are proud to continue the traditions of partnering with filmmakers to bring movie magic to our attractions. Working with the immensely talented director Michael Bay as the ride’s creative consultant has been extraordinary. TRANSFORMERS The Ride will tap into the larger-than-life characters and deliver an epic ride experience of a lifetime, thrilling guests from around the world when it opens at Universal Studios Singapore in December 2011 and Universal Studios Hollywood in Spring 2012.”

Licensed from Hasbro, Inc. and in association with Dreamworks SKG, the attraction also enlisted the award-winning Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), a division of Lucasfilm Ltd., which created the visual effects for the movie franchise, to produce ground-breaking visionary special effects and 3-D images exclusively for the ride.

TRANSFORMERS The Ride at Universal Studios Singapore, Southeast Asia’s first and only Universal Studios theme park, will reside in the Sci-Fi City zone, which is also currently home to the world’s tallest dueling roller coasters – Battlestar Galactica: Human and Battlestar Galactica: Cylon.

A brand new blog dedicated to everything TRANSFORMERS The Ride has also been set up as a one-stop destination for the latest information, updates, behind-the-scenes stories and sneak peeks of the attraction, at http://tftheride.rwsentosablog.com.

Guests who wish to experience TRANSFORMERS The Ride this December can contact their preferred travel agents for the best deals to Resorts World Sentosa and Universal Studios Singapore, or visit www.rwsentosa.com to make their reservations.

TRANSFORMERS, the first in the film’s trilogy, debuted in 2007 and garnered three Academy Award® nominations. The first sequel, TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen, opened in 2009 and earned an Academy Award® nomination. The third film in the franchise, TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon, opened on 29 June 2011 with stellar box office results worldwide. The three TRANSFORMERS films were directed and jointly executive produced by Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg, and released by Paramount Pictures. Spielberg also serves as creative consultant to Universal Studios Singapore.

Man Says He Was Blinded on Harry Potter Ride

Carlos Montalvo rode the Dragon Challenge at Universal's Islands of Adventure on Sunday and says he has permanently lost vision in his right eye. Montalvo said something hit him in the face as the coaster moved along, and he was in pain and bloodied. Universal said it is doing everything it can to assist the Montalvos.

"We spent hours after the incident thoroughly inspecting and re-inspecting the ride, the ride vehicles, the tracks and the area underneath the tracks. We found absolutely nothing that could have contributed to this incident," said Universal spokesman Tom Schroder.
 
The dual coasters were re-opened Monday afternoon. Montalvo’s attorney, Clay Mitchell of Morgan and Morgan, will be speaking with Montalvo Wednesday. Montalvo said the whole ordeal has been a nightmare and he is in a lot of pain.

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23 Riders Stuck on Disney Coaster

KTLA: Nearly two-dozen people had to be rescued when a roller-coaster at Disneyland's California Adventure theme park came to a halt Friday afternoon.

According to the Anaheim Fire Department, an object fell from one of the cars on the California Screamin' ride around 6:30 p.m. Friday.

The object, later identified to be a backpack, fell onto the track while ride was upside down, causing the ride to stop.

Firefighters used ladders to rescue all 23 riders. No injuries were reported

The bag was removed from the track and the ride was not reopened Friday, according to Disney officials.

In 2005, 33 people were injured on the roller-coaster when the brakes failed.

Hersheypark Using Clues to Hype New 2012 Mystery Ride

Model built using clues for Hersheypark's new project

PennLive: After months of silence, Hersheypark is starting to ratchet up the hype around its new project — code name “Attraction 2012.” Like a game of “Clue” for roller coaster fans, the park has once again started dropping hints around the Internet. Follow the clues, and they could unlock the mystery of the new ride.

It’s all part of an elaborate marketing strategy designed to generate buzz.

Hersheypark has been down this road before. When it announced Fahrenheit in 2007, it conducted a viral marketing campaign filled with twists and turns. But what fans say is different this time around is the depth and detail involved — fake Web pages, hidden messages, foreign languages and symbolism abound.

The clues will also be coming more frequently. A website dedicated to the attraction promises to release four new “studies” every Monday over the next four weeks.

“Honestly, the idea of a viral ad campaign like this for a theme park ride is quite unique,” said Lance Hart, creator and operator of screamscape.com, one of the leading amusement park news websites. He’s been following the campaign since it started in the fall. “The only other time I had ever seen one was as a lead-in to Hersheypark’s last big coaster, Fahrenheit, and that one was ... very mild by comparison to where I think this one is heading,” Hart said in an email.

Officially, the park has released few details about the ride since its initial discussions with Derry Township last fall. However, earlier this month Hershey Entertainment & Resorts was required to file a building permit with the township. There were few details included, except for a map that shows a possible serpentine layout of the new ride in the Comet Hollow section of the park.

Hersheypark officials are staying pretty mum about their plans. They did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment. However, in an interview earlier this month, park General Manager Frank O’Connell chuckled when asked about the construction under way in the park.

“We’re building a slushy stand,” was all he would say.

Hart said that in the past, viral campaigns in which organizations drop hints piecemeal have been used to tease movies and video games to much success. “I think people in general enjoy a good mystery story,” he wrote. “And the chance to be the one to solve that mystery is just too tempting to ignore.”

At the center of the game is the Ride Institute of Technology, a fictitious roller coaster think-tank. In October, the Ride Institute was introduced to a trio of local fans who were visiting the park. They were directed to a website for the institute, which they believe contained clues about the park’s new ride. But for the last several months the park and the RIT website have been quiet.

Not any more.

Just days after Hersheypark opened for the spring season, the institute is back with a new website and promises of more clues over the next few months. “I’m actually getting more interested in the site than what they’re building,” said Chris Cronrath, a co-founder of Keystonethrills.megabb.com, a website where people talk about amusement park news. “It’s a fun read ... and it kind of reminds me of the TV show ‘Lost.’”

Like “Lost,” there are puzzle pieces scattered around for people to find. One of the most recent — three logos for the Ride Technology Institute that have appeared on three industry Web pages. Stare at the images long enough and they flash four numbers, part of what appears to be a 12-digit series.

Finding all 12 numbers could be the key to a code, or lead to yet another riddle. The updated website also promises it will release four “studies” over the next several weeks. The studies, purported to be about propulsion, gravity, materials and interdisciplinary studies, are expected to contain more clues about the ride.

There are also more direct links with Hersheypark. One of the website’s pages features “distinguished alumni” — some of whom are park employees, Cronrath said.

Meanwhile, within the park itself, construction has started in the Comet Hollow area. The building permit filed by the park didn’t provide many details, since amusement parks are exempted from providing land development plans to local municipalities if they’re adding features within their boundaries.

However, the permit did include plans showing the location of the ride’s support foundations — and what appears to be a possible track connecting the dots.

Eric Geiple is one of the people following the project’s progress with the KeystoneThrills group. As clues have leaked out, he’s been mapping what could be the ride’s course through the park. He found the building permit’s plans fascinating.

“You can easily see where the creek runs and where it runs around the Comet,” he wrote in an email. “It also looks to have a lot of low turns with some high air-time hills in the middle.” That has him leaning toward an Intamin-designed roller coaster, the Swiss firm that designed Fahrenheit, he said.

Other fans are leaning toward the design firm Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, the designers of the Great Bear.

Sheriff Says Theme Park Violated Coaster Policy

AP: A double-amputee Iraq War veteran who was hurled off a towering roller coaster to his death never should have been allowed on the ride, but park operators will face no criminal charges despite violating park policy, authorities said Wednesday.

Signs at the Ride of Steel roller coaster at Darien Lake Theme Park & Resort clearly state riders "must have two legs," Genesee County Sheriff Gary Maha said.

Sgt. James Hackemer died Friday when he was thrown from the last and second-highest of three hills on the coaster. He fell about 150 feet and landed on a grassy area at the park, which is between Rochester and Buffalo.

"He didn't have the physical attributes to hold him in," Maha said.

Investigators found no criminal activity, including intent. Yet the ride operators, who were not identified, "clearly knew" Hackemer shouldn't have been riding but offered no explanation for why they let him on.

"Darien Lake violated their own policies and procedures by letting him get on the ride," Maha said.

A promotional photograph taken automatically shows Hackemer's college-age nephew, Ashton Luffred, looking straight ahead in the moments after the accident, his face without expression and his hands on the safety bar in front of him. Authorities aren't releasing the photo.

Maha said Luffred was in a state of shock after the accident but told police Hackemer didn't say anything to indicate he was worried about falling off the ride. Maha said park operators clearly violated policy by letting Hackemer on the ride but won't face criminal charges.

Civil liability could be determined later if a lawsuit is filed, he said. Hackemer's relatives have said they do not hold the theme park responsible. Maha said the state labor department is still investigating the mechanics and safety of the ride but have indicated to him that the coaster was operating correctly.

Hackemer was missing all of his left leg and most of his right leg and was not wearing prosthetic limbs when he was thrown from the ride. The 29-year-old father of two had lost both his legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2008 and was on a family outing when the accident happened.

A funeral service for Hackemer is planned for Thursday in his hometown of Gowanda. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The car pulled into the loading station with the lap bar and seatbelt still in place, Maha said.

The ride is still closed pending the state labor department probe.

Congressman Renews Push for Ride Legislation

TheDaily News: A Massachusetts Congressman, who has advocated for changing oversight of amusement park rides for more than a decade, said he is planning to renew his push for legislation following Friday night’s death at Darien Lake Theme Park Resort.

Sgt. James T. Hackemer, 29, of Gowanda, an Army vet who lost both legs in Iraq, died after falling from the Ride of Steel while the roller coaster was in operation.

Democrat Edward J. Markey has been trying for years to pass a bill that he says will close a loophole regarding oversight of amusement park rides. His bill, the National Amusement Park Ride Safety Act, would allow the Consumer Product Safety Commission to inspect all amusement park rides. The CPSC, the government’s top safety watchdog, currently inspects only mobile amusement rides, such as those that travel around the country to county fairs.

In New York State, the state Department of Labor inspects amusement park rides, both fixed — such as those at Darien Lake — and mobile rides. Inspections of fixed rides are done annually, typically a few weeks before they open for the season. Mobile rides must be examined each time they are set up.

The Ride of Steel will remain closed until the investigation is complete, according to Darien Lake’s website. The ride will also need to be reinspected by the state Department of Labor.

Markey announced via Twitter late Saturday night that he intended to reintroduce his bill. In the 10:26 p.m. “tweet” at his Twitter account, @MarkeyMemo, the representative said: “Will intro #rollercoaster safety leg in wake of tragic Darien Theme Park accident. Need to close loophole in oversight of amuse park rides.”

Markey has said his bill, among other changes, would restore the CPSC’s ability to oversee fixed-site amusement park rides, a job the Commission had until 1981 when an amendment to the Consumer Product Safety Act was passed removing language that gave the Commission responsibility over fixed rides.

Markey’s bill would amend the Act to expand the definition of a consumer product to include “amusement rides permanently fixed to a site.” The change would give the CPSC authority to investigate accidents at amusement parks. The CPSC would then be able to share information with operators of the same rides in other states before accidents occur and develop and enforce plans to correct problems. The CPSC would also be able to compile comprehensive safety information for consumers.

Such changes would prevent accidents before they occur by ensuring that safety corrections found necessary on one ride in one state are implement on all similar rides in all states, Markey has said in several news releases regarding his bill.

Markey has introduced the legislation in nearly every Congress since 1999, but the bill has repeatedly failed in committee votes.

The representative’s crusade began in the summer of 1999 following what he termed an “epidemic” of accidents.

In 2000, as the amusement park industry was at the height of its race to build ever taller and faster roller coasters, Markey asked the National Institute of Health to study the effects of G forces on the human body. The request came after the journal “Neurology”published a study suggesting roller coasters were responsible for four cases in which otherwise healthy human beings had developed bleeding on the brain.

While Markey has been consistently advocating the legislation, he has said that each time it is introduced the amusement park industry works to stop the bill from moving forward in Congress.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions has issued several statements in response to Markey’s bill, saying it “seeks to address a problem that does not exist,” and that “the safety of our guests is our top priority.” The IAAPA statements have cited the industry’s “outstanding” safety record and noted that the frequently-introduced bill has garnered little support in Congress.

Iraq War Vet Dies in Fall from Roller Coaster

An Iraq war veteran who lost both legs in a 2008 IED attack was killed Friday in an accident at the Darien Lake (New York) Theme Park. Sgt. James Hackemer, 29, fell from the Ride of Steel roller coaster at approximately 5:30 p.m.

The park describes the Ride of Steel as one of the tallest coasters east of the Mississippi, climbing more than 200 feet and reaching speeds over 68 mph. The coaster and the surrounding area were closed after the incident as police and the park investigated. The park has since reopened.

Genesse County Police Sergeant Sergeant Greg Walker still believes the ride is safe and that visitors have no reason to stay away. He says it doesn't appear a mechanical issue caused the rider to be ejected.

Sgt. Hackemer was a double amputee, who lost his right leg below the knee and his left leg below the hip. He was at the Darien Lake Theme Park with his sister and his children.

World's Steepest Roller Coaster Opens

Daily Mail: It’s a theme park ride with not only attitude – but altitude.

So it was with some trepidation that thrill seekers embarked on the first public test of the terrifyingly Takabisha, the world’s steepest roller coaster.

Screams of delight and fright echoed though Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park, in the shadow of Mount Fuji in Japan, as riders plummeted 141ft in a single vertical drop.

But there is little time to enjoy the view of snow-capped mountain as the ride lasts just 112 seconds . The nerve-jangling plunge comes amid seven stomach-flipping twists over nearly two miles of track.

The ride's designers have called in adjudicators from the Guinness Book of World Records, which ratified that the drop, involving a 121-degree freefall, is the steepest on any attraction anywhere in the world.

Takabisha, which translates as 'dominant' in English, relies on a combination of gravity and a set of linear motors on the cars. These accelerate the coaster to speeds of 100 kmph (62 mph). Riders experience weightlessness as they 'nosedive' down the sharp incline, before later being plunged into darkness.

Costing an eye-watering 3 billion yen (around $37.2 million) to build, Takabisha will grab the title of 'ride with the steepest incline' from a British attraction, Mumbo Jumbo at Flamingoland in the UK. The popular Yorkshire theme park has held the record since July 2009.

Mumbo Jumbo, which cost £5 million ($8.02 million) to design and build, has an incline of 112 degrees and puts riders under a force of 4Gs, similar to those experienced by fighter pilots.

Fuji-Q is no stranger to records - this will be the 14th Guinness-recognized mark set by the park.

However, when it comes to speed, the world's fastest rollercoaster is still Formula Rossa, which can be found at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. This speeds riders around its tracks at 150mph.

Riders Stuck on Roller Coaster for 7 Hours

Herald Scotland: Roller-coaster fans at Scotland’s largest theme park were given a longer ride than expected when a faulty lift-chain left them trapped onboard for nearly seven hours. Police and fire crews were called to North Lanarkshire’s M&D’s fairground yesterday afternoon after the roller-coaster screeched to a halt, leaving nine adults and children stranded.

Safety systems on the Tsumani ride kicked into action just after 4pm when a lift chain on the ride broke, leaving passengers held in their seats by safety bars that would not open. Police began bringing people down from the ride just after 9pm, with the rescue taking more than two hours to complete. Bystanders said those stranded, including two primary children on a school trip, took the breakdown in good humor.

No passengers were injured and theme-park staff climbed to the top of the roller coaster and handed out bottled water.

A spokesman for M&Ds said passengers were never in any danger as the ride is designed to come safely to a halt if there is a mechanical malfunction. He added: “This is a rare occurrence but we did everything possible to try and keep the passengers comfortable while our staff and the emergency services worked to resolve the issue.”

Billed by the theme park as Scotland’s scariest roller-coaster, the Tsumani is an inverted roller-coaster 650 metres long, travelling of speeds up to 65kph. The ride performs corkscrew twists and loops upside down but fortunately those stuck 20 metres in the air at the top of the Tsumani were sitting upright.

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue confirmed a crew attended the scene but was not required.

Six people were stranded on a rollercoaster at M&Ds in 2009 for about an hour after high winds activated safety systems. The five women and a man, who were on a works funday, were stranded 40ft above the ground at the bottom of a dip on the Tornado ride.

Six Flags Magic Mountain Sets World Record

The Independent: The Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park in California has broken a global record for the most roller coasters in one park, with the debut of a new coaster themed around the DC Comics hero Green Lantern.

The new ride, which opened June 30, is the first coaster in the US which follows a vertical track, with riders moving up 107 feet (33 meters) into the air and then dropping down the structure along a 825-foot (250-meter) track.

To compensate for the lack of sideways movements, Green Lantern: First Flight spins passengers round independently of the track, up to three 360-degree spins for each ride.

Before boarding the eight-person pods of the ride, guests pass through two "pre-show" rooms which give instructions on how to overcome anxiety and become as fearless as the story's legend, Hal Jordan, the first Earthman to ever join the Green Lantern Corps.

The addition of the Green Lantern ride makes Six Flags' Magic Mountain the world's most roller-coaster filled theme park, boasting 18 different rides featuring everything from comic themes such as Superman and Batman to Samurai-themed attractions and Looney Tunes characters.

Until June 30, it shared the title with Cedar Point theme park in Ohio, which despite welcoming more visitors than Magic Mountain, features only 17 roller coasters (and three water rides).

The Green Lantern movie opened in the US, UK, Canada and several other countries in June, but isn't set to debut globally until the end of August.

Disney Planning Another Ride-Inspired Film

Disney's Matterhorn

The Province: As its fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film races to the billion-dollar mark at the worldwide box office, Disney is developing an adventure movie based on another theme-park attraction.

This time it's the Matterhorn rollercoaster ride, also known as the Matterhorn Bobsleds, which has been part of Disneyland's Fantasyland section since 1959.

The studio has hired Jason Dean Hall to write a script for the project, which has a working title of The Hill. The idea is to do a thrilling, fast-paced movie centring on five young adventure seekers who, for mysterious reasons, are called to the top of the mountain and encounter Yetis on the journey down.

The Matterhorn ride was inspired by Walt Disney's desire for a tobogganthemed roller-coaster, as well as a trip to Switzerland, the location of the famed Matterhorn mountain. The ride, a centrepiece of the park, was refurbished in 1978, with one of the upgrades being the addition of three automatronic Abominable Snowmen, or yetis, who growl at riders.

Adapting rides into films is clearly a priority for Disney. Pirates of the Caribbean is the most successful of the ridesturned-movies, generating $3.7 billion worldwide over four films.

A movie was made out of the Haunted Mansion and another is being developed. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a Disney film, then a theme park ride, and is now being rebooted as a David Fincher film. But the ultimate theme park movie might be Disney's Magic Kingdom, which is set entirely in the park. That project is being developed by writer Michael Chabon and director Jon Favreau.

Japanese Theme Park to Launch Record-Breaking Coaster

The Independent: A Japanese theme park is about to launch a roller coaster with the world's steepest vertical drop.

The Takabisha ride is scheduled to open at the Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park near the base of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi prefecture on July 16 and will feature seven major twists over its 1,000-meter length, a sharp rise to a peak of 43 meters - which triggers a moment of weightlessness before riders take what the operator of the ride describes as "a nosedive" - and sections that plunge riders into complete darkness.

The part of the ride that is ground-breaking, however, is the breakneck freefall at 121 degrees. The park has applied to the Guinness Book of World Records to have the ride certified as the steepest in the world.
Thanks to the assistance of linear motors on the cars - as well as the effects of gravity - riders on the Y3 billion ($42 million) attraction will reach a speed of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour and the ride will last for just 112 seconds.

Once the ride has been certified, it will be the 14th Guinness World Record set by Fuji-Q. The park is already home to the Fujiyama ride, Dodompa and Eejanaika, putting the park among the leading venues in the world for thrill-seekers.

The Kingda Ka ride at the Six Flags Great Adventure park in New Jersey is the present holder of the title of the tallest steel roller coaster in the world, at 139 meters, with a maximum vertical drop of 127 meters. The prize for the fastest coaster goes to the Formula Rossa at Ferrari World, in Abu Dhabi, which only opened last November and reaches an impressive speed of 240 kph (149 mph).

The record that Takabisha is looking to overhaul has been held by the Mumbo Jumbo ride at Flamingoland in Yorkshire, northern England since July 2009. With an incline of only 112 degrees, Takabisha will be fully 9 degrees steeper for the riders.

Admission to Takabisha is Y1,000 ($14) after an entrance fee to the park has been paid, but there are restrictions on the age and height of anyone wanting to take the ride.

Roller Coaster Fan Living His Dream

Karol Gajda

USA Today: It's the ultimate summer fantasy. Or nightmare, depending on your perspective.

But if you ask Karol Gajda, he's living the dream as he attempts to ride every roller coaster in the USA. The quest will take him three months, 13,000 miles, and land him on 300 coasters, give or take a few.

The obvious question is: Why? The answer: Because he can. Gajda, 30, characterizes himself as merely a "fan" -- as opposed to the more hard-core coaster "enthusiast." And as such, his mission is more about the project than the coasters themselves.

"My goal in life is to inspire people to dream big and do fun things," he says. "This is just an example of that."

I caught up with him Friday while he was taking a break in Portland, Ore. (He was there to attend the World Domination Summit, which is about non-conformity, not global control, but that's another story.)

Gajda started the trip on May 21 in Michigan and by Day 13, when we spoke, he had knocked off 30 or so coasters in seven amusement parks. He's limiting the quest to adult coasters -- by his definition those that go at least 50 mph and have a minimum 100-foot drop. Kiddy coasters would be problematic for the 6-foot-5-incher, he explains.

He's blogging about the experience at rollercoastertour.com. But he isn't reviewing the rides, per se. "Ratings are so personal and plenty of websites do that already," he says.

Gajda does share his preferences, however. For instance, he doesn't really like corkscrew coasters. (They're uncomfortable for a guy of his stature.) And though he's always been into the faster steel coasters, the old-fashioned wooden variety are growing on him. "There's a weird beauty about them," Gajda says.

At any rate, he adds, the project is about more than coasters.

We sense a metaphor coming on, and sure enough…"In a way, life is a roller coaster, isn't it?" Gajda says. "And this is about doing things you want to do and not living the life other people want you to live."

Two years ago, Gajda sold all his possessions and began traveling. He had been living in the Orlando area, where, he notes, he did not spend an inordinate amount of time at the area's theme parks.

Gajda considered buying a used hearse for this extended road trip, figuring it'd draw attention to the project. But he nixed the idea after a test drive in which he discovered that hearses don't have adjustable front seats. (His height issues, again.) So instead, he's cruising the country in his dad's not-as-head-turning, but reliable, 2000 Grand Prix.

He'll wind up in mid-August at Cedar Point in Ohio, which is fitting since that's the park where he first rode coasters as a kid.

Contact him via his website if you want to ride along.

Six Flags Magic Mountain Unveils "Road Runner"

The-Signal: With a pop of colorful confetti and the snip of a red ribbon, Six Flags Magic Mountain heralded the opening of its 17th roller coaster Saturday as the Valencia theme park celebrates its 40th anniversary.

The roller coaster Road Runner Express is located in Bugs Bunny World, and was designed as a family coaster, giving the 8- to 12-year-old “tween” crowd a chance to experience pint-sized thrills. The ride travels up a 28-foot lift hill and races around a 368-foot track at speeds reaching 20 mph.

The grand opening comes as the theme park is gearing up for its 40th anniversary celebration with the opening of the roller coaster Green Lantern: First Flight in June, along with the addition of a number of other new shows and performances.

“This 40th season is really going to be one of the most memorable in our history,” Six Flags Magic Mountain Park President Bonnie Rabjohn said. A group of 10 kids from the Boys & Girls Club of SCV were among the first to experience the coaster themed around cartoon character Wile E. Coyote and his battle to catch Road Runner.

“It was good,” 10-year-old Joana Gil said, with a smile. “It was fast. It was awesome!” And while Joana isn’t tall enough to ride roller coasters like Goliath and Viper, she is looking forward to the day when she’s ready. “I can take them,” she said.

Experts: Roller Coasters Getting Bigger, Faster and More Dangerous

HULIQ: The sharp turns, ups and downs, and high speeds of today's roller coasters bring a lot of thrills, but they also killed a 46-year-old man who fell from a roller coaster and later died in Houston at the end of March, while a 3-year-old boy was killed in a Chicago suburb after falling out of a roller coaster April 2; thus, the roller coaster season is underway with expected injuries in the thousands nationwide during the spring and summer amusement park seasons, say experts.

Roller coaster injuries and even deaths are not uncommon, states the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Moreover, amusement park rides may be the cause of unexplained head, neck and back injuries seen in accident and emergency department, say doctors. At the same time, it’s up to individual states and various U.S. government agencies to inspect and regulate “amusement rides.”

"The likelihood of being injured on a ride, injured enough to require a visit to an overnight hospital stay, is one in 10 million," said Beth Robertson,  spokeswoman for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.. "The chances of being fatally injured are one in 790 million."

While those are pretty good odds if you’re a roller coaster fan thinking of hitting the parks this spring and summer season, there’s some other factors to consider, says Bill Avery, president of Orlando-based Avery Safety Consulting.

“For one thing, people might feel banged-up after a ride, but shrug it off during their visits. They wake up the next morning, and they can't move, and they go to the ER. And they find out they have a broken neck," explained Avery, a former amusement park ride industry safety expert who often serves as an expert witness in lawsuits involving amusement park injuries.

Moreover, ongoing roller coaster investigations by the British government have examined “the root causes of injuries and deaths on amusement rides in England.” Those studies found incidents occurred when G-force levels were within established limits of human tolerability.

"The G-forces were still important, but considered of secondary importance due to modifying factors related to the ergonomics of the passenger containment system as a whole," the British study reported.

“We’re concerned roller coaster G-forces will reach and exceed the body’s threshold of tolerance, giving rise to a wave of amusement park injuries each year,” stated Dr. Robert Braksiek, who also noted the British study of roller coaster incidents.

The Busch Gardens Tampa Bay web site notes how the park “will introduce a new breed of speed that invites guests to celebrate the spirit of the cheetah. This new generation of thrills emerges from the crossroads where up-close animal encounters and awe inspiring rides come together.”

The Busch Gardens web site also notes that “the centerpiece of the new attraction is Cheetah Hunt, a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) Launch Coaster that uses the force of repelling magnets to launch riders from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds - not once, but three times.”

Moreover, the popular web site ultimaterollercoaster.com points to those “must ride” attractions at amusement and theme parks that offer what kids want, pointing to roller coasters that are “big and fast, intimidating and scary.”

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