It didn’t take long to find out what will happen to the recently closed Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Just 11 days after closing the 36 year old wooden racing/dueling coaster, Magic Mountain announced today that they will be bringing back the ride as a new hybrid steel and wood coaster called Twisted Colossus.
According to the park, Twisted Colossus will be a “world-record-breaking hybrid coaster…(with) an unprecedented, awe-inspiring four-minute journey through nearly 5,000 feet of track and two lift hills.” Park president Bonnie Rabjohn said of the new ride, “innovation will go to an extreme level with record-breaking elements, faster speeds and steeper banks. This cutting-edge technology marries the best of both classic and modern coaster designs. It is definitely a twist on a traditional wooden coaster experience.” The new coaster will consist of two dueling trains, but it looks like it will actually be one continuous track. The “blue” track will turn into the “green” track, and the first and second lift hill will be next to each other (hopefully well synced). This dueling set-up will allow some pretty amazing design elements, particularly when combined with the hybrid design. Some of the highlights include:
- The first “High Five” element in North America, which was made famous by the Dauling Dragon coaster at Happy Valley in China
- A “Top Gun Stall” element where the trains will slow during an inversion
- A Zero-G roll where the tracks will twist over each other
High Five!
Not surprisingly, the coaster is being built by Rocky Mountain Construction, known for their wood-to-steel work on Texas Giant and Iron Rattler. The design will use the same Iron Horse Track featured on those rides. The dueling aspect of the ride will be a first for RMC, and it will be the longest hybrid coaster ever built. Check out the intro video below for an even better rendering of the new design:
Twisted Colossus Facts
- “Top Gun Stall”
- Western Hemisphere’s first “High Five”
- Zero G Roll
- A staggering 128-foot drop at an amazing 80-degrees
- 18 airtime hills
- Two lift hills
- Four minutes of thrills on nearly 5,000 feet of track – longest hybrid coaster in the world
Zero-G!
Another interesting note from the Six Flags press release, apparently Twisted Colossus will be the focal point of a whole new area called Back Alley. The park describes it as an area “where guests can expect the unexpected through whimsical experiences in entertainment, food and retail.” It seems safe to expect some future announcements about the entertainment and shops that will be built around the new coaster. Construction on Twisted Colossus has already started, with a target opening for Spring 2015.
For more information on the release, check out the official page here: https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/attractions/twisted-colossus/overview
Although it’s sad to lose the iconic Colossus, I’m pretty excited that the West Coast is getting a Rocky Mountain ride, and the first hybrid dueling coaster looks like it’s going to be pretty awesome. The biggest challenege seems like it will be getting the trains lined up to actually duel (without completely stopping the train on the second lift to wait for the first one). A high-five doesn’t work if the trains aren’t there at the same time, right? I’m very curious to see how they handle that. Any thoughts on the new Twisted Colossus? Share them below!
Twisted Colossus looks like it ought to be very promising. Those that predicted Colossus getting Rocky Mountain Construction’s steel I-box (or iron horse) re-track were truly in luck. I assume that a “Six Flags New England Announces Wicked Cyclone” story could be in the works… since Six Flags and RMC are pulling off two transformations for 2015.