The
rollercoaster has come a long way since it was first patented in 1885, with the
first amusement park ride of this kind appearing at New York's Coney Island
measuring 600 feet long and 50 feet high.
1.
Behemoth, Wonderland Park, Toronto, Canada
Built in
2008, this $26 million project turned out to be the fastest and tallest
rollercoaster in Canada. Starting with an 85-degree descent and speeding up to
80 mph in 3.9 seconds, this ride has eight drops and double-banked horizontal
loops.
2.
Eejanaika, Fuji-Q Highland park, Yamanashi, Japan
Opened in
2006, this "fourth dimension" ride has seats that can rotate 360
degrees forward or backward in a controlled spin. It's the second of its kind
on the planet, (the first lives at Six Flags in the U.S.) but Eejanaika
surpasses its predecessor in both height and speed, rising 249 feet in the air,
and zooming a quick 78.3 mph.
3.
Tower of Terror, Queensland, Australia
Shooting
straight up into the sky on an L-shaped track, this magnetic induction shuttle
coaster runs on linear synchronous motors, which propels it into a free-floating
position, and then forces a drop to retrace its route backwards. At 100 mph,
it's one of the fastest roller coasters on the planet.
4.
Steel Dragon 2000, Nagashima Spa Land, Nagashima, Japan
Steel
Dragon 2000 boasts an impressive speed of 95 mph, but what's most remarkable is
that it gets to that speed by using only a traditional lift hill. It rises 318
feet in the air and at a length of 8,133 feet and a time span of four minutes,
this ride is the world's longest.
5.
Furius Baco, PortAventura, Spain
The seats
on this rollercoaster are placed on either side of the track, so passengers are
totally exposed on three sides and if you're the one on the outer edge, you get
an extra thrill of being completely out in the open, rushing in at an average
of 84 mph.
6.
Megafobia, Oakwood Coaster Country, Pembrokeshire, Wales
One of the
most respected wooden roller coasters, Megafobia runs on a twister-style
layout. Coming in at 100 seconds in time, standing at 85 feet tall and running
at 2,956 feet in length, Megafobia shows passengers that its old-time wooden
frame isn't something to be scoffed at.
7.
Nemesis, Alton Towers, England
Nemesis
has bragging rights for being Europe's first inverted roller coaster. Dangling
riders in its ski-lift-like seats, it loops and twists without mercy. Fun fact:
This ride won a world record in 2004 for having 32 passengers ride it without
wearing any clothes.
8.
Formula Rossa, Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi
Scheduled
to open in October 2010, this is quite literally a ride of the future. It's
anticipated to go from 0-100 mph in less than two seconds and peak at 149 mph
making it potentially the world's fastest rollercoaster once it opens. It will
climb 171 feet and shoot from indoors to outside the park.
9.
Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey
Kingda Ka
is technically the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the world. The ride
begins with a launch that rushes its passengers into 128 mph acceleration up
456 feet in the air and the descent is the 90-degree plunge.
10.
Bizarro, Six Flags, New England, Massachusetts
Racing at
77 mph and giving as much free-falling "air time" as possible,
Bizarro also happens to offer some of the most picturesque views of the
Connecticut River. This ride stands 208 feet tall but boasts a 221-foot dro by
descending from its high point into an underground tunnel after the first hill.
What is the fastest, scariest, most thrilling ride
you’ve experienced? Share your recommendations with some of our equally
adventurous readers in the box below.