Goliath

Goliath
Location	Six Flags Magic Mountain
Park section	Colossus County Fair
Type	Steel
Status	Open
Opened	February 11, 2000
Manufacturer	Giovanola
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Hyper twister Coaster
Track layout	out-and-back
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	235 ft (72 m)
Drop	255 ft (78 m)
Length	4,500 ft (1,400 m)
Max speed	85 mph (137 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	3:00
Max vertical angle	61°
Capacity	1,600 riders per hour
Cost	$30,000,000
Max G force	4.5
Height restriction	4 ft 0 in (122 cm)
Goliath at RCDB Pictures of Goliath at RCDB
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Goliath is a steel roller coaster made by Giovanola of Switzerland. The hypercoaster is located in the Colossus County Fair area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.

During a brief period from its opening on February 11 to May 13, 2000, Goliath's 255-foot (78 m) opening drop was the longest and fastest (85 mph) on a complete-circuit roller coaster in the world. Millennium Force at Cedar Point eclipsed Goliath when it opened on May 13, 2000 with a drop of 300 feet (91 m) and speeds of 93 mph (150 km/h). Recently, it received a fresh coat of new paint to tip off the 2010 season.

The ride

Riders make a right U-turn out of the station before being lifted up the hill. After the U-turn, a chain lift pulls the train up to a height of 235 feet (72 m), and then descends down a 255-foot (78 m) drop at a 61-degree angle, reaching a top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h) while traveling through a 120-foot (37 m) long underground tunnel. After exiting the tunnel, the train climbs up a towering right-banked turn and descends down through a steep twist. The train then travels over a large hill, banks left, and then slows down into a mid-course brake run (this allows for multiple trains on the track, as it can stop a train if the next train has not cleared the next section of track). After exiting the trim brakes, the train then drops through a left-banked turn before traveling through a right overbanked turn. The train then enters a double helix to the right, followed by another banked turn to the left, then right again before being stopped by a final brake run. Goliath is a very popular roller coaster at the park and it is a park favorite of many guests.

The Titan at Six Flags Over Texas is almost identical to Goliath.Titan goes through a 540 degree helix before the brake run, but Goliath goes right up a turn, and the station on Titan is slightly lower in height.

Media appearances

During the Zoey 101 episode "Roller Coaster" where Michael faces his fear of roller coasters, footage of the Goliath and of Christopher Massey riding it in the front row are played at the end of the episode. In the show, the ride is known as "The Spine Twister". However, the initial theme park shots are not of Six Flags Magic Mountain, but of Kennywood in West Mifflin, PA. The coaster shown therefore is the Morgan Manufacturing built Phantom's Revenge.

In the episode "Emotional Rollercoaster" of The King of Queens, Doug and Carrie appear in Six Flags Magic Mountain as Doug wishes to ride Goliath. He then has nerves after waiting hours in line. Meanwhile, Decan and Arthur stroll around the Bugs Bunny playland area.

External links

• Goliath at RCDB
• Goliath at the official Six Flags Magic Mountain website
• Goliath video onride pov

Coordinates: 34°25′37″N 118°35′49″W / 34.42694°N 118.59694°W / 34.42694; -118.59694