roller coasters

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Man Climbs Sandy-Hit Coaster, Plants Flag

38-year-old arrested for trespassing

(Newser) - Daring and patriotic, or reckless and stupid? You be the judge: A 38-year-old man was arrested today after climbing a roller coaster that had been swept out to sea by Hurricane Sandy and planting an American flag on it, NBC 4 New York reports. Christopher Angulo reached the coaster via...

Dozen Stuck on Roller Coaster for Hours

Newly-opened Superman ride leaves passengers hanging in California

(Newser) - A dozen Six Flags visitors expected to soar like Superman yesterday; instead, they got stuck in the air for two hours. The Superman Ultimate Flight ride at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in northern California stopped working when twelve riders were 150 feet in the air, at the ride's peak,...

Why Wooden Roller Coasters Give 'Out of Control' Thrills

Chad Miller's Voyage: the world's best roller coaster?

(Newser) - Any job with lingo like "head choppers" and "air time" has got to be fun. And this one certainly is: designing wooden roller coasters. In a profile of Chad Miller, the "rock star" of wooden roller coaster designers, the New York Times looks at his company, Gravity...

Park Won't Face Charges in Amputee's Coaster Death

Darien Lake violated its own policy

(Newser) - 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 the New York park's operators will face no criminal charges despite violating their own policy, authorities said today. Signs at the Ride of Steel...

Amputee Vet Killed in Coaster Accident

James Hackemer was thrown from ride

(Newser) - Rough story from the Darien Lake amusement park in upstate New York: A 29-year-old man who lost both legs in the Iraqi war is dead after falling out of a 200-foot-high roller coaster. James Hackemer lost his limbs to a roadside bomb in 2008 and just barely survived. "We...

Mailman Blames Thievery on Rollercoaster, Dodges Jail

Disney's Thunder Mountain induced PTSD: lawyer

(Newser) - A British postman escaped a jail sentence by blaming his repeated mail theft on a rollercoaster. An August ride on Disney’s Thunder Mountain prompted flashbacks of a childhood schoolbus accident that killed eight and hospitalized the future mail carrier, his lawyer told the court. The flashbacks led to post-traumatic...

Toddler Dies in Roller Coaster Fall

Twin boy, 3, apparently slipped out from under safety bar

(Newser) - A 3-year-old boy apparently managed to slip out from under a safety bar on a roller coaster and plunged to his death at a Chicago amusement park. Jayson Dansby was riding with his twin brother when he wriggled from his seat on the child-sized Python Pit roller coaster, stood up,...

Harry Potter Roller Coaster Makes Space for Fat Muggles

Orlando ride adds seats for the obese

(Newser) - Universal Orlando's "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" ride is no longer a forbidden journey for larger riders. The theme park—which received complaints from many plus-sized Muggles who were turned away from the popular ride—has altered the cars to accommodate obese passengers, ABC News reports.

I Now Pronounce You Carnival Ride and Wife

(Newser) - A Pennsylvania woman will take her new spouse's last name, but they can't live together—the object of her affection is an amusement park ride. Amy Wolfe is so devoted to the "1000 Nachts“ gondola at Knoebels Amusement Resort that she rides it 300 times a year, the Sun ...

Coney Island's Astroland to Shut Down

Owner of legendary amusement park can't strike deal on lease

(Newser) - The iconic Astroland, one of two theme parks on New York’s Coney Island, will close for good on Sunday, the New York Post reports. Owner Carol Albert said she couldn't strike a lease deal with the 46-year-old site's developer and landlord. The park’s historic (and bruising) Cyclone rollercoaster...

Roller Coaster Decapitates South Carolina Teen

He wasn't on the ride but got hit while walking in a restricted area

(Newser) - A teenager was decapitated by a roller coaster after he hopped a pair of fences and entered a restricted area today at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities said. Officials are uncertain why the 17-year-old from Columbia, SC, scaled two 6-foot fences and ignored signs that said the restricted area was...

World's 10 Best Thrill Rides
 World's 10 Best Thrill Rides 
TRAVEL
Jun 7, 2008 6:01 AM CDT

World's 10 Best Thrill Rides

Rides featuring heart-stopping plunges and gravity-defying loops

(Newser) - For intense thrill-seekers blessed with strong stomachs, the Boston Globe offers this list of the 10 scariest rides on the planet:
  • Superman Ride of Steel, Six Flags New England, Agawam, Mass.: Speeds of more than 77 mph and a 221-foot drop into a tunnel.
  • X2, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia,
...

Coney Island on Track for Ritzy Makeover

Fans grumble at cyclone-speed gentrification

(Newser) - Landmark Brooklyn amusement park Coney Island is set to undergo a major makeover as an upscale techno-theme park with ritzy retail space and timeshare towers, the Washington Post reports. Thor Equities bought much of the six-block thrill park and officials hope to launch the $1.5B renovation in 18 months—...

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