Goliath is a steel roller coaster

Steel roller coaster

A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...

 made by Giovanola

Giovanola

Giovanola Freres SA was one of the prominent thrill ride manufacturers in the world. It was well-known for thrill rides and also built electrical power stations, water storage tanks, pipelines, highway bridges, and many other steel products. The company started out as a small metal forging shop,...

 of Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. The hypercoaster

Hypercoaster

A hypercoaster can mean one of two things:*Any continuous-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop measuring greater than 200 feetOr, more narrowly:*A style or model of roller coaster with three features:**A height of 200–299 feet...

 is located in the Colossus County Fair area of Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain is a theme park located in Valencia, California north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 30, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name Six Flags to the park's title. In...

 in Valencia

Valencia, California

Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 and is promoted with a sub-tropical theme that is characterized by ruins of the ancient Mayan civilization. The ride is nearly identical to Titan

Titan (roller coaster)

Titan is a steel hyper coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. Unlike most hypercoasters, Titan is a combination of an out and back roller coaster and a twister roller coaster.- Ride History :...

 at Six Flags Over Texas

Six Flags Over Texas

Six Flags Over Texas is a major amusement park located in Arlington, Texas , east of Fort Worth and about west of Dallas. It is the oldest park of the Six Flags chain. The park opened on August 5, 1961 following just a year of construction and an initial investment of US$10 million by real estate...

.

During a brief period from its opening on February 11 to May 13, 2000, Goliath's 255 feet (77.7 m) opening drop was recognized as the longest and fastest (85 mph) on a closed-circuit roller coaster in the world. Millennium Force

Millennium Force

Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster built by Intamin located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It is the fourteenth roller coaster built at the park since the Blue Streak opened in 1964. Standing 310 feet tall at its highest point, the coaster overlooks Lake Erie.On a clear...

at Cedar Point

Cedar Point

Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...

 eclipsed these records when it opened on May 13, 2000 with a drop of 300 feet (91.4 m) and speeds of 93 mi/h.

Ride Experience

Once dispatched from the station, the train makes a nearly 180 degree right turn. The train then ascends the ride's lift hill, reaching a height of 235 ft (71.6 m). The lift hill slows down at the top, a safety feature that both reduces stress on the chain and increases anticipation for the drop. The train begins accelerating down the initial 255 ft (77.7 m) drop, into the underground tunnel, reaching a speed of 85 MPH. Upon exiting the tunnel, the train heads upwards into a banked right turn that towers above Colossus, Six Flags Magic Mountain's major wooden roller coaster. After completing the turn, the train heads down another drop, flattening out to pass by the onride camera. An airtime hill and banked left turn into the mid-course brake run follow. The train is decelerated quickly and makes a hard left turn out of the brake section. Another 180 degree banked turn directs the train into a 585 degree, descending helix. Then, the train heads upwards and banks left. Finally, after an ascending right turn, the train reaches the final brake run.

Facts

• There is a 120 feet (36.6 m) long tunnel at the bottom of the first drop.
• Ride capacity: 1,600 passengers per hour
• There are three five-car 30-passenger trains, with two abreast seating.
• Near vertical 61-degree first drop
• A small error was made while the ride's parts were being manufactured by Giovanola. The very last track piece before the final brake run was about 6 inches (15.2 cm) too short. The mistake was found while the final piece was being bolted to the ride, and a supplementary track piece had to be made to fill the 6 inches (15.2 cm) gap.

Blacking Out

Some riders get tunnel vision while riding Goliath during the helixes, while a few black out. This is due to the high g force sustained during the helixes.

External links

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

Golden Ticket Awards: Best Steel Coaster
Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Ranking	18	14	14	18	18	20	24