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Goliath (Six Flags Over Georgia)
Encyclopedia
Goliath is a hyper coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia
. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard
and opened in April 2006, Goliath reaches a height of 200 feet (61 m), and a top speed of 70 mi/h. Its 4480 feet (1,365.5 m) of track is spread out over an 8.5 acres (34,398.3 m²) site. Goliath is the third of five roller coasters built by Six Flags Theme Parks
to carry the name, but each of the rides is a unique design.
Construction began in earnest after the removal of the two closed attractions, with the main structure completed in early 2006. After testing and media previews, Goliath debuted to the public on April 1, 2006.
television series). This would suggest that Goliath is a vision of the future as seen during the early days of the Space Age
.
roller coaster and two other attractions in a single bound. The second drop, the tallest on the ride at 175 feet (53.3 m), travels down towards the park's entrance road and out of the park grounds. At the bottom of the hill, the roller coaster makes another left turn above a pond and climbs again. The third hill leads to a 129 feet (39.3 m) drop, also over water.
Goliath starts its return trip by climbing to the top of a 540-degree spiral, making a full circle and half of another as it descends. After another hill, the roller coaster then enters a sharply-banked right turn, returning to the station via a series of smaller hills. Goliath's on-ride camera
takes the riders' photographs before the train makes a final left-hand turn with a short hop onto the brakes, ending the ride.
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
and opened in April 2006, Goliath reaches a height of 200 feet (61 m), and a top speed of 70 mi/h. Its 4480 feet (1,365.5 m) of track is spread out over an 8.5 acres (34,398.3 m²) site. Goliath is the third of five roller coasters built by Six Flags Theme Parks
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
to carry the name, but each of the rides is a unique design.
Attraction history
In August 2005, Six Flags Over Georgia announced it was closing down its long-standing Great Gasp attraction, as well as its lesser-known Looping Starship, to make way for a future attraction. Goliath was first hinted at in a teaser flier sent to media outlets, with the official announcement made September 1, 2005.Construction began in earnest after the removal of the two closed attractions, with the main structure completed in early 2006. After testing and media previews, Goliath debuted to the public on April 1, 2006.
Theme
Goliath's station is located in the park's USA section. In the early 1990s, the section was renovated and given a theme reminiscent of 1950s America, as evidenced by its Dee Jay's Diner restaurant and Drive-In theater. On the surface, an ultra-modern roller coaster would seem thematically out of place. However, the attraction's queue uses many novelty music tracks from the 1950s, all with science-fiction or outer-space themes (including both versions of the theme song to the Lost in SpaceLost in Space
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
television series). This would suggest that Goliath is a vision of the future as seen during the early days of the Space Age
Space Age
The Space Age is a time period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events. The Space Age is generally considered to have begun with Sputnik...
.
Trains and Station
Goliath features open, side-less trains with individual lap bar restraints. There are a total of 2 trains, and each train seats 4 across and has 9 rows for a total of 36 seats.Track layout
Goliath begins as the coaster leaves the station and turns left to start up the 200 feet (61 m) lift hill. Upon reaching the top, it drops 170 feet (51.8 m) to the midway below. The roller coaster angles to the left slightly as it climbs the second hill, crossing over the Georgia ScorcherGeorgia Scorcher
Georgia Scorcher is a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. The second design from Bolliger & Mabillard to be built at the park, Georgia Scorcher opened in May 1999 as the last new stand-up roller coaster to have been constructed anywhere on Earth...
roller coaster and two other attractions in a single bound. The second drop, the tallest on the ride at 175 feet (53.3 m), travels down towards the park's entrance road and out of the park grounds. At the bottom of the hill, the roller coaster makes another left turn above a pond and climbs again. The third hill leads to a 129 feet (39.3 m) drop, also over water.
Goliath starts its return trip by climbing to the top of a 540-degree spiral, making a full circle and half of another as it descends. After another hill, the roller coaster then enters a sharply-banked right turn, returning to the station via a series of smaller hills. Goliath's on-ride camera
On-ride camera
An on-ride camera is a camera mounted alongside the track of a roller coaster, log flume or other thrill ride that automatically photographs all of the riders on each passing vehicle. They are often mounted at the most intense or fastest part of the ride, resulting in humorously distorted...
takes the riders' photographs before the train makes a final left-hand turn with a short hop onto the brakes, ending the ride.
Awards
| Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Ranking | ||||||