'DAVIDS' MEET GOLIATH NEW COASTER AT SIX FLAGS THRILLS RIDERS.Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - Hundreds of ``Davids'' from across the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. are in for quite a ride today when they answer Six Flags For the national flags of Texas, see . Six Flags (NYSE: SIX) is the world's largest chain of amusement parks and theme parks and is headquartered in New York City. There are 20 such parks run by Six Flags. California's dare to brave Goliath, its newest megacoaster with the park's highest vertical drop. Thrill-seeking theme park employees and guests treated to sneak-preview rides say there's plenty to scream about - particularly its initial 61-degree, 255-foot drop that gives riders a brief sensation of weightlessness weightlessness, the absence of any observable effects of gravitation. This condition is experienced by an observer when he and his immediate surroundings are allowed to move freely in the local gravitational field. before descending into a dark underground tunnel. The peak towers 125 feet above Colossus Colossus - (A huge and ancient statue on the Greek island of Rhodes). 1. tallest drop before Goliath's completion last week. `'This is the best drop in the park,'' said a winded Brendan Hooley, 23, of Van Nuys, after riding Goliath. ``You just drop and drop and drop into this black hole, with all this mist and smoke hitting you in the face. It's this incredible experience.'' Magic Mountain officially will unveil Goliath today with a promotion giving free rides for roughly 225 men and women with advance reservations - and the first or last names of ``David,'' a reference to the ``David and Goliath'' of Biblical legend. The park is closed today to non-Davids, but will reopen to the public Friday. Goliath, estimated by industry insiders to cost $17 million, sports a ``lost civilization'' decor that comes with tropical foliage, piped-in sounds of tribal drums and screeching birds. Six months of construction and testing wrapped up last week. Engineers designed the ride, they said, to attract thrill-seekers who don't like roller coasters While there have been hundreds of different roller coasters built, there have been just a few that were notable for specific reasons. Some reasons include:
Goliath has no loops, but the coaster's fastest segments reach speeds of 85 mph, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Magic Mountain officials. Five-car trains carry 30 riders at a time over 4,500 feet of track that twist through a smoke-filled tunnel, high-speed turns resembling a double helix double helix n. The coiled structure of a double-stranded DNA molecule in which strands linked by hydrogen bonds form a spiral configuration. Also called DNA helix, Watson-Crick helix. , and over 700-feet of zero-gravity ``camel back'' hills. But 30-year-old Racquel Decipeda of Sun Valley, who is vision-impaired and rides roller coasters throughout the United States every year, said Goliath's greatest feature is its 255-foot plunge. ``The rush from that first drop - that was definitely the best part,'' she said. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Goliath, Six Flags California's newest roller coaster, was a hit with riders. (2 -- color in AV edition only) Goliath, which leaves riders briefly weightless, towers over the roller coaster Colossus. (3 -- color -- ran in AV edition only) Goliath has plenty to attract right- side-up thrill seekers, who got a sneak preview Wednesday. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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