It’s a long way to the top if you wanna Immelmann roll
Giga dive coaster on the way to Six Flags Over Texas
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, parks won’t be debuting a heckuva lot of new coasters and other attractions next year. According to rcdb, there were 255 new roller coasters scheduled to open worldwide in 2024. That number dropped to 218 for 2025 and has plummeted to 69 for 2026. (And a number of the new rides planned for the coming year are actually holdovers that were supposed to open previously.)
That being said, Six Flags Over Texas has a real humdinger coming to its midway that should generate some excitement in 2026. Tormenta Rampaging Run will be the world’s longest, fastest, and at a whopping 309 feet, tallest dive coaster. Let’s, er, dive into it.
First of all, let’s define what a dive coaster is for the uninitiated. Ride manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard introduced the concept in 1998 with Oblivion at Alton Towers in England. Extra-wide trains take passengers just beyond the precipice of a long, steep first drop and hold them in that dicey position for what seems like an eternity (but is really only a few nerve-wracking moments) before finally releasing them into a dive. Through the years, the drops have been getting longer and steeper. After climbing 309 feet, Tormenta Rampaging Run’s trains will plummet 285 feet at a hairy 95-degree angle (that’s beyond vertical, folks) and accelerate to 87 mph.
I’ve taken the dive on the current record-holder, Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto, which climbs 245 feet and hits 80 mph. Hanging at the top, my heart was pounding in anticipation of the ensuing madness, and the drop was sublimely stunning. It’s hard (but fun) to imagine how much more stunning and unsettling the Texas dive coaster will be by tacking on another 64 feet and revving up an additional 7 mph.
After the drop, Tormenta Rampaging Run will soar up into a 218-foot Immelmann roll. The inversion element, which is a staple on most B&M dive coasters, is named after a WWI pilot known for his stunt maneuvers. It begins by sending passengers into a vertical loop and then inverting them so that they head away from the loop. Being upside down 218 feet in the air–a record for an Immelmann roll–should be a heady heels-over-head experience. That will be followed by a 179-foot-tall vertical loop, which will be another world record. It’ll be 19 feet taller than the wowza loop on Full Throttle at Magic Mountain, and that one takes my breath away. After that, there’s a mid-course brake run followed by another drop (but without the hold-and-hang feature) and other elements along the 4,199-foot-long course.
About the ride’s name: The coaster will be located in the Spain section of the the original Six Flags park in a new village the park is calling Rancho de la Tormenta. There will also be a new restaurant, Cocina Abuela. The “rampaging run” refers to Spain’s running of the bulls. That prompted People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to ask Six Flags to reconsider the name, saying it celebrates animal cruelty. Yeesh. Hey PETA, how about focusing your attention and energy on actual animal cruelty?
As for Six Flags’ claims that the new coaster will break six world records, they are all true. But some of the qualifications are dubious (as is often the case when parks breathlessly announce their new rides). For example, “highest 95-degree beyond vertical drop” is quite specific. Less in-the-know folks (not you or your fellow ATPers of course) might generalize the claims and infer that the new coaster will be the tallest and fastest coaster of any kind. Still, at 309 feet Tormenta Rampaging Run will be the world’s sixth tallest coaster, and its 87 mph speed will clock in as the tenth fastest coaster. And that’s no bull.
What’s your reaction to the new Six Flags coaster? Do you enjoy dive coasters?
I rode Griffon and Sheikra shortly after they opened and loved both of them. I especially loved having 8 to 10 people in a row with me. And I loved the splashdowns at the end. I only have ridden one other dive coaster which is Valravn. While this one was larger, I didn't like it as much as it had nothing extra like a splashdown or tunnel. I'll definitely ride a dive coaster at a park but won't go to a park for a dive coaster.