Bill Denver/for New York Daily News
Daily News reporter Jacob Osterhout gets into the swing of the new SkyScreamer ride at Six Flags in Jackson, N.J..
Get ready to hang on to your hats - and tight!
The new SkyScreamer ride at Six Flags Great Adventure park is not for those with a fear of heights or a penchant for motion sickness.
But if you like swinging in circles at 40 miles per hour with just a slim strap of canvas keeping you from falling 242 feet to the ground, this is the ride for you.
A 24-story-tall swing tower that can handle 32 riders at a time, SkyScreamer is the largest and most exciting new addition to the northeasts largest amusement park. Thats impressive, considering Great Adventure already houses the worlds tallest roller coaster, Kingda Ka, and the wooden roller coaster with the steepest drop, El Toro.
SkyScreamer has redefined our skyline, says park president John Fitzgerald, and will offer guests a 360-degree, birds-eye view of the property.
Indeed, the view from the top of the ride is quite impressive - if you can keep it in focus while swinging in a 98-foot circle.
By the end of the two-minute thrill, however, all the parks attractions seem like one big blur. Theres Skull Mountain and the Big Wheel and, oh my, Skull Mountain again.
Fortunately, riders on the SkyScreamer sit two across on the open air swings, so there is always a partner who can point out what youve missed. And dont forget,
one minute into the ride, the SkyScreamer slows down and gently drops 20 feet to give riders a calmer view before speeding up once again.
Despite the alarming name and extreme heights, this ride is meant to appeal to both adrenaline junkies and their more level-headed families.
Its the cornerstone of the amusement parks new Adventure Alley section, which caters to those looking for classic thrills with a retro vibe.
Other rides in Adventure Alley, which will be fully open by June, include a music-themed scrambler, a flying-elephant ride and bumper cars.
Roller coaster enthusiast Charlie Gobel, author of Flying With Frankie: Three Hundred Days in Amusement Parks Riding Roller Coasters With My Son, was on hand for SkyScreamers grand opening with his
offspring. And after a few swings on the ride, both father and son were impressed.
Theres nothing like this anywhere else in the country, said Gobel, a 60-year-old investment firm vice president from Rivervale, N.J. No ride goes up that high and swings that fast. Im lucky I didnt lose my lunch.
Frankie, 23, laughed at his father.
Hes right, this isnt your typical swing set, he said. Its not too intense for Mom or too dull for a teenager. Its the perfect family ride - assuming your family has a strong stomach.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
SkyScreamer opened Wednesday. Day passes to Six Flags (1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson, N.J.) cost between $ 41.99 and 61.99 for adults and $ 39.99 for kids. For more info, visit Sixflags.com.
0 comments on Six Flags debuts new SkyScreamer ride :
Post a Comment