Six Flags Great Adventure reports the steel roller coaster at its Jackson, N.J. amusement park will close, and the final ride will come this weekend, as the park makes room for a major new attraction for its 2011 season.
History of the Six Flags' Roller Coaster "GASM"
The Great American Scream Machine, or GASM, was once one of the longest, tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world, in addition to having a patriotic name that drew coaster fans to the Six Flags park.
The GASM opened April 15, 1989 and sits in the Boardwalk section of the Six Flags Great Adventure park in Ocean County, N.J.
The steel coaster is a sit-down style, custom designed by Arrow Dynamics and operating since 1989. It stands in the spot of the former Sarajevo Bobsled roller coaster, which was closed in 1988, when removal began in preparation for GASM’s construction, according to the site Great Adventure History.
GASM operated as a popular ride in the thrill park, providing a maximum of 1680 guests an hour a thrill ride with a double loop, double corkscrew, “batwing” and an S-bend on the ride.
During the height of its popularity, the lines for GASM spilled out of the queue house waiting for a chance to ride one of the park's most popular coasters. Great Adventure had a variety of souvenirs for passengers brave enough to ride the GASM, manufacturing T-shirts, mugs, pendants and more to commemorate the guest's thrill. Six Flags geared much of its 1990s advertising toward capturing further excitement for the GASM, but as more rides were added to the changing Six Flags Great Adventure landscape, the GASM was eclipsed by the current largest ride at the park, Kingda Ka (45 stories high at 128 mph), which opened in 2005.
GASM was also the first ride in the park to wrap its cars in advertising. Sponsor ads are also seen on the platforms to GASM.
According to Great Adventure History, few replacements and modifications were made over the more than two decades of GASM's life. Some of the inverted loops were replaced, and brake functions were modified to provide a smoother ride in keeping with newly built coasters.
On July 5, Six Flags Great Adventure’s Facebook page announced the GASM would indeed close on July 18, 2010.
Top Honors Include World's Fastest and Tallest Roller Coaster
GASM held top honors briefly for its height and speed.
At 68 miles per hour, GASM held the title of World’s Fastest Roller Coaster from until May 1989, when it was succeeded by Magnum XL-200, a 72 mile-per-hour coaster in Ohio.
At the time of its opening, Six Flags says the GASM was also the tallest coaster in the world, with 173 feet in height, including a 155 foot drop. The length of the track itself is 3,800 feet, providing 2 minutes and 20 seconds of screams.
G-force, Elevation and Other Specs for the GASM Roller Coaster
Six Flags lists the elevation at nearly 18 stories in height for the GASM. The chain lift takes passengers sitting side by side among seven cars for each of the three trains. They inch up high and rush off giving them a 15.5-story drop into seven loops, one corkscrew and two “boomerang” or “batwing” loops along the 3,800 feet of track.
The ride has seven “inversions,” which means the cars are sent upside down, which passengers enjoy at top speeds of 68 miles per hour.
The maximum gravitational force of the GASM is a reported 3.5 positive Gs. At the time of its opening Arrow Dynamics said the GASM offered the top technology in coaster engineering, with a dual computer control system with “on-screen diagnostics similar to the space shuttle” as claimed on plaques commemorating the GASM presently at the park.
In addition to the high-speed twists and turns, GASM is also known for its patriotic theme. The ride’s three trains bear names and colors fitting to an American theme based on the flag of the United States. The red train is named Freedom; the white train is Liberty, the blue train is Spirit. The coaster track is painted red and its supports are white, while the ground under the ride resembles red and white stripes waving on a flag.
GASM Closing Ride Events and Contest
Six Flags offered guests double rides on GASM on Sunday, July 11 and 18. Six Flags Great Adventure will also offer an Exclusive Ride Time (ERT) event on July 18 from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. to invited guests.
The park is running a Scream Machine Sendoff contest to choose the best 25 photos or videos of park guests screaming as though they were on the Great American Scream Machine. The images and clips are uploaded on a Facebook page and the contest urges “guests that shoot a Scream video or include patriotic items are more likely to be chosen as winners.”
In addition to the contest winners, seats on the front and back row of the last train of the last ride will be auctioned off, says Six Flags. And for $50, the other seats during the last ride can be reserved. Six Flags says all proceeds from the auction and seats will benefit the National Roller Coaster Museum & Archives.
Catherine Galioto - Catherine Galioto is a Jersey Shore native who enjoys writing on a variety of topics. She has been published in online and local print ...
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