World record breaking wooden rollercoaster from RMC...
| Theme Park | Six Flags Great America |
|---|---|
| Park Area | County Fair |
| Type | Rollercoaster |
| Audience | Thrillseekers |
| Opened | 19 June 2014 |
| Manufacturer | Rocky Mountain Construction |
| Model | Topper Track |
| Height | 165 ft |
| Length | 3100 ft |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Max Speed | 72 mph |
| Vertical Angle | 85° |
| Drop | 180 ft |
| Designer | Alan Schilke |
| Duration | 2 minutes |
One of Goliath's inversions
Goliath is the record-breaking RMC rollercoaster at Six Flags Great America. When it opened, the ride took the world records for longest drop, steepest angle and fastest speed on a wooden rollercoaster.
Unlike many coasters built by Rocky Mountain Construction, it is an entirely new rollercoaster rather than a refurbishment of an existing ride (something of a speciality of RMC). It uses the company's Topper Track technology which allows for a coaster with the look of a traditional woodie but with the flexibility of a steel rollercoaster in terms of track elements.
After climbing Goliath's monster 165ft lift hill, the trains plunge 180 feet down an 85° first drop into a tunnel, providing two of the ride's world records. From here, the characteristic RMC wildness is unleashed with a multitude of smooth airtime hills and intense turns in a double out-and-back style layout. There are two inversions. The first is a combination dive and half loop. The second is a variation on a zero-G roll, with the train suspended upside-down halfway through, leaving riders danging underneath for a couple of seconds before rotating back in the other direction. For people that have never experienced an RMC before, the whole rollercoaster will feel completely different from anything they have ridden in the past.
Goliath was opened at Six Flags Great America in 2014, on the site of the former Iron Wolf rollercoaster. This was removed from the park in 2011 and relocated to Six Flags America where it operated as Apocalypse: The Last Stand.
Although only RMC's second wooden rollercoaster, Goliath feels refined and offers a spectacular experience. It's characteristicly an RMC, but perhaps a little less intense than some of the company's other offerings - something of a welcome relief for those wanting an extended re-ride session!
Goliath entrance
Climbing the 165ft lift hill
Top of the lift
85 degree first drop
Returning to the station
