Viper: Six Flags over Georgia- 1995 through September 16, 2001

When Flight of Fear opened at King's Island in 1996 the world was blown away. Many felt that Premier Rides reached a new plateau with their launched coaster- that they had created something never before attempted. While their use of LIM (linear induction motors) was revolutionary, the concept of an intense, looping launched coaster was nothing new. In fact, a coaster called the Tidal Wave, designed by Anton Schwarzkopf, first thrilled riders at Chicago in 1978[1].

Before we get into the coaster's first days it is important to remember what steel coasters were like at that time. In 1975 Arrow Dynamics opened three corkscrew coasters at Knott's Berry Farm, Opryland and Old Chicago. The next year the Revolution, a Schwarzkopf-designed custom single loop coaster, opened at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Parks were aware that "bigger and better" played well in the press. So, the owners of Marriott's Great America in Chicago, Illinois and Santa Clara, California contacted Anton about buying two of his newest creations, the shuttle loop coaster.

Visitors to Chicago's Great America for the 1978 season were surprised as they walked into the park and saw two pieces of steel 138 feet in the air, hanging precariously high above the ground. After hearing a roar they watched as a roller coaster train was propelled out of the station through a loop, up a spike, reversed through the spike, loop and station and went partway up the rear spike. The ride was short, fast and a great investment. The press flocked to the park and watched in disbelief as guests, held in only by lapbars, formed lines hours long to ride a 30 second ride. The coaster was popular at the park for a long time, but years passed and more innovations came into the coaster scene. In the fall of 1991 word quickly spread that a prototype ride was coming to the park for the 1992 season and that the Tidal Wave had flown for the last time.

The coaster was dismantled over the winter and left with little fanfare as the new Batman: The Ride turned heads nationwide. The Tidal Wave sat in pieces in the Six Flags St. Louis boneyard for several years. During the spring of 1995 a new coaster was announced in Atlanta at Six Flags over Georgia. It was called Viper, "the coaster that strikes twice."[2] The former Tidal Wave coaster was erected in a section at the back of the park. The track was yellow and the supports were green, but the real story was the themeing. It was one of the best theme jobs the Six Flags chain, not known for creativity, has done. The story started as potential riders entered through a gate, a move that ushered them into a remote Florida swamp. Guests slowly passed through an eerily quiet marsh. Old, weather-beaten buildings lined the walkway in between large tufts of eye high grass. Some had schedules marking the upcoming trips while others housed old pinball games and a barber chair. Obviously, this was going to be no enjoyable trip through the Florida backwaters.

As riders approached the station they hoped that the shady guides lurking inside were merely drinking margaritas and enjoying some vintage Jimmy Buffett or Jesse Winchester. Instead, after climbing a flight of stairs, riders came face to face with the long, scaled Viper coaster train. Here they took a seat, pulled down the lapbar and held on as the countdown began. Out at the loop a loud air horn sounded and a small pusher behind the train was firmly in place. All at once a weight, located in a tube under the spike, dropped and the train accelerated to 57 m.p.h. Riders were thrown back in their seats as the coaster rocketed out of the station and through the loop. After dead-ending in the spike the train rolled back through the course and was slightly braked before the station. It went partially up the back spike before rolling forward into the station were riders caught their breaths- 30 seconds riders would never forget.

How does it work? It is no surprise that a coaster by Schwarzkopf was ahead of its time. But, the look on people's faces when this coaster debuted must have been priceless. Being a historian, I will try to explain this as simply as possible. First the train sits in the station with the brakes locked. While loading a small pusher, roughly a foot long, places itself behind the train. It is on a giant oval cable that wraps around two large wheels at either end of the track. The airhorn sounds to clear warn anyone who might be in the vicinity. At the far end of the track sits a large tube with a wheel at the top. In the tube sits a counterweight that ways three times as much as the train. It drops down the tube, which pushes the pusher mechanism (and the train) forward down the launch strip into the loop. After it reaches the end of the strip the train is moving at 57 m.p.h. and the pusher goes under the launch strip to return under the station. As the train returns backwards to the station it is slightly braked[3], speeds up the rear spike and comes to a stop before entering the station. The brakes lock, the pusher moves into place and the coaster is set to roll again. As early as 1978 Schwarzkopf mentioned using LIM's to accelerate coasters- certainly a man who understood the future than even some today do.

The Viper sadly ran for the last time in Atlanta on September 16, 2001 and, according to Screamscape.com, was allegedly removed to make way for a prototype flying coaster from Bolliger and Mabillard that will debut for the 2002 season .[4] Speculation has run high that the Tidal Wave/Viper will debut in 2002 at Six Flags America in Maryland or Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville. However, it is not surprising that this coaster will run again. After all, the thrill of being launched still has a hold on riders and Anton Schwarzkopf designed his coasters to run intense and smooth year after year. The ride's continued maintenance record and thrill factor stand as testament to the fact that Schwarzkopf was the greatest steel coaster designer and innovator history has seen.

[1] This was not the first Schwarzkopf shuttle loop coaster.
[2] Ever short on creativity, Six Flags likes to use names more than once. At the time of the Viper's opening there were two coasters in the chain that had the same name (at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Astroworld). Along with the Georgia version, two additional Vipers (Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Great America) opened in 1995.
[3] The Schwarzkopf flywheel launched shuttle loop (now found in the U.S. at Knott's Berry Farm as Montezuma's Revenge and Six Flags Astroworld as Greezed Lighting has no return-trip braking and gives great airtime on the back spike.
[4] Ironically, B&M made Batman: The Ride and ten years later the Schwarzkopf shuttle looper is leaving for another B&M prototype.


The pusher gets in position before the launch.	The wheel that the cable wraps around, located at the rear of the station.	The weight is dropped down this tube and turns this wheel.	The train does not go far up the rear spike.

Viper's ominous entrance.	The great themeing in the station.	The front of that Schwarzkopf train looks great!	Scales, comfortable seats and lapbars only! What else could you want in a coaster train?!