Watch A Man Catch Keys Mid-Air On Roller Coaster (VIDEO)

Remember that one time Fabio was smacked in the face by a goose while riding a roller coaster? Maybe if Fabio had cat-like reflexes – like the guy in the video above – his face would have been spared. While on a roller coaster ride in Spain, a pair of keys flew toward two riders while the coaster sped downhill. One of the riders reached up and grabbed them, and according to an account on Reddit.com, successfully returned the lost keys to their rightful owner. The perfectly timed, one-handed grab is pretty impressive. Watch and be amazed – and remember to always secure any loose items when you’re on a roller coaster, because most people aren’t as lucky as this guy.

Six Flags Texas Debuts Record-Breaking Hybrid Coaster (VIDEO)

Coaster enthusiasts, get ready to roll. Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio is introducing a new coaster with a first-of-its-kind looping zero-gravity barrel roll on a hybrid coaster. The new coaster, dubbed the Iron Rattler, will also feature the world’s tallest and steepest drop, an 81-degree fall from a height of 180-feet. The coaster is fast, too; it tops out at 70 miles per hour as it snakes through four over banked turns and eventually flips riders upside down.

Here’s a summary of the record-breaking stats, according to Six Flags Fiesta Texas:

  • A 180-foot lift hill makes it the tallest hybrid coaster in the world.
  • An 81-degree drop makes it the steepest hybrid coaster in the world.
  • A top speed of 70 mph makes it the fastest hybrid coaster in the world.
  • A zero-gravity barrel roll makes it the first hybrid coaster in the world to flip completely upside down.

Season pass holders will get a sneak peek at the Iron Rattler on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19, and then the coaster will be available for public rides on Saturday, May 25.

A Gallery Of Roller Coaster Camera Trolls

Roller coasters race up and down tracks at county fairs and theme parks around the world, bringing hair-raising thrills to children of all ages. Sometimes called “scream machines,” roller coasters have been the main attraction wherever they are for more than a century.

The coasters of today are taller, faster and wilder than ever before, causing operators to offer photos that capture the experience at the pinnacle of its excitement. Just making it to the end of the thrilling ride is cause for celebration for most riders. Others need more and sometimes stage that moment when the camera flashes, bringing us the wacky photos in this gallery.

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[Flickr photo by joellybaby]

Photo Of The Day: Brooklyn Cyclone Summer


For many of us, there are few things more American or summer-like than Brooklyn‘s Coney Island. It’s been the site of family fun, local seediness, freaks of nature, and luxury development plans. Throughout its many iterations, Coney Island has retained its particular mix of beach, carnival, and city resort. Today’s Photo of the Day by Flickr user David Ellwood captures Coney Island’s Cyclone, one of America’s oldest wooden roller coasters and an icon of summer and amusement parks. The Cyclone celebrates 85 years of thrills this year, and hopefully will continue to spell summer fun for years to come.

Send us your favorite summer travel photos (or get us excited about fall and winter travel) by adding to the Gadling Flickr pool for a future Photo of the Day.

World’s Highest Roller Coaster Opens In Colorado

A new world record has been broken, as the world’s highest roller coaster is now open at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Called “Cliffhanger,” the adventure coaster sits on the edge of the 6,890-foot-high Iron Mountain.

Because of its elevation and location, the $1 million roller coaster also provides panoramic cliff views of the surrounding canyons and mountains. Likewise, “Cliffhanger” features steep uphill climbs, abrupt downhill falls and sharps twists and turns.

“We hope it’s going to be a game changer to our park,” says the park’s maintenance manager, Kelly Bates.

To see other heart-stopping roller coasters from around the U.S., click here.