Dare Devil Dive will drop into Six Flags Over Georgia in 2011

by Joel Bullock on

It seems like every new roller coaster these days needs a superlative. So with steep, beyond-vertical drops emerging as the hot trend, Six Flags Over Georgia is hyping up their new roller coaster as the “South East’s tallest beyond-vertical dive coaster.” It’s a bit of a wordy claim to fame, but at least it’s accurate. The park’s new Gerstlauer steel roller coaster, Dare Devil Dive, will boast a stomach-lifting 95-degree drop.

Dare Devil Dive will begin with a ten story vertical climb in rocket-themed cars. Then, in an attempt to raise the suspense level, the cars will be held right at the crest of the first drop for a moment. This dramatic pause is reminiscent of Busch Gardens’ popular SheiKra and Griffon dive coasters.




I haven’t ridden a Gerstlauer-designed roller coaster, but Dare Devil Dive’s layout looks pretty thrilling. The ride’s exhilarating succession of loops include: a dive loop, an immelmann, and a zero-g roll. Like, Canobie Lake’s Untamed, Dare Devil Dive will be another Euro-Fighter model. Its compact layout will occupy a relatively small footprint near Six Flags Over Georgia’s popular hyper coaster, Goliath. Dare Devil Dive will be Six Flags Over Georgia’s 11th roller coaster when it opens in the Spring of 2011.

Read more about Six Flags Over Georgia’s Dare Devil Dive.

Six Flags theme parks re-theme rides for 2011

by Leigh Caldwell on

While theme parks around the world add more rides, more shows and more dining options for guests in 2011, there’s one thing you will find less of at Six Flags parks next year: character.

Six Flags plans to re-theme many of its rides in a cost-cutting measure.

Evel Knievel, Tony Hawk, Thomas the Tank Engine and The Wiggles are among the losers in the deal as Six Flags unravels some licensing agreements.

As the Los Angeles Times reports:

  • The Tony Hawk Big Spin ride at Six Flags St. Louis, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Six Flags Over Texas will be rethemed as the Big Spin, without the famous skateboarder’s name or likeness.
  • At Six Flags St. Louis, a wooden coaster named the Evil Knievel will renamed American Thunder.
  • Thomas the Tank Engine will disappear from Thomas Town kiddie lands at Six Flags America (which just opened its Thomas Town this June), Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Six Flags New England and Six Flags Over Georgia.
  • The Wiggles will no longer sing at the Wiggles World children’s areas at Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Great America, Great Escape, Six Flags New England and Six Flags Fiesta Texas, where five rides have already been stripped of the kid’s band theming.

Despite the re-themed rides, characters from the Looney Tunes, DC Comics and Hanna-Barbera will remain at the parks.

[Image credit: Flickr user bravo!]