August represents the month that the first roller coaster was patented in 1898. Roller coasters began with rides being given on a coal car on a mountain and have emerged to be extreme rides in some places. Roller coasters have changed a great deal since that first trip down the hill in a coal car to offer riders many thrills as they glide up and down a track or are completely inverted in the air. Being that roller coasters made their debut in Paris in 1804, time and experience have certainly improved the coasters of the world. There are many roller coasters in the world today, but here are some of the tallest and fastest in the world.
The first roller coaster was called Russian Mountain and although the carriages did nothing but slide down the track it could have seemed harmless compared to the ones we have now, but the carriages on Russian Mountain would usually fall off the tracks at the bottom. Thankfully, rides like the Kingda Ka at Six Flags Adventure Park do not fall of the track. Rising to a height of 456 feet , it is the world’s tallest steel coaster. This coaster also has the largest drop height, which is 418 feet.
The world’s tallest wooden coaster is much shorter in height with it measuring only 218 feet. The Son of Beast in Kings Island, in Ohio happens to also have the largest drop height of a wooden coaster, with a drop of 214 feet. It is also known to hold the record for being the world’s fastest wooden roller coaster reaching speeds of 126.2 km or 78.4 mph.
The fastest steel coaster is located at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Traveling at speeds of 240 km or 150 mph, riders must love speed to ride this coaster. The Formula Rossa is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to speed of a coaster.
I would say that when La Marcus Adna Thompson never imagined that roller coasters would ever travel at speeds of close to or over 100 mph and I am certain that he never expected riders to be doing loops, over 400 feet drops, or being completely inverted on the coaster, but that is where they have evolved into since the first one was patented. The next time you are at an amusement park, be sure to check out the coaster there and compare it to the heights and speeds listed here.
Sources:
First Coasters
Wikipedia