Special Features: Kingda Ka: The Media Event

Posted at 11:04 AM EDT (1504 GMT)

Oct. 12th, 2004 -- Editor's Note: Due to time and delivery complications, we had trouble getting this out within a couple of days of the announcement.  We apologize for the delay.  - Steven

To find out more about the ride, check out our entry in the ride database.  In addition, we have several photos in that database.  To view the video of Kingda Ka, click here.

Just a couple of months ago, few would have believed that a roller coaster could ever surpass the 420-foot pinnacle reached by Cedar Point's "Top Thrill Dragster" in Sandusky, OH.  Nevermind the 120 MPH speeds Dragster hits.  Even fewer would have thought that the ceiling would have been broken less than one year after its debut.

In the amusement park industry, the unthinkable has developed a habit of actually happening.  Rumors began circulating on ThrillNetwork.com and other internet coaster sites about a ride that would surpass the record-height set by "Dragster"... and not by just a smidgen.  The rumors came and went for quite a while until there was finally a bit of confirmation in the form of a mailer sent to various media outlets to tease the 2005 attraction coming to Six Flags Great Adventure & Wild Safari in Jackson, NJ.

The jungle-themed announcement generated quite a bit of excitement, promising a ride that would become the "Tallest.  Fastest. Worldwide."  There was a picture of a white Bengal tiger with the telling phrase, "This eats ALL records."  Many astute observers noticed that the background of the proclamation showed a silhouette of what appeared to be Cedar Point's "Dragster."

On September 29, 2004...fantasy became reality when the general manager of SFGAdv (in front of an audience comprised of media, ride enthusiasts and various other VIP's) announced the largest capital investment in the park's 30-year history.

In spring  2005, SFGAdv will debut a new section of the theme park called "The Golden Kingdom" featuring a new children's play area, Bengal Tiger exhibit, and the star centerpiece..."Kingda Ka" - the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster.  Much like its Cedar Point counter part, "Kingda Ka" is an hydraulically-launched "rocket coaster" reaching a top speed of 128 MPH and a height of 456 feet above the ground.  Manufactured by Swiss company Intamin, "Kingda Ka" adds an
extra-airtime camel hump near the end of the ride...just enough to differentiate this tiger from CP's "Dragster."

At the special event held for members of the media, Six Flags management proudly showed off artist renderings of what promises to be an incredibly large-and-in-charge rollercoaster...certainly more than
could have been imagined just a few short years ago when most enthusiasts thought that the 300-foot tall "Millenium Force" at Cedar Point had hit the top of coaster-heights!

The morning news conference began with a light, exotic brunch fitting for the room's motif of tiger-print chairs and large jungle-like plants and shrubs.  If it weren't for the fluorescent lighting and drop-ceiling, it would have been like we were right in the heart of Africa!

Six Flags Great Adventure Vice President and General Manager Rick McCurley led the record-breaking announcement with a striking computer rendition of the completed project... a video which can be seen at Six Flags' website.  It was presented on a large 6-foot screen to
help give the audience on hand a first-person view of what it will be like to soar 456-feet into the air only to plummet toward the ground at speeds reaching 128 MPH.

McCurley's speech was thick with sentiment, as it should have been, considering this ride marks SFGAdv's transition into the country's largest regional theme park.  One interesting note, however, was how McCurley ended his remarks on the expansion... it was something along the lines of "you can experience all this in the Spring of 2005 here at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure."  That's  right...he actually said "Worlds of Adventure"...a park that is not in the Six Flags chain anymore, having recently been sold to Cedar Fair, LLC, operators of Cedar Point Amusement Park.  Sure, it seemed to most a simple slip of the tongue...or was it?  More in a moment...

After the video presentation, reporters were invited to board a Wild Safari tour bus for a ride into the adjoining animal compound to visit with the park's four new Bengal tigers, Balin, Faruk, Hara and Chandi.

Once there, we learned about the life-long training these tigers had received with their trainers so as to be comfortably trained, yet not "domesticated."  We were assured that these animals were still very much "wild" animals.  Almost as unpredictable as their Serengeti counterparts.

During the informal introduction to these awesome creatures, the head trainer covered many facts, including their 15-pounds-of-raw-meat per day diet!  One other interesting thing... he told us that his crew and the animals had recently arrived from Cleveland...coincidentally, close to Aurora, OH, home to former Six Flags park "Worlds of Adventure" (now Geauga Lake).

So, is it possible that this "expansion" was originally entitled for the now-defunct "Worlds of Adventure", or is it even more plausible that Six Flags Great Adventure may undergo a name change in the coming 2005 season?  It's pure conjecture, however these questions remain unanswered.  Any conclusion would have to be made on purely circumstantial evidence.  Still, the question begs to be asked.

One thing is for certain, the artist renderings improperly display where "Kingda Ka" will reside within park boundaries.  Most of the renderings show "Nitro" at the back of "Kingda Ka", however, "Kingda Ka's" high-point will actually be facing "Nitro" when completed, with "Rolling Thunder" in its direct shadow.  One other interesting footnote, for a ride that will be 456 feet tall, the concrete footers will only reach 12 feet into the ground...how's that for a thrill!

The press and various enthusiasts were treated to one more exciting adventure before wrapping up the day...a chance to ride the park's current height-champion, "Nitro".  At 230 feet high, "Nitro" is barely half the height of "Kingda Ka".  After five straight rides, this reporter had certainly had his fill of high-thrills for the day...it was oh-so-nice to be one of only 8 people on what is generally considered to be the best coaster SFGAdv has to offer.  It also offered a prime example of just how high "Kingda Ka" will be...taking the park, both literally and figuratively, to new heights.

Related: Kingda Ka invades SFGAdv's new jungle