American Thunder | |
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The then-Evel Knievel Coaster in 2008 | |
Six Flags St. Louis | |
Location | Six Flags St. Louis |
Park section | 1904 World's Fair |
Coordinates | 38°30′45″N90°40′38″W / 38.51250°N 90.67722°W Coordinates: 38°30′45″N90°40′38″W / 38.51250°N 90.67722°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | June 20, 2008 |
Cost | US$7,000,000 |
General statistics | |
Type | Wood |
Manufacturer | Great Coasters International |
Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
Height | 82 ft (25 m) |
Drop | 80 ft (24 m) |
Length | 2,713 ft (827 m) |
Speed | 48 mph (77 km/h) |
Inversions | 0 |
Capacity | 850 riders per hour |
Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
Trains | 2 trains with 12 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train. |
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American Thunder at RCDB Pictures of American Thunder at RCDB |
American Thunder is a wooden roller coaster located in the 1904 World's Fair section of Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Missouri. Opened on June 20, 2008, the coaster was originally named after and themed to the famous motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel. It was renamed American Thunder for the 2011 season. [1] To help promote the opening of the then-Evel Knievel Roller Coaster, Knievel's son, Robbie Knievel, jumped a Honda CR-500 motorcycle over 25 Dodge Chargers on July 3, 2008. [2]
As a result of the St. Louis Cardinals losing to the Chicago Cubs in the 2015 National League Division Series, Six Flags St. Louis lost a friendly wager with Six Flags Great America, resulting in the temporary name change of the roller coaster to Cubs Thunder. [3]
This $7 million GCI wooden roller coaster, which is identical to the Thunderbird at PowerPark, features an 80-foot (24 m) drop with a top speed of 48 mph (77 km/h), going through a course of 2,700 feet (820 m) of track. [4] This ride features 16 hills and multiple high banked turns at up to 67° angles. [4] The layout crosses over and under itself seventeen times. This ride also features two 24-passenger Millennium Flyer trains for better cornering. [4]
Year | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
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Ranking | 44 [5] | 13 [6] | 23 [7] | 22 [8] | 31 [9] | 25 [10] | 31 [11] | 39 [12] | 33 [13] | 40 [14] | 38 (tie) [15] | 39 [16] |
The Beast is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and manufactured in-house for $3.2 million, the ride opened in 1979 as the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Decades later, it is still the longest, spanning 7,361 feet (2,244 m) across 35 acres (14 ha) of hilly terrain. Two lift hills contribute to the ride's duration of more than four minutes, which also ranks as one of the longest among roller coasters. A refurbishment in 2022 increased the angle of the first drop and lengthened the ride by 2 feet (0.61 m).
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The Boss is a wooden roller coaster located in the Britannia section of Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Missouri. It opened on April 29, 2000, and was manufactured by Custom Coasters International. It features a lift hill height of 122 feet (37 m), a first drop of 150 feet (46 m), four drops of 150', 112', 103' and 72', and prior to the 2018 season, a 570 degree helix.
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