| For other coasters of the same name, see Viper (disambiguation). |
Viper is a looping steel roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain, located in the Baja Ridge section of the park. The ride opened to the public on April 7, 1990. It is the last of the 7-looper roller coasters built by Arrow Dynamics to remain operating.
The roller coaster replaced Condor, an amusement ride manufactured by HUSS.
History[]
When Viper opened in 1990, it was the tallest and fastest looping coaster in the world.
Its speed record was eclipsed the following year by Steel Phantom at Kennywood, which opened in 1991 with a top speed of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), but it regained the speed record in 2000 when Steel Phantom closed. The height record for the tallest vertical loop was until 2000 with the opening of Superman Krypton Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
Ride experience[]
Upon exiting the station, the train immediately begins climbing the 188-ft lift hill. At the top, the train curves right into the 171-ft drop and enters a 144-ft tall vertical loop. The train then makes a sharp left, entering two vertical loops and climbing into the mid-course brake run, followed by a zig-zag into a Boomerang element, where it goes through a half-corkscrew followed by a half loop. Next, the train goes up into a 40-ft double corkscrew so that it returns in the opposite direction. Riders are photographed by an on-ride camera in the middle of this element. Riders then make a right turn and immediately enter a double-corkscrew, followed by a flat track with two turns before hitting a final brake run and turning into the station.
Use in media[]
Viper was featured in the 1992 film Encino Man, in which it was referred to as "Vaper". Viper also made appearances in the 1993 film True Romance and the 2000 film Space Cowboys, as well as in commercials for Toyota and Cheetos.
Viper was featured in a 1993 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", in which the cast goes to Magic Mountain on Senior Skip Day and Andrea conquers her fear of roller coasters.
In 2012, it appeared in Glee's Big Brother episode when the cast rides it during their visit to the park on senior ditch day. The song "Up, Up, Up" is sung over the experience.
Awards[]
| Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Trivia[]
Viper in the Six Flags Magic Mountain scenario in RollerCoaster Tycoon 2.
- Viper appears in the 2002 video game Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 as a pre-built ride in the Six Flags Magic Mountain scenario.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Concept design[]
Exterior photos[]
Ride photos[]
References[]
- ↑ Golden Ticket Winners, Golden Ticket Awards, Amusements Today. Accessed 2023-02-27.
See also[]
External links[]
- Viper - Six Flags Magic Mountain at Six Flags
- Viper - Ride Details (archived 2004-02-10, 2001-07-03, 1997-05-21)
Viper (Six Flags Magic Mountain) at Coasterpedia- Viper at the Roller Coaster DataBase
- Viper (Six Flags Magic Mountain) at Wikipedia
