Roaring Rapids

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Roaring Rapids
SixFlagsWaterRide-3943.jpg
Roaring Rapids at Six Flags Over Texas
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Area Rapids Camp Crossing
Status Operating
Opening date 1981
Six Flags Over Texas
Area Tower
Status Closed Temporarily
Opening date 1983
Six Flags Great America
Area Mardi Gras
Status Operating
Opening date 1984
Replaced Traffique Jam
General statistics
Manufacturer Intamin
Lift system 1 lift hill
Restraint style Seat Belts
Flash Pass Available at all three parks

Roaring Rapids is a river rapids ride located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas[1] and Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois.

Roaring Rapids at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Many guests claim it is the best water ride at the park.

History

Six Flags Astroworld and Intamin AG partnered in 1979 to build the world's first river rapids ride in 1980 called Thunder River. The water ride became so popular at Astroworld that Six Flags debuted two new river rapids in 1981 at Six Flags Magic Mountain and at Six Flags Great Adventure, 1983 at Six Flags Over Texas, and 1984 at Six Flags Great America. The version at Six Flags Over Texas features a dual loading station where boats can be loaded as twice as fast than one loading station. The Magic Mountain version doesn't feature a dual loading station but is built to feature one. The Great America version also doesn't feature a dual loading station, but features a turning station where the station moves in a circle with the boat where rides can depart and get on. All three Roaring Rapids water rides operate from the spring to the end of Fright Fest in October. As of June 2014, Roaring Rapids at Six Flags Over Texas is closed temporarily for "an exciting new attraction" in 2015.[2]

File:SixFlagsWaterRide-3938.jpg
Roaring Rapids at Six Flags Over Texas

Ride

Once the twelve riders strap themselves into one of the boats, the boat then leaves the station to the artificial river that is shaped like an oval at Over Texas and Magic Mountain. The twelve riders at Great America's version goes through a unique course rather than in an oval. During all three rides, there are different objects that are in the water that disrupt the flow of the river that creates the rapids. Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Great America's versions feature waterfalls towards the end as another way to get passengers completely soaked. Once riders go through the full course of the ride, the boat will then reach the lift and be taken back into the station.

Incidents

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On March 21, 1999, a 28-year-old woman died at Six Flags Over Texas, and 10 other guests were injured, when the raft they were on overturned in 2–3 feet of water due to sudden deflation of the air chambers that support the raft. The raft then got caught on an underwater pipe, which provided leverage for the rushing water in the ride to flip the raft over.[3] In a subsequent settlement, Six Flags agreed to pay US$4 million to the victim's family, and the company would join the family in a lawsuit against Canyon Manufacturing Co., the company responsible for parts that were related to the accident.[4]

See also

References

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Primary sources

  • The Coaster Guy, Roaring Rapids full of information and facts of Roaring Rapids