Wooden wonder debuts at Six Flags St Louis
Six Flags St Louis, Eureka, Missouri, has introduced the $7 million Evel Knievel wooden coaster. The ride was unveiled recently during a special ceremony attended by friends and family of the late daredevil motorcyclist, who died last year.
In keeping with the theme, the Great Coasters International (GCI) attraction offers the type of intense, high-adrenaline thrills one would associate with Kneivel. The 2,700ft ride experience begins with an 80ft first drop at a 90-degree left turn angle, which is answered with a 55ft double down drop. This is followed by 16 hills with camelbacks, a 40ft fan curve and multiple high-banked turns at up to 67-degree angles. Standing 82ft tall and traveling 50 mph, this intense coaster crosses over itself 14 times while making frequent and tight directional changes.
Evel Knievel boasts two 24-passenger trains featuring GCI’s Millennium Flyer design sporting the red, white and blue colours that Evel himself wore proudly during his remarkable career. Monitors throughout the queue line play clips of some of the rider’s greatest jumps and a series of billboards walk guests through the timeline of his legendary career.
Evel Knievel brings the total number of roller coasters at Six Flags St. Louis to eight.
