Specific Type: Mega Coaster
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After the purchase of the Walibi parks in 1998 by Premiere Parks, Walibi Holland (then called Walibi Flevo) underwent a substantial overhaul, including the removal of the Walibi branding as well as the addition of a number of rides, including three of the park’s Vekoma roller coasters in 2000. In addition, the park officially became branded as Six Flags Holland. Two years later, in 2002, Premiere Parks unveiled the newest and perhaps most thrilling attraction yet for Six Flags Holland: Goliath.
Designed by legendary German engineer Werner Stengel, Goliath was manufactured by Intamin. Goliath has been described by many as a “mini hyper coaster” due to the ride being an Intamin Mega Coaster by model, yet it does not fit the traditional definition of a hyper coaster, with the ride’s maximum height coming in at just over 153 feet and the drop being approximately 151 feet. Rather than utilizing the traditional chain lift, Goliath features a cable lift hill that races riders to the top of the lift hill and quickly sends them over the crest and down the initial drop. Goliath is also well known for being the first roller coaster to incorporate the Stengel Dive, an extreme overbank turn designed by Werner Stengel himself, taking riders at a 121 degree angle. Once riders board Goliath’s trains and race towards the sky on the lift hill, they soon are thrown over the highest peak and down the ride’s nearly 151 foot drop at a 70 degree angle, reaching speeds of over 65 mph. Riders quickly soar over a large airtime hill before snapping to the right and soaring up another large hill into the Stengel Dive. Afterwards, riders snap back into position and head downwards, swooping right down onto the shore of the lake and enter a 270 degree left turn. The train soars upwards and to the right, before transitioning towards the left and downwards at the top of the hill. Flying over the water now, the train enters a large helix, sending riders upwards. Once riders have encountered the helix, the train swoops down and to the left one more time under the towering supports of the lift hill. Riders encounter not one, but three high speed bunny hops, allowing for extended periods of the seemingly weightless sensation that is airtime. The third bunny hops allows riders to tower over the coaster’s station before bringing them back to ground level. A quick turn to the left and a hard right turn bringing the train into brake run, with the brakes hitting hard and quickly. As the train rolls into the station, riders have knowingly faced the behemoth that is Goliath, a twisted and thrilling mess of nearly 4000 feet of track. |
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