# Hypercoaster

A hypercoaster is a roller coaster with a height or drop measuring at least 200 feet (61 m). The term was first coined by Arrow Dynamics and Cedar Point in 1989 with the opening of the world's first hypercoaster, Magnum XL-200, which features a height of 205 feet (62 meters). The next hypercoaster, Pepsi Max Big One, opened five years later at Blackpool Pleasure Beach featuring a height of 213 feet (65 m).
Other roller coaster manufacturers may or may not recognize the term hypercoaster when naming their models. Intamin calls their hypercoaster model a Mega Coaster, and Bolliger & Mabillard labels theirs a Hyper Coaster. The competition between amusement parks to build increasingly taller roller coasters eventually led to the next height classification for roller coasters known as giga coasters, which have a height or drop measuring at least 300 feet (91 m). This was soon followed by the world's first strata coasters – exceeding 400 feet (120 m) – with the release of Top Thrill Dragster in 2003.

## History

The world's first hypercoaster was Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point, which cost $8 million to construct. Cedar Point hired Arrow Dynamics for the design and construction began in 1988. Since its debut on May 6, 1989, Magnum XL-200 has accommodated over 36 million riders. Cedar Point's official blog states that after building the ride, "...discussion was focused on just what a roller coaster such as Magnum should be called. After all, it had no loops like most of the other large steel coasters of the time and was so much bigger and faster than its non-looping brethren. After a couple of years, the name everyone agreed upon was hypercoaster."

## Description

Hypercoasters were originally built for speed and airtime, to counter the trend of constructing bigger and bigger looping coasters. To accomplish this the elements of a hypercoaster often include a large first drop, several additional drops of declining height, a large turn or helix, and then many airtime-inducing hills. Hypercoasters are commonly designed with an out and back layout, although there are occasionally hypercoasters that use a twister layout, such as Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America, and others that combine both, such as Diamondback at Kings Island.
Hypercoasters are highly-ranked in the annual Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards. In 2006, Six Flags New England's Superman: Ride of Steel (later named Bizarro and Superman The Ride) was ranked first place. Others such as Magnum XL-200 (third), Nitro (fourth), and Apollo's Chariot (fifth) followed closely behind in the top five, with hypercoasters making up the majority of the Top 10 Steel Coasters. By 2010, hypercoasters completely filled the top 10, as well as 16 of the top 20.
Hypercoasters were first manufactured by Arrow Dynamics in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Since then, a number of companies, including Bolliger & Mabillard, Intamin, D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, and Giovanola have designed and constructed hypercoasters.
Though hypercoasters are typically steel roller coasters, Son of Beast at Kings Island was the first and only wooden hypercoaster. Due to a number of issues, the ride was eventually demolished in 2012.
In 2018, Cedar Point opened the first hybrid hypercoaster, Steel Vengeance. Steel Vengeance is the first hypercoaster manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction.

## Bolliger & Mabillard

Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) has produced 18 models over 21 years of production of hyper coasters, making it one of the more successful models manufactured by the company.
The first installation of the hyper coaster was Apollo's Chariot located in Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It was one of the two models released in 1999, the other being the Floorless Coaster. It was made in a similar style to the TOGO, D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, and Arrow Dynamics hypercoasters. In 2012, B&M produced its first giga coaster, Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland, exceeding 300 feet in height. Bolliger & Mabillard do not use the term giga, but have continued to produce roller coasters in this class.
The typical design of B&M's hyper coaster model includes a large lift hill then a large drop with a steep angle of descent, and typically includes airtime hills. One exception, Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America does not have this standard "out-and-back" layout, but rather features a "twister" layout.
The trains feature seven to nine cars of one row with four seats, resulting in each train seating 28 to 36 riders. Depending on the dispatch time and the number of trains, the coasters typically have a capacity of 1,200 to 1,500 riders per hour. Each seat features a unique clamshell restraint. Some trains used on B&M Hyper Coasters feature staggered seats, where the two outer seats are located farther back than the two center seats, creating a more open experience. Currently, this staggered seating arrangement is only featured on four coasters: Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland, Diamondback at Kings Island, Thunder Striker at Carowinds, and Shambhala at PortAventura Park.

### Golden Ticket Awards

The B&M Hyper Coaster has been the most successful model in the Golden Ticket Awards.
B&M Hyper Coasters in the Top 15 Steel Coasters at the Golden Ticket Awards :
| Coaster | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Nitro | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 5th | 5th | 7th | 11th | 10th |
| Apollo's Chariot | 5th | 4th | 7th | 4th | 5th | 7th | 6th | 6th | 11th | 6th | 8th |
| Goliath (SFOG) | 4th | 5th | 4th | 9th | 7th | 9th | 12th | 14th | | | |
| Diamondback | 7th | | 11th | 10th | 14th | 4th | 11th | 9th | 8th | 10th | 14th |
| Behemoth | 12th | 13th | 15th | | | 15th | | | | | |
| Raging Bull | 14th | | | | | | | | | | |
| Thunder Striker | | | | 7th | 8th | 10th | 7th | 8th | | | |
| Leviathan | | | | | 15th | 6th | 8th | 7th | 6th | 8th | 9th |
| Fury 325 | | | | | | | 4th | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Mako | | | | | | | | | | | 15th |

## List of hypercoasters

The following is a list of roller coasters with a height of at least 200 feet (61 m). Shuttle roller coasters are typically not classified as hypercoasters and are therefore listed separately.
| Manufacturer | Number | Production |
| Intamin | 23 (5 Shuttle) | 1999–present |
| Bolliger & Mabillard | 20 | 1999–present |
| Arrow Dynamics | 5 | 1989–2001 |
| D. H. Morgan Manufacturing | 5 | 1996–2001 |
| Premier Rides | 4 (All Shuttle) | 1997–2000 |
| S&S Worldwide | 4 | 2006–2012 |
| Mack Rides | 5 | 2017–present |
| Rocky Mountain Construction | 3 | 2018–present |
| Giovanola | 2 | 2000–2001 |
| TOGO | 2 | 1996–1997 |
| Gerstlauer | 1 | 2015 |
| Chance Morgan | 1 | 2004 |
| Lagoon Amusement Park | 1 | 2015 |
| Meisho Amusement Machines | 1 (All Shuttle) | 1983 |
| Roller Coaster Corporation of America | 1 | 2000 |
| S&S Sansei | 1 | 2019–present |
| Vekoma | 2 (1 Shuttle) | 2010-present |

### Complete circuit

| Name | Park | Country | Manufacturer | Height | Opened | Status |
| Magnum XL-200 | Cedar Point | United States | Arrow Dynamics | 205 ft (62 m) | May 1989 | Operating |
| The Big One | Blackpool Pleasure Beach | United Kingdom | Arrow Dynamics | 213 ft (65 m) | May 1994 | Operating |
| Desperado | Buffalo Bill's | United States | Arrow Dynamics | 209 ft (64 m) | August 1994 | SBNO |
| Wild Thing | Valleyfair | United States | D. H. Morgan Manufacturing | 207 ft (63 m) | May 1996 | Operating |
| Fujiyama | Fuji-Q Highland | Japan | TOGO | 259 ft (79 m) | July 1996 | Operating |
| Big Apple Coaster | New York-New York Hotel & Casino | United States | TOGO | 203 ft (62 m) | January 1997 | Operating |
| Steel Force | Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | United States | D. H. Morgan Manufacturing | 200 ft (61 m) | May 1997 | Operating |
| Mamba | Worlds of Fun | United States | D. H. Morgan Manufacturing | 205 ft (62 m) | April 1998 | Operating |
| Apollo's Chariot | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 170 ft (52 m) | March 1999 | Operating |
| Raging Bull | Six Flags Great America | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 202 ft (62 m) | May 1999 | Operating |
| Ride of Steel | Six Flags Darien Lake | United States | Intamin | 208 ft (63 m) | May 1999 | Operating |
| Goliath | Six Flags Magic Mountain | United States | Giovanola | 235 ft (72 m) | February 2000 | Operating |
| Superman The Ride | Six Flags New England | United States | Intamin | 208 ft (63 m) | May 2000 | Operating |
| Superman – Ride of Steel | Six Flags America | United States | Intamin | 197 ft (60 m) | May 2000 | Operating |
| Millennium Force | Cedar Point | United States | Intamin | 310 ft (94 m) | May 2000 | Operating |
| Son of Beast | Kings Island | United States | Roller Coaster Corporation of America | 218 ft (66 m) | May 2000 | Removed |
| Steel Dragon 2000 | Nagashima Spa Land | Japan | D. H. Morgan Manufacturing | 318.3 ft (97.0 m) | August 2000 | Operating |
| Nitro | Six Flags Great Adventure | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 230 ft (70 m) | April 2001 | Operating |
| Titan | Six Flags Over Texas | United States | Giovanola | 245 ft (75 m) | April 2001 | Operating |
| Phantom's Revenge | Kennywood | United States | D. H. Morgan Manufacturing/Arrow Dynamics | 160 ft (49 m) | May 2001 | Operating |
| X2 | Six Flags Magic Mountain | United States | Arrow Dynamics | 175 ft (53 m) | January 2002 | Operating |
| Silver Star | Europa-Park | Germany | Bolliger & Mabillard | 239.5 ft (73.0 m) | March 2002 | Operating |
| Xcelerator | Knott's Berry Farm | United States | Intamin | 205 ft (62 m) | June 2002 | Operating |
| Thunder Dolphin | Tokyo Dome City Attractions | Japan | Intamin | 262.5 ft (80.0 m) | May 2003 | Operating |
| Top Thrill 2 | Cedar Point | United States | Intamin | 420 ft (130 m) | May 2003 | SBNO |
| Superman el Último Escape | Six Flags México | Mexico | Chance Morgan | 219.8 ft (67.0 m) | November 2004 | Operating |
| SheiKra | Busch Gardens Tampa | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 200 ft (61 m) | May 2005 | Operating |
| Kingda Ka | Six Flags Great Adventure | United States | Intamin | 456 ft (139 m) | May 2005 | SBNO |
| Stealth | Thorpe Park | United Kingdom | Intamin | 205.1 ft (62.5 m) | March 2006 | Operating |
| Goliath | Six Flags Over Georgia | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 200 ft (61 m) | April 2006 | Operating |
| Zaturn | Space World | Japan | Intamin | 205 ft (62 m) | April 2006 | Removed |
| Eejanaika | Fuji-Q Highland | Japan | S&S Worldwide | 249 ft (76 m) | July 2006 | Operating |
| Griffon | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 205 ft (62 m) | May 2007 | Operating |
| Behemoth | Canada's Wonderland | Canada | Bolliger & Mabillard | 230 ft (70 m) | May 2008 | Operating |
| Diamondback | Kings Island | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 230 ft (70 m) | April 2009 | Operating |
| Diving Coaster | Happy Valley Shanghai | China | Bolliger & Mabillard | 213.3 ft (65.0 m) | August 2009 | Operating |
| Thunder Striker | Carowinds | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 232 ft (71 m) | March 2010 | Operating |
| Pantherian | Kings Dominion | United States | Intamin | 305 ft (93 m) | April 2010 | Operating |
| Wild Eagle | Dollywood | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 210 ft (64 m) | March 2012 | Operating |
| Leviathan | Canada's Wonderland | Canada | Bolliger & Mabillard | 306 ft (93 m) | April 2012 | Operating |
| Dinoconda | China Dinosaurs Park | China | S&S Worldwide | 226.4 ft (69.0 m) | April 2012 | Operating |
| Shambhala | PortAventura Park | Spain | Bolliger & Mabillard | 249.3 ft (76.0 m) | May 2012 | Operating |
| Skyrush | Hersheypark | United States | Intamin | 200 ft (61 m) | May 2012 | Operating |
| Bullet Coaster | Happy Valley Shenzhen | China | S&S Worldwide | 196.8 ft (60.0 m) | July 2012 | SBNO |
| OCT Thrust SSC1000 | Happy Valley Wuhan | China | S&S Worldwide | 196.8 ft (60.0 m) | March 2014 | SBNO |
| Fury 325 | Carowinds | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 325 ft (99 m) | March 2015 | Operating |
| The Oath of Kärnan | Hansa Park | Germany | Gerstlauer | 239.5 ft (73.0 m) | July 2015 | Operating |
| Cannibal | Lagoon Amusement Park | United States | Lagoon Amusement Park | 208 ft (63 m) | July 2015 | Operating |
| Flash | Lewa Adventure | China | Mack Rides | 200.2 ft (61.0 m) | January 2016 | Operating |
| Flying Aces | Ferrari World Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | Intamin | 206.7 ft (63.0 m) | February 2016 | Operating |
| Valravn | Cedar Point | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 223 ft (68 m) | May 2016 | Operating |
| Coaster Through the Clouds | Nanchang Wanda Park | China | Intamin | 242.8 ft (74.0 m) | May 2016 | Operating |
| Mako | SeaWorld Orlando | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 200 ft (61 m) | June 2016 | Operating |
| Red Force | Ferrari Land | Spain | Intamin | 367 ft (112 m) | April 2017 | Operating |
| DC Rivals HyperCoaster | Warner Brothers Movie World | Australia | Mack Rides | 202.1 ft (61.6 m) | September 2017 | Operating |
| Steel Vengeance | Cedar Point | United States | Rocky Mountain Construction | 205 ft (62 m) | May 2018 | Operating |
| Draken | Gyeongju World | South Korea | Bolliger & Mabillard | 206.7 ft (63.0 m) | May 2018 | Operating |
| Hyperion | Energylandia | Poland | Intamin | 252 ft (77 m) | July 2018 | Operating |
| Hyper Coaster | Land Of Legends Park | Turkey | Mack Rides | 200.2 ft (61.0 m) | 2018 | Operating |
| Yukon Striker | Canada's Wonderland | Canada | Bolliger & Mabillard | 223 ft (68 m) | May 2019 | Operating |
| Steel Curtain | Kennywood | United States | S&S Sansei | 220 ft (67 m) | July 2019 | SBNO |
| Zadra | Energylandia | Poland | Rocky Mountain Construction | 206 ft (63 m) | August 2019 | Operating |
| Orion | Kings Island | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 287 ft (87 m) | July 2020 | Operating |
| Candymonium | Hersheypark | United States | Bolliger & Mabillard | 210 ft (64 m) | July 2020 | Operating |
| Iron Gwazi | Busch Gardens Tampa | United States | Rocky Mountain Construction | 206 ft (63 m) | March 2022 | Operating |
| Beyond the Cloud | Suzhou Amusement Land Forest World | China | Mack Rides | 203.4 ft (62.0 m) | July 2022 | Operating |
| Hyperia | Thorpe Park | United Kingdom | Mack Rides | 236 ft (72 m) | May 2024 | Operating |
| Falcons Flight | Six Flags Qiddiya | Saudi Arabia | Intamin | 619 ft (189 m) | TBD | Under Construction |
| Iron Rattler | Six Flags Qiddiya | Saudi Arabia | Vekoma | 208 ft (63 m) | TBD | Under Construction |
| Spitfire | Six Flags Qiddiya | Saudi Arabia | Intamin | 239 ft (73 m) | TBD | Under Construction |

### Shuttle

| Name | Park | Country | Manufacturer | Height | Opened | Status |
| Moonsault Scramble | Fuji-Q Highland | Japan | Meisho Amusement Machines | 229.7 ft (70.0 m) | June 1983 | Removed |
| Tower of Terror II | Dreamworld | Australia | Intamin | 377.3 ft (115.0 m) | January 1997 | Removed |
| Superman: Escape from Krypton | Six Flags Magic Mountain | United States | Intamin | 415 ft (126 m) | March 1997 | SBNO |
| Batman & Robin: The Chiller | Six Flags Great Adventure | United States | Premier Rides | 200 ft (61 m) | June 1997 | Removed |
| Mr. Freeze | Six Flags Over Texas | United States | Premier Rides | 218 ft (66 m) | March 1998 | Operating |
| Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast | Six Flags St. Louis | United States | Premier Rides | 218 ft (66 m) | April 1998 | Operating |
| Speed – The Ride | NASCAR Café | United States | Premier Rides | 224 ft (68 m) | April 2000 | Removed |
| Wicked Twister | Cedar Point | United States | Intamin | 215 ft (66 m) | May 2002 | Removed |
| Big Air | E-DA Theme Park | Taiwan | Vekoma | 209.3 ft (63.8 m) | December 2010 | Operating |
| Turbo Track | Ferrari World Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | Intamin | 210 ft (64 m) | March 2017 | Operating |
| Legendary Twin Dragon / 传奇双龙 | Chongqing Sunac Land | China | Intamin | 229.6 ft (70.0 m) | February 2021 | Operating |
* 1 2 3 This is a hypercoaster that is not taller than 200 ft (61 m), but has a drop of over 200 ft (61 m).
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 This is a hypercoaster that is also a giga coaster, a roller coaster that exceeds 300 ft (91 m) in height.
* 1 2 3 This is a hypercoaster that is also a strata coaster, a roller coaster that exceeds 400 ft (120 m) in height.
* ↑ This is a giga coaster that is not taller than 300 ft (91 m), but has a drop of over 300 ft (91 m).
* ↑ This is a hypercoaster that is also an exa coaster, a roller coaster that exceeds 600 ft in height

## Gallery
### B&M

* Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the first B&M Hyper Coaster
* Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland, the first B&M Giga Coaster
* Fury 325 at Carowinds
* Mako at SeaWorld Orlando
* Candymonium at Hersheypark
* Silver Star at Europa-Park
* Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure

### Other manufacturers

* Steel Force (D. H. Morgan) at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
* Goliath (Giovanola) at Six Flags Magic Mountain
* Hyperion (Intamin) at Energylandia
* DC Rivals HyperCoaster (Mack Rides) at Warner Bros. Movie World
* Fourth-dimension hypercoaster Eejanaika (S&S Worldwide) at Fuji-Q Highland
* Hybrid hypercoaster Steel Vengeance (Rocky Mountain Construction) at Cedar Point