Shock Wave (Six Flags Over Texas)

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Shock Wave
One of the two loops.
roller coaster
Six Flags Over Texas Location Arlington, Texas, USA) Status Operating since April 22, 1978
Statistics
Manufacturer	Schwarzkopf
Designer / calculations	Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH
Type	Steel - Virtual reality
Riders per train	28
Propulsion	Chain lift hill
Height116 feet Drop105 feet Top speed60 mph Length3600 feet Inversions2 Steepest drop2:00° G-force5.9 g
HELP

Shock Wave is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, USA. The ride is located at the very edge of the park and can be easily seen from the Interstate Highway 30.

History

When Shock Wave opened on 22 April 1978, it was the tallest complete-circuit roller coaster in the world, at 116 feet tall. It was overtaken only weeks later by the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens: The Old Country.

While not the fastest, scariest, or most technically advanced ride today, it still is ideal for younger riders looking to go on their first "upside down" roller coaster as well as nostalgics and coaster enthusiasts

The ride is built on Johnson Creek real estate, and had to temporarily close in the 2004 season because of a flood. Shock Wave temporarily closed again in early 2008 for an extensive remodeling.

Shockwave was closed for much of the 2013 season due to an unknown maintenance problem.

In 2016, the ride received virtual reality headgear showing a New Revolution film that many other Six Flags parks received.

Design

Elements
Chain lift hill Vertical loop Vertical loop Helix

Trains

2 trains with 7 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train.

Ride experience

After the 116 feet lift hill, a 180-degree right-hand turn with a slight dip follows. The train then goes down the first drop into the back-to-back loops, with peak forces at 5.9G. The train then travels up a hill into the mid-course brake run. The ride then turns right and dives down and back up. The ride then turns left and drops down again. The final element is a hill with a left turn that goes into a 270-degree helix to the right before returning to the station.

Color schemes

On opening, the track and supports were all-white. It was later repainted blue with red supports. Currently, the ride is painted green with blue supports. It received a new coat of paint in 2012 from Baynum Painting.

Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, it was not the first roller coaster to feature back to back vertical loops. That distinction goes to Double Loop at Geauga Lake, which opened in 1977, a year before Shock Wave.

Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster April 22, 1978- June 1978
Preceded by Giant Coaster	Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster April 22, 1978- June 1978	Succeeded by Loch Ness Monster