Supertall 'Giga Coasters'
John Hill
18. August 2015
Photo: Fury 325 at Carowinds (Photo: Courtesy of New York Times)
Paralleling the popularity of supertall skyscrapers that top 300 meters (984 feet), the New York Times looks at "giga coasters," roller coasters with drops of over 300 feet (91 meters).
More feats of engineering than architecture, the giga coasters appear to be an American phenomenon, as four of the five 300-foot-plus-tall coasters are found in the United States and Canada with the fifth in Japan. In the New York Times' travel survey of the four U.S. coasters, they provide some gut-wrenching videos of plunges that reach 95 mph (153 kmh) as well as firsthand accounts of what it's like to ride each coaster. All that's missing are the screams.
Here's a video of the 95-mph Fury 325 at Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina, but head over to the New York Times to the other three clips.