Riders gave Six Flags Great Adventure's new 4D coaster, The Joker, rave reviews. Watch video
JACKSON - Six Flags Great Adventure unveiled its 14th rollercoaster on Thursday, a 4-D, free-fly coaster named after the comic book super villain, The Joker.
The coaster lifts riders straight up a 12-story, 90-degree hill before flipping them head-over-heels at least six times during the nearly minute-long ride.
Six Flags Great Adventure President John Fitzgerald said during the unveiling ceremony that the new vertical coaster delivers "gravity defying somersaults with utter unpredictability."
"It is the perfect addition to our dynamic lineup of award-winning rollercoasters, because this ride delivers total mayhem with its next generation, cutting-edge thrills," Fitzgerald said.
NJ Advance Media's Rob Spahr was among the first to ride Six Flags Great Adventure's new 4D coaster, The Joker, on Thursday. (Courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure) The coaster was definitely "unpredictable" on Thursday, as a technical problem caused it to shut down for the day shortly after its unveiling.
Before the ride shut down, however, I was able to ride the coaster and experience the so-called mayhem first hand.
My journey started off peaceful enough, as the vehicle I was in slowly lifted us up about 12 stories in the air, providing an excellent view of the theme park and the nearby Great Lake.
But then just as that view was at its best, my chair started to rock back and forth, before ultimately flipping over completely as the vehicle began its descent toward the rest of the track.
The ride only lasts about 50 seconds - or about twice as long as Kingda Ka and about half as long as some of the park's longest rides - but it packs a lot of unique thrills into that minute.
First of all, you're constantly moving - not only along the tracks, as you do with any roller coaster, but also your individual seat is constantly rocking or spinning.
You can see the people across from you spinning in a different direction as you, and you can hear the people behind you screaming as they're flipping backward around the winding track while you're rocking forward.
"It was really intense. It's faster than I thought it would be and it just flings you around, you can't even tell what's going on," said Yardly, Pa. resident Tyler Thomas, who rode The Joker with his father, Stephen. "At one point, I opened my eyes and the people who had been sitting across from us were directly above us and we were just flipping. It was awesome."
The first few flips are innocent enough, but as the coaster reaches its final two drops, the flipping seemed to intensify.
Now, I'm what some may call a "heavy" guy, so the idea of me being weightless is kind of absurd.
However, on the last - and best - flip of my ride on The Joker, I felt just that.
As my seat started to flip backward, my body lifted off the seat and the flexible safety harness on the coaster provides just enough give to make it seem like you are floating - or falling.
"I feel like with upside down roller coasters you don't feel like you're going to fall out, but with this one you felt yourself moving forward," said Hammonton resident Pamela Stratton, who rode The Joker with three friends.
"It feels like you're never still, but when you go around the last turn you just see air," said Lauren Conway, also of Hammonton. "It was like a free fall."
So The Joker in a nutshell?
A great view, followed by a minute of flips, misdirection and a ridiculously fun "free fall."
Not only did it seem as though everyone who had an opportunity to experience The Joker on Thursday enjoyed it - and with their lunches still in their stomachs - many said they planned to ride it again.
"We're going back right now to try the other side of the track," said Franki Rudnesky, of Hammonton. "It was like no other ride I've ever been on."
Kristin Siebeneicher, a spokeswoman for Six Flags, said on Thursday that park officials still hope to reopen the ride to the season ticket holders on Friday and the general public on Saturday.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
