Shockwave (Six Flags Great America)

Common card · No. 474481

Shockwave was a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, United States, located in the Orleans Place section of the park. Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the coaster opened in 1988 as the world's tallest roller coaster and the fastest steel coaster, standing 170 feet (52 m) tall and reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). It featured seven inversions, a record at the time, including three vertical loops, a batwing, and a double corkscrew. Shockwave was the first of three coasters with similar layouts built at Six Flags parks, preceding Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great Adventure and Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Multiple guests later regarded Shockwave's ride experience as rough, and several reported sustaining minor injuries while riding. In 2002, the coaster was dismantled to make way for Superman: Ultimate Flight, which opened the following year. The park originally planned to remove Whizzer to make space for the new coaster, but...

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