Are You Ready to Face the Sea Serpent? Meet the Record-Breaking Six Flags Bakunawa Roller Coaster
If your idea of a casual weekend involves being launched upside down at 80 mph while suspended in mid-air, the Six Flags Bakunawa roller coaster is about to become your ultimate obsession. Unveiled on Tuesday at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, this mammoth 382-foot attraction named after a mythical, moon-eating sea serpent from Philippine folklore isn’t just trying to join the thrill-ride clubโitโs rewriting the entire record book with six unprecedented world records when it debuts in 2027.
Six World Records and One Wild Ride
What makes this beast so special? For starters, you won’t just be sitting upright and staring straight ahead. The Six Flags Bakunawa roller coaster features free-spinning, floorless trains where your feet dangle above the track while your seat rotates independently throughout the 2-minute, 17-second journey. Translation: no two rides will ever feel the same.
The ride is officially setting or breaking six world records:
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Worldโs Tallest Spinning Coaster: Towering at a staggering 382 feet.
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Worldโs Fastest Spinning Coaster: Hitting blistering speeds of 100 mph.
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Worldโs First Upside-Down Launch: Accelerating from 60 to 80 mph while completely inverted.
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Worldโs Fastest Inversion: Flipping riders upside down at 80 mph.
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Worldโs Longest Stall Inversion: Weightless hangs that feel like eternity.
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Worldโs First Floorless Spinning Coaster: Total floorless freedom while rotating.
A Skyward Climb and a Backward Plunge
The adventure starts with a launch taking riders from 0 to 60 mph before zooming above the parkโs transformed Boardwalk area. After blast #2 (the upside-down launch), a third launch propels the train to 100 mph up a 90-degree vertical spire. At the 382-foot peak, riders will briefly pauseโfacing the sky, the ground, or somewhere awkwardly in betweenโbefore plunging straight back down toward Earth in reverse.
As Park President Mike Fehnel put it, sliding around the outside of a 382-foot tower looks “terrifying and amazing at the same time.”
Will You Brave the Boardwalk’s New King?
Serving as the centerpiece for Great Adventure’s revamped Boardwalk section, the Six Flags Bakunawa roller coaster promises to be the crown jewel of Northeast theme park thrills. Whether you’re a hardcore coaster enthusiast or just someone who enjoys a good adrenaline rush, start mental preparation now. 2027 is going to be one wild, dizzying ride!
