GOODYBYE TEXAS GIANT!

Andy Hine MBE · GOODYBYE TEXAS GIANT!

Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas rattles into retirement today

One of the signature rides at Six Flags Over Texas – and often the most grueling one – takes its final gut-churning spins around the track this weekend.

When the gates close Sunday, the old Texas Giant roller coaster will enter retirement after 19 years and more than 23 million rides. A replacement wooden coaster that's likely to have the same name and incorporate pieces of the old ride will open for the beginning of the 2011 season.

"It's going to be a completely different ride when it's all said and done, but elements of it will remain," said Sharon Parker, a park spokeswoman.

The new Texas Giant is expected to be faster and have a smoother ride. Once the tallest wooden coaster, the Giant is famous for its rugged, bone-rattling ride that thrilled some and made others steer clear.

Many details about the new coaster have been kept secret, but Parker said it will incorporate elements never before used in a wooden coaster. The new Giant will cost about $10 million, nearly double the $5.5 million price to build the original for the 1990 season.

Roller coaster fans are eagerly awaiting details about the new Giant, said Tim Baldwin, publications director for American Coaster Enthusiasts.

"I'm truly on the edge of my seat," he said. "It's an iconic monument at the park."

Baldwin, a Grand Prairie resident, walked on the tracks when the Giant was under construction and was in the first group to ride. On Sunday, he'll be on the final train – leaving at 7 p.m. – to circle the tracks of the original Giant. He said he stopped counting the number of times he rode the roller coaster after hitting 200 by the second season.

Paula and Scott Smith of Cypress, a Houston suburb, made sure they got one last ride on the Giant on Saturday. That said they love it for its "old school" ride that differentiates it from the glass-smooth steel coasters.

"It makes you grit you teeth," said Paula Smith, who was also there with their teenage son. "You better not have a neck injury when you get on it."

Members of the Arlington and Martin high school football teams also rode the Giant on Saturday afternoon in an event sponsored by the park. Two players decided to sit out a second straight ride, and one player declined to get on the first time.

The coaster hits about 62 mph and has a 280-foot drop.

"This is how a ride is supposed to be," said Dallas Flanagan, 17-year-old guard for the Arlington High football team.

The site survey will begin next week. Parker, however, would not comment about when portions of the roller coaster will be removed.

Some wood from the Giant will be turned into Christmas ornaments and sold at park gift stores. Other beams that can be salvaged will be stored and used for other construction or maintenance projects.

"It's a beloved coaster, so why not see what we can do to take it up a notch?" Parker said. "It was once the No. 1 coaster within the roller coaster industry, and we're looking forward to bringing it back up to that level."

c anderson

Shame it is going, it was rough riding it when we visited but the night ERS was a fantastic experience. Hopefully its replacement will be ready for the 2011 trip.

ccp

Rough Rider

OH my God!
Looks like I'll be wearing a black arm band this weekend Crying or Very sad

Must agree with Colin about that ers in the dark after that storm..................out of this world. Laughing

(could be worse?.......................it could have been the "RATTLER")
At the end of the day I'm just lucky to be someone who can say "been there rode that" Laughing

USfriends

Must agree with you guys
Glad I was there for that legendary ERS.
Didn't want to spoil that memory by riding it again
So when we go next time it will be a different ride.

Ryan , did you have to go and spoil a perfectly good post
by mentioning Rattler?! Rolling Eyes

krusty_the_clown

it just proves how different the ride could be. Dan and I went on the ride during the day and it awful, it was that bad that we were seriously contemplating hitting the bar and not doing the ERS, but that thunderstorm just as the ERS was starting transformed the ride into an A class ride and one I could of sat in the back seat of for hours! lets hope the new ride is as good as that but with out the need for a thunderstorm Wink

c anderson

It is a shame that 6 Flags could not replace Rattler as well, that would be better for all coaster enthusiasts, still we can hope they see sense and turn Rattler into matchsticks.

Nemesis Nick

I see Ryan (Rough Rider) is disappointed to see Texas Giant disappear from Six Flags Over Texas.

Magic

The Texas Giant isn't being removed or repalced by another coaster called Texas Giant. The exisiting Texas Giant is being given a major renovation in the same style as the steel coasters S:ROS and Medusa have. They will replace worn out sections of track, modify part of the layout and add new effects. So it'll pretty much still be the same coaster but with some bells and whistles added to it.

c anderson

Here is a link to the work starting on the Giant, video of the bulldozer in action. Maybe they could do the Rattler as well. ?

http://www.star-telegram.com/local/story/1766026.html