- Kingda Ka opened as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world in 2005
- Demolished and imploded after 20 years in operation
- Heartbroken fans pay tribute to the former Six Flags Great Adventure icon
Kingda Ka, once the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, has been demolished. The former Six Flags Great Adventure ride stood at 456 feet tall and blasted thrill seekers to a top speed of 128 mph in 3.5 seconds. Now, it’s just a pile of steel.
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Rumors of the ride’s closure began to swirl in November 2024, with confirmation coming from Six Flags just a few days after the story started to circulate. Drop of Doom, the drop tower ride attached to Kingda Ka, was also announced to close permanently along with the Green Lantern coaster, Twister, and Parachutes.
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Intamin’s hydraulic launch coaster – which has given more than 12 million rides since 2005- gave its last rides in November, before closing six months shy of its 20th birthday. In January 2025, crews started tearing out the station and dissembling the flat track on the coaster, an agonising sight for die-hard fans. The killer blow came on 28 February, when a controlled implosion brought the “King of Coasters” crumbling to the ground in less than ten seconds.
Footage of the Kingda Ka implosion from this morning at Six Flags Great Adventure: pic.twitter.com/QNCpI77a6Z
— ThrillGeek (@thrillgeek) February 28, 2025
Record setting
Kingda Ka opened to great fanfare at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey in 2005 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. It was located in the Golden Kingdom section of the park – an ancient, jungle-themed land. Standing 456 feet (139 m) tall and reaching speeds of up to 128 mph (206 km/h) in just 3.5 seconds, it claimed both records from Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point.
It continued to be the world’s fastest coaster until Formula Rossa at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi opened in November 2010. The Formula One themed launch coaster hits maximum speeds of 149.1 mph (240 km/h). Kingda Ka however, would maintain its crown as the world’s tallest roller coaster and fastest in North America until its demise.
Falcon’s Flight, a new roller coaster set to debut this year at Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia, will break all records. It is set to become the world’s longest, tallest and fastest. It will run 13,943.6 feet (4,250.0 m) long and will reach a top speed of 155.3 mph (249.9 km/h). The coaster uses the natural cliffs near the park to attain a peak elevation of 639.8 feet (195.0 m) and a breathtaking drop of 525 feet (160 m).
Why was Kingda Ka demolished?
The beloved ride became increasingly expensive to repair and presented the amusement park with several challenges. It was injury prone, if you like. Its grand opening was delayed by a month due to issues with the launch system and throughout the years it would continue to periodically close for maintenance. It even had its fair share of lawsuits from injured riders to deal with. In 2009, it was closed for three months for repairs after being struck by lightning and two years later it would suffer damage at the hands of Hurricane Irene.
Ultimately, the decision to remove Kingda Ka was part of Six Flag’s plan to introduce two new attractions to the New Jersey park, including a yet to be named “multi-world-record-breaking launch coaster” set to open in 2026. The Flash: Vertical Velocity is opening this year and is described as a “North America’s first super boomerang coaster” themed to the DC Comics character the Flash.
Park president, Brian Bacica, gave a statement acknowledging the sadness felt by park-goers in losing Kingda Ka. He said “We understand that saying goodbye to beloved rides can be difficult, and we appreciate our guests’ passion. These changes are an important part of our growth and dedication to delivering exceptional new experiences. We look forward to sharing more details next summer.”
Fan tributes
For nearly 20 years, thrill-seekers from around the world traveled to face the ‘King of Coasters.’ Being strapped into the iconic bright orange harnesses and launched 45 stories into the sky at 128 mph became the stuff of legends.
And let’s not forget the infamous rollbacks, where the trains didn’t quite make it over the hat-top and rolled back into the station. If you were lucky – or unlucky, depending on your nervous system – to experience one, you basically got a second hydraulic launch for free.
Fans have flooded social media to pay homage to Kingda Ka, sharing their personal memories and experiences. One group even popped a bottle on its last day of operation and held a banner that read “#savekingdaka”.
Kingda Ka was a majestic giant in the Ocean County skyline, a welcome landmark for New Jersey residents. It pushed the boundaries of what’s possible at amusement parks and despite its flaws captured the hearts of adrenaline junkies. Its legacy will live on, having thrilled millions in its two-decade reign as the king.
