July 28, 2026
Provided Image/Six Flags Great Adventure
The Bakunawa ride at Six Flags Great Adventure, rendered above, will be the world's tallest and fastest spinning launch roller coaster when it opens in 2027, park officials said.
Six Flags Great Adventure unveiled its newest roller coaster Tuesday, which is set to open in the spring.
The Bakunawa ride is a floorless coaster in which riders are suspended in the air in spinning seats as they cruise to the top of the 382-foot structure before pausing and going backward down the tracks. The Jackson Township attraction said that when it opens, it will be among the five tallest roller coasters in the world and will hold six world records. It will be located in the newly revamped Boardwalk section of the park, which is modeled after the Jersey Shore.
The ride lasts 2 minutes, 17 seconds. At the start, the train gets launched from 0 to 60 mph and travels above the Boardwalk section. At the quarter point, riders are launched again while upside-down, accelerating from 60 to 80 mph before the third launch to 100 mph. At the top of the nearly 400-foot spiral, the train stops and falls back down, carrying riders backward to the start point.
The trains carry 20 passengers at a time, and riders must be at least 48 inches tall to go on the ride. Fitting with the Boardwalk's ocean theme, the ride is named after a sea serpent from Philippine mythology.
Six Flags said the new roller coaster breaks four world records — fastest spinning coaster, tallest spinning coaster, fastest inversion, longest stall inversion — and sets the records for the world's first floorless spinning coaster and the first upside-down launch.
In March, the Jackson Township amusement park announced that it had overhauled its Boardwalk attraction with a redesign inspired by the real Jersey Shore boardwalk. The new ride is located at the site of the former Green Lantern roller coaster in the Shoreline Pier section of the park, which will also house a new family-friendly roller coaster called Barrels O' Fun and offers shore-themed snacks like corn dogs, seafood, funnel cakes, water ice, disco fries and cocktails.
Six Flag's Boardwalk section opened in 1995 at the site of the former Goodtime Alley. In addition to the new coasters, it's home to the Flying Scooters, Wave Swinger, Hypno Twister and Super Round Up, a classic stand-up spinning ride that was established in 1974.
Six Flags has spent a few years transitioning its parks after its $8 billion merger with Cedar Fair in 2024. Last year, the popular Kingda Ka roller coaster at the Great Adventure was demolished after 20 years at the park. The 456-foot-tall ride was formerly the world's tallest roller coaster, although a 640-foot attraction at Six Flags Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia now holds that title.
Six Flags has also closed two locations, canceled its Holiday in the Park attraction and plans to shutter California's Great America in 2027. In total, it operates 36 parks, water parks and resorts worldwide.
