A Canadian theme park in Vaughan, Ontario called Wonderland has just opened a ride known as the Yukon Striker, which it describes as ‘the longest, fastest and tallest dive coaster in the world’ – and it isn’t for the faint of heart.
A dive rollercoaster differs from a regular rollercoaster in that it includes a vertical drop, rather than just twists, turns and loops. This new coaster begins with a sheer 75-m drop – riders get suspended for three seconds before experiencing the plunge – and then it shoots through an underwater tunnel before continuing across the 1,105-m track. Somewhere on the journey it reaches a maximum speed of 130km/h and includes four inversions (being turned upside down and returned right-side up again).
#YukonStriker, the world’s fastest, longest, tallest #divecoaster opens tomorrow at #CanadasWonderland in Toronto! Will you dare take a ride? 🎢 🙌
🎥 @WonderlandNews pic.twitter.com/PlXLgxucMV
— Canada (@Canada) May 2, 2019
‘At its summit, you’ll experience three seconds of complete exhilaration as you stare directly down 245 feet (75m) at 90 degrees into an underwater tunnel,’ Norm Pirtovshek, general manager of Canada’s Wonderland, said in a press release.
The Striker has floorless seating, so that your legs dangle in the air for ‘enhanced visibility’. After the first riders experienced the ride, Grace Peacock, director of communications for the park, told CNN Travel, ‘They were cheering when the first riders got on and clapping when they returned to the station after their ride… I think everyone was blown away by that 90-degree drop.’
