Ultimate Thrill Rides

Description: Since the United States' first roller coaster opened for business at Coney Island, New York, in 1884, the thrill-seeker's thirst for white-knuckle rides remains unabated. The American Coaster Enthusiasts club today boasts over 8,000 members and similar clubs across the world are constantly search of the ultimate thrill ride. Technology has now reached such a point that it is not so much the limits of engineering that stands in the way of ever scarier thrill rides, but the human body and the upper levels of endurance its biology can withstand. The Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in Ohio, USA, is the tallest and fastest thrill ride in the world. Passengers are propelled to a speed of 190 kph in four seconds, after which they take eight seconds to shoot 128 metres into the air - twice the height of Niagara Falls. The Air ride in the UK's Alton Towers is a radical flying roller coaster. Air relies on specially developed harness technology, based on a twin-lock restraint system that is controlled by computer. A synthetic rubber jacket moulds to the thrill-seeker's shape and gives them the feeling of flying as they ride the roller coaster. The X ride at Magic Mountain in California pushes the boundaries of human endurance. Computer software calculates the precise G-force at each stage of the ride, spinning riders at speeds of 122 kph in all directions to the limit of their G-force tolerance. Safety is built into the ride's computer, which will rotate the ride out of danger if calculations show that G-force is about to be breached. It seems the human appetite for thrill rides is insatiable and engineers will go on pushing the boundaries of what can be endured in the name of fun. Over 300 million people attend theme parks in America each year and there have been over 500 roller coasters built worldwide in the last decade -- enough to keep thrill-seekers around the world busy for some time yet!