Shockwave (Six Flags Great America)
| Shockwave | |
|---|---|
| Six Flags Great America | |
| Location | Six Flags Great America |
| Park section | Orleans Place |
| Coordinates | 42°22′16″N 87°56′03″W / 42.3712°N 87.9343°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | June 3, 1988 |
| Closing date | 2002 |
| Cost | $6,000,000 |
| Replaced by | Superman: Ultimate Flight |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Model | Custom Looping Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 170 ft (52 m) |
| Drop | 155 ft (47 m) |
| Length | 3,900 ft (1,200 m) |
| Speed | 65 mph (105 km/h) |
| Inversions | 7 |
| Duration | 2:20 |
| Capacity | 2000 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
| Shockwave at RCDB | |
Shockwave was a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, located in the Orleans Place section of the park. Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the coaster opened in 1988 as the world's tallest roller coaster and the fastest steel coaster, standing 170 feet (52 m) tall and reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). It featured seven inversions, a record at the time, including three vertical loops, a batwing, and a double corkscrew. Shockwave was the first of three coasters with similar layouts built at Six Flags parks, preceding Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great Adventure and Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Shockwave's ride experience was later regarded as rough, and multiple guests reported minor injuries obtained by riding the coaster. In 2002, the coaster was dismantled to make way for Superman: Ultimate Flight, which opened the following year. The park originally planned to remove Whizzer to make space for the new coaster, but in response to public feedback, Shockwave was selected for removal instead. Shockwave's pieces sat in storage just outside of the park until being scrapped in 2004, and the ride's trains were sent to Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Magic Mountain for use on their similar coasters.