Bizarro is a roller coaster at Six Flags New England. The roller coaster was formerly known as Superman: The Ride of Steel. The roller coaster has won Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Award for "Best Steel Coaster" in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. It climbs a 208-foot hill and drops 221 feet. Riders go through tunnels, different themed buildings and encounter more hills. The coaster travels 77 mph and lasts 2:35 minutes. The ride has been praised for how smooth it is. Bizarro has also been ranked highly by National Amusement Park Historical Association and Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll.
The Millennium Force is the second ranked roller coaster on the list. It is at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. This steel roller coaster was built in 2000 and is one of the tallest roller coasters in the world. The Millennium Force has been voted as the top steel roller coaster in the world by Amusement Today five times. It is 310 feet and has a speed of 99 mph. The roller coaster features four hills, two tunnels, and three overbanked turns. The ride lasts 2 minutes. The Millennium Force has been ranked highly by the National Amusement Park Historical Association and Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll.
Nitro is ranked number three on the Best of America list. The roller coaster is at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. Nitro opened in 2001 and was at the time the tallest roller coaster on the east coast. The roller coaster has seven steep drops, six camelbacks, a hammer head turn and a 540-degree helix. The height of the coaster is 230 feet and it reaches a speed of 88 mph. The roller coaster lasts 2:20 minutes. On a clear night, the skyline of Philadelphia is visible on the roller coaster hills. The roller coaster has been highly regarded by Amusement Today, National Amusement Park Historical Association and Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll.
Montu is at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida. This roller coaster opened in 1996 and is an inverted coaster. Riders' legs hang free as they travel a hill as high as 150 feet at a speed of 63 mph. The ride features vertical and immelmann loops as well as a zero-gravity roll causing riders to feel weightless. The roller coaster also features a batwing, which is two loops causing riders to turn upside down twice. The ride lasts 3 minutes. The Montu has been ranked in the top 10 steel roller coasters by Amusement Today.
Superman: Ride of Steel is at Six Flags America in Largo, Maryland. This roller coaster is similar to the top ranked roller coaster, Bizarro, at Six Flags New England. It reaches a height of 208 feet and travels at 73 mph. It has many hills and drops for a duration of 2:10 minutes. The roller coaster is highly regarded by Amusement Today and Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll.
SheiKra is at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida. SheiKra was the first dive machine roller coaster in North America. A dive machine roller coaster has a vertical drop and wide shuttle trains. SheiKra opened in 2005 and was converted to a floorless roller coaster in 2007. Riders experience a 200-foot, 45-degree chain lift hill, 195-foot 90 degree drop, 140-foot-tall immelmann and a 138-foot 81 degree drop. The roller coaster also includes a splashdown where riders get wet. The roller coaster travels at 70 mph for a duration of 2:20 minutes. SheiKra was featured on an episode of The Discovery Channel's "Build It Bigger."
Ride of Steel is at Darien Lake Theme Park Resort in Corfu, New York. This roller coaster is identical to the Superman: Ride of Steel coaster at Six Flags America. The roller coaster features the same elements, including the 208-foot hill, speed of 73 mph and duration of 2:10 minutes. The roller coaster is ranked lower due Darien Lake Theme Park Resort not being as well known as a Six Flags park. The roller coaster has the highest drop of any roller coaster in the state of New York.
Storm Runner is at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Storm Runner is a steel launched roller coaster that takes riders from 0 mph to 75 mph in seconds. The ride is 18 stories straight up and straight down and also features a 135-foot cobra loop, barrel rolls and a flying snake dive. The ride only lasts a minute long. Storm Runner opened in 2004 and was the first coaster to have over-the-shoulder restraints.
The ninth ranked roller coaster is Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. Opened in 1999, Apollo's Chariot was the first roller coaster to have a "T-shaped" clamshell harness design that allowed riders more movement and comfort compared to lap restraints or over-the-shoulder harnesses. The roller coaster has a maximum height of 170 feet and a speed of 73 mph. The coaster features hills, tunnels,and a helix. The ride lasts 2:15 minutes. The roller coaster is highly regarded by Amusement Today.
The XCelerator is at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. XCelerator is a hydraulically-launched coaster, allowing for a smooth ride. The roller coaster cannot run in the rain, as the tracks of the coaster must always be dry. The coaster has a 205-foot hill and travels at 82 mph for 1:02 minute. The roller coaster was featured in the movie "Knocked Up."
