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NARRATOR: Get ready for a battle like you've never seen before.
When you get to the top of the first drop, I was freaking out.
Aaaaah!
They're the tallest, fastest,
most pulse-pounding thrill rides in the world...
but which one is best?
Aaaah!
What if we pit four of the best coasters on the planet
in an epic one-of-a-kind battle,
a battle decided by the riders themselves?
Thousands will vote.
Which coaster will come out on top?
Oh, my God!
[ Screaming ]
This is...
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Today, four of the most electrifying roller coasters
on earth will square off against each other.
We've put voting booths at the exit of each ride.
Coaster enthusiasts will rate their experience
in comparison to all other rides they've ever ridden.
The votes get tallied,
and each coaster is then given a score
to compare it against the other challengers.
Today's competitors include...
Formula Rossa from Abu Dhabi's Ferrari World...
Super Man: Ride of Steel
from Six Flags America in Maryland...
Shambhala from Spain's PortAventura Park...
and Tatsu from Six Flags Magic Mountain in California.
The variety in roller coasters all over the world is amazing.
Roller coaster enthusiasts want that wild ride.
They want things that push the limit.
NARRATOR: Which coaster will climb to the top,
and which ones will be left in the station?
Let's find out.
Our first competitor hails from Abu Dhabi,
the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
This cosmopolitan island metropolis
off the Persian Gulf coast
is a major economic hub of the Middle East.
It's also home to the largest
indoor amusement park on earth -- Ferrari World.
This shrine to the iconic Italian automobile
contains more than 20 rides and attractions,
but the one that really revs guests' engines
is the lightning-fast Formula Rossa.
It's not a typical roller coaster.
It gives you the chance to feel
and be a racing driver for a few minutes.
NARRATOR: Hitting a top speed of 149 miles per hour
in just 4.9 seconds,
Formula Rossa is the fastest roller coaster in the world.
That speed comes from this massive hydraulic launch system.
The key to the launch is this 25-ton winch.
It's the biggest catapult coaster winch on the planet.
A launch cable from the winch connects to a catch car
under the coaster train.
When the coaster is launched,
pressurized nitrogen gas is released from holding tanks
and pushes oil through the engine, powering the winch.
The winch spins with nearly 21,000 horsepower,
launching the train down the track.
That's over 20 times as much horsepower
as a Formula 1 race car.
Riders are rocked with an astounding 4.8 G's
on the initial launch.
And since the average person can only handle about 5 G's
before losing consciousness,
Formula Rossa really packs a punch.
Oh, my God. It's huge.
Dubai-based flight attendants Heidi and Geri
are here on a day trip to race on the blazing Formula Rossa
for the first time.
When I saw the track for the first time,
I got really scared, and I was thinking,
"What am I doing here?"
NARRATOR: They approach the ride...
I am so scared.
...but Heidi is having doubts.
I'm not ready at all.
The intimidating speed demon idles
as it awaits the next ride.
Scary thing.
Heidi is very scared.
I think she's nervous as hell.
NARRATOR: Then, adding to the tension,
safety goggles are handed out.
Formula Rossa is so fast
that riders need to protect their eyes from flying debris,
like sand and insects.
I'm shaking, and I'm feeling nervous.
I'm scared. I'm still super scared.
Is this safe?
[ Applause and whistling ]
[ Screaming ]
They roll out of the station, and then the train stops.
All right.
Is it gonna go now? Aah!
When you sit there and you're waiting for the launch,
it's exciting.
Everyone is completely freaking out.
It's the scariest thing
I have ever actually experienced in my life.
[ Screaming ]
NARRATOR: Then, without warning, the car rockets out of the gate.
[ Screams ]
GERI: You can't think of anything.
You can't do anything until you're up in the air.
[ Screaming ]
Your face is, like, pulling back --
and the whole body, and there's loads of pressure.
You cannot move yourself, you cannot move your head.
I lost my goggles after two seconds.
I lost my goggles!
NARRATOR: Formula Rossa flies up the 174-foot lift hill
and drops down, making a wide bank turn to the left.
Aaah!
GERI: It feels really long
and relatively painful in a good way.
NARRATOR: They fly over another air-time hill
followed by a wide bank turn to the right,
where the coaster hits 80 miles per hour.
GERI: Even if you are screaming,
you're kind of struggling to hear your own voice over it.
NARRATOR: The car shifts gears,
twisting and turning two more times.
Heidi and Geri are hit with 3.6 G's
as the coaster nearly skims the ground.
HEIDI: It slows down slightly,
but you can still feel the pressure on your stomach
kind of moving around.
NARRATOR: Finally, Formula Rossa hurtles over back-to-back,
stomach-churning bunny hills.
They've traveled 1.3 miles in just over 90 seconds.
[ Cheers and applause ]
It was crazy!
GERI: When you get off, you feel a bit of whiplash,
your tummy feels like it's stuck to your spine.
WOMAN: Hey, guys. Come on over.
NARRATOR: Now it's time for the friends to vote.
Speed -- 100.
Riders have been voting all day, and the results are in.
Formula Rossa races in with a score of 875 out of 1,000.
I lost my goggles!
HEIDI: My day was amazing.
The roller coaster was very scary and completely different.
But I would do it again.
I will definitely come back here.
NARRATOR: Formula Rossa holds the record
for the fastest coaster in the world.
But across the globe in Maryland,
one scream machine might just have the super powers
to beat it.
Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Just a short drive from Washington, D.C.,
this small suburb is home
to a supersized adrenaline source --
Six Flags America.
The park's top coaster turns mere mortals
into the ultimate high-powered hero --
It's Superman: Ride of Steel!
Ride of Steel mimics Superman's awesome powers
with super speed and gravity-defying air time.
Superman is our biggest, fastest, tallest roller coaster.
From the top of Superman, on a clear day,
you can see the Washington Monument.
NARRATOR: The fear-inducing, 208-foot drop is only the start.
This insane hyper coaster
rockets around 5,300 feet of hills and helixes
at a ridiculous 75 miles per hour.
Superman ride is pure adrenaline.
It's all rush.
You just climb and you climb,
and then you're doing down.
Okay.
Oh, I'm so excited.
Okay, so, Superman first?
NARRATOR: Donning the red cape and tights today
are super couple Brittany and Justin.
I don't remember it being this tall.
So, today, me and my boyfriend
just came to Six Flags, and we love roller coasters,
and we're definitely gonna ride Superman first.
Let's do it.
Let's go.
Yeah!
NARRATOR: The two buckle into Superman's seats.
We're right in the front.
Are you all ready to ride Superman?
[ Cheers and applause ]
Let's go.
Whoo! Yeah!
Oh, it's so high, dude.
It is seriously so high.
Wave to the people.
Whoo!
Nice knowing you!
You're just getting more and more nervous.
I find myself pushing myself to the back of the seat,
kind of holding on a little bit tighter.
Arms up. Justin, arms up.
Arms up.
NARRATOR: They inch over the apex of the first drop.
Don't put them down. Do not put them down!
[ Both screaming ]
NARRATOR: Coaster lovers Justin and Brittany
are climbing high above Maryland's Six Flags America.
They're on the lift hill of the ultimate hyper coaster,
Superman: Ride of Steel.
Arms up. Justin, arms up.
Arms up.
Don't put them down.
Do not put them down!
Oh, my God!
[ Both screaming ]
With a jolt, Superman bursts down the 68° incline drop
at 75 miles per hour.
You feel like your heart just goes up in your throat.
NARRATOR: Then Superman banks 90° to the right,
barreling over the ground like a speeding bullet
and gliding up a 150-foot air-time hill.
The wind just hits your face so hard,
and you try to scream, but nothing really comes out.
NARRATOR: Then Superman hurtles into a punishing helix,
spinning 540°.
BRITTANY: It's so fast,
and the G-force just has you, like, whipping around.
Oh, my God!
NARRATOR: Slingshotting out of the helix,
Superman dives daringly under its own track.
BRITTANY: It seems like it's literally gonna cut your head off.
Oh, my God!
I just instinctively duck my head down.
NARRATOR: Then the coaster takes flight...
off an 80-foot air-time hill
and dives into a second 540° helix.
Oh, my God!
Then Superman slams hard right into a series of camelbacks...
Aah!
...giving riders the sensation of flight.
Whoo!
Finally, Superman flies in for a landing.
Whoo!
Oh! [ Laughs ]
Here, you got some tears coming.
Oh, my God.
Back on solid ground,
Justin and Brittany rush to rate Superman.
Speed is really, really fast, so I'm gonna say 90.
Coaster super fans have been voting all day,
and Superman: Ride of Steel tallies a total score of 833
out of 1,000.
Solid, but not enough
to overtake Formula Rossa's commanding lead.
I would highly recommend it to anyone,
and they better put their arms up
'cause that's the only way to do it.
[ Both screaming ]
NARRATOR: Abu Dhabi's Formula Rossa keeps its foot on the gas.
But in Salou, Spain,
there's a coaster ready to scream into first.
Barcelona, Spain --
an international hot spot
known for its amazing architecture
and world-class cuisine.
About an hour down the coast is Salou,
home to one of Spain's biggest theme parks, PortAventura.
[ Speaking Spanish ]
And the latest and greatest addition
is the mystical Shambhala.
Shambhala climbs a massive 249 feet into the air,
making it the tallest coaster in Europe.
When you ride this coaster, it's like flying.
I mean, for me, the best sensation
that you can have is when you are completely free.
Holy moly.
NARRATOR: Australian expat Liz is here
to take on the dizzying heights of Shambhala
and tackle some fears of her own.
I'm petrified of heights -- very scared of heights.
This is gonna be quite a challenge.
You're going first.
NARRATOR: Her daredevil work buddies, Seb and Simon,
are making sure she doesn't chicken out.
You see that there's no harness or anything.
I'm feeling a bit sick, actually. Sorry about that.
It's gonna be all right.
Aim left, remember.
[ Laughter ]
NARRATOR: They slowly scale up the petrifying
249-foot lift hill.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God! [Bleep]
Oh, my God, hurry up!
Shambhala inches toward the sharp apex...
Aaah!
LIZ: So, then, all of a sudden,
you look down and you've just got a drop
straight in front of you.
Shut up!
NARRATOR: PortAventura Park in Salou, Spain --
it's the country's number-one theme park
and home to the mammoth hyper coaster, Shambhala.
Liz, Simon, and Seb hold on
as the train inches over the steel summit.
[Bleep] Oh, my God!
So, then, all of a sudden, you look down
and you've just got a drop like straight in front of you.
Oh, my God!
Shut up!
NARRATOR: Shambhala plunges down 253 feet
at 77° into an underground tunnel.
It just releases everything at full speed.
NARRATOR: They shoot up and over a massive camelback.
Oh, going up again!
Whoo!
It feels like flying, really.
That's the closest to flying. I really enjoyed it.
Aaaah!
NARRATOR: Then Shambhala shoots them right into a figure-eight helix.
That's it! Now you can fly!
[ Laughs ]
Next, they rumble over two more camelbacks,
and Shambhala greets them with a huge splash.
The train hits two more bunny hills
before making a 180° turn back to the station.
Whoo!
[ Laughs ]
Amazing.
[ Cheers and applause ]
NARRATOR: Did Shambhala cure Liz of her fear of heights?
I'm scared out of my mind, still --
scared out of my mind.
NARRATOR: Well, maybe next time.
How will the three friends rank Shambhala in today's challenge?
Thrill factor -- all the way up.
Riders have been voting all day,
and Shambhala scores a formidable 866
out of 1,000 points.
A sky-high score,
but just short of Formula Rossa's towering 875 points,
but it's enough to knock Superman: Ride of Steel
to third place.
There's only one more coaster left in the competition.
Will Formula Rossa be able to hold on for the win?
To find out, we head to Southern California,
where a high-flying coaster is ready to take the lead.
Valencia, California.
Within the borders of this quiet community
just north of Los Angeles
sits 262 acres of bloodcurdling, nonstop thrills --
Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Packed on this property are 18 rip-roaring roller coasters,
more than any other theme park in the world.
But the most death-defying
is Magic Mountain's signature ride, Tatsu.
This $21 million beast built in 2006
is the longest and tallest flying coaster in the world.
Right now, we're on top of the Tatsu lift.
We're about 185 feet above the ground.
Every inch of this ride was custom designed
to fit the hillside and the slopes and what we have here.
Oh, my God.
That's what you want me to go on?
Yes. That is the twisting, flying-in-the-air awesomeness.
NARRATOR: Season-pass holder Lissette is bringing her friend Jeremy
to ride Tatsu for the first time.
To me, it's scary just being strapped in
and not knowing what's gonna happen.
Better be worth it.
It is gonna be worth it!
I'm freaking out right now.
You feel like you're being put in a bed
with a straitjacket and strapped on.
NARRATOR: Suddenly,
their streets are rotated, facing them towards the ground.
WOMAN: Here we go!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Hold my hands.
You just feel like your heart starts beating a little faster.
Oh, my God! It's so high!
NARRATOR: The train crests over the peak, but it doesn't last for long.
[ Screaming ]
NARRATOR: Six Flags Magic Mountain --
It's L.A.'s number-one hot spot for extreme thrill rides.
Roller coaster veteran Lissette is taking her friend Jeremy
for his first ride on the fear-inducing Tatsu.
JEREMY: I'm just hoping to get through this day.
I'm sure I'll end up with a smile, but we'll see.
NARRATOR: They creep over the edge of the steel drop
and come face to face with the freedom of flight.
[ Screaming ]
Tatsu swoops through the trees...
Aaaah!
...and past the landmark Sky Tower.
Then they're banked into an aerobatic 360° barrel roll,
followed by Tatsu's one-of-a-kind zero-gravity roll.
Whoo! Aaah!
LISSETTE: It pushes your entire body backwards
and then upside down,
and your blood rushes to your head,
and your heart feels like it's in your stomach.
NARRATOR: Next, Tatsu makes a series of sweeping turns,
hugging the terrain like an eagle hunting for prey.
And now it's time for the ride's finishing move --
a giant 124-foot-tall pretzel loop.
Heavy G-forces at the bottom
pin Jeremy and Lissette to their seats.
Everything from your body is just, like, in your brain.
Aaaaaaaaah!
Oh, my God!
NARRATOR: But it's not over.
Tatsu makes one last 360° in-line twist
before hitting a brake run.
Awesome!
LISSETTE: He looked pretty scared at the end of the ride,
but I know he had fun 'cause there was a smile on his face.
That was good. Ahh.
You did it.
NARRATOR: The friends head to the voting table
to rate their experience.
What about for the G-force?
I think it was like a 99 for you.
I love this ride.
It just makes you feel like you're flying.
NARRATOR: And now it's time to reveal the winner.
Currently in third place is Maryland's Superman
with a coaster score of 833 out of 1,000.
In second is Spain's Shambhala with a final score of 866.
And leading the way in first is Abu Dhabi's Formula Rossa
with a dominating coaster score of 875.
Will California's Tatsu be able to surpass Formula Rossa
and win it all?
No!
Tatsu comes in with a final coaster score of 855,
meaning Formula Rossa is our winner.
Formula Rossa -- it's absolutely one of the most insane,
intense roller coasters in the world.
It's so intense,
it will make your face quiver at 149 miles an hour.
NARRATOR: Congratulations to Formula Rossa.
You're on your way to world domination.