Adrenalin junkies often turn to rollercoasters to feel the weight of g-force against their bodies and flies in their teeth. The experience of fear can make people feel alive, and adrenalin junkies love nothing more than crawling from thrill to thrill seeking bigger and even fiercer skeletal structures that throw their tiny mortal frames around with reckless abandon. Insulin junkies, on the other hand, like to have a sit down and a cuppa. Maybe watch a bit of telly.
Phantom’s Revenge – Kennywood, Pennsylvania, USA
There are bigger and faster coasters than the big and fast Phantom’s Revenge, but none of them also give you the hideous feeling you might smack your head into another rollercoaster at over 80mph.
Phantom’s Revenge ducks through the supporting structure underneath the tracks of nearby Thunderbolt, giving riders the momentary fear that their faces are about to become pudding.
Eejanaika – Fuji-Q Highland, Fujiyoshida, Japan
Eejanaika is a “4th dimension” rollercoaster which essentially means the seats also get spun around in all sorts of directions while the foolish riders careen around the already twisted railings.
This restless set-up means that every ride is slightly different but most will involve at least 14 inversions. Pro tip: try keep your eyes focused on nearby Mount Fuji for added disorientation.
X-Scream – Stratosphere, Nevada, USA
The shortest rollercoaster in the world is also the most sweat-inducing. The riders’ car rolls back and forth along a large see-saw, which sounds innocuous until you realise it’s done at 866 ft in the air over the concrete neon streets of Las Vegas.
The rolling motion gives the impression you are about to fall off the building. Repeatedly.
The Stratosphere’s other two rides Insanity and Big Shot are equally horrible for anybody with vertigo and/or a brain.
(Featured image by BrightonPiers)
