originally posted on 4/21/2025
Photo: Matthew Kaiser. View full-sized image.
Flash: Vertical Velocity brings a new style of fun and thrills to Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey) as the first super boomerang in America from Vekoma Rides. Located in the DC Comics area of the park, this ride packs a punch as riders are whisked forward through twists and turns, then experience it all again backward.
The coaster’s layout is traversed at speeds up to 60 mph and features four inversions, including this exciting aerial maneuver.
Photo: Rob Ascough. View full-sized image.
The screams and laughs of riders tell all that it delivers in both directions. At 60 mph, feeling the thrill of the rush is undeniable, but that isn’t even the best part. With 10 airtime moments and four inversions, riders are left wondering what element will come next within the confines of the coaster’s tightly packed footprint. Even for those not ready to ride the coaster, the minimalist structure creates an open courtyard experience that allows for exceptional views of those on the ride, thus engaging onlookers in the fun. It brings excitement and energy to the area of the park.
Flash: Vertical Velocity’s spike with vertical track is the focal point of the coaster’s layout.
Photos: Matthew Kaiser. View full-sized image.
Brian Bacica, Six Flags Great Adventure’s park president, shared, “This high-energy ride delivers everything coaster fans are looking for — forward and backward launches, inversions and an adrenaline rush that even The Flash himself would approve of. With its 48-inch height requirement, junior and experienced thrill seekers alike will have the chance to experience it firsthand.”
Six Flags Great Adventure’s latest roller coaster installation flies high above the park’s entrance.
Photo: Matthew Kaiser. View full-sized image.
Photo: Rob Ascough. View full-sized image.
ACE Member Yolanda White traveled from Virginia as a volunteer to ensure that full trains departed the station to assist with great visuals for the live and recorded shots. She shared, “My initial thought seeing the coaster was that it may be a small basic ride with little impact, but I was wrong. The coaster was small yet mighty! The inversions and launches packed an exciting punch.”
For a shuttle coaster, Flash: Vertical Velocity has a layout with many twists and turns.
Photo: Matthew Kaiser. View full-sized image.
She furthered described the first launch forward as subtle, but the second launch backward to the first spike offering a great experience and a neat sense of airtime. White agreed with the author’s sentiment that the stall at the beginning is a great highlight but is even better on the backward return to the station.
Flash: Vertical Velocity is a coaster that enthusiasts shouldn’t judge until they take a ride for themselves. And for those who find floater airtime to be their favorite coaster feature, Flash: Vertical Velocity is a roller coaster one must experience.
— Elizabeth Ringas, ACE President
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