The Joker's Jinx

The Joker's Jinx is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. The ride utilizes linear induction motor technology to launch the train from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just over three seconds.

The Joker's Jinx
A train exits the Cobra Roll
Six Flags America
Location	Six Flags America
Park section	Gotham City
Coordinates	38.910°N 76.776°W
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 8, 1999
Cost	$10 million[1]
General statistics
Type	Steel – Launched
Manufacturer	Premier Rides
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	LIM Coaster
Lift/launch system	LIM launch
Height	78.8 ft (24.0 m)
Length	2,705 ft (824 m)
Speed	60 mph (97 km/h)
Inversions	4
Duration	0:56
Capacity	975 riders per hour
Acceleration	0 - 60 in 3 seconds
G-force	4.5
Height restriction	54 in (137 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Flash Pass Available
The Joker's Jinx at RCDB Pictures of The Joker's Jinx at RCDB

The Joker's Jinx was designed by Premier Rides and manufactured by Intermountain Lift, Inc.[2]

History

In the fall of 1998, pieces of green Premier Rides roller coaster track were spotted on the park's property.[3] On October 28, 1998, it was announced that Adventure World would be renamed Six Flags America and feature three new roller coasters, including Joker's Jinx. Joker's Jinx would be an LIM spaghetti bowl launch coaster by Premier Rides. It was to be located in a brand new 6-acre (0.024 km²) Gotham City section, which would be entered by passing under the The Wild One roller coaster.[4]

Construction of Joker's Jinx began in December 1998 and was completed in late March 1999. On April 4, 1999, the ride performed its first test runs.[5] Joker's Jinx officially opened on May 8, 1999.

Ride Layout

Joker's Jinx track layout

Joker's Jinx is located in the Gotham City section of the park near Superman: Ride of Steel roller coaster and Whistlestop Park. After boarding Joker's Jinx, riders are launched through a narrow launch tunnel into a "spaghetti bowl" of track which contains a cobra roll, a sidewinder, and many twists and turns. The coaster doesn't have a mid-course brake run like the similar rides at Kings Island and Kings Dominion; instead the coaster has multiple rings that the train goes through. After the rings, riders spiral downward and to the left, and after more twists and turns they pass through a corkscrew before arriving at the ride's final brake run.

Premier Rides built several of these LIM Catapult roller coasters from 1996 to 1999, although only the two Flight of Fear rides are indoors. The other outdoor LIM Catapult coaster in the United States is Poltergeist at Six Flags Fiesta Texas; that opened in 1999. In addition, a LIM Catapult coaster called Mad Cobra operated at Suzuka Circuit in Japan from 1998–2003; Mad Cobra was moved to China and reopened at Kingdoms of Discovery in 2006.[6][7] The five Premier LIM catapult coasters share a similar layout and have the same technical specifications.

Premier Rides gave the trains an overhaul in 2002 and replaced the restraints with lap bars.[8]

Ride Elements

• Cobra Roll
• Sidewinder
• Corkscrew

Awards

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Steel-Tracked Roller Coaster
Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Ranking	137	134	143	115	113	121	150

Incidents

On April 13, 2017, a train stalled 100 feet (30 m) off the ground at a 30-degree angle stranding 24 riders. They were evacuated safely, and there were no reported injuries.[9][10] The roller coaster was stuck in the same position it was in when a similar incident occurred in 2014, where it took more than four hours to evacuate the stranded riders.[11]

See also

• Poltergeist, a similar ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas
• Flight of Fear, similar, but enclosed, rides at Kings Island and Kings Dominion
• Incidents at Six Flags parks

References

1. Kraft, Randy (July 4, 1999). "SUPERMAN RIDE OF STEEL MUSCLES ITS WAY ON SCENE". The Morning Call.
2. "Amusement". Intermountain Lift, Inc. July 30, 2011. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
3. "Track Spotted At Adventure World". Ultimate Rollercoaster.
4. "New Rides Announced For The New Six Flags Parks". Ultimate Rollercoaster.
5. "19 for '99: Joker's Jinx at Six Flags America".
6. Marden, Duane. "Mad Cobra  (Suzuka Circuit)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
7. Marden, Duane. "Mad Cobra  (Discoveryland)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
8. Marden, Duane. "Joker's Jinx  (Six Flags America)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
9. "Officials rescue over a dozen people stuck on Six Flags roller coaster in Maryland". Fox News. April 13, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
10. Menza, Kaitlin (April 16, 2017). "These People Trapped on a Roller Coaster Are Living Your Nightmare". Seventeen. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
11. Boyette, Chris (April 13, 2017). "For two dozen, getting stuck on Six Flags ride no joking matter". CNN. Retrieved April 16, 2017.

External links

• Joker's Jinx website