Viper (Six Flags Magic Mountain)


Viper is a steel roller coaster located in the Baja Ridge area of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Viper is the last operating roller coaster with seven inversions to be built by American manufacturer Arrow Dynamics. The other two, Shockwave at Six Flags Great America and the Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great Adventure, were demolished in 2002 and 2010, respectively. The roller coaster replaced a HUSS ride type named Condor.
In August 2018, Viper closed for an extended refurbishment. On December 22, 2018, Viper re-opened to the public.

Ride experience

Upon exiting the station, the train immediately begins climbing the lift hill. At the top, the train curves into the drop and enters a tall vertical loop. The train then makes a sharp left, entering two vertical loops and climbing into the mid-course brake run, followed by a zig-zag into a Batwing element, where it goes through a half-corkscrew followed by a half loop. Next, the train goes up into another half loop and half corkscrew so that it returns in the opposite direction. Riders are photographed by an on-ride camera in the middle of this element. Riders then make a right turn and immediately enter a double corkscrew which inverts riders twice. The ride leads into a flat section of track followed by an s-curve drop and rise into the final brake run before turning right into the station.

Records

When Viper opened in 1990, it was the tallest and fastest looping coaster in the world. Its speed record was eclipsed the following year by Steel Phantom at Kennywood, which opened in 1991 with a top speed of, but it regained the speed record in 2000 when Steel Phantom closed. The height record for the tallest vertical loop was until 2000 with the opening of Superman Krypton Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

In media

Viper was featured in the 1992 film Encino Man, in which it was referred to as "Vaper". Viper also made appearances in the 1993 film True Romance and the 2000 film Space Cowboys, as well as in commercials for Toyota and Cheetos.
Viper was featured in a 1993 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", in which the cast goes to Magic Mountain on Senior Skip Day and Andrea conquers her fear of roller coasters. In 2012, it appeared in Glee's Big Brother episode when the cast rides it during their visit to the park on senior ditch day. The song "Up, Up, Up" is sung over the experience.
The coaster appears in the video game RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 as part of a recreation of the Six Flags Magic Mountain park.
Viper was also featured in Lucifer season 3, episode 25, when the character Dan rides it after being trapped by one of the suspects in that episode.