Goliath at Six Flags Great America is a record-setting wooden roller coaster from Rocky
Mountain Construction. This topper track creation opened as the world’s fastest wood coaster
and it still holds that title today after losing it for a five year stretch. Goliath is
often criticized for its short length and it’s often called the worst RMC. But is that really
the case? Find out in this review of Goliath. After the success of the first two RMCs in Texas,
Six Flags was eager to add more to their parks. Six Flags Great America was set to receive an
RMC in the mid-2010s. The early rumor was that it would be an Iron Horse conversion of the park’s
racing wood coaster in American Eagle. This would be a massive structure for RMC to work with.
However, this Illinois amusement park had a vacant plot of land in the County Fair section of the
park that was previously home to Iron Wolf. RMC proposed a record-breaking wood coaster
and Six Flags jumped on the proposal. Goliath would stand 165 feet or 50 meters tall,
making it one of the tallest wood coasters in the world.
But the drop was what would earn the accolades. Goliath would feature a 180 foot or 55 meter tall
drop into an underground tunnel, making it the tallest drop on any wood coaster
and it still holds this record. While it wouldn’t reach the hyper heights of the now
defunct Son of Beast at Kings Island, Goliath didn’t have to be removed after 9 seasons.
Goliath’s drop would also be the steepest on a wood coaster, reaching an angle of 85 degrees.
This is still the steepest first drop on any wood coaster,
but ZDT’s Switchback technically has a higher angle of descent on its far spike.
The most interesting record Goliath claimed was the speed record for a wood coaster,
as it travels 72 mph or 116 kph. Goliath held this record through the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
In 2016, Dollywood stole the record with Lightning Rod, a launched RMC wood coaster.
Lightning Rod officially went 1 mph faster, but there are rumors the ride reached even greater
speeds than advertised. However, structural issues led to Dollywood transforming the ride
into a steel coaster for the 2020 season, which allowed Goliath to reclaim its speed record.
This was the 7th and final roller coaster that Six Flags named Goliath. This one had a
unique gladiator logo and Roman-inspired archway entrance, but there’s no other
theming during the ride, station, or queue line. The ride’s structure does look amazing though.
The sheer size of the ride is impressive on its own, but it looks even taller because of the
steel truss supported lift structure. The ride doesn’t really look like a wood
coaster with its red rails though. It looks pretty similar to their hybrids to be honest.
RMC had some construction difficulties due to the harsh Chicago winter,
but the ride turned out just fine. Goliath regularly has one of the longest
lines at Great America. It usually hovers around an hour most days. If you want to avoid
to cut your wait down, you can either invest in a Flash Pass or use the single rider line.
The latter was not in use in 2021, possibly due to covid, but it was available in past visits.
Once you reach the end of the queue line, there usually is an employee assigning rows. However,
you can request a specific row. It’s great in any ride, but I much prefer it in the back.
The trains are the familiar RMC rolling stock. You have a seat-belt and lap bar combination. I have
no trouble with them since I can comfortably and fully experience this ride’s forces, but I know
they can present two issues. One, the shin guards can be uncomfortable for taller riders. Two,
larger guests may have trouble fitting. This isn’t unique to Goliath. It’s present on all the RMCs.
Goliath begins with a gradual 180 degree descent out of the station. It’s not the most creative RMC
pre-lift, but it does give some weak laterals. The lift hill is pretty steep and if you look
to the left, you get some nice views of the rest of the park. But once you crest the top,
you’re treated 40 wild seconds of ride time. The first drop is incredible. It’s one of the best
on any coaster. If you’re in the back, you get strong and sustained ejector airtime. Even those
up front get a little float. The drop’s size, steepness, and power make it stand out. And as
icing on the cake, you have that visual of zooming through an underground tunnel at the bottom.
This pullout is shaky though. It’s the only rough spot on the ride and it’s most
pronounced if you’re in a wheel seat. This part delivers some good positive Gs though.
You then navigate this funky turnaround. It’s a weird element to see on an RMC.
It looks more like a turnaround on a traditional wood coaster that stays sharply banked rather than
flattening out as it turns 180 degrees. You get a weak pop of airtime into this element,
but the descent is marvelous in the back. You are violently twisted and yanked back down to the
ground while also getting a faint bit of airtime. Goliath then hauls over a glorious camelback,
delivering a few seconds of powerful and sustained ejector airtime no matter where
you’re sitting. It’s one of the best airtime hills on any RMC because of how drawn out it is.
Goliath then navigates back-to-back inversions. The first is a dive loop.
The element is large and after you twist 180 degrees at the top, you’re held upside down
for a second to get some hangtime. You then have a sweet dive to ground level. You have countless
near-misses with support beams while building up some great positive Gs. The one benefit of
riding up front is that you do get a good snap on the initial twist. You don’t get that in back.
The next inversion is the original zero-G stall. And this inversion is spectacular.
It feels like an inverted airtime hill as you’re popped out of your seat and suspended there for a
few seconds. It’s rare to get hangtime while traveling this fast. You also get a strong
snap into this element up front and an equally strong snap out of the element in the back.
The final element is a smaller version of the first turnaround. It rides similarly, just a
bit weaker due to the lessened speed and height. You then charge into the brake run. And this is
an underrated element. It’s basically half a camelback and it subtly banks to the right at
the top, so you get a strong ejector pop paired with a sudden burst of laterals. It’s the perfect
moment to end a chaotic ride like Goliath. Goliath’s pacing is excellent. The ride doesn’t
slow down and most elements are incredible. The ride is also quite smooth outside of that one
pullout. The ride’s biggest weakness is its length. While Goliath has 3100 feet or 940
meters of track, which places it in the middle of the RMCs, this one has a shortage of elements.
Because of Goliath’s height and speed, it traverses all that track in a flash.
So what would I rate Goliath? I would give this RMC wood coaster an 8.5 out of 10. I
love everything Goliath does. The first drop is top notch, the airtime moments are strong,
and the inversions are memorable. Add in the smooth ride and nice pacing. I just wish there
was more to Goliath. The lack of elements is why I have it as my least favorite RMC,
but that’s more a testament to how good the company’s other coasters are.
Goliath is still a really good coaster and one of the best at Great America. I always come off
this coaster buzzing and am eager to get back in line for more, even if it may have a wait.
So those are my thoughts on Goliath at Six Flags Great America.
What are your thoughts on this record-breaking wood coaster? Do you agree it’s the worst RMC?
Let me know down in the comments. If you enjoyed this review, I’d appreciate it if
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roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!