The Wild One (roller coaster)

The Wild One is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. It is a classic style woodie with a series of bunny hills for a large amount of air time and a 450° spiral helix.

The ride was originally known as "Giant Coaster" when it was re-located in 1985 from Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts, where it had operated since 1917.

The ride often surprises both guests and enthusiasts alike with its smoothness, something not expected from a wooden ride of its age. The Wild One's only consistently rough part is a sharp turn made under the Skull Mountain.

History

• 1917: The roller coaster opened as "The Giant Coaster" at Paragon Park in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, just under 25 miles (40 km) south of Boston.
• 1932: Herbert Paul Schmeck redesigned much of the ride after it was partially destroyed by fire.
• 1963: In April 1963 another fire destroyed the station, trains, double helix finale and part of the lift hill. The park wanted John C. Allen to rebuild the coaster as it was, but his estimate proved too high for the traditional park. Instead he left out two bunny hops and the helix finale in order to create an angled approach into the brake run. Although nowhere near as exciting as Miller's finish, Allen gave the park an affordable option to tearing down the coaster. On July 19, 1963, Forest Park Highlands (and its 1941 Herb Schmeck designed terrain coaster known as "The Comet") burned to the ground. Paragon Park bought the used trains from Forest Park Highland's Comet because they were much cheaper than buying new ones from Philadelphia Toboggan Company. For the remaining years the park was open, the Giant Coaster's trains ran with the name "Comet" emblazoned across the front of the car.
• 1985: "The Giant Coaster" closed at Paragon Park and was sold to Wild World when Wild World came to the rescue of this wooden beast, buying "The Giant Coaster" in a last minute bid at auction.
• 1986: The coaster reopens at Wild World (now known as Six Flags America in Largo, Maryland) under the new name, "The Wild One". The park completely restored the coaster to its original condition reincorporating the original helix at the end of the ride.
• 1991: "The Wild One" does not open for the 1991 season as the park faces financial difficulties.
• 1992: "The Wild One" reopens for the 1992 season and has been operational ever since.

Records

• When "The Giant Coaster" opened in 1917, at 98' tall, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world. Its record was not surpassed until 1925 when the 100' tall Revere Beach Cyclone opened.

Awards

External Links

Wild Run website at Six Flags America