V2: Vertical Velocity Blasts Off at Six Flags Marine World

Vallejo, CA -- V2: Vertical Velocity, the new high-thrill supercoaster that rockets riders from 0-70 mph in 3.7 seconds, forwards and backwards, straight up and straight back down two 150-foot vertical towers took off Saturday at Six Flags Marine World.

The new roller coaster is the first of its kind West of the Mississippi and the tallest, fastest and most extreme coaster in Northern California. V2 is one of three suspended impulse coasters in America.

Vertical Velocity "launches you into sensory overdrive," according to park officials and delivers unparalleled "air time" that freefall feeling of weightlessness that roller coasters enthusiasts crave.

It's prototype, called Superman: Ultimate Escape, opened to rave reviews at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure in Ohio in 2000 and is rated one of the world's top 25 steel roller coasters by Amusement Today magazine.

The signature feature of V2 is the spiraling corkscrew atop the first vertical tower, giving riders a wicked whirl just as they reach its already dizzying heights. On the reverse side, the straight-shot second tower dangles those daring enough to ride face down from 15 stories, before releasing them on a pulse-pounding plummet back into the station.

V2 is designed and manufactured by Intamin of Switzerland. Twenty-eight passengers are secured into an open, ski-lift style train leaving your legs dangling from the seats suspended beneath the steel track.

A high-tech advanced propulsion system, originally developed by NASA for future space shuttle launches, applies sequentially pulsing electro-magnetic power to propel the train at high speeds along the 630-foot-long, U-shaped track. V2's innovative Linear Induction Motor (LIMs) represents the bold future of extreme rides and is the only high-tech coaster launching system of its kind in Northern California.

"This one-of-a-kind Intamin impulse coaster 'with a twist' sends screaming passengers on an intense journey unlike any other on the planet," said David Escalante, a San Francisco resident and a public relations director for the American Coaster Enthusiasts. "I expect it will quickly earn 'Must Ride' status among coaster enthusiasts worldwide."

"V2: Vertical Velocity is easily the most anticipated new single attraction in Northern California for the 2001 season," Escalante added.

The new V2 impulse coaster advances Six Flags' undisputed leadership in bringing the latest and greatest in thrill technology to thrill lovers in the Bay Area and around the world. V2: Vertical Velocity is Six Flags Marine World's seventh roller coaster, and brings the park's unique "wildlife and wild rides" entertainment and educational offering to 33 rides, 35 animal attractions and 10 shows.

For more information about Six Flags Marine World visit www.sixflags.com/marineworld/.