Two New Jersey roller coasters named in top 19 coasters in the world
The best coasters are comprised of three elements: The design, the number of inversions, and the speed.
That's how Travel and Leisure magazine defines it. And in New Jersey there are two that meet the criteria.
Six Flags Great Adventure's Kingda Ka and the Jersey Devil were named among Travel and Leisure's top 19 coasters, including ones that break speed records, move passengers with G-force strength and use clever designs to trick riders.
Kingda Ka
Fast and tall make Kingda Ka stand out.
"This is the fastest roller coaster in America and the tallest roller coaster in the world. In fact, given its height and speed, it could just be considered the scariest roller coaster in the world as well.
"The track reaches heights of 456 feet (over 45 stories) before sending riders hurtling down at 128 miles per hour — a speed reached in just 3.5 seconds. Kingda Ka is one of the most intense rides around, even though the whole experience only lasts about 50 seconds. But you probably couldn't take it much longer, to be honest," assessed travelandleisure.com.
Jersey Devil
It's a long, thrilling ride on the Devil.
Here's what Travel and Leisure said: "The second coaster at New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure with a spot on our list is the Jersey Devil Coaster, which debuted in June 2021 as the world's tallest, fastest, and longest single rail coaster.
"Sleek trains carry 12 passengers each, sitting low and inline style (one rider per row) with their legs straddling either side of the monorail track. This thrill ride, named for the folkloric creature that has allegedly haunted the local woods for centuries, hits 58 miles an hour with a 130-foot drop. Towering 13 stories high, the coaster takes riders over 3,000 feet of track."
Best roller coasters around the world
According to Travel and Leisure, here are the top 19 coasters:
Formula Rossa — Ferrari World, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Kingda Ka — Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey
Jersey Devil Coaster — Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey
Steel Dragon 2000 — Nagashima Resort, Japan
Steel Vengeance — Cedar Point, Ohio
T Express — Everland Resort, South Korea
Pantheon — Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Virginia
Goliath — Six Flags Great America, Illinois
The Smiler — Alton Towers, United Kingdom
Full Throttle — Six Flags Magic Mountain, California
Takabisha — Fuji-Q Highland, Japan
The Great Scenic Railway — Luna Park, Australia
F?nix — F?rup Sommerland, Denmark
Steel Curtain — Kennywood, Pennsylvania
Yukon Striker — Canada's Wonderland, Canada
The Gravity Max — Lihpao Land Discovery World, Taiwan
Time Traveler — Silver Dollar City, Missouri
Tower of Terror — Gold Reef City, South Africa
Do-Dodonpa — Fuji-Q Highland, Japan
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Six Flags Great Adventure has two roller coaster named as the best
