The Bakunawa Roller Coaster: Six World Records and the Death of Kingda Ka

Last week, Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey did something audacious: it unveiled Bakunawa, a roller coaster so absurdly ambitious that it claims six world records before a single rider has even buckled in. Named after a sea serpent from Philippine mythology that supposedly devours the moon, this thing is built to devour your lunch, your dignity, and any lingering attachment you had to the old king.

Because here's the subtext nobody's saying out loud: Bakunawa replaces Kingda Ka. Remember Kingda Ka? The 456-foot tower of terror that for two decades was the tallest coaster in North America? They imploded it last year. One of the most iconic thrill rides on the planet, reduced to rubble in a controlled demolition. And in its place rises something that doesn't just go up and down — it spins, inverts, launches upside-down, and generally behaves like a mythical monster that got loose from a video game.

The Six Records

Let's talk about what Bakunawa actually does, because the numbers are frankly ridiculous:

• Tallest spinning coaster in the world — 382 feet. That's a 35-story building, and it spins at the top.
• Fastest spinning coaster in the world — 100 mph. Most spinning coasters top out around 40-50 mph. This one does 100. While you're spinning.
• Fastest inversion ever — A loop or stall pulled at speeds no coaster has attempted before.
• Longest stall inversion — You'll hang upside-down longer than any other ride dares to leave you there.
• First floorless spinning coaster — Your feet dangle. The train spins. You have nothing beneath you but 382 feet of air.
• First upside-down launch — The train launches you upside-down. Before you've even climbed the lift hill, you're inverted and accelerating.

"Floorless spinning trains create a unique ride every time," the park says. Translation: you have no idea which direction you'll be facing when you hit the fast bits, and neither does the person sitting next to you. That's not a roller coaster — that's a washing machine with a grudge.

The Serpent That Ate the King

There's something poetic about naming this thing after a creature that swallows moons. Kingda Ka was the sun of Great Adventure — the towering centerpiece everyone came to see. But the coaster industry moves fast, and Kingda Ka had been dethroned from the "tallest" title years ago by Formula Rossa (speed) and Falcon's Flight in Saudi Arabia (155 mph, opening late 2025). Once you're no longer the record-holder, you're just an old ride with a long line.

So Six Flags blew it up. Literally. And in its place, they're building something that doesn't just break records — it invents entirely new categories to break records in. "First floorless spinning coaster" isn't a record that existed before they decided to create it. That's the smartest kind of world record: one where you're the only competitor.

Should You Be Scared?

Yes. Absolutely. That's the point.

Bakunawa opens in 2027 (the 2026 season is just the unveiling), but if you're planning a trip to New Jersey next summer, this is going to be the hottest ticket on the East Coast. The old Kingda Ka queue used to snake for hours. Expect Bakunawa's to be worse — and somehow, worth every minute.

Six world records. One mythological serpent. Zero floor beneath your feet. What's not to love?