Six Flags says its newest coaster will do something no ride has ever done: launch riders upside down at highway speed, then still claim five more world records before the day is over.
Quick Take
- Six Flags Great Adventure unveiled Bakunawa on July 28, 2026, calling it a six-record-breaking coaster set to open in 2027.
- The park says the ride will hit 100 mph, stand 382 feet tall, and include the world’s first upside-down launch.
- Bakunawa replaces Kingda Ka, the park’s former record-holding tower coaster in Jackson, New Jersey.
- The six records come from Six Flags itself; no outside certifying body has confirmed them yet, since the ride is still under construction.
What Six Flags Actually Announced
Six Flags Great Adventure pulled the curtain off Bakunawa in front of cameras and coaster fans, ending months of speculation over a project the park had teased under the codename “Project Purple.”
Named after a legendary sea serpent from Philippine mythology, the ride is set to open at the Jackson, New Jersey park in 2027. Park officials, including director of sales and marketing Ryan Eldredge, described it as a defining new attraction for the property.
The numbers behind the hype are eye-catching on their own. Six Flags says Bakunawa will climb 382 feet and blast riders to 100 mph across three separate launches, one of which flips the train upside down mid-launch. That single feature, an inverted launch, is something no production coaster has offered before, according to the park’s own materials.
Six Records, One Announcement
Every outlet covering the reveal listed the same six claims: fastest spinning coaster, tallest spinning coaster, fastest inversion, longest stall inversion, first floorless spinning coaster, and first upside-down launch. That consistency matters.
It shows Six Flags built a tight, repeatable marketing message rather than letting reporters guess at specifics, and reporters from PEOPLE to USA Today to smaller enthusiast outlets all repeated it word for word.
Bakunawa is also positioned as a symbolic torch-pass. It rises from the same stretch of park once dominated by Kingda Ka, the coaster that held its own height and speed records for two decades before closing.
Coverage repeatedly frames Bakunawa as Kingda Ka’s spiritual successor, which adds emotional weight to the announcement even though the two rides compete in different categories entirely.
The Gap Between Announcement and Certification
Here’s the catch worth sitting with: every one of these six records is a claim made by Six Flags, not a certification from an outside record-keeping authority.
None of the coverage from the July 28 unveiling includes a statement from Guinness World Records or any independent ride-verification group confirming the numbers. That’s not unusual in the theme park world, but it’s an important distinction between “will break” and “has broken.”
Construction on Bakunawa had already begun when the announcement went public, but the ride will not carry a single passenger until 2027.
That means the 382-foot height, the 100-mph top speed, and every inversion claim are projections based on design plans, not measurements from a finished, tested ride. Final engineering can shift specs before opening day, as it has on other coasters industry-wide.
Why Skepticism Belongs in the Conversation
None of this means Six Flags is exaggerating. Companies routinely announce record-breaking rides years before opening, and most eventually deliver close to what they promised.
But readers who value proof over hype should notice the pattern: a company with a direct financial stake in ticket and season-pass sales is the sole source for claims that will define its marketing for the next two years.
Fan channels and social media accounts amplified the same six bullet points within hours of the announcement, turning a press release into an internet-wide consensus almost overnight.
That kind of instant repetition can make an unverified claim feel settled long before an inspector, engineer, or records body ever signs off on it. Healthy skepticism, not cynicism, is the right posture until Bakunawa actually opens.
What to Watch Before 2027
The real test comes when Bakunawa opens and independent riders, journalists, and engineers can measure it against the competition. Watch for permit filings with Jackson Township, manufacturer technical specs, and any statement from a records-certifying organization.
Until then, “world’s first” and “world’s fastest” remain promises from a company that profits handsomely if the public simply takes its word for it.
Its official! Bakunawa is coming to Six Flags Great Adventure in 2027
Claimed World Records:
-World's tallest spinning coaster(382ft)
-World's fastest spinning coaster(100mph)
-World's first upside-down launch (accelerating from 60 to 80 mph while inverted)
– World's fastest… pic.twitter.com/rTye0ExuRY— Coasters and Brews 🍻 (@coastersnbrews) July 28, 2026
Thrill-seekers will get their answer soon enough. Whether Bakunawa lives up to six separate superlatives, or lands closer to five, or four, the ride itself will settle the argument in a way no press release can.
Sources:
people.com, nj.com, usatoday.com, themeparktribune.com
