Once the tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka was reduced to a pile of mangled steel during a controlled implosion set off at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.
The 456-foot-tall amusement park attraction was intentionally toppled in Jackson on Friday, effectively ending its reign as king of the coasters mere months before its 20th anniversary.
Video of the demolition shared online sees the massive tower of metal start to falter, before it crumbles and disappears into a cloud of smoke and dust.
Kingda Ka was suddenly shuttered at the end of the 2024 season, with Six Flags confirming in November it was one of several attractions scheduled to be destroyed this year.
The park’s president, Brian Bacica, called the decision an “important part of our growth and dedication to delivering exceptional new experiences.”
Bacica also teased a new “multi-record-breaking launch coaster” set to open some time in 2026. He stopped short of providing further details, but said the new coaster would be “a must-ride attraction sure to capture fans’ imaginations.”
Six Flags is also scheduled to debut its long-awaited The Flash: Vertical Velocity coaster later this year. It’s been described as the first “super boomerang coaster” in North America, and just the second in the world, propelling riders up to 60 miles per hour.
“Launching both forward and backward, you’ll ascend a towering 172 feet before speeding off into micro gravity as you’re turned upside down, nearly 100 feet off the ground,” Six Flags says on its website.
Some of the other rides set for demolition this year include the Green Lantern roller coaster, The Twister, Parachutes and the Sky Way.
Since its debut in 2005, Kingda Ka has carried millions of riders up its nearly 40 stories before sending them down a 418-foot drop through a 270-degree spiral. In its absence, the tallest roller coaster in the world is now Falcon Flight at Six Flags Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia.
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