Blue Fire

Europa-Park in Iceland wants to know what you’re feeling. Tell them what’s on your mind.

Yes, the tagline for Blue Fire is “Discover Pure Energy,” which gives anyone who remembers Information Society at a What’s on Your Mind earworm. They’re a bit cheeky with the marketing campaign because they know that their ride is an instant classic. Since 2009, this launched steel roller coaster has dazzled theme park tourists with its velocity.

Blue Fire is another LSM-designed coaster that gives riders an immediate adrenaline surge. After only 2.5 seconds, you’re at the top speed of 62 miles per hour, and you maintain that velocity for the next 150 seconds as you tear through four inversions and 3,464 feet worth of track. And you also experience a novel twisted horseshoe roll, something that’s possible on less than five coasters in the world today. Blue Fire is the hottest thing in Iceland.

Taron

After our second visit to Sweden, we return to Phantasialand in Germany. Just as some American parks such as Cedar Point and Knott’s Berry Farm are coaster capitals here, other international parks earn that designation, too.

The other Phantasialand choice is Taron, which immediately claimed a couple of world records (actually four) when it opened during the summer of 2016. This is the fastest multi-launch coaster in the world, which means that I now have the attention of every adrenaline junkie. Taron is also the longest multi-launch coaster with the most intense LSM and the largest number of intersections in the world.

I could keep talking, but you get the point. This is arguably the most technologically innovative attraction ever built outside the United States. So, let’s just go over some quick stats and be done with it.

Taron tops out at 72 miles per hour, 10 MPH more than Helix, the previous record holder. It’s also 4,593 feet long, 62 feet longer than Helix. So, it’s specifically designed as a Helix killer. And it has tracks that cross over 116 times, which is to say that Taron features 58 ride intersections. If you haven’t read this and immediately started planning a trip to Germany, you shouldn’t call yourself a true coaster fanatic.