VIPER, Six Flags Over Georgia, 1997 (POV)

Viper, the most powerful of the original concrete weight launched loops filmed here on and off ride during the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain 1997 USA Tour by Andrew (Anton) Marshall.

[@m.t.6969]

I rode this ride 13 times straight on October 16th 1997. Nobody was there at all. The guy said, "I can ride as long as I want." I'll never forget that. I'm 38. I was 13 then. Nostalgia.

[@trey18244]

This ride was the best! Just walking to the ride and seeing the views laid out was half the experience!

[@fluellenmediabymarekusflue6320]

The mechanics of this ride was beautiful. You hear the brakes going on and off. The fly by in and out of the station. It was a simple ride but loved it. Even how the coaster said "gtfoh" when it got back to the station as the restraints automatically opened. Lol. Great ride.

[@BabyDana23]

Man, I remember riding this when I was a kid! I used to be so scared to get on until the day I faced my fear! One of the Original 6 coasters of Six Flags over GA!!!!

[@psyclonesteve]

Yes I rode it in 97, one of the best launch coasters in my opinion !

[@CutieDaSkrippa]

Memories rite here... Dayum can I get my 90's back... Pleeeease!!!

[@FJBAFYFVFH]

Agreed

[@CoasterMan13Official]

Once we get this virus under control, we'll invent time machines, and we'll be able to go back to that glorious time, and film it in HD!

[@FJBAFYFVFH]

I ride this coaster on opening day. I waited in line for 6 hours. Worth it.

[@GrantsAdventures]

back when six flags dispatched quickly

[@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214]

With higher capacity.

[@youstinkAntTech]

OMG!!! I rode this baby back in 2001! One of my earliest thrill experiences, and with the neweer stuff today, I'm still going strong! And as much as I miss this and Deja Vu, I have high hopes for newer thrills and spills, man! In years to come!

[@CoasterMan13Official]

Deja Vu was removed due to maintenance issues, because that thing was almost never open.

[@jasonhull2163]

I miss this coaster. Unfortunately it was removed due to people not wanting to stand in line for a hour to ride a 20 second . it was a good coaster

[@2DamnSeddy]

Jason Hull I don’t ever remember Viper having an hour wait. It was always a walk on every time I rode it.

[@montezoomasrevengefanboy6477]

If you miss it, go to knotts berry farm, they have one that is the same as this ride

[@user-zx1ir7jt4c]

As an adult looking back on it... standing in like was half the fun. It allows the anticipation to build and the adrenaline to mount.

[@jasonhull2163]

@@2DamnSeddy You didn't ride it when it first opened then.

[@Jake-yf9ky]

​@@jasonhull2163Ain't that the truth. It was hell (literally, middle of summer in Georgia with NO shade trees 😂) but worth it.

[@andrewh4855]

This ride had a nicely themed queue. Especially for a Six Flags park. Fun ride...wish SF could have relocated it to a different part of the park instead of getting rid of it.

[@johnfoltz8183]

They did. It went to Kentucky Kingdom in 2003 with parts cobbled together from California Great America's Greased Lightning. Sadly the ride was SBNO after Six Flags pulled out of Kentucky Kingdom, and was removed for good before KK was reborn

[@stitcho7563]

I loved this coaster. I remember riding it over and over again. They should have left this one and removed Ninja.

[@psyclonesteve]

Levi Hawthorne Totally agree with you ! :-)

[@pdk25]

Levi Hawthorne I was going to leave a comment but you already said the exact same thing I was going to say. I agree with you 100%

[@stocks4bt]

+Levi Hubbard (LJ) I totally agree.. this ride was fun and simple and the background was unique. The ninja bumps your head around and hurts your neck

[@EllietheCatholic]

+Levi Hubbard (LJ) the ninja sucks!!!!

[@Twinblade1984]

+Levi Hubbard (LJ) There was nothing wrong with the Ninja.

[@Catlover1974]

This was an awesome ride, I could have ridden this ride several times!

[@DieselOutlaw]

Finally someone else that knows what they are talking about

[@ladycheyne5607]

Thanks for the memories! My bestie and I loved this ride!

[@11slataus]

This was originally Six Flags Great America's Tidal Wave. It then moved to SFOG, then SFKK. Paramount's Great America's Tidal Wave was in operation until 2002.

[@fumi2360]

You're about to ride the VIPER! - I miss this ride 😂

[@jerrysykes4193]

This ride reminds me of the white lighting at Carowinds back in the day 80's

[@bigjc87]

Loved this ride, I remember how loud the brakes would clank when coming through the station.

[@williampavichevich5608]

Thanks for Sharing. The 2 Shuttle Loopers I've Rode were both Tidal Waves at both Great America Parks and Montezuma Revenge at Knotts Berry Farm.

[@sams.9803]

that ride was from astroworld in houston before and moved ,i used to work on that ride in houston i miss it alot....

[@oneandonlysound3453]

They should've never removed this, park still doesn't have a launch or a shuttle coaster type like this after all these years and they ruined georgia cyclone. Hopefully they'll make Georgia Scorcher a floorless, that'd be a huge improvement like how they made Ninja into Blue Hawk with the profiling and nicer seats. They've been doing a lot of good work on there older coasters lately, shame they didn't keep this one in the line-up or have a plan to actually replace it.

[@mulattopapi9741]

Look how the lap bars just fling up barely stopped 😂

[@2DamnSeddy]

The Viper was one of the most efficient rides to ever grace SFOG. I'm 100% sure that they could unload, load, and dispatch a train in under a minute - which is why there was NEVER a line.

[@Jake-yf9ky]

​@2DamnSeddy Clearly, you rode this after it was "new" to SFOG. I remember several times waiting an hour and a half, but it was worth it. Or you went during the Olympics, in which NOTHING had a line all summer. In my opinion the best summer at six flags was the summer of 96.

[@bigphil3326]

My heart. My soul. I miss it.

[@Youre_Right]

I loved this coaster. It always had the shortest line. It was off kind of hidden and moved so fast people got in and out quickly.

[@2DamnSeddy]

Yes, Superman now sits in the Vipers old spot. There is actually a building that you see coming off the lift on Superman with a picture of Superman on the side of it. (If you search youtube for Superman POV's you'll see it). That building is actually Viper's old station.

[@arianarobinson8733]

Dats a bomb a** ride, none like it....yet!

[@cup_and_cone]

Rode it in Summer of '98 or '99. Was one of the highlights of the trip! Then got to ride it at SFKK in Summer of '06.

[@BumzZ]

Kid shocked by the coastersound at 01:28 :-D :-)

[@Aurora-gz3ff]

+BumzZ Nice catch!

[@CoasterSiaye]

Yeah, I remember the sound of the brakes opening and closing was pretty loud.

[@MarkusWWE2K19CurrentUniverse]

I used to work this ride. my trainer did something i was shocked she kept activating and deactivating the breaks. then she was like "we're sorry the viper is experiencing technical difficulties. we apologize for the convenience. please raise your arms up so i may unlock your lapbelts thanks and have a nice day!" next thing you know, you hear the horn. it was just a trick to get everyone to raise their hands for the ride lol she didn't unlock anything

[@RyyanAndreww]

Not sure what year it was but it might have actually been when this was filmed. I was visiting sfog when I was like 5 in 97 lol. I remember seeing this ride with its cool sign and being super impressed by how the ride appealed visually! I was too short to ride it and remember being bummed I couldn't experience it. I was able to ride Mindbender as my first looping coaster and I remember that quite well! I have not been back to sfog since my one and only visit but I've always wished to return. I've since ridden 200+ other rollercoasters!

[@amandahoward8986]

Scrolling through here and saw this ride. Man this takes me back to Six Flags Astroworld in Houston, Texas. I live North of Houston we went to Astroworld every summer. The year I turned 11 "Greesed Lighting" was my first big kid ride. I was so sad when Astroworld closed its doors. I'm glad this ride was able to be relocated.

[@user-zx1ir7jt4c]

My childhood... We used to take church trips to six flags and we were so mesmerized by these coasters including the Superman coaster, the Ninja, Mind Bender, and the Georgia Cyclone. It was some of the most fun times of my life.

[@entrapta8049]

I heard that the Ninja was a real back-breaker before it was turned into the Blue Hawk

[@user-zx1ir7jt4c]

@@entrapta8049 haha. Yeah actually it was. It was so rough I didn't like it. It would beat you up pretty good.

[@Jake-yf9ky]

​@@entrapta8049Only to people with unknown back problems or weak backs. I rode the shit out of Ninja for years with no problems or injuries.

[@Keyzeelove]

My childhood! Thank you! Brought back so many memories and I'm only 21 lol

[@skinnerbat]

This was my home six flags park until I moved to NYC. I was so afraid of this ride growing up and never rode it. Lol.

[@thegerm574]

Wow. I remember going on this. Roller Coasters sure have come a long way.

[@lisacampbell8187]

this was the best ride ever wish they would bring it back this one may have had long lines but went very fast loved the thrill of the ride

[@sprinklesrevenge9642]

used to work there when that ride was there. it broke down to much. get it fixed, it would last two rides and break again it was a wast of space

[@psyclonesteve]

sounds like a serious maintenance issue ?

[@sprinklesrevenge9642]

yup. and they couldn't figure out what it was....(no clue why) but right before they took it out it was having brake issues and that was the last straw so they took it out and put in superman

[@josephrivetti3520]

nate rebrab Well i guess Superman is considered a better coaster... still sad they took it down though

[@sprinklesrevenge9642]

i hate superman. makes claustrophobic i like the woodies at the park better

[@bubbajames8711]

once upon a time i was in the record books for riding this the most times in a row, i rode it like 80 something or 90 something times in a row one Sunday.

[@maxifam]

I miss this coaster

[@montezoomasrevengefanboy6477]

Mrs. Canada, if you can, go to knotts berry farm, they have one that is exactly the same

[@Jo.Raquel]

This was my RIDE!!! 😋

[@georgiaboytj]

Worked at the viper as a teenager. True story, I remember dmx coming to ride our ride when I was a young lead. We also tested the ride in the mornings without our lap bars!! Sorry 6flags we were dumb. We traded rides for food!!🤣🤣. One of most enjoyable times in my life working there.

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

I never rode this or have been to this park yet but this coaster had a very cool train

[@Jake-yf9ky]

I swear thats me and my best friend at the time right behind the guy that jumped. I miss this ride, it may have been only 20 seconds, but it was awesome.

[@2DamnSeddy]

Unfortunately I think Vipers last stop was SFKK. I rode it again after it was moved (as Greezed Lightnin') and it was much slower, which to me means that the mechanics haven't been taking good care of it. Its a shame though because Viper was my favorite coaster before Deja Vu was built. I loved how there was never a line and you could ride three times without getting out of the back seat! LOL.

[@DieselOutlaw]

Superman did not replace Deja Vu, Deja Vu was located next to the go kart track. Viper was on the other side of the Great American Scream Machine

[@MsRocka92]

This ride was sooo cool!!

[@The.Art.Of.Surviving]

My childhood I remember this in 1996 especially 1997 I used to draw this ride as an art I'm 37 now my childhood

[@sinjonezp]

Omg I miss this ride, road it a thousand times

[@justindavidson3431]

damn I miss this ride!!

[@Catlover1974]

I would be saying “I want to go again, I stood in this line for hours for just a one minute ride!”

[@vincentdabrowski95]

When i was a kid, this coaster opened up as Tidal Wave at Great America in Gurnee IL in the late 70's. I miss that thing. It was my first upside down coaster. then they tore it down for Batman and moved it to Georgia. Boooo!!!!

[@tideproducts3944]

IT WASNT BATMAN IT WAS SUPERMAN oops my caps lock was on

[@YuukiTakemoto1996]

@@tideproducts3944 SFGAm, not SFOG.

[@MIKEYPOOHBEARJACKSON]

loll the guy in the white t-shirt jumped on the left hand side at 1:28 LOL

[@2DamnSeddy]

"We dont want ya to get snake bit!" That always cracks me up. 😂😂😂

[@YuukiTakemoto1996]

Same.

[@jasoncoy3335]

I loved this coaster hated to see it removed it was super intense when I was a kid!

[@kjothomas]

I was too little to ride it and I couldn't wait 'til I was big enough, but the next time I went it was gone :(

[@psyclonesteve]

that is a massive shame, they are such fantastic coasters and there are so few left ! :-(

[@willieb20052001]

I'm sorry to hear that kjothomas I know how u feel.

[@Eazy863Tv]

Same!

[@kyokushinkuma]

I remember riding this in 2001, fun ride.

[@psyclonesteve]

Your welcome, glad you enjoyed it ! :)

[@JBatts220]

No, it's still there. The only coasters Six Flags removed were Chang and Road Runner Express.

[@unhallowed45]

The Schwarzkopf Launch Loop is a more integral part of a big coaster lineup IMO. It’s unfortunate that they removed almost every model.

[@2DamnSeddy]

Superman replaced Viper. Superman was built in 2002, and Deja Vu and Acrophobia was built the previous year - 2001. Deja Vu wasn't removed until the end of the 2007 Season. Thomas the Train's section replaced Deja Vu. :-)

[@wesleyshelby8163]

Hahaha I remember the theme of this ride. As you walked to the ride, it had a hot desert theme along with jungle music. The theme made the summer days seem extra hot 🥵

[@Ocinneade345]

My favorite!

[@JBatts220]

This was my first non-kiddie/family coaster. I hated it! lol, but eventually I re-rode it when it was Greezed Lightnin' at SFKK later in life, and loved it. It's sounds like when Kentucky Kingdom reopens (supposedly 2014) Greezed Lightnin' will be gone. :(

[@BigIrick]

Geez, the good ole days.

[@psyclonesteve]

Yeah, I loved it ! :-)

[@mithramusic5909]

I have so many things to say. First, those jerky breaks! Second, the lap bars fly open practically before the trains even stopped! And third, everyone jumped out of their seats and moved for the next riders! Most importantly, I love Schwarzkopf rides and really hope I can make it on to one of these before they're all gone

[@wesleyshelby8163]

Yes this ride was the it!!!!! I used to ride this over and over. I can still hear the pow from the mechanisms in my head. They replaced this with Superman The Ride.

[@thebraveone5095]

I might have been there that day.

[@zyber9]

When did Viper open at Six Flags Over Georgia and when did it move to Kentucky Kingdom?

[@callif.9679]

My friend went on this ride and came off crying

[@VinceHere98]

Sucks that not many of these launched looping coasters exist anymore.

[@willheuy3678]

i rode this when i went to six flags as a kid and i also rode the ninja as well

[@DieselOutlaw]

Sad to say but you won't get the chance. It was relocated to Kentucky Kingdom. The park is re-opening next year, but without this ride as it was scrapped.

[@michellechung5711]

I was never alive when this ride was around but at least i got to ride the Georgia Cyclone before the closed it and are rebuilding it

[@djbrown6943]

Where was this coaster located at SFOG? I was born in 94 so I didn’t start riding coasters until like 2004 lol.

[@the_turn_up_princess2528]

It was somewhere in the back prob where the water park is now .. the theme was fitting.. viper cause the area was really grassy.

[@aereperennius12]

I remember that "clunk" sound

[@psyclonesteve]

Superman !

[@DougMancosky]

Can I link/embed your video in a post I'm writing about Six Flags newest launch coaster Georgia Surfer? So many people forget about the park's original launch Coaster!

[@psyclonesteve]

Hi Steve would have liked Doug Mancosky to use the footage but please give credit.

[@Cat3465]

I’ve seen a few comments saying that SFOG brought back Viper cuz GA Surfer is basically like that but it spins and has water effects

[@DougMancosky]

@@Cat3465 Ryan the Ride Mechanic just did a video about how these worked that's pretty cool!

[@jonahdw611]

Greased lightning at astroworld

[@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214]

It was built in 1995.

[@JoseGarcia-xp8fm]

Damn..I wish all the operations were this fast...oh well I'm forgetting it was a different generation.

[@toyoracer33]

Does anybody know where in the park this ride was located? I can't remember for the life of me. Seems like it might have been in the area that is now the water park?

[@angelabrown1007]

It was located back behind the ninja and scream machine

[@VhsGutter]

It was next to the old Bumper cars alley , now gone i think too. Exacty where Superman is today.

[@toyoracer33]

@@VhsGutter thanks. I'm still sore about losing the bumper cars: :/

[@MalekMasoud]

Looks like someone won't be getting her beauty sleep after riding this venomous demon.

[@oofindeed9028]

My dad got on this with my grandpa and after he finish he was crying my dad was

[@psyclonesteve]

Oh right Ok, I haven't been since 1997 :-)

[@shane1489]

I’ve always wondered because it was broken every damn single time I went 🤷‍♂️

[@shanelpouatcha7625]

Why did people take this ride away was it unpopular or something like seriously

[@CoasterMan13Official]

I'm a sucker for Schwarzkopf roller coasters!

[@michaeltaylor1603]

1:29 brakes shut....scared boy @ air gate!

[@LaurenGuan]

If it goes upside down, shouldn't it have a secure thing that goes over your shoulders?

[@YuukiTakemoto1996]

The restraints are based on the amount of G-forces there are. 4 Gs and above will almost always require OTSRs if it goes upside down.

[@truelife974]

You literally became a part of the train. You were glued to the seat without the lap bar.

[@hunterhess3163]

What ride replaced viper at six flags over ga

[@hoodboyzAtl]

Hunter Hess Superman the ultimate flight

[@veronicazamora279]

six. flags. Valencia. has. the. best. rides.

[@everydayrandomnesswithevan1791]

This looks almost exactly like Montezuma’s Revenge at Knotts Berry Farm.

[@blacklisted351]

The same company built them

[@wantedwario2621]

It doesn't even look like the same park.

[@damocoaster8451]

What replaced this?

[@markus8994]

Damo Coaster superman

[@joanncollazo1378]

Was it cool

[@rama30]

This one went to fast. The one at Carowinds went slower backwards and regardless of where you sat your butt would come completely off the seat in reverse and only the lap bar kept you in. As you went backward through the loop you could feel the lap bars dig into your legs. The first time I rode it I almost crapped myself. Grown men would come off of it pale.

[@malinabsor3509]

The worst ride in my life! I’m traumatized and wanted to revisit my memories of it, I was 12 and it was probably 1997 or 1998. I thought it was a cool ride bc it goes backwards, but when I got on and when the ride started, I was pushed forward and couldn’t get back up to sit up, I was in bent over so bad and the moment it stopped, I was relieved. I got out and my back was hurting soooo bad, I remember for a whole month! Worst experience ever for me. I know others enjoyed it, but I didn’t. It scarred me 😞

[@Theology_Matters]

shortest ride ever

[@jamesk.williamesjr.6444]

they remove this and deja vu but not the ninja and cyclone why six flags do u always remove over goergais cool rides

[@jamesk.williamesjr.6444]

well not necceserilly remove cyclone but if they gave it the iron horse treatment that would be awesome and they can put a floorless coaster in the place of the ninja

[@trenesia25]

No they didn't. Blackhawk is the new Ninja. Its been painted and has new trains so you won't bang your head. I'ved lived in Georgia my whole life lol. The Blackhawk is Ninja painted a new color.