FARMINGTON — Wicked, Lagoon's newest ride, isn't a 20th century "click/clack" chain-driven roller coaster. It's a state-of-the art, smooth, magnetic-driven "launch" style of coaster that definitely lives up to its name.
Less than 10 seconds after a Wicked ride begins, passengers are rocketed 110 feet up a camelback-shaped hill at 41 mph. There's little waiting for action on this ride; you just round one corner and then take off.
After a brief slowdown on top, riders zoom down the 110-foot-hill at a 90-degree angle at 55 mph.
There's a bunch of more ups and downs, too. Wicked includes a corkscrew section and several tunnels during its 2 1/2 minute experience along 2,000 feet of track.
The whole ride is very smooth and lacks any jerking or shaking. It simply has the thrill of speed vs. gravity. It's a linear synchronous motor drive system that powers Wicked.
Words like "awesome" and "wow" dominate the vocabulary of smiling passengers as they come off the coaster.
This is a world-class kind of ride that is unlike anything else Lagoon has. It is also included as part of Lagoon's regular daily admission price.
Although lines for Wicked will be long all summer, the ride is capable of carrying up to 900 passengers per hour, and so lines move pretty fast.
Hats or any other loose objects are blown off on this intense ride. So, what do you do with loose objects? You can carry a hat in your hand, but lockers are available near the start of Wicked so passengers aren't bogged down by them.
Another unusual thing about Wicked are the restraints. Passengers are locked in at their ankles and thighs. There are no shoulder restraints or traditional seat or lap belts. Each Wicked coaster car carries eight passengers in two rows of four.
Any riders, 50 inches or taller, have no restrictions. However, those 46-49 inches tall will have a special booster insert seat installed for them before they ride and should be accompanied by a responsible person. The booster seat will maximize the restraints for them. Anyone under 46 inches tall cannot ride Wicked.
Wicked is located on the south midway, just west of the Fire Dragon/Spider/Wild Mouse rides, in an area that was previously parking lot space.
The ride was specially created for Lagoon at a cost of $10 million — its most expensive ride ever. There's nothing like it out there.
Lagoon is now open Sunday through Friday at 11 a.m. and on Saturdays at 10 a.m., through the end of August.
For more information on Wicked or Lagoon, go to www.lagoonpark.com.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com