Goliath is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and designed by Alan Schilke, the roller coaster features RMC's Topper Track design and opened to the public on June 19, 2014. Goliath initially set three world records among wooden coasters, having the longest drop at , the steepest angle of 85 degrees, and the fastest speed of . It still holds the record for the longest drop and fastest wooden roller coaster. In addition, the ride also features two inversions and a maximum descent that reaches below ground level.
Goliath was constructed over a nine-month period on the site previously occupied by Iron Wolf, a steel roller coaster removed in 2011 and relocated to Six Flags America. Goliath's opening allowed Great America to claim the title of having the most wooden track in one park, a recognition that was later claimed by Kings Island. Following its record-breaking debut, the coaster was well-received by the media and enthusiasts, and it has consistently ranked in the top 25 among wooden coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today.
History
On August 5, 2011, Six Flags Great America announced on its official Facebook page that the Iron Wolf would be closing permanently on September 5, 2011. The ride was subsequently removed and relocated to Six Flags America, where it reopened as Apocalypse: The Last Stand. For a brief period, Great America did not release any definitive plans for the site's replacement.
In early August 2013, Six Flags Great America released a teaser campaign entitled "Follow the Journey". Later that month, it was revealed Six Flags Great America would be building a , with plans to lobby the local zoning committee to exceed the height limit imposed on the park. The official announcement for Goliath came on August 29, 2013, where it was revealed the new wooden roller coaster would be manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and open in 2014. As part of the announcement, the ride's statistics were released, along with a concept computer-animated video demonstrating the ride's layout. Situated on the site of the former Iron Wolf, Goliath utilized a majority of the station and line queue from the former ride, and the station was lengthened to accommodate the longer twelve-row trains.
Final design photos were released on Great America's Facebook page on February 21, 2014. These revealed a design change in Goliath's lift hill, which was modified to an all-steel structure as opposed to the original wood design. Another computer-animated video was also released on the park's official YouTube channel the same day.
Construction began in September 2013, employing a crew of approximately 35 workers by RMC. The team worked 11-hour days, six days a week through winter in occasional sub-zero temperatures finishing in May 2014, which amounted to approximately 40,000 man hours. Goliath was set to open on May 31, 2014, but the opening was delayed. The lift hill was topped off on May 16, with the first test run taking place two weeks later on May 31, the same day as the original opening. Lightning struck a small section of the ride's station on June 6, 2014, causing it to catch fire briefly before being extinguished. There were no reported injuries or major damage. After testing was completed, Goliath officially opened to the public on June 19, 2014.
Characteristics
Goliath is Rocky Mountain Construction's second ground-up wooden roller coaster following the opening of Silver Dollar City's Outlaw Run in early 2013. Although the ride is located in the County Fair section of Six Flags Great America, the name and theme of the ride was chosen purely on the basis of the ride's size and scale. The ride stands tall; however, the ride drops a total of at an angle of 85° into an underground tunnel. Goliath features two inversions, two overbanked turns, and a top speed of . Because Goliath was built in such a small space, the lift hill is abnormally steep at an angle of 45°. The entire track has been filled with grout to allow a quieter and smoother ride experience. The ride was designed by Alan Schilke.