Heart-pounding ‘tilt coasters’ coming to Texas, Ohio. See what it’s like to ride one
The advice “don’t look down” won’t help scared riders on two upcoming roller coasters that will force them to do just that.
So-called “tilt coasters” are named for the straight sections of track at the top of their tallest drops that slowly tilt forward, holding riders at 180 degrees for a long, suspenseful moment before letting them fall near-vertically.
The gimmick is more common abroad, but now two tilt coasters are set to be the first in the United States at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, and COTAland in Austin, Texas, with a 2025 opening date.
A press release from Cedar Point bills the 2,966-foot-long Siren’s Curse coaster as “tallest, longest and fastest” tilt coaster in the U.S. with a top speed of 58 miles per hour.
The ride will stand at 147 feet tall, according to Vekoma, the company behind the coasters.
The themed ride’s story has riders drawn in by and then fleeing the siren of Lake Erie, a cryptid concocted entirely by Cedar Point. The coaster will feature LED lighting and an eerie audio track of a siren song.
“The entire ride is an experience filled with non-stop action, but that first precarious tilted position where you’re hanging on – looking straight down – and waiting for the track to connect will be a signature moment our fans will love,” Carrie Boldman, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point, said.
The second coaster, Circuit Breaker, will open in COTAland, an upcoming amusement park under construction at the Circuit of the Americas Formula One race track in Austin, Texas. The ride will be race car-themed to fit the new park. According to Vekoma, the ride will stand at 131 feet tall, run for 2,188 feet and reach a top speed of 57 miles per hour.
“There’s some great dive coasters out there, there’s some stuff like that, but this is something completely different,” Matt Hughey, director of operations for COTAland, said in an interview with Coaster Studios.
An official announcement video shows the drop from riders’ perspective.
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Heart-pounding ‘tilt coasters’ coming to Texas, Ohio. See what it’s like to ride one."
