Bushwick Bar Hosts Funeral for Iconic Kingda Ka

ByMaya Harborlight

Roller coaster enthusiasts from across the Northeast are preparing to gather in Brooklyn to mourn the loss of a beloved thrill ride. A Bushwick bar will host a formal funeral for Kingda Ka, the iconic Six Flags Great Adventure roller coaster that was demolished last month after nearly two decades of terrifying and exhilarating riders.

The event, titled “Rest in Speed: A Funeral for Kingda Ka,” will take place at Wonderville, a Bushwick arcade bar, and feature poetry readings, musical performances, and a technical presentation on the engineering behind what was once the world’s tallest roller coaster. According to Gothamist, the memorial will also include an open mic segment for attendees to share their personal experiences and memories of the legendary ride.

Photo Source: Pitstock/DepositPhotos

A Legacy of Speed and Height

Kingda Ka opened in 2005 to great fanfare, immediately setting world records for height and speed. The ride’s hydraulic launch system catapulted riders from 0 to 128 mph in just 3.5 seconds, sending them up a 456-foot vertical tower and straight down the other side in a heart-stopping 28-second experience.

“It’s a one-trick pony with a really good trick,” event organizer Evan Schwartz told Gothamist. Schwartz, who identifies as a “coasterhead,” first experienced Kingda Ka in April 2022, riding it eight consecutive times. “For some reason, when I sat down on it for the first time I didn’t feel remotely intimidated. I was just like, ‘This is what I need to be doing right now.'”

The legendary roller coaster maintained its status as the tallest in the world until its demolition, which occurred through a controlled implosion on February 28. Video of the implosion spread widely across social media, creating a shared moment of mourning for fans who had grown up with the iconic green tower dominating the Six Flags skyline.

A Community in Mourning

The announcement of Kingda Ka’s closure last November sent shockwaves through the roller coaster enthusiast community. Fans flooded online forums, desperately seeking information about the ride’s fate and sharing memories of their experiences.

After confirmation of the closure, the outpouring of grief took various forms. One devoted fan shared a video of himself playing funereal bagpipes in the Six Flags parking lot with Kingda Ka visible in the background. Another posted photos of the ride’s remains in a local scrapyard, as reported by WPST.

Memorabilia from the ride has skyrocketed in value, with T-shirts and commemorative pins selling on eBay for hundreds of dollars per item. This commodification of nostalgia underscores the emotional connection many felt to the roller coaster, which was designed by renowned ride engineer Werner Stengel.

“People have some real memories on this thing. They grew up with news stories about its construction, the idea it was the most intimidating roller coaster in America,” Schwartz explained. “It’s almost a rite of passage. As a kid, you go on it and it’s like you’ve conquered everything.”

A Unique Cultural Moment

While acknowledging that a funeral for a roller coaster might seem “silly and kind of ridiculous,” Schwartz hopes the event will create space for deeper reflection on the emotional connections people form with physical experiences and structures.

The organizer aims to provide a venue “to come together and talk about how things are fallible and not forever,” exploring “how we as people bond ourselves to inanimate objects that provide us with communal memory.” This perspective frames roller coasters as more than mere amusement rides, elevating them to cultural artifacts worthy of commemoration.

“I see roller coasters as an art form on the same level as architecture, painting, film,” Schwartz said. “It’s an art form that you get to ride. I mean they’re beautiful and they give you a physical full-body experience.”

Photo Source: Pitstock/DepositPhotos

The Future of Six Flags Great Adventure

As fans prepare to eulogize Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure is already looking toward the future. The New Jersey amusement park announced that Kingda Ka’s removal will make way for an “all-new, multi-record-breaking launch coaster,” though specific details remain undisclosed.

Alongside Kingda Ka, the park also closed several other attractions, including the Green Lantern roller coaster, the Twister, Parachutes, and the Sky Way. The Flash: Vertical Velocity roller coaster, originally scheduled to open last year, will debut this season when the park reopens on March 29.

But for those gathering to mourn in Bushwick, no new attraction can replace the towering green structure that represented a pinnacle of roller coaster engineering and a formative experience for a generation of thrill-seekers. Some attendees are reportedly traveling from as far as Ohio to participate in the memorial, underscoring the deep connection many felt to what was, ultimately, 28 seconds of pure adrenaline.

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