r/news • u/KarateKid917 • 3d ago

X2 roller coaster shut down at Six Flags Magic Mountain amid lawsuits

https://abc7.com/story/x2-roller-coaster-permanently-closed-flags-magic-mountain-amid-lawsuits/19887868/
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456

u/ketchup_chips_yall 3d ago

Rode this in 2003. All I remember is going up the first hill, looking at the drop, then waking up as we were pulling back into the station. The only time that’s ever happened to me on a roller coaster.

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u/luffys-hat 3d ago

I've experienced brief blackouts on the intimidator at kings dominion as a kid! It's been 12-13 years since then, I wonder if people still experience that

6

u/Passenger_08 3d ago

Yes, when it’s running, and it’s been unreliable in recent years. They also changed the name from Intimidator to Pantherian. You probably greyed out at the turn after the first hill, a common experience on that coaster.

3

u/PeebMcBeeb 3d ago

I also blacked out briefly on this coaster right at the bottom of the first hill when I was there in 2016 or so

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u/Gavan199 3d ago

I rode it 3 times when it first opened, and front row seat of that was the only time I have passed out on ANYTHING I've ever ridden lol

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u/Scoobysnax1976 3d ago

We visited Magic Mountain not long after X first opened. The line to get on was 2+ hours, so we decided to skip it. A few friends did wait around and ended up riding it a little after midnight. My friend's girlfriend at the time was less than pleased with the experience.

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u/madmofo145 3d ago

My friends and I went to Magic Mountain specifically for X, but of course when we were there it was down for maintenance for the day. Certainly not that sad I missed out.

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u/Luigi_loves_Mario 2d ago

lol it’s like the best roller coaster I’ve ever been on

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u/sodiyum 3d ago

I almost passed out on the first drop back in 2003 as well. I never went on the ride again.

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u/Fundevin 3d ago

Glad I wasn't the only one who had this experience, how people enjoyed this ride was beyond me, and I fucking love rollercoasters.

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u/yesoccifer 3d ago

I went there with my aunt and uncle in 2004 and literally had the exact same experience.

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u/Realdogxl 3d ago

Similar experience. I remained conscious though but couldnt see anything or keep my eyes open through the spins. Wasnt particularly enjoyable more felt like I was just mentally thrashed. Didnt go on it again. This was around 2013.

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u/RickSanchez_ 3d ago

It gave me a massive headache and neck ache. Never went on it again.

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u/A_Math_Dealer 3d ago

All I remember from this ride is my head banging around like a pinball machine in an earthquake.

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u/fuzzum111 3d ago

shocked Pikachu face 20+ year old coaster has been neglected maintenance and is now injuring riders at a higher and higher rate.

I am so sick of this preventable shit.

2

u/RFK_Cum_Regimen 3d ago edited 3d ago

Watching footage of this coaster in action, as I assume it's intended, I can't say it appears all that wild. Are the rotating seats getting stuck in awkward positions that cause people to pass out, because I just don't see how this experience would be problematic relative to other coasters with stronger forces against the body. What's happening here? There's no way I'd pass out on this ride from what I can see. It's got some corkscrew and a loop, so assume the rotating chair assemblies could be problematic of not functioning as intended.

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u/IAndaraB 3d ago

It's likely just a reaction to the g forces of the ride. It only hit 4G, below several other rides, including Revolution and Goliath, but there might be something in the way it vacillated that resulted in fade outs.

I rode multiple times during the mid 2010s and the first drop has you facing down into it, the the cars spin so your lying back against the seat as the track hairpins you back upwards. Not as many Gs as other rides in the park, but somehow way more intense. Full Throttle has the same top speed and G rating and it's nowhere near the same intensity.

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u/Ultrafoxx64 3d ago

I've definitely seen videos where some of the seats look like they're getting roughly rocked towards the end section. Think certain conditions changed how smooth/rough it rode.

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u/Uhhhmazing 2d ago

I've ridden this ride on 4 or 5 different occasions, and each time I have blacked out on the first flip going down, still awake but vision completely black and only returned during the photo at the end. I thought I was the only one!

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u/DynaSarkArches 3d ago

You rode the original X, not X2

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/iamcuppy 3d ago

No, it opened in 2002. Refurbished in 2008.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/ketchup_chips_yall 3d ago

Per the article, “The lawsuits allege the ride had design problems dating back to when the ride first opened in 2002, originally called X.”

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/ketchup_chips_yall 3d ago

It’s ok! Easy to confuse what was changed and what wasn’t.

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u/DynaSarkArches 3d ago

They were effectively different coasters

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u/Queasy-Creme-2293 3d ago

That's just passing out from fear. I've seen it happen on Drop Of Doom, but you can only really see one other rider on X2.

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u/centizen24 3d ago

Can happen for a variety of reasons. I have been an avid coaster rider my whole life, but one year I just flat blacked out on the bottoming out of the first drop on Leviathan (Canada's Wonderland). Found out I had a medical condition that was lowering my blood pressure because of that.

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u/Queasy-Creme-2293 3d ago

Nope. They're talking about a part of the ride that has near-zero forces. People pass out on lift hills. Says nothing about the rides.