Ninja is an
Arrow Dynamics/
Vekoma steel roller coaster
A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world. Incorporating tubular steel track and polyurethane-coated whee ...
located in the
Studio Backlot section of
Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis, originally known as Six Flags Over Mid-America, is an amusement park featuring characters and rides from many Warner Bros. films and tv shows such as, Looney Tunes, DC Comics, and formerly Scooby-Doo. It is located in Eureka ...
in
Eureka, Missouri. It was originally built for and located at
Expo 86 in
Vancouver, British Columbia, operating as Scream Machine from May to October 1986. It began operating as Ninja at Six Flags St. Louis in 1989. The coaster was started by American manufacturer Arrow Dynamics, but when Arrow fell into bankruptcy during construction, it was sold to Dutch manufacturer Vekoma, who finished it.
The ride features a
loop, a
sidewinder and a double
corkscrew. The Ninja, like most modern roller coasters, requires a minimum of two employees to dispatch the train. One operates the main panel, which controls the restraints, gates and has a section for the mechanics. The other operator stands at the remote enable. Both operators have to do an all clear sweep and thumbs up, then press their buttons at the same time.
Virtual reality
Six Flags announced on March 3, 2016, that Ninja would receive The New Revolution: Virtual Reality Coaster experience on the ride. Riders have the option to wear
Samsung Gear VR headsets, powered by
Oculus Oculus (a term from Latin ''oculus'', meaning 'eye'), may refer to the following
Architecture
* Oculus (architecture), a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Oculus'' (film), a 2013 American ...
, to create a 360-degree, 3D experience while riding. The illusion is themed to a fighter jet, where riders fly through a futuristic city as co-pilots battling alien invaders. The feature debuted with the coaster, when it reopened on May 27, 2016.
In early 2017, Galactic Attack Virtual Reality Coaster was announced to be coming to Ninja, a similar but upgraded version of The New Revolution.
Color
Ninja was originally painted with red track and white supports, and the trains were painted white with red stripes and orange restraints. The colors were modified in 1998, the track was painted black, but the supports remained white and the trains are red with white stripes (though the restraints are still orange).
The ride got a new coat of paint for the 2010 season.
Similarly named rides
The ride formerly shared a name with
Blue Hawk at
Six Flags Over Georgia until that coaster's retheming in 2016. Another
roller coaster with the same name exists at
Six Flags Magic Mountain, but that ride is an
Arrow Dynamics suspended swinging coaster.
References
External links
Ninja at Six Flags St. Louis Official Page
{{Six Flags St. Louis
Roller coasters operated by Six Flags
Six Flags St. Louis
Roller coasters in Missouri
Roller coasters introduced in 1989