Watch as a 456 ft (139 m) giant roller coaster gets blown up: the end of an era

Well, it happened: Kingda Ka has fallen. It happened earlier than anticipated: the largest roller coaster in the world is now a pile of debris. Kingda Ka, built in 2005, demolished in 2025. A giant 456 ft (139 m) blown up and falling to the ground in a controlled way. This is something you don't see every day.

The implosion was scheduled today, between 9 Am and 10 AM local time in New Jersey. It happened a couple of hour earlier than anticipated, but there were still a lot of cameras, from TV crews to onlookers, and probably some roller coasters fans who wanted to witness the final moments of the iconic ride.

Why did Kinga Ka got demolished?

Kingda Ka opened in May 2025. It welcomed 12 million riders over 19 years... which, in reality, could have been more: the ride was prone to downtime, and maintenance costs were also expensive, as the ride used a hydraulic launch system - to launch trains to speeds of 128 mph (206 km/h) - that quickly became obsolete.

The lower parts of the track were removed, but the top hat was too large and had to be taken down using controlled explosions. Images show it was a complete success: the coaster fell where in an empty space, without damaging any nearby facilities (parking lots) nor trees.

Kingda Ka used to be the tallest coaster in the world (although last year a new tallest one was built in Saudi Arabia). The park, Six Flags Great Adventure, will compensate heartbroken fans with a new, record-breaking coaster next year. Currently, the tallest roller coaster in operation is in Spain: Red Force at PortAventura at 112m (367 ft).