Yukon Striker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yukon Striker |
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Track of Yukon Striker near the bottom of the first drop, before it enters the tunnel
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| Canada's Wonderland | |
| Location | Canada's Wonderland |
| Park section | Frontier Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°50′25″N 79°32′35″W / 43.8402°N 79.5430°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | 24 April 2019 |
| Opening date | 3 May 2019 |
| Replaced | SkyRider |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Dive Coaster |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Dive Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 68 m (223 ft) |
| Drop | 74.7 m (245 ft) |
| Length | 1,105 m (3,625 ft) |
| Speed | 130 km/h (81 mph) |
| Inversions | 4 |
| Duration | 3:25 |
| Max vertical angle | 90° |
| Capacity | 1,329 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 52–77 in (132–196 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 8 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train. |
 Fast Lane Plus only available |
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 Single rider line available |
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| Yukon Striker at RCDB | |
Yukon Striker is a super exciting steel roller coaster at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario. It's a special type of ride called a dive coaster. This means it has a really steep drop that feels like you're diving!
The ride was built by a company called Bolliger & Mabillard. It first opened to everyone on May 3, 2019. Yukon Striker took the place of an older roller coaster called SkyRider.
Yukon Striker is known for being super tall, long, and fast! It stands 68 metres (223 ft) high and stretches 1,105 metres (3,625 ft) long. Riders can reach speeds of 130 km/h (81 mph). It even shares the record for the tallest dive coaster with another ride called Valravn. Plus, it has four amazing flips (called inversions) and a drop that's 75 metres (245 ft) long! These also set world records for dive coasters.
Contents
How Yukon Striker Was Built
After the SkyRider roller coaster was taken down in 2014, Canada's Wonderland started planning for a new, big ride. They needed to check the ground first. This was to make sure the soil was strong enough for the huge concrete foundations of a new roller coaster.
In 2017, the park asked for permission to build parts of the ride over water. They also wanted to build a tunnel that would go under a pond in the park. They needed a special permit because the pond is part of the Don River area. This permit was approved in January 2018, and building the ride's foundations began soon after.
To build the underwater tunnel, they had to move some parts of another nearby roller coaster called Vortex. This was done so Vortex could still run when the park opened in 2018. The tunnel work was finished quickly. Then, the Vortex pieces were put back in place.
In July 2018, Canada's Wonderland started hinting about a big announcement. On August 15, 2018, they officially showed off Yukon Striker to everyone! Construction of the roller coaster was finished on February 4, 2019. The very last piece of track was put onto the 360-degree loop. After that, they installed the ride trains and made the area around the ride look nice.
Before it opened to everyone, some special groups got to ride it first. On April 24, 2019, people who helped raise money for The Hospital for Sick Children got to test it out. Then, news reporters from Ontario and New York were invited to ride. Finally, Yukon Striker opened to the public on May 3, 2019, which was the park's opening day for the year.
Ride Features
Yukon Striker was designed by Bolliger & Mabillard. A Canadian company, E.S. Fox, helped build it. This roller coaster is the very first dive coaster ever built in Canada!
The steel track is 1,105 metres (3,625 ft) long. The lift hill, which takes you to the top, is 68 metres (223 ft) high. The track is made of 107 orange steel pieces. All together, these pieces weigh a massive 1,213 metric tonnes! There are 42 strong columns that hold up the ride.
The Trains
Yukon Striker uses three trains. Each train is made of fiberglass. They have 3 rows, and 8 riders can sit in each row. This means 24 people can ride on one train at a time! The trains have special vest restraints to keep you safe. Each train is a different color: Gold, Silver, or Bronze.
What It's Like to Ride
When your train leaves the station, it turns right. Then, it starts climbing up the 68 metres (223 ft) tall lift hill. This climb is at a steep 47-degree angle.
At the top, the train turns right again. Then, it stops right at the edge of a 90-degree drop! A part of the train hangs over the edge. After a thrilling three-second pause, you plunge 75 metres (245 ft) straight down! You go through the middle of the Vortex roller coaster's turn and then into an underwater tunnel. You'll reach a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph)!
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After exiting the tunnel, the train goes up into an Immelmann loop. This is a cool flip that twists you upside down and then turns you right side up again. Next, you go through a zero-g roll. This part makes you feel weightless for a moment!
Then comes a full 360-degree vertical loop. This is the first time a dive coaster has ever had a loop like this! After that, there's a second Immelmann loop. Then, the train slows down at the mid-course brake run. This section is right above another ride called Timberwolf Falls.
The train then dives down another steep drop. It goes over an airtime hill, which gives you a floating feeling. Finally, it goes through a 360-degree helix (a spiral turn) before reaching the final brakes. One full ride on Yukon Striker lasts about 205 seconds.
World Records
When Yukon Striker opened in May 2019, it broke four world records for dive coasters! It also tied another record.
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- Fastest Dive Coaster: Its trains zoom at 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph).
- Longest Dive Coaster: The track is 1,105 metres (3,625 ft) long.
- Longest Drop on a Dive Coaster: You plunge 75 metres (245 ft) down!
- Most Inversions on a Dive Coaster: It has four flips!
Yukon Striker also held the record for the tallest inversion on any roller coaster for a short time. Its first Immelmann loop is 57 metres (187 ft) high. However, this record was broken just 57 days later by another roller coaster called Steel Curtain.
In addition to breaking these records, Yukon Striker also tied the record for the tallest dive coaster in the world. At 68 metres (223 ft) high, it shares this record with Valravn at Cedar Point. Yukon Striker is also the only dive coaster in the world to have a full 360-degree loop!
Images for kids
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Track of Yukon Striker near the bottom of the first drop, before it enters the tunnel
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The completed tunnel for Yukon Striker in August 2018.
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The ride's vertical loop
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Lift hill and portions of the record-setting drop during the ride's construction
