New Texas Giant

New Texas Giant, formerly known as Texas Giant, is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas. The ride underwent an 18-month refurbishment, transforming from a wood track to steel and reopening in 2011. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the New Texas Giant stands 153ft tall and features a 79° drop stretching 147ft. The ride also features multiple turns banked up to 115° and over of track.The original Texas Giant was manufactured by Dinn Corporation and designed by Curtis D. Summers. For more than a decade after its opening in 1990, the Texas Giant remained popular, ranking in the Golden Ticket Awards as the number one wooden roller coaster in 1998 and 1999. However, throughout the 2000s the ride's popularity declined as a result of the ride becoming rougher. Despite maintenance attempts by the park, Six Flags Over Texas announced the ride's closure in 2009. Much of the original wooden structure was kept, with the track being replaced with steel.After the ride's relaunch in 2011 as the New Texas Giant, its popularity returned, winning Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride of 2011 and ranking highly in industry polls. On July 19, 2013, a woman died after falling from the ride, resulting in modifications and additions to the ride's restraint system.HistoryThe Texas Giant was originally constructed by Dinn Corporation, with Curtis D. Summers as the designer. The ride was made up of over of wood. The trains were manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters. The Texas Giant officially opened on March 17, 1990. At opening, the ride was the world's tallest wooden roller coaster, standing 143ft high.