Setting The Standard - Inside the truth of record breaking coasters: Have they really made our experience better or plagued us with downtime? Does taller really grant a better ride experience? Or has record breaking been a hoax all along?

Opening in May of 2003, Top Thrill Dragster became the current record holder of height and speed.

Has this been the epiphany of our Coaster Industry, or that rat-virus that has been keeping us from fulfillment? I've dug as deep as I could to find the most information I could in regards to record-breaking coasters to find if there really has been a breakthrough, or just a faulty cause for publicity.

Our first stop takes us too Cedar Point, which has taken four shots at the height and speed title of coasters, of which, Top Thrill Dragster being most noteworthy. Top Thrill Dragster is first on the list because of it's recent arise into stardom by a stunning 120MPH top speed and a height peaking out at 420 feet. This is great on paper, but what about the "experience" you get?

One hundred and twenty miles per hour, that is indeed fast and can sooth a speed addicts' heart, but in a straight line, that means nearly nothing but a few G's pushing on the Z-axis. What is really sad, Top Thrill Dragster does not even reach the 120MPH speed mark on the way down from its only "drop." Speaking of drop, there is no real drop. Just a 270degree spiral downwards from a top-hat element. Noteworthy on this element, you to loose "air time" by lateral G's pushing on your body as the train rotates on the track.

Next up we'll take a stab at another coaster and one clone, Xcelerator and Superman - Ride of Steel. Xcelerator is just as the name implies, the fastest accelerating roller coaster in the world, at an astonishing rate of 0-81MPH in just over two seconds! Xcelerator faced similar launch failure issues as Top Thrill Dragster over the last couple years. The main heart and sole of Xcelerator is its hydraulic launch system. This system had numerous malfunction-related issues this year. In addition, the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health halted the ride for weeks, for safety restraint inspection after the sudden death of a man on Superman - Ride of Steel.

Superman: Ride of Steel is considered the best layout ever made by Intamin AG.

Superman - Ride of Steel doesn't set a record by any standards to most, but just the fact it was closed for nearly a whole month is enough to earn it a spot. During this time, Intamin AG redesigned the safety restraints of the trains. The most notable adjustments are orange seatbelts, instead of black, horizontal bars that rest against the riders' shins, and vertical bars that run on the outside of riders' legs. The new system also entails a "yes or no" rider eligibility. Simply, if the restraint comes down past a certain point, the rider is allowed on. If not, they aren't.

This wouldn't be a complete article without the mentioning of Kingda Ka, the aspiring future champion of height and speed. Well, there's not much to say about Kingda Ka except for the fact that it's a rip-off clone of Top Thrill Dragster, juiced up on steroids. I'm not a Top Thrill Dragster fan, making me hardly a fan of Kingda Ka. Sure Intamin AG, I will shake your hand at the opening day of Kingda Ka, but not for a great job on Kingda Ka. Rather a great job at producing nearly an identical ride while simultaneously fooling us into thinking it will be the greatest shiznik since sliced bread.
Enough of that, and onto technology we go. Technology is the number one factor in today's coaster society. The way I see it is, in what direction is technology projected? If technology is projected at the right topics, I feel it can help us in the long run. The big topic right now is durability. When you talk about extreme record-breaking coasters, there always comes the question of durability. Lets take a closer look at how technology is helping improve the way we ride.

Polyurethane wheels, good? Yes, only when applied accordingly. When you create an excessively large roller coaster, you start getting into the limitations of structural tolerances. In plain terms, parts designed for different purposes other than intended. Polyurethane is most notably an exception material for a roller coaster wheel because of its tendency to warp. Still, the wheel has a slight curve to it. In motion, the wheel warps around the track, gaining traction. However, when we begin talking about faster speeds, the tolerances of this material can be pushed too far. The solution? Using computers, engineers cast a metal hub that is the perfect circumference in relation the affecting diameter, width, etc. Added to this, different material compounds, molding techniques, etc. There is virtually an infinite level of adjustments available to engineers aiding in manufacturing a wheel designed for an intent purpose, but that doesn't mean engineers will find it.

An intense photo capturing the heart and sole of an Intamin Rocket.

Structural design. Not many people look at this aspect, but if a problem such as, "What's the best way to save money," occurred, structural engineers could assess the proposed plan and make arrangements accordingly. Such as, the entire track layout calls for two steel butted beams under lay each crossbeam on a mega coasters frame. Could this number be lessened, meaning cheaper funding, with a different support layout, or perhaps double-seeming the welds on all the supports and loosing an average of 10 extra support beams? Equations like these plague the coaster industry to push for more budget minded coasters, which in turn, could bring more coasters to you at a faster rate.

Hydraulic launch. I don't know how you can call it an improvement on a hydraulic launch system when Intamin AG still has rollback issues, let alone malfunctions. That is another topic altogether, so I'm leaving it in fine print: cross your fingers for Kingda Ka's well being.

There is no doubt we will continue to see new record-breaking roller coasters. The question is at what rate will these new coasters be reliable. Lets hope sometime in the near future, companies put the emphasis on something a little more beside the height and speed of the ride.