La Vibora

La Vibora first drop

The first drop is a long, swooping turn

Though its name means “The Viper” in Spanish, most people refer to La Vibora as simply the “Bobsled.” Located in the Mexico & Spain section of Six Flags over Texas, La Vibora is no typical roller coaster. Instead of a train with movement locked by rigid rails, La Vibora’s free-rolling bobsleds are free to “make their own course” along a metal trough. Tight, twisting turns make the cars ride up on the sides of the trough, giving a unique, out-of-control feeling. Riders sit single-rowed in the toboggan-style cars, furthering the bobsled experience.

La Vibora first drop

A car speeds down the first drop of La Vibora

Background

La Vibora actually began its life in 1984 at Six Flags Magic Mountain as the “Sarajevo Bobsleds.” The Six Flags chain operated a ride rotation program at the time and moved the Bobsleds to its Texas park in 1986. The ride debuted at Six Flags over Texas as “Avalanche” and painted a pale blue, but the color scheme and name were soon changed to better reflect the theming in the Mexico and Spain section.

Design Highlights

La Vibora turn

La Vibora car traverses a turn into the first block brake

La Vibora has a support system similar to Shock Wave. Several of its supports taper down to a spherical bearing that’s attached to a mating socket on the footer. This ball-and-socket design is flexible and allows the track and support to move with each passing car, reducing stress on the components.

Since La Vibora uses single cars instead of trains, numerous cars are needed to maintain a reasonable capacity. The numerous cars are why the ride has so many block brakes (brakes throughout the ride that maintain separation of ride vehicles and prevent collisions if one stops).

The coaster also has a unique lift hill in that more than one car can be on it at one time. Although most coasters can operate in light to moderate rain, La Vibora shuts down with any amount of precipitation due to how the bobsleds freely travel through the trough.

La Vibora Stats

Ride Type:Bobsled coaster
Height:60 ft
Top Speed:32 mph
Length:1490 ft
Year Introduced:1986
Inversions:0
Manufacturer:Intamin
Duration:1 min, 30 sec
Height Requirement:42"
Status:Operating
Flash Pass Enabled:Yes
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Where to Sit?

Ride in the middle of the bobsled for the smoothest ride. Sitting in the front or back over the wheels can be a jarring experience when the bobsleds enter the ride’s numerous block brakes.

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When to Ride?

La Vibora is one of the park’s lowest-capacity roller coasters, meaning even short lines can be time consuming. Try riding it when the park first opens and everyone else is running to the more popular rides.

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