La Vibora
The first drop is a long, swooping turn
Though its name means “The Viper” in Spanish, most people simply referred to La Vibora as the “Bobsled.” Located in the Mexico & Spain section of Six Flags over Texas, La Vibora was no typical roller coaster. Instead of a train with movement locked by rigid rails, La Vibora’s free-rolling bobsleds made their own course along a metal trough. Tight, twisting turns made the cars ride up on the sides of the trough, giving a unique, out-of-control feeling. Riders sat single-rowed in the toboggan-style cars, furthering the bobsled experience.
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.
Six Flags over Texas quietly began dismantling La Vibora in early November 2024 to clear the area for a new dive coaster.
Queue Line Entrance
Sign above the entrance to La Vibora
Aerial View
Aerial view of La Vibora as seen from the Oil Derrick
Bobsled
A bobsled whizzes by on La Vibora
Lift Hill
La Vibora’s unique lift hill allows two cars on it at once
La Vibora in Action
A car speeds around one of the turns
Speeding Toboggan
La Vibora’s cars are free to travel up on the sides of the trough.
Design Highlights
La Vibora car traverses a turn into the first block brake
La Vibora had a support system similar to Shock Wave. Several of its supports tapered down to a spherical bearing that was attached to a mating socket on the footer. This ball-and-socket design was flexible and allowed the track and support to move with each passing car, reducing stress on the components.
Since La Vibora used single cars instead of trains, numerous cars were needed to maintain a reasonable capacity. The numerous cars were why the ride had so many block brakes (brakes throughout the ride that maintain separation of ride vehicles and prevent collisions if one stops).
The coaster also had 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 would shut 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 |
| Year Removed: | 2024 |
| Inversions: | 0 |
| Manufacturer: | Intamin |
| Duration: | 1 min, 30 sec |
| Height Requirement: | 42" |
| Status: | Standing but not Operating |
| Flash Pass Enabled: | Yes |
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.
When to Ride?
La Vibora is one of the park’s lowest-capacity roller coasters, meaning even short lines can be take a while. Try riding it when the park first opens and everyone else is running to the more popular rides.
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