A lot of people were a bit surprised at the name and logo for Six Flags Great Adventure’s new coaster, Bakunawa? However, it actually has a really cool backstory. The Bakunawa is a legendary, dragon-like sea serpent creature from Philippine mythology. It’s known as the “moon-eater” and folklore credits it as the cause of eclipses, earthquakes and storms. Its name is a compound word meaning “bent snake”. Bakunawa was said to live in the ocean, but would fly to the moon to try to swallow it and thus cause eclipses. Filipino people would bang pots and pans during an eclipse to try to scare it away. It was largely an oral tradition, but below is 18th century engraving depicting a Philippine warship. Given the ride’s design and this name/mythology, there’s tons of ways Six Flags could use this in theming!
18th-century engraving of a karakoa warship with a Bakunawa design
Bakunawa is a spinning launch coaster by Mack Rides, scheduled to open in 2027. It’s a shuttle coaster (forward and backward on the same track) that stands 382 feet tall and will reach speeds over 100 mph. Bakunawa has been under construction for some time under the name “project purple” with its name and theme kept secret until now. It is slated to break Six World Records:
Bakunawa’s Six World Records
- World’s Fastest Spinning Coaster: Reaches a top speed of 100 mph.
- World’s Tallest Spinning Coaster: Towers at 382 feet high.
- World’s Fastest Inversion: Hits 80 mph during an inverted roll/stall.
- World’s Longest Stall Inversion: Features an extended hanging/stalled inversion element.
- World’s First Floorless Spinning Coaster: Utilizes innovative free-spinning, floorless cars.
- World’s First Upside-Down Launch: Accelerates riders mid-launch while completely inverted.
Bakunawa looks to be an amazing ride. Imagining you’re on the back of a sea serpent trying to swallow the moon on a night ride is fascinating. They may need to get a mini Sea Serpent like the one at Fun Spot Atlanta and name it Bakunawa Jr. for the kids. It’s great to see Six Flags using an original IP and this story makes the opening next year even more exciting!
BGT Safari 