Submitted on Sun, 08/15/2010 – 10:55
Last Year Operated: 1964
Section: Mexico
Manufacturer: Herschell Company
Other Names and Nicknames: La Cucaracha
One Rollercoaster – Two Names
The Sidewinder has the distinction of being the first roller coaster at Six Flags. It was also the only roller coaster in the park for the first four years of operations.
The ride, a “Cat and Mouse”, style metal roller coaster consisted of individual units, each of which could hold one or two riders. As with most coasters, the cars were pulled up a lift hill. Instead of traveling down a straight fast and steep drop, however, they descended down a winding track with sharp turns. The wheels were set back to the rear of the unit, so that as the car approaches a curve, the front end sticks out over the edge of the track before the car started turning. This design creates the illusion that the cars are constantly about to run off of the track.
The ride only operated as the “Sidewinder” for first season. For the 1962 season, it became the first ride in the park to be moved to a second location as it was relocated to the Mexican Section a and renamed the “La Cucaracha”.
Future Site of Happy Motoring Track II
The ride was manufactured by Herschell Company under the name of the Mad Mouse.
La Cucaracha in the Mexican Section
