Bizarro, Six Flags New England
Agawam, Mass.
Ruben calls this ride "the best coaster on the planet" with high speeds, fog-filled tunnels and darting turns. The ride is enhanced by a soundtrack played through headrest speakers. It provides riders so much airtime — periods of perceived weightlessness — that "the seats are superfluous." 413-786-9300; sixflags.com/newengland
Millennium Force, Cedar Point
Sandusky, Ohio
An elevator cable pulls riders to a 30-story peak before they plunge down a near-vertical track at speeds of up to 92 mph. "It has overbanked turns, tunnels and four moments off your seat that are unforgettable," Ruben says. At 6,600 feet, it's the longest steel coaster in the Western Hemisphere. 419-627-2350; cedarpoint.com
Thunderbolt, Kennywood
West Mifflin, Penn.
Known affectionately as the T-Bolt, this classic wooden coaster takes advantage of its setting along the Monongahela River. It starts with a drop halfway down the bank, then finishes with its steepest drop at the end. "It's as if the coaster is built backward," Ruben says. 412-461-0500; kennywood.com
X2, Six Flags Magic Mountain
Valencia, Calif.
This Southern California park is home to a unique coaster with separate rails for the seats, so riders find themselves twisting and turning as they fly through the air. "This bizarre coaster breaks the paradigm of how a coaster should work," Ruben says. 661-255-4100; sixflags.com/magicmountain
The Beast, Kings Island
Mason, Ohio
This wooden coaster is the world's longest in both time and length, thrilling riders for more than four minutes on a track that stretches 7,400 feet, Ruben says. It includes a 540-degree helix that twists through a partially covered tunnel. "You can hear the screams echoing through the forest." 513-754-5700; visitkingsisland.com
Ravine Flyer II, Waldameer Park
Erie, Pa.
Riders plunge down an embankment and across a four-lane highway on this unique 2-year-old coaster. "There are several moments when the train changes direction and it tries to pull the seat out from under you. That's nasty," Ruben says. "From start to finish this feels like controlled mayhem." 877-817-1009; waldameer.com
Viper, Six Flags Great America
Gurnee, Ill.
Inspired by the classic Cyclone at Coney Island, N.Y., this coaster is "10 feet taller, a little faster and a whole lot wilder," Ruben says. "Everything that's good about the Cyclone is even better on the Viper." It masterfully employs the picket-fence effect — rushing past stationary objects to add to the illusion of speed. 847-249-4636; sixflags.com/greatamerica
Intimidator, Carowinds
Charlotte
Pedestal-style seats have thrill-seekers leaning back with their feet off the floor. "It's like riding in an out-of-control easy chair," Ruben says of this brand-new steel coaster that reaches speeds of 80 mph. "Anything that makes the rider feel more vulnerable is good. It enhances the sense of imagined danger." 704-588-2600; carowinds.com
Intimidator 305, Kings Dominion
Doswell, Va.
NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt inspired this steel coaster, which boasts an "incredibly high" average speed of 68 mph, nearly double the pace of most rides, and faster than traffic can legally travel on adjacent Interstate 95, Ruben says. It starts with a drop from a 305-foot hill. "I counted six moments of air and several way-too-fast turns," he adds. 804-876-5000; kingsdominion.com
Hades, Mt. Olympus
Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
You can learn mythology from this wooden coaster, which pays homage to the underworld with a 700-foot-long tunnel under the parking lot. It comes up, turns around and dives underground again. "The sense of immediate decapitation is often present," Ruben says. "It's pitch-black in there, and there's a turn inside you don't see coming." 800-800-4997; mtolympuspark.com
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