Great Adventure announcement is triggering my worst phobia

Have you heard about Bakunawa? Yeah, me too, but I wish I hadn't.

Bakunawa is the new roller coaster debuting at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson and it’s downright diabolical. It is said to be the world’s fastest spinning roller coaster. It’s an upside-down launch, goes 100 mph, and is the world’s tallest spinning coaster, the world’s first floorless spinning coaster, and has the world’s longest stall inversion.

Did I mention it spins?

All of this means every time you ride this coaster it is unique. Great Adventure says no two rides will be alike.

Oh, the name? According to NJ.com, Bakunawa comes from Philippine mythology and means “Not a friggin’ chance.”

Actually, it’s named for a mythological beast, a feared serpent that swallowed the moon. And speaking of fear, just hearing this new ride being announced was enough to trigger my very weird phobia.

I’ve confessed this before. I am deathly afraid of roller coasters. And I cannot explain why. I do not fear heights, not even a little. I have jumped out of a perfectly good airplane at 16,500 feet skydiving. Which is far more dangerous statistically speaking than a roller coaster. I’ve also flown in the second seat of a fighter jet with the Blue Angels. All the death-defying tricks, barrel rolls, g-forces, etc. No problem.

But a rollercoaster? I cannot get my ass on one. Perhaps I see a purpose in skydiving. It’s a skill used in combat for one thing. And the command of a fighter jet has real applications.

Whereas a rollercoaster serves no other purpose than to make you sick.

Look, I’ll never fully understand it myself. All I know is I can’t bring myself to get on this new ride. But I’m happy everyone else is happy.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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