Roller coaster with world’s ‘longest, fastest and tallest’ drop opens

It’s 245 feet of “nope.”

This month, Canada’s Wonderland, a theme park outside Toronto, debuted the Yukon Striker roller coaster, which features the “longest, fastest and tallest dive roller coaster” in the world.

According to roller coaster designers Bolliger & Mabillard, a dive coaster is marked by a “straight vertical drop with riders facing down (that) creates a different ride experience.”

Named for the Canadian gold rush of the late 1800s, the Striker reaches a maximum speed of 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour along its 3,625 feet (1,105 meters) of track — the length of a dozen football fields — and has four inversions, including a 360-degree loop.

The coaster offers a full view of the ground below thanks to floorless seats, and takes a three-second pause at the drop’s precipice, giving riders a chance to contemplate the decisions that brought them to the brink of a 90-degree plunge into an underwater tunnel.

“The ride on Yukon Striker is absolutely breathtaking,” says Wonderland general manager Norm Pirtovshek.

Thrill-seekers have been lining up for hours to be one of the first to give this awe-inspiring ride a whirl.

“Okay Yukon Striker is insane,” tweets @CourtneyOzz. “Yes, the 2+ hour wait in line is worth it.”

But not everyone on the internet is anticipating a turn on the world’s steepest coaster.

Says Toronto sports anchor Rob Leth, “No thanks!”

See the video above to get a first-person perspective of the heart-stopping ride.