Larry Chikola shared some insight about roller coaster design in an interview with the WSJ.
Chikola, who masterminded the prize-winning $10 million redesign of Six Flag's Texas Giant, starts by sketching the most thrilling turns imaginable.
He runs these designs through a computer to see what is scientifically possible.
When a turn is impossible, Chikola looks for a solution that will make it more, not less, thrilling. For instance, when a turn was too steep on the Texas Giant, he asked train designers to build a hitch that would allow the cars to ride over a tighter crest. He told the WSJ: "With the steeper drop, the ride turned out even better."
Before construction starts, Chikola will go through several even more radical sketches, running each through the computer to see what is possible. The finished product is literally the most thrilling roller coaster possible.