Goliath Roller Coaster Photo Gallery at Six Flags Magic Mountain, California

A mid-course trim brake abruptly sucks a lot of the energy out of Goliath's ride. What's the sense of building a 235-foot tall hypercoaster only to slam on the brakes and dampen all of the fun? The brake must be an attempt to mitigate the effect of the mind-numbing element that follows it. After a third drop, the train enters a highly banked helix where the track tightly turns and turns into itself. This is where I (and many other riders reportedly) experienced an unnerving "grayout." It's one step short of a blackout; I felt as if I was struggling to maintain consciousness. That's certainly not something I expect, nor want, when I ride a roller coaster.