{{Short description|Roller coaster in Utah}} {{Infobox roller coaster | name = Cannibal | image = Cannibal at Lagoon (35890410985).jpg | imagedimensions = 225px | caption = Aerial view of Cannibal | location = Lagoon | locationarticle = Lagoon (amusement park) | section = North Midway | status = Operating | opened = {{Start date|2015|07|02}} | year = 2015 | cost = $22 million | coordinates = {{coord|40.987396|-111.895546|region:US-UT_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | type = Steel | type2 = | type3 = | manufacturer = <!-- Nearly 75% built in-house -->Lagoon Corporation<!-- See talk page --> | manufacturerarticle = Lagoon (amusement park) | designer = Dal Freeman | height_ft = 197 | length_ft = 2735 | angle= 116 | speed_mph = 70 | duration = 2:30 | inversions = 4 <!-- Per RCDB.com, the 5th advertised inversion has not been confirmed --> | gforce = 4.2 <!-- Per LA Times source --> | Capacity = | restriction_in = 48 | trains = 7<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/cannibal|title=Cannibal – Lagoon|publisher=Ultimate Rollercoaster|accessdate=24 Apr 2016}}</ref> | carspertrain = 1 | rowspercar = 3 | ridersperrow = 4 | rcdb_number = 11579 | website = {{url|http://www.lagoonpark.com/ride/cannibal/}} }}
'''Cannibal''' is a [[steel roller coaster]] located at [[Lagoon (amusement park)|Lagoon]] in [[Farmington, Utah]]. It opened with the tallest beyond-vertical drop in the world on July 2, 2015,<ref name="Tallest-Beyond-Vertical" /> and its drop angle of 116 degrees was the steepest in the [[United States]] for a brief time.<ref name="Steepest-USA Today" /> A large portion of the $22-million ride was built and designed in-house, a rare move for an amusement park. Cannibal also ranked in the top 50 among steel roller coasters worldwide in the annual [[Golden Ticket Awards]] publication from ''[[Amusement Today]]'' for several years.
==History== Nearly 75% of Cannibal was designed, engineered, and manufactured in-house by Lagoon with the help of multiple firms located in Utah. The lead designer was Lagoon's Dal Freeman. In an era when most amusement parks outsource the work to a select few established roller coaster manufacturers, the decision to build in-house is rare in the industry. The roller coaster features a {{Convert|208|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} enclosed elevator lift, a beyond-vertical drop of 116 degrees, a themed underground tunnel, and a 360-degree helix situated above a man-made waterfall.<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-trb-cannibal-lagoon-20150401-story.html|title=Utah's Cannibal coaster promises to 'eat' the competition|last=MacDonald|first=Brady|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|publisher=[[Davan Maharaj]]|location=Los Angeles|date=1 Apr 2015|accessdate=4 Apr 2015}}</ref> It also features four inversions that include a {{convert|140|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} [[Immelman loop]], a dive loop, and a unique inversion the park calls the "Lagoon roll", which consists of a counter-clockwise [[Roller coaster elements|heartline roll]] immediately followed by a clockwise heartline roll. The trains, which use only lap bar restraints, travel up to {{Convert|70|mph}} and pull as much as 4.2 [[g-force|G's]].<ref name="LATimes" />
The ride had been in the planning stages for more than five years and required more than two years to construct.<ref name=outforblood>{{cite news|url=http://fox13now.com/2014/09/04/lagoons-new-roller-coaster-is-out-for-blood-cannibal-coming-soon/|title=Lagoon's new roller coaster is out for blood, Cannibal coming soon|last=Edwards|first=Ashton|work=[[KSTU|fox13now.com]]|publisher=[[Tribune Broadcasting]]|location=Salt Lake City|date=4 Sep 2014|accessdate=5 Sep 2014}}</ref> Prior to its planned opening in the spring of 2015, Lagoon announced that the roller coaster's debut would be postponed for additional testing and inspections.<ref name="LATimes" /> The ride officially opened on July 2, 2015.<ref name="Opening-KSL">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=35339626 |title=Lagoon's Cannibal coaster finally opens |last=Hansen |first=Cassidy |work=[[KSL-TV|ksl.com]] |publisher=[[Deseret Digital Media]] |location=Salt Lake City |date=July 2, 2015 |accessdate=July 21, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Opening-SLT">{{cite news|url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/2710461-155/lagoons-cannibal-coaster-finally-opens|title=$22M, 'beyond vertical' Cannibal coaster finally opens at Utah's Lagoon amusement park.|last=Wharton|first=Tom|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|publisher=Paul Huntsman|location=Salt Lake City|date=8 Jul 2015|accessdate=21 Jul 2015}}</ref> At the time of opening, Cannibal set a world record for the tallest beyond-vertical drop among roller coasters,<ref name="Tallest-Beyond-Vertical">{{cite web |last1=Landers |first1=Justin S. |title=We visited Utah’s Lagoon Amusement Park – Here’s what we experienced |url=https://attractionsmagazine.com/we-visited-utah-lagoon-park-heres-what-we-experienced/ |website=[[Attractions Magazine]] |access-date=June 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630072439/https://attractionsmagazine.com/we-visited-utah-lagoon-park-heres-what-we-experienced/ |archive-date=June 30, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Steepest record holders - RCDB">{{cite web |last1=Marden |first1=Duane |title=World Record Holders - Angle |url=https://rcdb.com/rhr.htm?m=5 |publisher=RCDB.com |access-date=July 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611133335/https://rcdb.com/rhr.htm?m=5 |archive-date=June 11, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> and became the steepest in the United States.<ref name="Steepest-USA Today">{{cite news |last1=Levine |first1=Arthur |title=12 most thrilling roller coasters in the USA |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/theme-parks/2017/09/07/12-most-thrilling-roller-coasters-usa/638289001/ |access-date=July 31, 2021 |work=[[USA Today]] |date=September 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731220736/https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/theme-parks/2017/09/07/12-most-thrilling-roller-coasters-usa/638289001/ |archive-date=July 31, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Its drop angle record in the US was surpassed by [[TMNT Shellraiser]], which opened at [[Nickelodeon Universe]] in 2019.<ref name="Steepest record holders - RCDB" />
==Ride experience== The roller coaster features a {{convert|197|ft|m}} elevator lift, enclosed in a huge tower structure; a 116° beyond vertical drop; inversions, including an [[Immelmann turn|Immelman]], as well as an inversion called a Lagoon roll, consisting of two consecutive [[heartline roll]]s in opposite directions; a water feature; and a tunnel {{convert|20|feet|m}} underground.<ref name=outforblood /> It is the tallest roller coaster in the state and the longest ride in the park.<ref name=outforblood/> The ride cars accommodate twelve passengers in three rows of four, and the duration of the ride lasts approximately two and a half minutes.<ref name=outforblood />
==Reception== The ride appeared in ''[[Amusement Today]]'s'' [[Golden Ticket Awards]] for the first time in 2016, ranking 42nd among steel roller coasters.<ref name="GTA2016" />
{{GTA table | type = steel | accessdate = September 11, 2019 | 2016 = 42 | 2017 = 32 | 2018 = 44 | 2019 = 41 | 2021 = 48 (tied) }}
==References== {{Reflist|22em}}
==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.lagoonpark.com/ride/cannibal/}}
{{Lagoon Utah Coasters}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Lagoon (amusement park)]] [[Category:Roller coasters opened in 2015]] [[Category:2015 establishments in Utah]] [[Category:Roller coasters manufactured by Lagoon]]