Georgia Gold Rusher coaster spins into Six Flags Over Georgia
For 2025, Six Flags Over Georgia guests can experience the new Georgia Gold Rusher roller coaster (previously announced as the Georgia Surfer coaster), which opens on March 15. We’ve got a sneak-peek POV.
Updated March 14, 2025; original version published Jan. 22, 2025.
Six Flags Over Georgia will reopen this spring with a new family roller coaster, Georgia Gold Rusher, the park announced on Jan. 22, 2025. This attraction was initially announced in 2023, but under a different name and theme.
The new ride combines heights, free-spinning gondola seating, and dynamic water features. The roller coaster will travel up to 60 miles an hour and have a 144-foot peak. This Intamin-designed ride will also feature multiple high-speed launches and operate on a 590-foot U-shaped track.
However, Georgia Gold Rusher’s most unique element revolves around the seating. It will not utilize traditional roller coaster seating. Instead, guests will sit in spinning gondola-style seats facing outward. The circle-shaped platform of the ride vehicle independently spins while positioned on top of a surfboard-shaped structure that travels along a track. Riders will travel forward and backward, gliding along a splash zone on the way.
“Georgia Gold Rusher hearkens back to a nostalgic era of our park, where thematic storytelling was at the forefront of everything we did,” said Greg Fuller, general manager of Six Flags Over Georgia. “This revolutionary attraction and the investments made throughout the park will help enhance our guest experience around every turn.”
“As the park’s 12th coaster and the world’s first free-spinning gondola coaster, this attraction represents our team’s commitment to delivering unmatched thrills, immersive entertainment and lifelong memories,” said Greg Fuller, general manager at Six Flags Over Georgia. “With a new roller coaster and a multitude of enhancements throughout the park, this season will build on our park legacy, bringing new energy and excitement for our loyal fans and future park guests.”
What happened to Georgia Surfer?
We have an answer for guests wondering what happened to Georgia Surfer, the expected new ride for 2025 at Six Flags Over Georgia. Georgia Surfer hasn’t been canceled, but rather rebranded.
Even though a naming contest was held for this new attraction, during the delays in opening Six Flags Over Georgia changed the name from Georgia Surfer to Georgia Gold Rusher. With this name change, Six Flags Over Georgia developed a backstory for the new attraction opening in 2025.
Georgia Gold Rusher’s Backstory
Inspired by Georgia’s historic 1885 gold rush, Georgia Gold Rusher introduces guests to the eccentric prospector William “Willy” Gibson. According to this theme park backstory, this clever young entrepreneur found a way to avoid the rigors of gold mining.
Gibson figured out a way to avoid the hard work of manual labor to mine gold. He used a steam-powered hydraulic excavator. The giant machine slugged forward and backward through a huge water reservoir, twisting and turning the dirt below with the hopes of loosening valuable gold from the soil. It worked beautifully — and offered folks a refreshing treat, too. Sometimes when townspeople needed a break from the hot Georgia sun, Gibson let them cool off with a thrilling spin on the machine. Riders enjoyed refreshing mist of water as the mining sled careened up and down the U-shaped track.
Six Flags Over Georgia
The story of Gibson and his hydraulic mining machine explains why Six Flags guests will be taken by mining sled and mine carts during this new attraction. Guests should expect plenty of gold mining references in the queue and on the ride. Georgia Gold Rusher will be in the LickSkillet section of the park, adding to the overall theme in that area.
Please visit the Six Flags Over Georgia website for more information about Georgia Gold Rusher.
More Attractions Magazine stories:
Follow us:
No matter where you want to go, our trusted partner MEI-Travel will handle the planning so you can focus on the memories. They offer free vacation-planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating memorable vacations. Visit MEI-Travel for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.
