Inside an emotional Kingda Ka funeral, as super fans bid farewell to N.J.’s not-so-gentle giant

If you asked a random group of people the No. 1 event they’d love to skip, it would be a funeral.

But funerals serve a key purpose, as a ritual of honor and acknowledgment that someone (or something) you care about is not returning. And they aren’t just reserved for people and pets; they can also be for the memory of a 456-foot-tall green rollercoaster that stood tall at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson for 20 years.

Kingda Ka’s death date was on Feb 28, when the structure went to the big theme park in the sky (was torn down in epic fashion).

On Monday, more than 80 enthusiasts piled into the Wonderville Bar in Brooklyn to pay their respects to the other Jolly Green Giant that once propelled riders up to 128 mph in a massive arc with the largest drop in the world, at 418 feet.

Kingda Ka Funeral at Wonderville in Brooklyn, NJ Photo Credit: Murjani RawlsMurjani Rawls

Among the three-hour (yes, three-hour) “grieving sessions,” there were laughs, jokes, and tears. It’s more than losing an attraction. Riding Kingda Ka was bragging rights for those who withstood the many delays and closures.

Funeral organizer Evan Schwartz told NJ Advance Media that losing spaces we hold dear comes with its own set of emotions.

“I think we have a funny tendency to attach emotions to objects, places, and objects, such as clothing and toys,” said Schwartz. “The coming-of-age ‘I just beat the Kingda Ka, I just rode the tallest roller coaster in the world’ moment means a lot. When these things that we don’t physically own and belong to us get taken away, it is a form of mourning that contributes to our understanding of the world.”

The arcade room was basked in green light in honor of the color of the rollercoaster, with a big screen, podium, and mic stand for those who would partake in the hour-long variety show to perform. Artwork depicting Kingda Ka at its height was for sale, and part of the proceeds went to cancer research.

Songs of loss and a ... death doula?

The night began with a five-minute memorial video that included dramatic, sad music set to footage from the 2005 National Geographic documentary about the beast. From there, poetry was read, chronicling the theme of loss. Someone came up and sang Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Memory.” With gusto.

Peter DiDonato from the YouTube channel “Theme Park Crazy” provided an extensive PowerPoint presentation on the history of Kingda Ka. There was even a death doula who briefly spoke about how it’s common to mourn over the loss of places and objects we hold dear. While the odes to the rollercoaster in Shakespearian prose were entertaining, the bread and butter of the funeral came during the open mics.

A betrayal

Twenty people shared their stories about their experiences for over an hour, which shared some commonalities. They were initially scared to ride it, but when they did, they expressed that it was one of the wildest experiences ever. Kingda Ka was Jersey pride, a one-time record-breaking rollercoaster, and a space where riders could indulge in a controlled death-defying stunt (Take that, Tom Cruise).

As the stories continued, it was clear the sentimental value attached to every seat, wire, and wheel. In several instances, attendees spoke about lost family members, how riding Kingda Ka with their loved ones made them feel, and the shock of hearing it was being torn down through the grapevine.

Kingda Ka Funeral at Wonderville in Brooklyn, NY Photo Credit: Murjani RawlsMurjani Rawls

To them, it felt like a betrayal. Once they heard of the alleged closing date in November 2024, they raced to Fright Fest to ride it one last time. One person held up pictures taken from an iPod Touch because they lost their flip phone during the ride. A couple of others expressed regret that they never got to conquer the enormous ride.

It’s one thing to know there are roller coaster super fans out there. It’s another to witness how this shared experience has encapsulated hopes, dreams, melancholy, hilarity, and reflection within the hearts of a sizable group of people.

Six Flags said in 2026 they would be opening a “multi-world-record-breaking launch roller coaster.” Once it’s fully formed, people will come from all across the state and world to ride it, and new memories and stories will form.

Until then, people will tell the story of a green monstrosity where you could see the skyscrapers of New York and Pennsylvania at its apex.

Did it sometimes fail to get over the loop and roll back? Yes. Not all the things we cherish are perfect. But that, too, is what gave Kingda Ka its undeniable charm.

As went the night’s main slogan, “Long live the King.”

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Murjani Rawls may be reached at mrawls@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at@MurjaniRawls.