The Experience
Introduction
Colossos – Kampf der Giganten is a 2001 Intamin prefabricated wooden coaster at Heide Park in Germany. Prior to 2001, the European coaster landscape was still relatively young, consisting mostly of smaller steel thrill attractions like Boomerangs, SLCs, and Pinfari loopers. A few major standouts existed - such as Nemesis, The Big One and Dragon Khan - alongside a handful of traditional wooden coasters built in the late 1990s.
Colossos helped spearhead a new post-millennium wave of world-class additions alongside legendary contemporaries like Silver Star, Expedition GeForce, and Goliath. More importantly, it was a monumental breakthrough for wooden coasters as the world's original Intamin prefabricated design. This technology allowed for unprecedented heights, scorching speeds, and stronger negative G-forces than any European wooden coaster before it. Over 25 years and a major multi-year rebuild later, Colossos still stands as Heide Park's most popular and impressive attraction - and an absolute must-ride when visiting this large German theme park.
Colossos helped spearhead a new post-millennium wave of world-class additions alongside legendary contemporaries like Silver Star, Expedition GeForce, and Goliath. More importantly, it was a monumental breakthrough for wooden coasters as the world's original Intamin prefabricated design. This technology allowed for unprecedented heights, scorching speeds, and stronger negative G-forces than any European wooden coaster before it. Over 25 years and a major multi-year rebuild later, Colossos still stands as Heide Park's most popular and impressive attraction - and an absolute must-ride when visiting this large German theme park.
Rise of the Beast
The original version of this ride, simply named Colossos, operated from 2001 to 2016 until the park's maintenance team realized the structure was in poor condition and required a major rebuild to save it.
Three years later, in 2019, it opened back up, but rather than just performing the required structural fixes to get it back up and running, the park decided to modify the entire look and feel of the ride. Colossos: Kampf der Giganten opened with a new "Battle of the Giants" theme, including the huge fire-spewing monster which the train passes through during the ride. The concept is essentially that Colossos itself is a large wooden giant fighting against another monster - a fire giant (the monster you encounter). Don't ask us how that makes sense, but it is probably one of the best decisions they could have made; not only did they extend the life of their most popular ride, but they ensured it would remain an icon. It catches everyone's eye as the fire giant roars and spews literal fire on nearly every dispatch, much to the amusement of every guest in the large Colossos Plaza area.
There is always an exciting and slightly intimidating energy around the coaster, which is exactly what you want for a huge ride like this.
Three years later, in 2019, it opened back up, but rather than just performing the required structural fixes to get it back up and running, the park decided to modify the entire look and feel of the ride. Colossos: Kampf der Giganten opened with a new "Battle of the Giants" theme, including the huge fire-spewing monster which the train passes through during the ride. The concept is essentially that Colossos itself is a large wooden giant fighting against another monster - a fire giant (the monster you encounter). Don't ask us how that makes sense, but it is probably one of the best decisions they could have made; not only did they extend the life of their most popular ride, but they ensured it would remain an icon. It catches everyone's eye as the fire giant roars and spews literal fire on nearly every dispatch, much to the amusement of every guest in the large Colossos Plaza area.
There is always an exciting and slightly intimidating energy around the coaster, which is exactly what you want for a huge ride like this.
Let the Battle Begin
But enough about history and lore; let's talk about the real battle - the one the rider participates in!
As for the layout, most coaster enthusiasts can agree that the first third of Colossos is truly elite, if not outright world-class. It features one of the best drops on any wooden coaster, perhaps only outdone by two of its brothers, T Express and El Toro, or the few remaining wooden RMCs. You will be hard-pressed to find any traditional wooden coaster with a better first drop than Colossos. The two huge camelbacks that follow deliver sustained ejector airtime as you haul over them. These are the sort of elements and scale the prefabricated model was made for, allowing these rides to deliver stronger and more sustained airtime at higher speeds. The first third is simply bliss on wheels.
The middle section is the weak point; after the turnaround, there is a fairly weak speed hill followed by a large helix which initially doesn't do much, though you do build up some decent speed and laterals toward the end of it.
The final third of Colossos is a return to form, delivering three bunny hills with solid airtime throughout. The second hill is probably the highlight here, as it features a head-chopper effect with a detached piece of track while the fire giant roars and spews fire from its head. The third hill goes through the smoke-filled giant itself, delivering one final moment of solid airtime before you turn into the brake run.
As for the layout, most coaster enthusiasts can agree that the first third of Colossos is truly elite, if not outright world-class. It features one of the best drops on any wooden coaster, perhaps only outdone by two of its brothers, T Express and El Toro, or the few remaining wooden RMCs. You will be hard-pressed to find any traditional wooden coaster with a better first drop than Colossos. The two huge camelbacks that follow deliver sustained ejector airtime as you haul over them. These are the sort of elements and scale the prefabricated model was made for, allowing these rides to deliver stronger and more sustained airtime at higher speeds. The first third is simply bliss on wheels.
The middle section is the weak point; after the turnaround, there is a fairly weak speed hill followed by a large helix which initially doesn't do much, though you do build up some decent speed and laterals toward the end of it.
The final third of Colossos is a return to form, delivering three bunny hills with solid airtime throughout. The second hill is probably the highlight here, as it features a head-chopper effect with a detached piece of track while the fire giant roars and spews fire from its head. The third hill goes through the smoke-filled giant itself, delivering one final moment of solid airtime before you turn into the brake run.
The Gentle Giant
While Colossos is a major highlight in Europe, it does receive its fair share of criticism. One of the main goals of the rebuild - aside from literally saving the coaster - was to smooth out the ride, as it had become quite rough toward the end of its first run. The park definitely achieved this; Colossos is arguably one of the smoothest wooden coasters in Europe, perhaps even the world. However, not everyone is a fan of this change, as the ride has been criticized for losing some of the classic "wooden feeling" found on most traditional wooden coasters.
Another common criticism is that the ride performed better pre-rebuild and that the forces have been somewhat dulled down post-rebuild. Though we technically rode it before it closed in 2016, we cannot definitively confirm or deny these claims. All we can say is that Colossos absolutely still brings plenty of speed and airtime, all in a surprisingly smooth package - and we see that as a good thing.
Another common criticism is that the ride performed better pre-rebuild and that the forces have been somewhat dulled down post-rebuild. Though we technically rode it before it closed in 2016, we cannot definitively confirm or deny these claims. All we can say is that Colossos absolutely still brings plenty of speed and airtime, all in a surprisingly smooth package - and we see that as a good thing.
Conclusion
Colossos - Kampf der Giganten is an impressive wooden coaster and a fantastic ride overall. It feels very much like a wooden hypercoaster, where the highlights are the first drop, the sustained airtime, and the smoothness. It has a great presence in the back of the park and features one of our favorite theming elements ever: the big fire giant!
The coaster does not offer the same crazy, out-of-control feeling as an aggressive GCI or Gravity Group design, but if you enjoy a great first drop, high speeds, and strong airtime, Colossos is for you.
The coaster does not offer the same crazy, out-of-control feeling as an aggressive GCI or Gravity Group design, but if you enjoy a great first drop, high speeds, and strong airtime, Colossos is for you.
Gallery
Colossos - Kampf der Giganten Gallery
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Strengths & Weaknesses
| Airtime Machine | |
| First Drop in the back | |
| Fire Giant! | |
| Smooth | |
| Slow Middle Section |
Information
NameColossos - Kampf der Giganten
Year2001
ParkLoading...
ManufacturerIntamin
ScaleHigh Thrill
Ride Count8
Technical Specs
Specifications
Sit DownMegaOut-and-BackCustom
TypeWood
Length4409,4 ft
Height164,0 ft
Drop159,1 ft
Speed68,4 mph
Inversions0
Vert Angle61,0 °
G-Force4,5 G
Duration145 sec
Notes
Colossos re-opened in 2019 after a roughly 3 years makeover