Scorpion Tail Explained – Theme Park Definition

The scorpion tail is a launch spike that does not stop at vertical. Instead of rising to 90 degrees and holding the train there, the track curves through the vertical and leans back over itself to roughly 105 degrees — an overhang. A train launched into it climbs upside down and slightly backwards, hangs at the apex, and then falls back the way it came.

Mack Rides built the first one for Voltron Nevera at Europa-Park in 2024, where it is the steepest launch section on any roller coaster in the world. The effect is unusual because the hangtime happens with no forward motion at all: riders are held inverted at the top by nothing but the shape of the track and the train’s remaining momentum. The name comes from the silhouette — a tail curling up and over.