The ride
Tsunami is a steel roller coaster built by Anton Schwarzkopf at Feria Nacional de San Marcos in California, having opened to the public in 2008. After 18 seasons of operation it remains one of the defining attractions on the Feria Nacional de San Marcos midway, drawing repeat riders who track every subtle change to its trains, restraints and station soundtrack.
On paper the ride is a serious thrill machine. It climbs 115 ft above the park before pitching forward into its first descent. That opening drop measures 98 ft, long enough to pin riders against their restraints and pull a prolonged moment of weightless airtime over the lap-bar. Trains reach a top speed of 55.0 mph before the first turnaround, where the layout opens up into a sequence of lateral and vertical elements. enthusiast trip-planning resources
Coasters from Anton Schwarzkopf have a recognizable signature in track shaping, train design and the way transitions are paced. Riders familiar with other Anton Schwarzkopf installations will pick up on the same DNA in Tsunami's layout, particularly through its station design and the sound profile of the running gear.
Plan to ride Tsunami early in the day or during the final hour before park close, when standby waits at Feria Nacional de San Marcos typically drop. Single-rider lines and early-entry ticketing programs, when available at Feria Nacional de San Marcos, are usually the fastest ways to get repeat rides on a busy day. broader coaster community archives
In CoasterVault's ranking tables, Tsunami currently appears in our 177th position for fastest coasters, 144th position for tallest coasters, 147th position for biggest drops lists, reflecting where its core stats place it among operating coasters in the United States. These rankings move whenever a new installation opens, so the position should be read as a snapshot rather than a permanent record.