COASTER NEWS

Kid-friendly inverted roller coaster dives into SeaWorld San Antonio

As far as we know, Barracuda Strike will not require gills.

Rendering courtesy of SeaWorld.

San Antonio amusement park SeaWorld is hoping to make a huge splash with its latest attraction: Texas' first inverted family roller coaster. The kid-friendly Barracuda Strike will open for the spring 2026 season, according to the park.

For phobics, inverted coasters can instantly raise blood pressure. The carts hang underneath the tracks, with legs dangling freely. Still, SeaWorld promises that the ride will be a blast for all levels of thrill tolerance.

Park officials said the design was inspired by the ray-finned fish famous for its fearsome appearance. While park guests won't have to worry about running into the predator's gruesome choppers, park president Jeff Davis does promise an exhilarating glide above SeaWorld's water ski lake.

"Barracuda Strike is a game-changer for family thrill rides, and we are excited to bring another great roller coaster to our guests in the spring of 2026," said Davis via a release. "It will be fast, fierce, and fun — bringing guests closer to the ocean's energy and mystery in a way only SeaWorld can."

Highlights of the ride include:

A unique ride system suspending guests beneath 1800 feet of track for a smooth, soaring experience.
A 90-foot lift hill
Tight turns and swooping dives at up to 44 miles per hour

The ride, SeaWorld's third family-friendly attraction in as many years, will be open to a wide range of ages. The height requirement is only 42 inches, or 3.5 feet.

"It makes for the perfect shared adventure and a gateway thrill ride, letting younger or less experienced riders feel bold," the press release states.

The park is hoping the family-friendly attraction will pump up attendance at the park. In August, United Parks & Resorts Inc., the company's owner, reported that SeaWorld turnstile figures were flat, blaming unusually stormy weather conditions in the early summer.

rides amusement parks family friendly seaworld san antonio

RADIO WAVES

Alt-rock radio returns to San Antonio airwaves after nearly a decade

Photo by Steve Keros

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It can’t bring back Kurt Cobain, but a revived radio station is reliving the alt-rock glory days on San Antonio’s airwaves. Connoisseur Media says 103.3 The App has returned after nearly a decade off the dial.

The station officially started broadcasting from the Tower of the Americas on December 1, calling itself San Antonio’s only alternative radio destination. A news release promises that listeners can expect to hear bands like Linkin Park, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Imagine Dragons, The Lumineers, Sublime, and Nirvana, among more contemporary artists.

The App has been off the airwaves since April 2017, and the signal has since had a bit of a personality crisis, flipping between classic hip-hop, contemporary hip-hop, sports, Tejano, and back to sports again.

Along with the new-old format, the station will bring a familiar on-air personality back to her hometown. San Antonio native DJ Mighty Iris has joined the lineup as the afternoon drive-time host from 3–7 pm.

“I’m honestly still in shock and honored that I will soon be able to return to the S.A. airwaves and be part of someone’s drive home,” says Iris in the release. “We all love this station because it’s different. Alternative music has so many sounds and offshoots; it doesn’t fit into one box. You can hear anything from The Strokes to The Clash to R.E.M.”

Connecticut-based Connoisseur Media shares that it is going all in on the format nationwide— introducing it in markets like Dayton, Ohio, and Saginaw, Michigan. Part of that is renewed interest in current left-of-the-dial rock bands like Tame Impala, Sombr, Turnstile, and Royal Otis.

In addition to tuning in on their car stereos, alt fans can now listen to The App on an app. The download is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Might we suggest Hole’s ”Violet” for a particularly vigorous house-cleaning session? You can use rags made from your old flannels.

“San Antonio has always been a rock town, but there has been a void in this city for this body of music, concludes operations manager Greg Martin. “103.3 The App was received with great praise when it debuted nearly a decade ago, and the excitement is absolutely here again for this second run.”

music entertainment alt-rock alternative radio