ARLINGTON - Smooth. That's the word that riders are using to describe the newest ride at Six Flags Over Texas.

The ride opens to park visitors Saturday, but a select group of roller coaster enthusiasts got a sneak peak Friday, along with park employees.

David Lipnicky was among the members of American Coaster Enthusiasts who were the first to ride the 1,351-foot-long Tony Hawk's Big Spin.

"It's a fantastic ride," he says. "It's great for both thrill seekers and families. It's just one of those great all-purpose rides."

It's the first new ride for the park in three years and the first new roller coaster since the Titan opened in 2001.

The 25-year-old Wildcatter, known previously as the Texas Cliffhanger and G-Force ride, was demolished in October to make way for the new ride. Construction on the $6.5 million Tony Hawk's Big Spin began in November.

"I think it's deceptively fun," said Steve Martindale, the president of Six Flags Over Texas, who also got his first ride Friday. "It was amazing how smooth it was. It's fast, got a lot of sharp turns and I was spinning the whole time, so I was trying to figure out which way was which.

Aaron Chimbel / WFAA.com

Tony Hawk's Big Spin at Six Flags Over Texas.

Each trip, based on the distribution of the weight in the car, is different. Those, like Lipnicky, who ride lots of rides say it's a good combination of 360-degree spins, turns and drops.

"You have some really nice high bank turns, some floater hills, some real thrills, but not too extreme. So everybody from 6-years-old to 60 can ride it," Lipnicky says.

It's meant to give riders the sensation of freestyle skateboarding as they sit facing one another in four-person cars decorated in skateboard motif. St. Louis and San Antonio Six Flags parks already have the Tony Hawk ride.

So far Martindale likes the reviews.

"We think we got a big hit here," he said.