Storyline

Thrill Factor explores the exciting world of thrill rides, waterslides and other heart-pumping experiences through a scientific lens. Hosts Kari Byron and Tory Belleci dive into the engineering and physics that explain why these rides excite adrenaline junkies.

First Aired

2015-08-12
Last Aired

2015-10-25
Creator
Genre

Documentary
Seasons

1
Episodes

11
Status

Canceled
Language

English
Network

Travel Channel

Keywords:

experiment travel theme park

Stream and watch Thrill Factor

Season 1

1. Fear of Falling 355 Feet

Tory & Kari examine how drop rides are designed to exploit riders’ natural fear of falling. The tw...More

Tory & Kari examine how drop rides are designed to exploit riders’ natural fear of falling. The two use themselves as test subjects as they plummet 335 feet on Falcon’s Fury, the tallest freestanding drop ride in North America.Less

30mins 2015-08-12

2. Battle of the Sexes

Kari & Tory conduct a battle of the sexes to determine which gender handles the rush of extreme th...More

Kari & Tory conduct a battle of the sexes to determine which gender handles the rush of extreme thrills better. They will test groups of men and women on the launch coaster Thunderbird - going upside-down through 160-ft loop.Less

30mins 2015-08-12

3. Kari Has No Sense

Tory experiments with Kari senses as she rides Colorado's Glenwood Canyon Flyer ride, which swings rid...More

Tory experiments with Kari senses as she rides Colorado's Glenwood Canyon Flyer ride, which swings riders over a 1,300-foot cliff. She'll be vision and hearing deprived, testing how sight and sounds add to the thrills of a ride.Less

30mins 2015-08-19

4. In The Hot Seat

Tory and Kari use accelerometers and state-of-the-art eye-tracking equipment to determine the best pla...More

Tory and Kari use accelerometers and state-of-the-art eye-tracking equipment to determine the best place seat on a roller coaster. Their laboratory is Hades 360 in Wisconsin, the only wooden coaster that has a corkscrew.Less

30mins 2015-08-19

5. Tory's Terrifying Jump

Tory and Kari are on a scientific quest to find out if there really is such a thing as an adrenaline j...More

Tory and Kari are on a scientific quest to find out if there really is such a thing as an adrenaline junkie.Less

30mins 2015-08-26

6. Surviving the Apocalypse

Tory and Kari step aboard an epic coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California called A...More

Tory and Kari step aboard an epic coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California called Apocalypse to see what physiological effects thrill rides have on the body.Less

30mins 2015-08-26

7. In The Drivers Seat

Tory & Kari set up shop trackside at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA, where Tory enrolls in racing sc...More

Tory & Kari set up shop trackside at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA, where Tory enrolls in racing school at Simraceway Performance Driving Center.Less

30mins 2015-09-02

8. Slippery When Wet

Kari heads to Wet 'N' Wild in Palm Springs, CA to learn the science behind waterslides.

Kari heads to Wet 'N' Wild in Palm Springs, CA to learn the science behind waterslides.Less

30mins 2015-09-02

9. Air Heads

Kari & Tory climb aboard specially outfitted acrobatic aircrafts to test how intense g force condi...More

Kari & Tory climb aboard specially outfitted acrobatic aircrafts to test how intense g force conditions affect a person's body and mind.Less

30mins 2015-09-09

10. Bobsled Shred

Kari & Tory ride down a bobsled 60 mph around dangerous curves at Lake Placid, NY, a training grou...More

Kari & Tory ride down a bobsled 60 mph around dangerous curves at Lake Placid, NY, a training ground for Olympian bobsled riders. However, will the thrill of the bobsled match that of the traditional roller coaster ride?Less

30mins 2015-09-09

11. Fall Frenzy

Kari & Tory travel across the US, exploring the fun of fear as they enter two of the country's mos...More

Kari & Tory travel across the US, exploring the fun of fear as they enter two of the country's most notorious haunted houses. Along the way, they examine the science behind some of the country's most epic fall traditions.Less