Six Flags X2 Brain Injuries and the Science of Subconcussion

The X2 rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain has been ridden by more than 16 million people. Seats that spin 360 degrees. Long queues. A main attraction. And now, permanently closed, after more than 100 riders alleged brain injuries and a law firm reported contact from around 400 people with similar claims.

One of them, Christopher Hawley, was 22 years old. He died after riding X2 in 2022.

This is not a story about a freak accident. It is a story about forces, and about what happens when the brain moves inside the skull in ways it was not built to handle.

90% of Concussions Are Not What You Think a Concussion Looks Like

When most people hear "concussion," they picture someone knocked out cold. A big hit. An obvious moment.

The reality is that 90% of concussions are sub-concussive hits. No loss of consciousness. No stars. Often no immediate symptoms at all. The person walks away, gets back on the rollercoaster, finishes the match, and carries on with their day.

That is exactly what makes this hard to track, and easy to dismiss.

The brain does not announce its damage with a clear signal. It accumulates it quietly. Rugby union players show reduced blood flow to the brain after just one season, even without a single diagnosed concussion. That finding, from the University of South Wales, points to cumulative subconcussive impact as the driver, not isolated injury events. No single dramatic hit. Just repetition.

The Physics of the Problem

Here is something that reframes the whole conversation.

When a football crosses the halfway line, it carries approximately 90 pounds per square inch of force. That figure is often double what a boxing punch delivers.

Most people assume boxing is the dangerous one. And it is dangerous. But a headed football, arriving at an angle the player did not anticipate, can carry more force than a punch thrown by a professional fighter.

Bracing matters because the body can absorb forces differently depending on preparation. In boxing, a fighter who sees the punch coming and braces can absorb substantially higher pounds per square inch than if the same punch landed unseen. The neck musculature acts as a shock absorber. Remove that preparation and the force transfers more directly to the brain.

On a rollercoaster like X2, with seats spinning without pattern, the head sits in a constantly changing orientation. No bracing. No anticipation. The forces arrive without warning, and the brain takes them full.

Why Women Face a Different Version of This Risk

There is a dimension to subconcussive impact that gets almost no mainstream attention.

Women's ability to absorb forces fluctuates across the course of a month, because brain fluid volume changes through the menstrual cycle. The cushioning that fluid provides is not constant. At certain points in the cycle, the brain sits less protected within the skull, and the same external force creates a different level of internal movement.

This is not a minor footnote. It means female athletes, and female rollercoaster riders, face a variable level of vulnerability that nobody at the turnstile is measuring or accounting for.

What This Has to Do With Brain Health

CONKA exists because of a concussion. Which sent six years of neuroscience research, clinical trials with Durham and Cambridge Universities, and eventually a patented formulation (GB2620279) designed to support the brain from the inside.

The thing that kept coming up: most people do not know they are accumulating subconcussive damage until the consequences show up much later. The X2 story is a dramatic version of a quieter problem that affects athletes, contact sport players, and anyone whose brain takes repeated low-grade force over time.

The brain needs active support, not reactive treatment after something goes wrong.

The ingredients in CONKA Flow include Rhodiola Rosea, Ashwagandha, and Turmeric, chosen for their evidence base in supporting neurological resilience. Rhodiola Rosea has been studied for its effects on cognitive function and stress resilience -- see the full research summary on Examine.com. Ashwagandha showed significant improvements across physical performance parameters with no adverse events in a 2024 randomised trial.[1] Ashwagandha has been studied for its effects on stress, cognition, and physical performance -- see the full research summary on Examine.com. Turmeric has been studied for its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties -- see the full research summary on Examine.com. CONKA Clear contains Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (Alpha GPC), which in a 2024 study published in Nutrients showed significantly improved cognitive performance, particularly in tasks requiring attention and processing speed, versus placebo.[2] Alpha GPC has been studied for its effects on cognitive performance and memory -- see the full research summary on Examine.com.

The formulations are Informed Sport certified, batch-tested, and used by more than 50 elite sports clubs including NFL teams, England Rugby, and Premier League clubs. These are not organisations that take brain health casually.

1000+ cognitive tests later, across the clinical trials, CONKA shows an 18.1% performance advantage over caffeine. That number matters here because caffeine is what most high performers currently reach for when their brain needs support.

The Closure of X2 Is Not the End of the Story

Six Flags made the right call, eventually. But as attorney Brent Wisner said to the BBC, "We cannot rely on profit-centred corporations to do the right thing only after enough people have been hurt."

That point holds well beyond rollercoasters. Sport, work, and daily life all involve forces and stressors that build up in the brain without obvious warning signs. The people who fare best are the ones who take the brain seriously before the symptoms arrive.

That is the whole premise of CONKA. Daily support, built on six years of research, for people who understand that brain health is not a reaction. It is a practice.

Flow first. Clear before it counts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are subconcussive hits and why do they matter?

A: Subconcussive hits are impacts to the head that do not cause obvious concussion symptoms but still stress brain tissue. They account for 90% of concussive events. Over time, repeated subconcussive impacts are associated with measurable changes in brain blood flow and cognitive function, even without a single diagnosed concussion.

Q: Can a rollercoaster cause a brain injury?

A: Yes. Rapid, unpredictable head movement on rides like X2 can generate forces that move the brain inside the skull without any direct impact to the head. Because riders cannot brace for spinning seats, forces that might otherwise be partially absorbed transfer more directly to the brain, increasing injury risk.

Q: Why are women more vulnerable to head injuries at certain times?

A: Brain fluid volume changes throughout the menstrual cycle, which alters how well the brain is cushioned inside the skull. At certain points in the cycle, the brain has less natural protection, meaning the same external force can produce greater internal movement and a higher risk of subconcussive stress.

Q: What brain supplements actually have evidence behind them?

A: Look for formulations with documented clinical trial data and independent certification. Ingredients including Alpha GPC, Rhodiola Rosea, and Ashwagandha have peer-reviewed research behind them. Informed Sport certification confirms batch-tested safety. CONKA holds UK patent GB2620279 and has conducted 914 cognitive tests across trials with Durham and Cambridge Universities.

Q: What is the best brain health supplement in the UK?

A: The best brain health supplement in the UK is one with clinical evidence, independent certification, and full ingredient transparency. CONKA is the only UK nootropics brand with a patented formulation, Informed Sport certification, and active clinical trials at Durham and Cambridge, used by more than 50 elite sports clubs.

References

1. Verma et al. "Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) standardized root extract on physical endurance and VO2max in healthy adults performing resistance training: An eight-week, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." F1000Research. 2024. (source)
2. Kerksick. "Acute Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine Supplementation Enhances Cognitive Performance in Healthy Men." Nutrients. 2024. (source)