GOLIATH

Six Flags Fiesta

This suspended B&M coaster, in its third incarnation (formerly known as Gambit and Batman:The Ride before being transplanted to Six Flags Fiesta) seats four across and ascends the 105-ft. lift hill directly from the station as soon as the train is dispatched. It then drops 80 feet at an angle before traversing the first of two tight loops.  This is immediately followed by a zero-g roll and the second loop.  I thought that the sequence of inversions contributed a lot to the overall ride experience.  Altogether there are 5 inversions including 2 corkscrews and a couple of other nice elements, most notably a helix and a downward turn that gave me the sensation of free flying.  It’s definitely a fun ride but in my opinion nothing exceptional.  3 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Fiesta, visit  www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/‎

BOOMERANG COAST TO COASTER

Six Flags Fiesta

I’d done a similar ride before but on a smaller scale, so that this was to some extent a fresh experience.  A coaster in operation at several Six Flags parks, Boomerang Coast to Coaster goes through the second part of the ride exactly in reverse of the first part.  Although not much fazes me when it comes to roller coasters and I consider myself a seasoned veteran, I must admit that the first part of the ride had me completely unnerved.  Being pulled up the first lift hill backwards made me feel as if I was about to pitch forward at any moment and I had to brace myself hard with my feet. This was slow torture.   Before reaching the top of the 116-foot lift hill - and none too soon, from my perspective - the catch car releases the train, sending the riders hurtling downhill through the loading station before rocketing up into a cobra roll followed by a vertical loop.  The train then ascends a second lift hill, facing forward, and without warning is sent downhill backwards before going through the 3 inversions in reverse.  I found that going down the second hill backwards was a lot easier than going up the first hill backwards but also found the inversions more disorienting when experienced in reverse.   Boomerang is a ride that packs quite a punch - maximum G-force is 5.2 - but it’s not for everyone and I personally found it to be a bit much.   One thing I will say in its favor is that the ride is relatively smooth.   I was comparing it with Flashback at Six Flags New England and while Flashback is a headbanger, Boomerang is not. 2 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Fiesta, visit www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/‎

POLTERGEIST

Six Flags Fiesta

This linear induction motor launch coaster is different from anything I had ridden before due to the configuration of the track.   The track is contained within a remarkably compact area, much more so than even the space taken up by a compact twister such as the Coney Island Cyclone.  The ride begins with a launch out of the station from 0 to 60mph and I must say that the launch was a blast. After the launch to just under 80 feet (no, this is not a tall coaster) the train goes through a number of twists and turns within this limited area, so that the rider has the sensation of going around in circles.  The ride features 4 inversions, including a cobra roll, sidewinder, and near the end of the ride, corkscrew.  This was my first time on an inverted coaster without a harness and I decided that it would be good practice for my upcoming ride on Outlaw Run (which has nothing in common with Poltergeist other than a lap bar as the primary restraint).  Of note is that the maximum G force is a whopping 4.5.  Poltergeist is a fun ride with elements that give it novelty value but nothing so exceptional that I would be dying to get back on it.  3 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Fiesta, visit www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/‎

SUPERMAN KRYPTON COASTER

Six Flags Fiesta

Built over the side of a quarry, this  floorless coaster is purportedly the fastest B&M coaster of its type, with a top speed of 70mph.   It features some exquisite scenery and nice, long (4,025 ft.) track.  As the ride is dispatched, the floor drops out and the train, with riders sitting four across, climbs a 168-foot lift hill which hangs over a cliff.   The train then enters a helix, drops 163 feet at a deliciously wicked right angle and shoots up into a pretty impressive 145-foot vertical loop, followed by a zero-g roll.   The vertical loop was the largest on any coaster until 2013. There are six inversions in all, the other four being a cobra roll and double corkscrew.  I thought that the combination of elements in such a scenic setting made for a very good ride.  And at 2:35, you get a lot of ride.  I liked Superman Krypton Coaster enough to ride it three times in succession .and thought that it stacks up well against other inverted coasters I’ve ridden.  4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Fiesta, visit www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/‎

BATMAN: THE RIDE

SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

I had observed Batman: The Ride from the loading area of Nitro on numerous occasions and never felt the slightest inclination to ride it because I’d heard that it was sufficiently disorienting to induce headaches and nausea.  However, I was ready for a new experience and decided to take the plunge.  A suspended coaster with multiple inversions, Batman is in operation at a number of Six Flags parks although there are differences in the ride from park to park so this review will be confined to the one at Six Flags Great Adventure.   The ride is nicely themed, accessed through a tunnel, and boarded in a dark area no doubt designed to resemble the Batcave.  Once dispatched, the train climbs the 105-ft. lift hill, drops on a curve and immediately traverses the periphery of a very tight loop.  (The loop is so tight that for the train to actually travel inside the loop would be an impossibility.)  It then goes into a zero-g roll and around another loop before a drop followed by two corkscrews.   What struck me most about this ride was the intensity and relentlessness.  This is a coaster with very abrupt directional changes which occur sequentially and rapidly, leaving the rider with no time to regroup.  I didn’t know whether I was coming or going.   The maximum g-force is 4 and it can certainly be felt. Parenthetically, I had struck up a conversation with a young couple who got on the ride just before I did.  When the one train that was running at the time returned to the station, I asked them what they thought of the ride and the guy said “She’s going to be sick!”  This did not bode well, as I was next to ride, but contrary to my expectations, I actually enjoyed the ride.   The feeling of disorientation and dizzying inversions were to some extent thrilling.  However, I must say that although I did not become nauseated, I did feel lightheaded at the end of the ride and decided that it was a good time to get some lunch, chill out and regain my equilibrium.  I would not recommend Batman: The Ride to anyone prone to motion sickness but would recommend it to anyone else interested in having a good ride.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/

SUPERMAN: ULTIMATE FLIGHT

SUPERMAN AT SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

The most intriguing thing about this coaster, in operation at several Six Flags parks, is the concept and its implementation, the concept being flight simulation.   This is achieved by pronating the train prior to dispatch so that the riders are riding face down.  For me, this was a novelty and although I suppose that the intention was to create a sensation of flying freely, I found that it contributed to a heightened sense of vulnerability.  I knew that my harness was nice and snug but nevertheless felt as if I was going to pitch forward and fall out of the train at any moment during the ascent of the 106-foot lift hill.  The train drops 100 feet and shortly thereafter proceeds into its signature element, a 78-foot pretzel loop (see 4^th photograph).  This is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the ride, partly because of the sudden, unexpected acceleration and plunge to the ground.   Other notable elements of the ride are two horseshoe turns and a nice inline twist.  I tried to capture this last element in the 3^rd photograph but it didn’t come out very well, as you can’t see the train rolling over.   Anyway, Superman: Ultimate Flight provides an interesting, different and fun ride experience.  The only thing I definitely disliked was having to maintain this posture (see 5^th photograph) at the end of the ride for several minutes, with my hair falling all over my face, while stuck outside the loading area waiting for the next train to be dispatched.  3 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/

SHEIKRA

Busch Gardens Tampa

This was to some extent déjà vu, as I knew that SheiKra was very similar in design to Griffon, another dive coaster, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.   Still, it was a different coaster and a new experience, one well worth having.  Whereas Griffon consists of 3 rows that seat 10 across, SheiKra consists of 3 rows that seat 8 across.   As the ride is dispatched, the floor drops out, the train makes a right turn to the 200-foot lift hill and at the top of the  hill, makes a U-turn to the first drop.   It hangs the riders over the drop for some very suspenseful seconds – and like Griffon, affords a breathtaking view of the park – before abruptly dropping them 200 feet at a 90-degree angle.   Awesome!  Although I’d been through this drill twice before, hanging over a precipice and going almost straight down is always a thrill.   This is followed by a 140-foot Immelmann loop and a second drop of 138 feet.  At the second drop, the riders once again hang over the edge before plunging into a tunnel.    I thought that the tunnel was a nice touch.  The splashdown after a turnaround is more like a splash-up, as the water sprays out as the train reaches the bottom of the turn and goes up into a helix.  The riders don’t get wet but anyone standing outside the ride close to the track had better watch out!  SheiKra is a thrilling coaster with an unusual twist.  4 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides a Busch Gardens Tampa, visit seaworldparks.com/buschgardens-tampa

CHEETAH HUNT

Busch Gardens Tampa

Cheetah Hunt is a linear synchronous motor launch coaster with an unusual twist.  Unlike the other LSM/LIM coasters I’ve ridden – Maverick and Volcano, The Blast Coaster – which are stationary on a launch track prior to the launch, Cheetah Hunt seems to be actually in motion at the time of the launches, at least for the second and third.   I could be mistaken about this but that was my perception and the fact that there are no brake runs before the second and third launches tends to support my theory.  Anyway, the ride begins with a launch out of the station at a modest speed and shortly thereafter launches the riders to the maximum speed of 60mph, just before a 102-foot hill.   The third launch takes place toward the end of the ride.   In the meantime, riders are taken through overbanked turns and helixes, and dropped into a subterranean trench.   Among the best moments of the ride, apart from the launches, are those in which the train makes abrupt changes of direction and those in which it seems dangerously close to the ground.  The ride features only one inversion, a heartline roll, but the heartline roll is enough to really knock you for a loop, sorry about the mixed metaphor.  And 4 g’s ain’t bad, baby.   There’s an interesting figure-8 layout at the top of the ride, displayed in one of the photographs.   I knew nothing about this coaster before riding it so had no idea that it was a launch coaster.    Was I ever surprised!   The sudden, unexpected acceleration makes for a thrilling ride.  I thought that this coaster was nicely themed, and the sudden bursts of speed very much in character with cheetah on the hunt.  Cheetah Hunt is a lot of fun, one of the most entertaining coasters I’ve ridden.  It’s easy to see why the ride is so popular and the queue to get on it is so long.  4  out of 5 stars.   First photograph by Martin Lewison, with kind permission of the author.  (As you can see, my own photographs are less than optimal because they were taken at dusk and in one I accidentally caught an unsuspecting passerby in the foreground.)   For more information about rides at Busch Gardens Tampa, visit seaworldparks.com/buschgardens-tampa/

GWAZI

Busch Gardens Tampa

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Busch Gardens in Tampa actually has a wooden coaster.  (Busch Gardens in Williamsburg does not.)  In fact, Gwazi turned out to be the one big surprise of my visit to this park.    Although I expected the steel coasters to be good because I knew a little about them by reputation, my expectations of this one were low because it clearly wasn’t in the same class as El Toro or The Voyage.  However, and this is what was so surprising, it far exceeded my expectations.  It contains all the elements of a good wooden coaster.   After making a right turn from the loading area, the train drops into a tunnel before ascending the lift hill and dropping 91 feet.  Not a big drop but one that can be appreciated for its airtime.   Although the coaster is not particularly fast (51 mph), because of the succession of banked turns and length of the ride (2:30) at a steady clip, my perception was that it was going faster than it actually was.  One of the highlights of the ride was a plunge into total darkness.  I rode at night and this greatly enhanced the experience.   You get a lot of ride on this coaster because of the substantial length of the track.  And because the old trains were replaced some time in 2011, the ride is not nearly as rough as it purportedly was with the old trains.  I should point out that until recently Gwazi was a duelling coaster, with separate entrances for the Lion and Tiger side.  The Tiger side was closed, I gather permanently, so I can’t conceive of what this ride would be like with two trains operating, but the Lion side stands well on its own.   Gwazi is a gem of a coaster, in my opinion superior to some that are consistently rated higher, such as Lightning Racer.  4 out of 5 stars.   Photograph  by ClaudiaTampa39, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.  (I couldn’t use my own photograph because I can’t get clear images with my camera after dark.)  For more information about rides at Busch Gardens Tampa, visit seaworldparks.com/buschgardens-tampa/

MONTU

Busch Gardens Tampa

Montu has done more to enhance my appreciation of suspended looping coasters than any other coaster I have ridden.  (Although I hated Alpengeist, which features similar elements, I suspect that I would like it now that I have come to appreciate multiple inversions.)   From start to finish, the ride is replete with thrills.   After making a left turn out of the loading area, the train climbs 150 feet, plummets 151 feet on a curve and rockets the riders into a 104-foot vertical loop.   The ride features a total of 7 inversions, including 2 vertical loops, Immelmann loop, zero-g roll, Batwing and corkscrew.   The inversions are intense, especially the Batwing, the airtime insane. (Although the maximum g-force is 3.8, less than that on some other coasters I’ve ridden, it feels like more.)  As to the Batwing – a double rollover sort of like a cobra roll in reverse – I loved it, loved it,  loved it!  Another high point of the ride was the low point, when the train was travelling at 65 mph close to the ground.   For this type of coaster, Montu is probably about as good as it gets.  4  out of 5 stars.  First photograph taken by Suedepop, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.  (As you can see, my own photograph is less than optimal because it was taken at dusk.)   For more information about rides at Busch Gardens Tampa, visit seaworldparks.com/buschgardens-tampa/

MY TOP TEN ROLLER COASTERS

MY TOP TEN ROLLER COASTERS

I have compiled three lists, one including both wooden and steel coasters, and two separate lists for my favorite wooden and steel coasters.  I feel certain that Ravine Flyer II  would be on one of my lists if I ever got the opportunity to ride it.

TOP TEN ROLLER COASTERS OVERALL

1. El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
2. Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City
3. Leviathan - Canada's Wonderland
4.. Intimidator 305 - Kings Dominion
5.  Millennium Force - Cedar Point
6.  Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce
7. Bizarro - Six Flags New England
8 Nitro - Six Flags Great Adventure
9. Skyrush - Hersheypark
10. Apollo's Chariot - Busch Gardens, Williamsburg



TOP TEN WOODEN COASTERS

1. El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure - exceptional for both design and ride experience, with extreme         ejector and floater airtime
2.  Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City - this is so good that I had a hard time deciding between Outlaw Run and     El Toro;  the first drop on Outlaw Run is even steeper than that on El Toro and the barrel roll is awesome 3. Boulder Dash - Lake Compounace I rate this higher than The Voyage not only because of the extreme, relentless airtime but because I  found it to be more fun to ride
4. Goliath - Six Flags Great America - an amazing, record-breaking ride with a dive loop and zero-g stall
5. The Voyage - Holiday World - superior for size, speed, scenery, overbanked turns and ride length
6. Shivering Timbers - Michigan's Adventure - notable for number of consecutive drops, ejector airtime and double helix
7. Thunderhead - Dollywood - great ride with overbanked turns and station fly-through
8. The Beast - Kings Island - wild ride through the woods and in the dark
9. Phoenix - Knoebels - extreme airtime, hold on
10. Coney Island Cyclone - Brooklyn - an oldie but goodie with plenty of thrills



TOP TEN STEEL COASTERS

1. Leviathan - fast, smooth, furious and fun with numerous elements; also beautiful to behold
2. Intimidator 305 - Kings Dominion - notable for phenomenal first drop,  numerous twists in track and extreme intensity
3. Millennium Force - - Cedar Point - high marks for scenery, diversity and overall ride experience
4.  Bizarro - Six Flags New England - commendable for fabulous first drop, overbanked turns and special          effects
5. Nitro - Six Flags Great Adventure - outstanding for number of drops, hammerhead turn and helix
6. Skyrush - Hersheypark - the most intense steel coaster I have thus far ridden
7. Apollo's Chariot - Busch Gardens Williamsburg - great ride with some nice turns and scenery
8. Maverick - Cedar Point - a wild and crazy ride like no other
9. Storm Runner - Hersheypark - intense launch coaster with steep drop and cool inversions
10.Talon - Dorney Park - great inverted coaster that will make you feel as if you are flying.  Seriously underrated.

STORM RUNNER

Storm Runner, Hersheypark

This is the third hydraulic launch coaster I had ridden.   A first-timer on Storm Runner, I was sitting next to a seasoned veteran who advised me to keep my head back in preparation for the launch, and this was probably good advice.   The train travelled just a short distance from the loading area onto the launch pad and I was high on anticipation.   One thing which has always struck me about launch coasters is that no matter how many times you ride them, the launch always comes as a surprise because it’s difficult to time how many seconds you’re going to be sitting there before the train takes off.  Anyway, there we were and zoom!   Storm Runner launches you from 0 to 72mph in less than two seconds and it’s quite a thrill.   Obviously, it’s not as staggering as the launch on strata coasters such as Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster, but it’s still an exciting launch and it was enough to give me a rush of adrenaline.   Once launched up the hill, the coaster plummets 180 feet at a 90-degree angle.    (Interestingly, although the coaster is 150 feet tall, the drop is 180 feet.)  This drop was phenomenal and the rest of the ride was a lot of fun, enough to put a big smile on my face.

Storm Runner features 3 inversions, including a 135-foot tall cobra loop, heartline roll and snake dive.  (This last is an element with which I had had no experience.)  I enjoyed all of these, particularly the heartline roll.  (I love heartline rolls and zero-g rolls.)   Everything happens so fast, and the ride is so short, that before you know it you’re back at the station.  Short or not, it was a very good ride which exceeded my expectations.  4 out of 5 stars.   For more information about rides at Hersheypark, visit www.hersheypark.com

FAHRENHEIT

Fahrenheit, Hershey Park

This coaster is remarkable for both the angle of ascent and angle of descent.    The 121-foot vertical lift is unlike anything I had ever experienced.  (The closest I had come was Mystery Mine at Dollywood, where the ascent was indoors and not as long or steep.)    On the way to the top, you are going straight up and looking right at the sky.   I found this pretty intense.   And because I was sitting in the back of the train, the front had already begun its descent while I was still vertical.  The drop at a 97-degree angle is one of the steepest on an inverted coaster, at least in the United States, and one of many thrill elements of the ride.   The ride features airtime hills and a total of 6 inversions, most notable of which are a cobra roll, 2 corkscrews and a Norwegian loop.  (Norwegian loops are fairly uncommon.) They were all thoroughly enjoyable and the ride proved to be very smooth.

The ride itself is short - just over a minute - as are the trains (I believe that the park usually runs three), which accommodate 12 riders (6 rows of 2 across) but exciting enough to be worth the wait.  Fahrenheit is hot although the ride name derives not from the temperature but from the degree of ascent and descent. 4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Hersheypark, visit www.hersheypark.com

GREAT BEAR

Great Bear, Hersheypark

Now that I’ve become somewhat acclimated to riding below the track – something which I had resisted for a long time – I decided to try out this suspended inverted coaster.  It looked as if it might turn out to be a fun ride.   And it has some historical value, as it was the first coaster of its kind to be erected in Pennsylvania.

The ride begins with the train ascending the chain-lift hill and entering a short helix before dropping 120 feet and going up into a 100-foot vertical loop.   There are 4 inversions, the other three being an Immelmann loop, zero-g roll and corkscrew.   I found these all to be very pleasurable, especially the zero-g roll.   As I had anticipated, Great Bear was a fun ride – nothing exceptional, but a fun ride nevertheless.  (Unfortunately, the layout is such that I was not able to get a good photograph of the coaster in its entirety.)   First photograph courtesy of Coasterimage.com.  3 out of 5 stars. .  For more information about rides at Hersheypark, visit www.hersheypark.com

SKYRUSH PHOTO SHOOT

Skyrush Photo Shoot October 1, 2012

When I got an email from ACE to the effect that Indigo Films was going to be filming Skyrush for Travel Channel and needed volunteers who were prepared to ride this coaster over and over, I jumped at the chance to get involved.   As many of you know, Travel Channel televises the programs Extreme Coaster Wars and Insane Coaster Wars.   The opportunity to possibly be on TV was too good to pass up, and even if I don’t make the final cut, I’m happy to have been selected and to have had the experience.   We all met near the employee entrance to Hersheypark on October 1, 2012 at 8:15am.   After some preliminaries, the project got underway.   One of the first things those who had ridden Skyrush previously were asked to do was vote on the coaster by computer.   Then the camera crew filmed short interviews with those who had ridden and those who had not, asking the newbies about their expectations of the ride.  Although it was chilly at that time of day, we were asked to remove our jackets so that this would look like summer.

Once everything had been set up for the film shoot, we all got to ride over and over.   Initially the crew mounted a camera behind the first row of Skyrush but later removed it.   In any case, I believe that the majority of rides were shot from the ground and while we did have the opportunity to try different seats, the crew wanted certain people to remain in the same seat for several consecutive rides.   There was also a helicopter overhead.   The whole thing was an absolute blast!   I can’t remember the last time I’ve had this much fun.  11 rides on Skyrush in a short time was coaster nirvana except for the restraint being painful on one of the rides.    This coaster is extremely intense – undoubtedly the most intense one I’ve ridden – and because of the extreme turns and insane airtime, the restraints are very tight.   I do think that Hersheypark has made some improvements, as the seat that gave me trouble last June – the front row right wing seat – did not cause me any trouble during this film shoot.  

 Indigo Films did an outstanding job – the crew was very professional and at the same time very personable – as did the staff at Hersheypark, who were welcoming, provided refreshments and operated the ride on a day when the park was closed to the public.  And I got to meet some fellow members of ACE.  It was quite an experience.  Thanks to all involved.   For more information about rides at Hersheypark, visit www. hersheypark.com

WILD EAGLE

Wild Eagle, Dollywood

America’s first wing coaster, Wild Eagle is a groundbreaker and a must-ride.  I had ridden in wing seats (Skyrush) and other off-the-track seats (Griffon) but a coaster on which all of the seats are off the track was a novelty.   Even the loading area was different, as this is the first coaster I’ve ridden on which the train is loaded from opposite sites of the platform.  (As you enter the station, a park employee directs you to go up the steps either right or left.)

 Because of the coaster’s design, I expected to feel a heightened sense of vulnerability and did.   The 210-foot lift hill was somewhat daunting, giving rise to anticipation of what would happen on the other side.   What happens on the other side is a 135-foot drop remarkable for the sense it gives of free-floating, with nothing but air beneath the rider.  The train then goes into a 110-foot vertical loop.  If I felt a heightened sense of vulnerability, I also felt a heightened sense of freedom.  There are four inversions in all, including the vertical loop, zero g-roll, Immelmann loop and corkscrew – and all of them were awesome.  Travelling through these inversions on a wing coaster was like soaring through the air.   Wild indeed!   I also thought that the airtime was good, especially toward the end of the ride.  Unfortunately, it was difficult to get a good photograph of Wild Eagle, as it’s built on a mountain or hill or whatever they call it, and the track in its entirety is not visible from the ground.  Anyway, Wild Eagle proved to be quite a treat.  4  out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Dollywood, visit www.dollywood.com/