|
|
Here are some of the coasters, and what
we think of them, at Six Flags America.
|
- Jeanne, before we were married, lived near Six Flags America (when it was
called Adventure World), and the whole reason we wanted to go this park was due
to the "Mind Eraser". Not that it sounded like the world's best ride, but it
is, arguably, the world's best name for a ride. We'd ridden a similar ride, the
Nor'Easter in Wildwood, so we knew pretty much what we were getting
into. This Vekoma SLC (suspended looping coaster) is not a bad ride. It's a bit
rough, but not terribly so, and it lacks the intensity of, say, Batman: The
Ride. There is an excellent drop after the second inversion. The train goes up
a hill and leans over sideways, so that when you crest the hill, your feet are
sticking straight out to the right. Just past the top of the hill, the train
rotates back to an upright position as you dive down a large hill past the
station. But the Mind Eraser just kind of peters out. The last part of the ride
consists of a slow, gentle, rocking motion before making the final turn into
the station.
|
Built by Great Coasters International, Roar was probably the most overhyped
coaster of 1998. This coaster's a dud. There is no air time at all on this
twisted woodie. It just rocks you around turn after turn. The banking on the
curves looks steeper than it feels. Although it's fun to go "whoosh" all day,
there is nothing terribly exciting about this ride. On the positive side, it is
very smooth for a woodie of this size and speed. The high-back seats block your
view, though, unless you're lucky enough to be in the very front row. If you do
get the front seat, the view down the first drop is spectacular. Straight down
is the roaring white water of the Renegade Rapids, while the coaster's track
twists away to the right.
|
|
|
- This is what coasters were meant to be. This coaster started its life way
back in 1917, in Massachusetts. It's been designed and redesigned by such
Philadelphia Toboggan Company notables as John Miller, Herb Schmeck, and John
Allen. The layout is mostly a straightforward out-and-back, with a full helix
just before the final brake, and a few curves in the track. But the ride is
exceptional. It will make you appreciate the traditional wooden roller
coasters. There's air on every hill, and a lot of it. The turnaround has no
visible superstructure above track level, so it kind of has that Wild Mouse
feeling of just hanging in space. The lateral g's are fun but not painful. And
it's pretty smooth, although it does get a little rougher the further back in
the train you are.
|
- Joker's Jinx
-
Linear induction motors rocket riders from a standing start to over 60 miles an
hour in about 3.5 seconds. From there, the train zooms into what is called the
"spaghetti bowl" - a tangle of twisted steel track that includes 4 inversions
and a whole lot of tight curves. This ride is nearly identical to the Outer
Limits: Flight of Fear (the first LIM launched coaster) except that it is not
enclosed in a building. It's quite rough, but not as bad as we've heard OL:FoF
can be, but the head restraints are heavily padded, so it's not that bad. The
launch is fantastic (as it is on all LIM coasters), but the rest of the ride is
at its best when the train slows down enough to enjoy the sensation of actually
"coasting".
|
|
|
- Two Face: The Flip Side
-
Another pleasant surprise. This ride is like a regular
Boomerang, but with two major differences. First, the train is
inverted, with the seats suspended below the track. Then, for an extra kick,
every other row faces backwards, so each group of four seats face each other.
Whereas regular boomerangs can be rough and full of headbanging jolts, this
version is very smooth and incredibly intense. Jon once nearly blacked out due
to the heavy G forces. It's also a little scary when the train is pulled
(backwards) up the lift hill; if you're facing downhill, you are left hanging
by the shoulder restraints with nothing at all beneath you.
|
|
- Superman: Ride of Steel
-
Although superficially similar to the Superman:
Ride of Steel coaster at Six Flags New England, this near-hyper (its
first drop is "only" 190 feet) has too many flat, boring stretches of track.
The first drop is amazing, and there's plenty of air in just a couple of spots.
But overall, this coaster is a disappointment considering what the SFNE version
does.
|
|
 - In all the years
that Lightnin' Loops existed at Six Flags Great Adventure, we never rode it.
Not even Jon, who visited that park while the ride was there. It was a new and
exciting concept: a looping roller coaster! To make it more interesting, they
intertwined two separate looping coasters so that the loops meshed. So the
lines were always too long to deal with. Eventually, the concept was taken to
higher levels, the park put in a seven-inversion coaster by the same maker, and
Lightnin' Loops became, apparently, obsolete. It didn't help that a fatal
accident occurred on the ride in 1987. Eventually, one of the loop tracks was
installed at what used to be called Adventure World and was renamed the Python.
 Well, this tiny looking,
plain Jane shuttle looper sat on one edge of the park, still burdened by the
six-flight stairwell needed to board it. When we saw it, we figured "Hey, we're
already here, we might as well ride it now before it rusts away completely." We
managed to make it to the platform on top of what is sometimes referred to as
Stairmaster: The Ride, with only one rest stop (we're not as young as we used
to be), and got in a middle row. The old trolley pushed the car slowly forward
until we were trundling along at, maybe, 20 miles an hour. After all, this is
no Chiller. Then, the drop. Oooh! As
we dropped into the loop, we floated out of our seat! And there was more air
time coming out of the loop. Wow. We bounded up the other side and came to a
rest on the opposite platform. Hey, that was pretty good. After a break long
enough not only to catch our breaths, but to make a sandwich, we got our push
to go home. Backwards, down into the loop and, hey, what's this? More serious
air time. Back through the loop (fairly high g's both directions) and a
slightly disorienting rise up onto the loading platform. Wow, again. What have
we been missing all these years? This tiny little artifact of an earlier age is
actually a really good ride. And pretty smooth, especially considering it's
made by Arrow.
|
|
to Park Selection page
page