coolhandluke

Sports Illustrated. #1 for me. But those are my dad's, and I don't have any subscriptions to my college living quarters. I do get Boy's Life at my "real" home, though. Others I'll read if given to me: US News and World Report, any sports ones, occasionally Newsweek, and Eastbay (sporting goods catalogue, so I guess technically not a mag. Sue me...)

With the Dive Machines, the seats are above the track. Even if they extend beyond the width of the track, they are elevated above it. Furius has the seats beside it, at the same elevation. That's the difference I see between them. Dive Machines still have the large seating platforms that stretch across above the tracks, whereas Furius' seats are skewered out to the side. Not saying I'm right by any means, as Furius still technically has no floor, but just an observation as to a potential difference.

^Almost, but Guatemala is in North America, on the southern border of Mexico. Sorry, I'm just really nitpicky with facts/info about Guatemala. Great TR and what looks like a Busch-esque park in terms of appearance. My little brother's adopted from Guatemala, so I know we'll be making a trip down there again eventually (he's only 3 now, so there's no point yet), and it looks like I'll be talking my mom into a little side trip while we're there! And yes, Avalancha is Colossus minus the last two twists. Actually, according to rcdb.com, it opened just 3 months after Colossus.

I'm liking the mixed measurements they use on the shirt. Feet for height and length but kilometers/hour for speed. But eh, a little too busy for me still. Maybe take out two of those snapshots, the brown poop monster eating the track, and make the "TM" in the corner a little smaller...

Nice update, you can really tell a difference in the new and old yellow paint. I always thought that station looked so small, but that's probably because the area around it is so busy with track: the lift, final brakes, MCBR, and banked turned all surrounding it.

^^How do you have an advantage? You live in Texas, he lives in Minnesota (or damn close). I think you two are talking about completely different parks... Great pics though considering the weather. Looks like a fun park I need to hit up in the near future.

The Robbie Knievel jump? That's a letdown of a major announcement if that was what was being discussed. Call me when that hyper is announced...

I think if that were the case, they'd try to get him to jump a little closer to St. Louis, like Worlds of Fun, instead of a different demographic. But then again, I'm no business major. Looks like a nice draw for the GP, so I'll let them have fun at that while I wait for more pics of those footers in the empty Swan Lake...and then covered track in the parking lot...then supports...then...

2 of my three rides would be in Germany, and the last one could be wherever, maybe even in #1 or 2... #1--Expedition GeForce #2--Ferrari Enzo (or Enzo Ferrari...) on the Autobahn #3--Jessica Alba

^You never cease to entertain. So simple, yet so well done.

^Wow, I hope so. That would sure look a lot better than just one section orange and then suddenly yellow. If that's true or not, I agree with the primer people.

Clearly... He kinda MADE punk rock guitar. Just because he doesn't rip off crazy solos doesn't mean he can't play. I find several chords to be harder than just fingerpicking. Especially his power chords. But then again, I'm not good at guitar anyway.

Six Flags Great America has 62, Great Adventure has 57. I believe Cedar Point lays claim to the most with 76.

^It seems like a lot of CF parks need a good woodie. Valleyfair! is the only consistently great woodie I can think of in the chain (though its barely a year old), with acknowledgments to Beast, Ghostrider, Shivering Timbers, and Blue Streak for coming close. I haven't heard anything about Timber Wolf. Now, how many of those parks could use an 80-yr-old woodie over a new GCI? Dunno. I'm just gonna wait and see if there is an official announcement.

^Why'd they photoshop his face over my body? I like women. I don't care what other people like, as long as the girl I like likes men... But I have a best friend who is gay and have been hit on by men.

Which one, out of curiosity? Cedar Point and Kings Island are my home parks. CP--Millennium Force or Maverick KI--Beast or Invertigo (personally love it) Flat ride honorable mentions go to both giant frisbees, Drop Zone/Tower and the wave swinger.

^^Unless that's just where they are stored before being moved around a little. He said the pics are opening day and pre-opening day, so I think these may be pre-opening (no humans) before they are all distributed out to their real locations (maybe another 50 ft apart). At least, that's what I'm hoping. EDIT: Yeah, what you said, JZ. Great pics. That construction site is MASSIVE. I also saw some trees in the woods cut down, but others still standing...a promising sign that they may not level the whole woods before installing something? I hope so.

^I'm pretty sure that by saying "things that invert" he is referring to rides with inversions, not just inverted coasters. Which, at Magic Mountain, is basically half the adult coasters. Sadly, I have not been to SFMM, and thus cannot offer any specific advice. I can, however, reiterate Robb's advice. Starting little and "working up" isn't always the best idea. I didn't have much of a choice picking out two of my first adult rides (Rn'R Aerosmith in '05, then Millennium Force in '07), but I definitely found both of them to be much better in terms of ride tolerability than the smaller rides around them (Primeval Whirl and Corkscrew, respectively). Good Luck!

^It almost looks more like a big overbanked turn, like the first element on Dueling Dragons: Ice. I hope I'm wrong, or the concept art isn't very accurate there. I've actually always wished there would be a flyer that comes super close to water. Inverts and flyers would obviously be the best for the effect, but I always thought flyers would be a little better than inverts because your whole body and face come close and are looking right at it, rather than just trying to kick the water. When the rumor about the Cedar Point steelie leaving by '09 or '10, I immediately hoped one of the ones over the lagoon would leave and be replaced by a flyer (though Kinzel kinda verified that won't happen). In short, I'll be on cloud nine if this thing does indeed glide inches off the water surface. Skim along it...oh my...I will cry tears of heavenly joy.

^Hypers are 4-across as well. Except the new Behemoth ones, but those are weird. This concept art is REALLY making me look forward to the official announcement!

Go Avenged Sevenfold! Too bad he isn't recognized as much because they aren't exactly "mainstream"-friendly. Of ones not on the list, I would like to tip my hat to: Chuck Berry--He made the electric guitar the iconic instrument of a rock band. Gary Rossington / Allen Collins--Free Bird. 'Nuff Said. Duane Allman--#2 on Rolling Stone's list, and yes, I loved them *before* "Jessica" was popularized via GH3 (though that wasn't Duane). Barry Goudreau--One of Boston's main men. "Foreplay/Long Time" is my favorite intro ever (all 2:45 of it) Don Felder--Eagles. "Hotel California" is my favorite solo of all time. And ones already mentioned (namely Kirt Hammet and Eric Johnson). On the list, I'd say the best is easily Jimi. My favorite, though, is Gilmour. I could listen to "Comfortably Numb" for hours on end. Or Clapton. But I'll go Gilmour. He could sing well, too. Clapton...well...he *tried* to sing too...

I noticed too that the icon they have at the beginning on the countdown thing is SOB's loop...hmm... I'd also prefer a hyper over a dive machine. Sure, drops are fun, but I'll be content just riding Drop Tower (S)Cream Zone. Now, airtime...well, King's Island could really use some of that. Desperately.

Nice pics! Nice report! Boy, that misty tunnel sure does a number on that Hulk paint, doesn't it?

I don't know that much, but what are you guys talking about? I am so confused The cross-ties on the track are the little fin-type things that come up from the box track and attach to the rails. On Griffon and other dive machines, the fins are straight across along the top of them (as that pic shows). On this new track, the cross-ties indent a little along the top, giving a "V"ish shape. This is reminiscent of typical B&M track. However, the box frame of the new track is wider across than typical track, thus looking like dive machine track in that regard. So basically, this new track has the box track of a dive machine and the cross-ties of a dive machine. Hope that helped!

I prefer back row on Firehawk personally. You get yanked out of that loop like none other, and since everyone's looking at the ground or sky, the view doesn't really change from seat to seat. Also, I agree with front or back for Invertigo. I go for very first row, as that gives you the farthest drop as you face backwards and it saves the backwards (my favorite) for last. But to each his own. And I loved that news report. Granted I wasn't alive to verify, but the park is finally back to how everyone remembers it from the 70s and 80s! Good ol' nostalgia will set in! I like the excuses they provided for a front-only Racer as well..."anything notable with Racer happened going forwards." Oh, well, all lameness aside, it did show that Kings Island will (apparently) be a little more prepared for opening day than some other ex-Paramount parks in terms of signage. Gotta love "INVERTIGO" with backwards letters pasted over the old Face/Off cyclone spiral design thing, too. Maybe that'll help the GP recognize it as "The Ride Formerly Known As Face/Off."