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^I had wondered if you'd pulled that off, Larry--congratulations for accomplishing your insane itinerary!

I ambled up to Six Flags America to meet Rich (coaster05), Melanie (funkybadger), and Larry (larrygator), who were doing a bit of credit whoring before jetting off to Spain for the first big TPR tour. A good time was had by all, but one thing was on our minds--What about Skull Mountain (formerly, Typhoon Sea Coaster)? Would it be running? Well, the flume was full of water, there were boats on the lifthills, and technicians were futzing about the ride all morning. Time marched on, and so did Mel, Rich, and Larry, who were on a tight schedule and had to hit the road before 3:00. I was a bit more flexible and decided to wait it out, so that 1) my friends could live vicariously through me, and 2) I could lord it over them later, being the sick TPR puppy that I am. I had to take Skull Mountain "sad-and-pathetic" style! I got my hopes off when I spied a crew of ride ops in the loading station, and a manager to train them. (I think he may have shangaied some of them from the swinging pirate ship across the way, as it was mysteriously closed for repairs after running all day.) And my wait was rewarded, when after a few false starts, I finally boarded this most elusive of SFA rides (well, except for that Ultratwister thing that's in pieces near Batwing) at around 5:15 or so. First off, is it a coaster credit? My answer is "no." This is really a pirate-themed hybrid of a flume ride and a shoot-the-chutes. The boats initially cruise though a pirate cave. Well, a tunnel. OK, a long tin shed, which is filled with all sort of random pirate stuff, like treasure, cutlasses, and skeletons. What it isn't filled with is lighting effects, unless you count the sunlight that shines in through the cracks in the roof. And they do play a song from a well-known Disney attraction in a few spots . . . Yep, "Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirate's Life for Me!" And this isn't some new version--this is the exact same freakin' song used on the classic Disney rides! I wonder if they bothered to get permission? Hmm . . . Your boat is cranked up one hill, rolls in a trough down and back up, then down a water filled chute, and into another "cave," before ambling around the flume for the lifthill and big drop at the end, which is a bit of a soaker. At no time does you boat go backward, which I understand was a feature of the original Typhoon Sea Coaster. And, yeah, the ride's fun, and it's as close to a dark ride as this park gets. I hope SFA can keep it running. So, here are the pics--done in scurvy pyrate style! I even caught some hot lesbo cartoon action on me way out1 Thanks fer stoppin' by, mates! Now wiegh yer anchor! We sails with the tide! It takes so little to warm the heart of a scurvy old pyrate the likes o me! Aye, disgoring these wet souls o the damned from its foul gullet, I'll wager! Aye! Thar she blows! The gapin' skull's maw be vomitin' forth boats! That were pretty much all thar were to it. Avast there wench! Tubs be fer bathin', not drivin'! And thar be superheroes paradin' about in spandex like! Have I dropped me anchor in San Francisco? Time fer a wee bit o the pageantry that says "Six Flags"! Thar be Looney Tunes! Avast! Pyrate ships be not swings! Sure, and the Wild One be eager to please an old sea dog like me! I can wait, sez I. Thar be Roar to ride agin! I see ye, scurvy ride ops! So, it be trainin' ye need, eh? An hour's worth, sez you! Aye, belay that gloomy talk! Thar be boats, sez I! Aye, and this one weren't much better. Arghh! This piece of flotsam be a discouragin' sign. Ahoy! Me mates and meself haunted the entrance to Skull Mountain, but they had to be shovin' off. So, I waited all sad-and-pathetic like.

We of the Sad-and-Pathetic Society of Single Riders salute you! And that's two reports from Sylvan Beach in one week--awesome!

I stayed at the Boardwalk with my friends Gary and Linda a few years ago--we really liked it. Dinner at Spoodles was great, too.

^They loved it at my bank when I showed up with a shoe box of change last year--but at least I had rolled it up. I'll be doing the same thing to them before I take off for Japan.

SFNE came up in coversation with Rich and Melanie at SFA yesterday (after riding their "cow pasture" version of Superman). Rich rather likes SFNE, and I'm curious to check it out. But those Six Flags parks are rather up and down when it comes to service, aren't they?

Juxtaposition of the phallic-shaped lighthouse and "The Adventure Begins" sign--hmm . . . I believe it symbolizes the onset of puberty, where the adventure truly begins.

^You might be right here, but it seems a bit early in the investigation to say that "neglect" on Six Flags' part isn't the cause.

Interesting that the Ohio Department of Agriculture would have jurisdiction over ride safety at KI--or is this typical of other states and theme-park rides? Maybe this rose out of having to regulate country fairs?

The family will sue, even if SF had them sign a paper that said "if my legs get cut off I won't sue" they would still sue. Such a warning most likely wouldn't protect the park if the accident occurred due to willful negligence or poor maintenance--but all this remains to be seen.

The cow looks seriously stoned--but Boulder Dash looks cool.

^^Exactly, Cameron--when network news divisions became profit centers, U.S. TV news went to hell in a handbag. I gave up on TV news years ago.

Point taken, but I would avoid the use of the term "complete morons" to describe those who might disagree with you.

^Erring on the side of caution, perhaps?

That was pretty ingenious--very realistic looking.

Yeah, Faux News strikes again. On AOL News they had a picture of a Superman drop tower in Texas and referred to it as "similar" to the one in Kentucky. Other than being by a different manufacturer and not looking like the tower at SFKK at all, they're absolutely right.

Hmm--glad I was able to experience it before they slowed down the lifthill; to me, that was a big part of the El Toro experience--being hurled around that curve at the top. I'll reserve judgment until I ride it again.

Glad you had a good time at Euroburg. Ride ops aren't quite as good as they could be. Alpengeist's operations are usually the worst for the coasters, and the Loch Ness Monster and Big Bad Wolf are usually the best. Operations for the Roman Rapids are almost inexcusably bad--slowest line in the park. That being said, I'll still quite happy to call it my "home park."

^^Nah, nah, nah-nah, nah! You mom knows what you've been doing!

^I saw that Mythbusters, too. As I recall, they determined that it was unlikely that a cable could snap in such a way to cut a person in two. My thoughts and prayers go out to the girl and her family. This has to be one of the strangest theme-park accidents ever.

Glad to hear that KT survived this horrible incident--that ride op should be crushed by his own doors.

^Dorney Park actually has a sign posted in their front restrooms saying that it's against the rules to take photographs in there. I would've taken a picture of it, but I didn't want to get thrown out of the park.

I love how the park sign doubles as a backboard for the super slide. Thanks for sharing, Brak! (Space Ghost has been alerted.)

Looks like a fun trip, James, bad day at Holiday World aside. Yes, I'll have to do a little Midwest tour of my own. As for the "bolt tightening" on Voyage, it does seem a bit odd that they didn't take of that the night before.

Kaufman was the greatest Intergender Wrestling Champion of all time!