SFOGdude25

Great Windseeker pics, Steve! I can back you up here. I was at Kings Island yesterday riding Windseeker at dusk. Man oh man is that ride pretty! When we were in line, most of the people were looking straight up at the ride in motion. I love how these Windseekers are modern in every way, yet they also seem straight out of the golden days of amusement parks: an instant timeless classic to me.

Quick report. I visited the park today. Vortex was closed all day and Firehawk and Windseeker opened up around noon or 1. For the most part. The park was running fairly well (with the exception of Firehawk's ride crew which were going really slow. Ugh). Windseeker was really enjoyable. It's a nice relaxing ride with a great view of the park and a little bit of thrill added in with the extra height. Diamondback seems to have developed a rattle at the bottom of all the big drops before the MCBR. I hope that they don't get worse as the ride ages. I rode the Beast twice. My daytime ride was just your ordinary Beast ride love it or hate it kinda deal. However, my night ride was INCREDIBLE. I am aware that a large part of the ride was retracked and that the ride naturally runs faster as the day goes on, but this ride seriously felt like it was pushing 70 mph on the back part of the layout. I have never experienced the Beast at that kind of speed before (this coming from somebody who has ridden it before the magnetic brakes were added). Of course there was a good bit of roughness in one or two turns, particularly the turn into the long brake shed. That just plain hurt. If you're coming to KI this summer, please ride the Beast at night and you'll be in for a treat.

Great trip report, Robb! Nice Scott Pilgrim reference!

Roller coaster thrills led me to try skiing and mountain biking, and I LOVE doing both now.

I think a custom-built Intamin Mega-lite or S&S family coaster would be a good idea. I've always loved traditional sit-down coasters that don't feel like they are limited to just do certain elements. I'm thinking along the lines of Maverick, I-Speed, Powder Keg, Mind Bender (SFOG), Shockwave (SFOT), I.E. something mid-sized with an all-around fun layout (not to mention lapbars!).

Looks like a fun little coaster. I'll be coming to the park Friday to check it out.

Went to the park today. It was cold and cloudy, and there were a few brave souls that went to the waterpark. Operations were not exactly great. Raven and Legend were running one train, Liberty Launch opened late, and there were some slow ride ops, but overall it wasn't bad. The Raven was running great. The roughness was next to none, and the drops delivered. I now consider this to be the best ride at the park simply because it has been kept in great shape after all these years and is the most enjoyable/re-ridable coaster. The Legend was a little rough but still very enjoyable; strong laterals, as well as the best first drop of the three coasters. As for the Voyage? Those timberliner trains can't come soon enough. The ride was so rough that it was rather difficult to enjoy all the airtime. I really appreciate Holiday World being so patient with getting the new trains, and I really hope that the ride can be restored to its former glory. I still remember my first rides back in 2006. Voyage was smoother, faster, and way more enjoyable back then. It is now a little slower, and a lot rougher. On the other hand, it was kinda nice to see brand spanking new PTC cars. They almost had a new-car smell to them. Overall, the visit was nice. Holiday World continues to do a good job of keeping the park clean and pretty.

All I can say is: Thank goodness the project was shot down.

I think someone should consider being a mechanical engineer. Amazing work.

^They will have PTCs. Don't worry. This coaster looks really fun! Does anyone else find it really cool to see a classic yet brand new woodie being built? It's almost like going back in time.

That was personally the funniest teaser video I've ever seen! It could be because I find unique expletives really entertaining. Can't wait for March 18!!

Sheesh. I think this guy is just a little over-ambitious, don't you think? I hope Mr. Peterson builds and opens each thing one at a time. That's pretty much the only way that this plan could work. Trying to build and open everything at once could destroy the whole project. I am all for the theme park, water park, hotels, and restaurants, but the movie studios and sports complex are unnecessary in my opinion (NBA team? really?). The other thing that had me skeptical was when he said he wanted the park to be true to the state of Tennessee, then he mentioned Niagra Falls. I just hope this guy thinks everything through before putting this plan into action.

These look like honest reliable results to me. This summer I finally made my way to Pennsylvania and rode the Phoenix. I loved every second of it. It is the ultimate classic woody and definitely deserves its spot. The only other coasters in the top 25 I've ridden are Voyage, Thunderhead, and Raven. The Voyage dropping in rank does not surprise me. I rode it this past season in May, and it has gotten rougher. I absolutely loved it in 2006, and I'm really anticipating riding with the timberliners this year. Those trains could make all the difference. Last time I rode Thunderhead was in 2009, which was great. Assuming not much has changed, its placement seems right. I'm happy to see the Raven still in the top 25. That coaster delivers ride after ride after ride. It's one of the best coasters to marathon because its just plain fun. I still have a lot of traveling to do, obviously. This past summer was the first time I broke out of my little circle of parks I visit almost every year (Holiday World, Six Flags Over Georgia, Kings Island, occasionally Cedar Point). I'm excited to visit the other parks on my list of places to go.

This trip report is awesome! Glad you guys had fun! Skiing is IMO the greatest winter sport ever, and Park City is on my list of resorts to visit in the future. The alpine coaster looks so much fun! Thanks for posting!

Physics nerd here. This isn't true. The only acceleration on the Voyage is caused by gravity, which is independent of mass. If you do the calculation for a simple model of the Voyage, that is, no friction, no air resistance, all trains will run at the same speed regardless of mass. Now clearly different trains run differently, so air resistance and friction must be accounted for. Heavier trains have the advantage with air resistance as they have more momentum to transfer to the air. On the other hand, a lighter train will lose less energy due to friction because more mass means greater friction. The key difference with the Timberjiners is that they are not going to give up nearly as much energy to shuffling (and overall friction) as the PTCs do. You know that feeling on a GCI where it seems that no speed is being lost? They will probably run like that. So my prediction is that the Timberliners will actually run a bit slower over the first two hills (due to air resistance), but they will keep their speed better throughout the back run, resulting in a more insane ride coming back. Good call. Gravity is the only force of acceleration on roller coasters, isn't it? That's the basic physics principle of all roller coasters! *smacks head* You clearly have more knowledge than I do over this matter. Sometimes I wind up making a fool of myself sounding so confident over a physics theory. Good thing I'm always willing to learn things and be proven wrong.

As a long-time Voyage fan, this video is very exciting to watch. It looks like these trains are steering through the course well. That one shot of the 90 degree turn looked very smooth. One important observation is how different the timberliners perform from the PTC's speed wise. Because the timberliners are lighter, they accelerate at a much faster rate. The back of the train whipped over the first drop VERY fast, and the front whipped over the following hill very fast. That should make for some fantastic airtime. The Voyage seems to be a little more graceful than aggressive now. Of course, that's just judging by looking. It could be very different while on the ride. I'll definitely be there in May to ride the new Voyage!

Greezed Lightning is winning by a long shot! Shuttle loops are just plain fun, plus this particular coaster has some sentimental value for me as it was one of my first looping coasters back at Six Flags Over Georgia as Viper. Every time I ride Superman, I think about when Viper was in that place and I become a little sad, but that's beside the point. I'm glad that Greezed Lightning is getting so much attention!

I visited Six Flags Over Georgia Friday and Saturday. The shake rattle and roll building is like 80% gone. No supports, track, or footers are on site yet, but I did notice several spray paint markings on the pathway next to the site. Sorry I don't have pictures. In other news, Georgia Cyclone's trims were totally OFF this weekend. The train was FLYING through the course and delivered some of the craziest airtime I've ever experienced on a wooden coaster! Of course, the ride also just about beat me senseless, but it was worth it.

Those trains remind me of RCT2 Wacky Worlds. They look way better than I thought they would! Those seats look rather comfy as well!

Hey guys! Kentucky Kingdom started a facebook group for people to join for support of re-opening the park! Join now! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Louisville-KY/Kentucky-Kingdom/150584424975738?ref=search&v=app_4949752878#!/pages/Louisville-KY/Kentucky-Kingdom/150584424975738?ref=ts

A eurofighter huh? I thought that's what it would be after that last clue on facebook. Anyways, this should be a great addition to the SFOG line-up. We still need more flats, though.

Oh my gosh. This coaster continues to leave me practically speechless with every update. I can't wait to ride it.

^Just so you know, screamscape posted that weeks ago. It does get you thinking though for sure.

Here's something that looks like a clue. Cedar Point's profile picture on their facebook page has changed to a sweet retro logo with a bunch of question marks underneath. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/cedarpoint?ref=ts They just changed their status too. "Cedar Point loves its fans. And to prove it, you'll be the first to know about our plans for 2011. Let the game begin."

Oh boy. This makes me want to take a texas trip even more next summer. That looks insanely intense! Just when I consider all the possibilities of the layout, this happens. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of construction as it progresses.