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"I believe Colossus only has I-beams in the first drop" (Jew) Actually, the last bunny hops have some I-beams in them (I noticed that on the parallel track during my ride last Sunday). Next time I ride, I'll check out where else they are. Also, of note, there was some retracking going on in the first turnaround. Some wood was piled on the track (it was closed anyway). I didn't get pictures because we're not supposed to take on-ride photos. Eric

^ My first ride on it was at 7am on media day. When the ride was over, it really blew me away. Now it just rattles my bones. Eric

"Is it just me or is this a steeper lift hill than normal?" (mforce00) Tatsu's lift is that steep, but I think it's a bit taller. That design saves ground space, and, at least on Tatsu, gives quite a view as you climb and from near the top once you reach it. Manta's approach to the pretzel loop appears to dip close to the ground like the Superman Ultimate Flight rides; perhaps that's because on all flyers in the U.S. thus far, that element is at the beginning of the ride. Tatsu's pretzel comes near the end, so the approach to it doesn't dip that far. Did that make any sense? "Now I wish Sea World CA would get something like this." (socalman123) Good luck. They had a hard enough time getting Journey to Nowhere. Remember, for whatever reason, the powers that be in San Diego seem to object to SeaWorld building anything with height. Eric

"I agree that Ghostrider needs to be retracked" (WFChris) You can retrack a coaster all you like, but it'll return to its former self fairly soon. Colossus at SFMM has replaced most of its under layers with steel I-beams with a layer or two of wood on top. Still a bit rough, but tolerable (I just rode that on Super Bowl Sunday). I think the problem is that today's wood isn't as hardy as older wood. In GhostRider's case, as well as SOB, Mean Streak, and other taller woodies, that translates into rougher rides a lot sooner. It'll be interesting to see how the Intamin woodies (El Toro, Balder, etc.) hold up over time. Eric

"I wouldnt know a daedman turnaround if it jumped up and bit me in the face." (Mozart67) If that happened, you'd be a dead man! After looking at the overall ride enough times, I think what I'm going to like best is how low much of it is low to the ground, the many banked curves, and some pops of air. Definitely something different for SFMM. Eric

My only experience with both Millennium Flyers and GCII is ROAR! up at SFDK. It ran great in 1999 when it opened, and I haven't heard anything bad about it, so I assume it's still a decent ride. Eric

Exactly seven years ago today, I bought my car. Eric

No, I think mine were made in China (they're Reebok DMX Walkers). Have you tried any of the M&Ms Premium flavors?

Like some of you have said, at one time, GhostRider was one of the best. But it has really gotten rough over the last few years. My last ride on it (May 2008) was perhaps the worst ride I've ever taken on it. I really can't suggest a solution to it. It's just big and rough, which is too bad because it has a nice layout and was a good ride once. Eric

Honestly, I like the open front of the Millennium Flyer cars. Not only nostalgic, but puts the trains a bit closer to what a wooden floorless might be like. Eric

"I was bored today, as well as pissed at my mother so I put my moms cat on the top of the celing fan and turned it on." (bspellx5) FAIL!!! Why would you do that to a cat? Even though it wasn't hurt, it's still a mean thing to do. Eric

I just had a thought...will Terminator be left in an unpainted, natural state, or will it get some sort of stain put on it? My guess is natural and it will simply age as time goes on. Since I don't get out much, I don't know what sort of finish they put on woodies anymore. At one time, they were usually painted white. Eric

Having to start looking for work tomorrow---again. Eric

No, not a chance. Do you like cheeseburgers?

^^ Elissa, bring that up with Guest Relations. Some years back when Diana was about five, we didn't know if she was tall enough to ride Sandblasters, so we had to go all the way inside the queue area to check her height, only to discover that she was too short. I made a comment to someone from Guest Relations, and on my next visit, the height limit sign was right out in front. With the new management trying to improve the park's image, I'll bet they'll take care of that. Eric

I was out at the park today and rode every open coaster except Superman--The Escape. Unfortunately, the Sky Tower was closed, so I couldn't go up and get an aerial view of the new part of Terminator. Even X2 only had about a half-hour wait when I rode it. And to my surprise, the fire effect was turned on My plan is to get out to SFMM at least once a month to follow the construction. I really look forward to this ride. Eric

I never did like the look of the little dip, and never understood why the rides couldn't be designed to just come off the lift and into the first drop. About the stairs, I'd go along with a cost cutting measure. Every little bit helps. Eric

There must be a hockey game on because my wife is in our bedroom at this moment talking to the TV. Eric

These are what, P-sized batteries? Eric

I have no doubt that all of the businesses down on The Old Road are aware of people parking there to avoid paying at the park. I think it's risky to park anywhere down there for any length of time, not only for towing, but for possible vandalism by people who have any reason to believe that your car will easy to take because they'll have plenty of time to "work on it." That's why I get the Xtreme pass. It's double the price, but quickly pays for itself with multiple visits. The 25% food discount adds up, too.

^ I don't know how I forgot about Universal. Maybe I should mention SeaWorld while I'm at it. Perhaps even CGA is open, though it's quite a ways north. You might want to check their website regardless. Eric

The coaster on the cover of the mathbook in the first post has an unusual feature---a left-hand corkscrew. That picture may have been printed backwards, as there are very few Arrow or Vekoma corkscrews with a left-hand twist. A flag in the background looks like it could be the French flag, but I wasn't able to tell for sure. Those are a couple of clues as to what ride this is. Eric

"Intamin merely sold the ride. I believe the ride was actually designed/fabricated by Giovanola, which is coincidentally where B&M also got their start." (Jew) That is correct. Giovanola also made the now-thankfully-defunct Flashback at SFMM. So, in theory, SFMM has had three Giovanola coasters over the years: Shock Wave, Flashback, and Goliath. If you go to rcdb and look at pictures of those rides, you'll see the similarity in track structure. Eric

Am I correct in thinking that those track pieces at Darien Lake are what's left of Batman---The Escape from the now-defunct Six Flags AstroWorld? And, of course, spent time at SFGAd as Shock Wave after beginning its nomadic journey at SFMM as ShockWave waaayyy back in 1986. There's an identical one at La Ronde that began its life in Sweden, but it's still operating last I heard. Eric

We grownups don't get snow days, but we should have official Mental Health Days. Believe me, we could use 'em... Eric