iZak

^ Yeah, it got old after about the 2nd time...

Long story, but the short end is that my Dad was the ExVP of Planning/Development and later the SVP/GM for USH and USF during that time, and he has all of that stuff (and more) laying around in boxes in my garage...Well, also at his house in NM, and my Grandma's house in GA. One day, they will all make their way on to the internet via me. I'm actually trying to convince him to sit down with me and let me interview him for another site (Westcoaster...Sorry, I promised them they'd get the exclusive). I'm sure once I get it done, y'all will hear about it...

^ Yeah, it's a company policy that they emphasize A LOT (it appears as a ride certification question on almost 90% of the tests). The best the ride ops can do is get them some water and make sure that Security/First Aid is called to the scene. I had quite a few people go down every summer...Especially when I was at Tidal Wave (ironically) and our misters weren't working w/ a 1-hour wait. That and the kid that decided to take a dump in the queue and smear it on the wall (I won't tell you where we "dumped" it) made for a great summer!

The trains are the same design as the Togo ones...Just newer. It's still the same painful ride.

Here I was thinking it was the REAL Nintendo amusement park...But I knew they never got it off the ground... However, this is absolutely hilarious!

The nice thing about being a Site Controller is that you get free rides on any Skycoaster in the world! It's the one certification I wish I had got when I worked at SFMM...

IIRC, at one point in the development, there was talk about having 8 islands, then it was 7, and then the eventual 6. I don't remember what the other islands would have been, but then again, there wasn't a Jurassic Park when they were designing IOA to begin with (1988)! Next time I go back to CA, I'll have to see if I can find some of the concept drawings in my garage. I know they are there...At least pictures of them (along with my pictures of the Jaws ride model!).

I was on SL for like a month...It's not anything special. I even had "sex" with a "female" using the action balls...Boy, did it suck! Anyway, it's a nice way to kill time and money...I spent about $30 on a house and other items... BTW, did you, by chance, hear about it from the Daily Source Code?

I don't understand why people are confused why SFMM fixed up Freefall, only to turn around and sell it... Um...Let's put it this way...You are going to buy a car. Would you rather buy a car for cheap only to have to put a lot of money into fixing it, or would you rather buy a car that's already been fixed-up and in decent running order and pay a bit more money and save yourself some time and money to not have to fix it? It's quite simple...

They've been looking to build a park in Singapore since before they started building in Japan... I'd love to see it happen, but again, I don't know if the current management will allow it.

This is fantastic news! Makes me want to go all the way over...

^ I bet you it's no different...

^^ So, with staffing permitting, they should be open next weekend...

Ah...cool...Thanks! It was just a weird find for me. I go to read the articles for the Japan GP this weekend, and I see a coaster in a pic from last year! Who knew!?

Look in the background of the first picture on the page...Is that Fuji-Q? http://www.formula1.com/race/news/5058/768.html

If I remember correctly, I think LJs drop is something like 45 feet. And I agree with Joey...Jet Stream is 100x better than Log Jammer. However, I'd rather be at Brake 3 at Jammer than Brake 3 at Jet any day...

Well, considering they only put the best people in the park up at X, I don't think we'll have the Tatsu effect... However, when that ride opened, they were supposed to be the best too (since only the "best" open new rides) and we see how well that went...

I seriously have no idea...I see it. It says I have 67 posts... Interesting...Maybe my contact thought I was talking about in the US (since I did technically phrase my question that way)...I'll have to ask again in a few weeks...

No problem, but I think I have you beat in terms of the Space Diver "fetish"...I actually requested to be the lead there, and was there for an entire season (well, fall and winter).

From my contact at Intamin (No, I won't tell you who it is...): The Space Diver was indeed designed by B&M when they worked for Intamin while working with Werner Stengel (since he came up with the original concept for the Space Diver after all). When it came time for the ride to be built, they used Giovanola (which was a sub-contractor to Intamin at the time) to fabricate and build the ride after they sold it to Six Flags. There are no other Space Divers anywhere else in the world, despite the rumor of another one sitting in a warehouse somewhere in the Midwest (or wherever the hell the rumor has it now). Someone at SFMM talked to Intamin a couple of years ago about "refreshing" the ride; it never worked out, but it did lead to the Goliath wheel program that was very short lived (obviously). However, no contact has been made since then, despite the fact that Intamin is very eager to help out, due to the fact that this is the only Space Diver in existence. Oh yeah, the original design was actually have it be an indoor ride, but SF didn't want to spend the money to make indoors, and they designed it to be an outdoor ride. Ok, that's all I know. I'd like to thank ****** at Intamin for all of the awesome info, and I'd like to thank my Dad for giving me the phone number for said person. It's not everyday you come across a find like that...

I think that's the only time I've ever seen him with a pan and broom in the 5 years I've known him...

So now the entire state of RI will just be a water park and a casino! Sounds like my kind of place! (Sorry, I had to do it...)

Been there, done that, can't believe I did it (well, I was paid $50 to do it, plus my friend bought my ticket for the ride). Would I do it again...Hell no! I don't even like being up in that stupid tower (I know too many stories). Lucky for me, it was an abnormal non-super windy day when I went...

^^ Call Sandor and ask him...I'll give you his #...

^ Um...no. The car(s) still overshoot and end up in the holding area behind the station (which, ironically, is the front of the ride...). There is only a holding brake, which is designed only to hold the car in the station. The stators (white boxes that power the car down the track) will de-accelerate the car and align it in the station with the holding brake, which will then clamp down on the brake fin under the car and hold it there so that the seats can unlock and the car won't roll out on to the track. There's your S:TE lesson for the day. Now, you only have 3h 45m to go before you are an operator. Congrats! (Wow, that was impressive that I remembered all that after almost 3 years...)