baclueless

About Hollenblitz being way too expensive... But its wayyyyyy worth every dollar in my opinion. I believe that we rode it around 5 or 6 times this summer in Duren. I hope you at least rode it once! Great Pictures

I got to ride it back in August in Brussels. Its a fun little ride, nothing to crazy......Sometimes you would be facing face down, just to be pulled back up(with some not so intense laterals) But if you want crazy....go ride the KMG XXL and the Experiance...holy crap! But unless you go to Europe, you will never get to ride XXL since its the only one in the world! Umm....I miss European Fairs....

^^^You are correct, the TOGO coasters in Japan were surprisingly fun and very smooth.....except this one. It was absolutely horrible....in fact, it was probably the WORST coaster I rode out there out of the 140+ we rode! Looks like you all are going to miss out on a credit during your visit!

Maybe Mark can learn a few things about capacity while visiting Europa! Im not sure if Europa even knows what single train operation is...

I have to agree with "IwantRevenge"......it was so anti-climatic! I would have to say that I preferred the corkscrew. But, hey....it was open today! With walk on conditions, Im not going to complain.

Any coasters showing up this year since that mouse is gone? Is there anything worth going for? m

Ummm.....phishybrewer....Join the group! its been almost 2 years since Ive been and we talk about our trip everyday like it was yesterday! We now plan on going every other year, just for a week, just to get our Japanese fix. good luck getting it out of your head...

I rode this "coaster" back in September of '05. Hate to burst everyone's bubble, but this is in no way, shape. or form a coaster! You sit in a bicycle-like seat, there is a basket in front of you(to hold loose articles), and you just pedal.....and pedal.....and pedal.... But let me tell you....the view was absolutely amazing! You are on top of this mountain, overlooking the water, hanging off the edge of the mountain, just pedaling! Great for taking photos. But why is there all this talk about this ride lately? I know it was in the "10 coasters you wouldnt ride" but.....this ride is so obscure in such a random park in Japan! Well, I rode it....do my friends feel special...now we do! You would pedal you fat @ss around that track too if you could get this view! YUP! simply amazing!

The loop screw has this crazy airhill that twists and dives right into the corkscrew....totally catches you by surprise! Totally loved it! And whats not to love about the queue line! Is the Flight Trainer new.....I dont recall it last time I was there

Ummmm....Franziskaner Dunkel!!!!!! Yummmyyy..... I was going to order one ($7.50) yesterday, but instead I tried some crazy German whit beir ($8.50) recommended by the bartender with some huge ass name. Ill try to get the name, but who knew I was going to find a beer thread with Adam posting to it As for Neil, he had a Gluten Free beer which he was completely surprised by when the bartender just reached under the bar and pulled the bottle out of nowhere! Greg would be very pleased that a bar carried a gluten free beer! Im blanking on this name as well, but was bottle only.

thanks for the help (heading to the suggested german websites) matt

Hey all you international TPR kids. Im in the middle of planning a trip to Scandi and Germany and wondering if I can get some help. As of right now we are doing a week in Scandi and then 9 days in Germany. The trip is tentatively starting the first weekend in August (Finland) then from there we will be doing Germany about a week later. Something scared me though....I heard that this is a big holiday time in Germany where everything shuts down and everyone goes on vacation. Is this true? Is it a bad time to go to the parks then? If we were to move this trip around, when would be an ideal time to take this trip? End of July?? End of August??? Any answers would be appreciated. If you are real curious and helpful, I will email you the tentative itinerary and maybe someone could make this trip a little bit smoother! Thanks in advance. matt

Elissa, If I could go back every year, and not get one new credit.....I would STILL be the happiest camper ever! There was something that was special about that country. Sean, Jim and I still talk about this trip like it was yesterday. To the people that are going on this trip; you will never be the same. This country is everything and more.....why do you think R&E head back there more than England? But the reason for us doing the craziest trip ever, was because when WE DO go back, we will know what parks we need to spend more time out, and what parks we can just pass on. But to tell you, even the smallest, out of the way parks were definately worth every yen! matt DSC01327.zip Sean,Jim and I (middle) with the crew at Sendai Highland who opened the coasters for us during the typhoon.....only in Japan

Hey Chris, Just curious, but how many coasters have you ridden in Japan? We loved the country so much, that we are planning a repeat trip back in 09......yeah, not as cool as R&E going back 3/4 times in a couple of years, but still exciting. we are just glad we got there when we did, because sooo much has closed in the past year.........BMRX.......Aska..... But for us....we hit around 145 coasters in 27 days...not too shabby, but we will be back for more! As for Tegarayama Yuen....how can you beat free admission...2 bucks a coaster....and 3 coasters.....plus they opened each coaster one by one for us, because they really werent opened yet! Gotta love Japan! matt

Can anyone on this site help me find the fairs in Germany/Denmark for next year? After doing some research.....I just got tired of looking. Is there a certain website that lists the fairs that are coming? Thanks in advance.... matt

Yeah, that coaster was totally fun. The day the photos were taken for RCDB, Jim, Sean and I waited around for a couple of hours just to get that credit. If I recall correctly, it had two chains. You get pulled up the hill, when it reaches the end on the flat part of the hill, it some how releases you and the train slowly rolls backward until it hits the steep decline. You then fly thru the station, catch a little air dropping some more after the station into the loop. Up the spike, thru the loop forwards and back into the station. It was a really enjoyable shuttle loop with the added backwards airtime! Yummy! But that day was uncomfortably hot! Uggh! But hey, I was in Japan!

Hercules...... Stop spewing false media! No one has ever died on the bungee tower,(an old man broke his ankle getting of the airbag) No Gokart has ever blown up....sorry! But you are wrong with the info. Im not trying to be nasty, but its simply not true. Yes people have died there......some one drowned in the wave pool, people burning themselves on the alpine slide, but get your facts straight before posting. matt

Hey Max.... Do you teach at VTHS??? I went there......back in '90...ugghh.... Yup....Vernon is totally being this upscale little town now. I used to live right on Rt. 565. Go Vikings! As for Action Park.....that place was so amazing during the open season! They had the best alpine slides, speed slides, deadly tube rides, indy lola race cars.....how fun! I used to work on the Bungee tower and the Slingshot (original reverse bungee) back in 92-93. matt

Hey everyone.... Tommy and James put a link up to four videos that Sean put together from our month long trip to Japan in September.....Yup thats right kids....a whole month, with 43 parks and over 140 coasters! Hey Robb, you got me on the Hello Kitty park! Damn! I thought there was only a powered coaster there....ugghh.. Now im regretting not making it to Uminomakamichi Seaside Park....looks like a total blast. Well anyways, you all can check out the videos on this link! Hope you enjoy! http://tommyandjames.bbfun.com/viewtopic.php?t=293& matt

If Robb wants to host the video....Ill send him an edited video with BMRX in it! matt[/img][/code]

I guess most of you Swartzkoph fans arent going to be happy when I tell you that two more are going to be closing down in a couple of months. And one of them is my top Swartzkoph! The park is Kobe Portopialand in Kobe, Japan and its shutting its doors for good so they can build some nice condos or some industrial buildings there! How lovely. For those that can make it out to Japan in the next few months...cough..rob..cough...elissa...cough.....BMRX (Barvarian Mountain Rail Road) will definately shoot right to the top (or somewhere near it) for good ole Anton! This coaster is simply amazing....I believe we rode this thing around 30 times and we just couldnt get enough of it! Love it! The other is a double looping Swartzkoph....fun...but nothing compared to BMRX! This is something that the states should buy!!! BUY!!! BUY!!!! So for all the talk that Magnum Force was going to Knoebels......screw that ....BUY BMRX!!! There are NO horrible restraints on BMRX, just good ole lapbars, unlike Magnum Force....where they offered us towels to put over our shoulders so we didnt get burned by the 5 point harness! Now this should be upsetting people!!!! BMRX should be purchased and moved somewhere.....anywhere....Im not picky. Oh yeah....Bullet was a great ride....

ummmm........ OROCHI at Expoland in Japan! What a horrible way to end the season....huh?!?!?!

Hey Kip.... When did Action Park ever own a S&S Tower??? I was working there till summer of 94 and they never had such a thing. The closest thing was the Sling Shot that used to operate by the bungee tower. And c'mon...no bad words about Action Park! That was my home. I loved that place. Most of problems came when them damn city folk came into our little suburban heaven and wreaked havoc. The best part about Action Park was the idiots who fell off the Alpine Slide. Most people thought that they could handle the speeds on the expert track and WAM! Just bail and slide for a good 100 feet on the cement track. For the rest of the day their bodies would be covered in red iodine that the first aid had to apply. But most people that did visit Action Park, have a scar to prove it! matt

Wow! You kids are bringing back old memories of Action Park....aka Traction Park! Well, the looping waterslide is VERY REAL! The reason I know this is because I rode it several times! I used to live right down the street on Rt. 565 in Vernon. I worked there for years. The last couple of Summers were spent working on the Bungee Tower and the original Sling Shots (using huge Bungee cords!) I believe that in the Summer of 92 or 93, the looping slide opened for maybe about 7 days. (Not in a row, just a day here and there) At Action Park, I seemed to be the Guinea Pig....I would sign up to do anything. So as soon as I found out that they were going to open the looping slide, I took an extra long break and ran down the boardwalk and over to the slide. The following is the story of the looping waterslide and me! So you walk across the grass, since there was no walkway over to the slide, and completely strip down. The rules were basically you must wear the most basic pair of shorts....and nothing else.....no shorts with metal rivets, no zippers, no bikini's, no sweatpant shorts (yes, it was the early 90's), no cut offs....just plain ole bathing suits! No jewelry of any kind! After you completely stripped down, you stepped on the scale (no digital, just a scale you found at the nurses office in elementary school). I believe you had to weigh over 125 and less then 180 or 200. But dont quote me on the weight limits. After you got the ok, you walked up the stairs, where you could feel your heart pounding. Im getting anxious just writing this. My old supervisor Brian was at the top waiting to wet you down with the freezing cold spring water from the hose. Once you were completely frozen and terrified, it got worse......you looked down the pitch black hole! There was a tiny little area where you could sit before launching into the deep abyss. It all seemed to go silent as you looked down the tube where you could see is the water spraying from the top of the tube and running down into nothing. Here is where you take a breath, stiffen up, and go for it! You are not sure if you give yourself a boost and pull yourself down the beginning or just sit back and just crawl over the ledge. So just to be safe, I pulled myself down, crossed my ankles, supported my head (trying to keep my head off the semi-soft foam that lined the tube) I got super nervous as I darted off into the darkness. The speed was terrifying and I had no idea as to when I was going to hit the bottom. Well my speed kept on increasing then......WHAM! I HIT BOTTOM! Yup, you definately know when you are about to go thru the loop, because your head becomes the tail end of a whip and smashes into bottom of the loop. Your speed is soo great that you have no problem making it up the front side of the loop. Here is where things get weird, as if they havent seemed screwed up already. Your body is completely upside down, pressed against the wall, then Uh-oh, your speed starts to slow down, but it is still enough to keep your body barely riding along the top of the loop. The tension starts to fade, as you know that you made it to the top. As the water is just enough to keep the walls slick, you start to pick up speed once again as you make it down the backside of the loop. LIGHT!!! As you start to pull out, your eyes closed, the sun starts to peek thru you eyelids.....You made it.....Your body is then flung into a pool of water maybe about 3 feet deep. You lay there for a minute saying to yourself....Holy Crap.....I have the worst headache in the world, but Holy Crap, I just went thru a loop on a waterslide!!! Hell yeah!! As you pull yourself out of the pool, which had no ladder or steps, you look up the hill as everyone is watching in disbelief that someone would actually do the most terrifying waterslide in the world. But as I made my way up the grass covered ski slope, I found myself walking back over to the steps to do it all over again!!! Not all people would make it thru as easy as I did though.....If you were standing at the top of the slide, you would here people start screaming that they cant do it as they were already sliding down the tunnel. They would start out OK, but when the speed starts to pick up, the person would stick their hands out to slow themselves down...BAD MOVE!! You need as much speed as possible. Once you stick your hands out, the person would make it up most of the loop, then bang onto the top (or bottom, depending on how you look at it) of the loop. Then, depending on how much speed the person had, you would either make it all the way around (banging onto the outer part of the slide as you made it to the bottom outside wall) or you would fall back head first towards the bottom of the hill...aka...valley in the tube.... If that happened, there was a latch at the bottom of the loop for the unfortunate. It was very funny to hear the people not make it all the way around from the top. When the person started out, you would hear the normal wooshing noise, then BAM...Owwww....then silence..........then a bang..as their body would hit the top part of the loop...a groan....then another bang, if they were making it around.....Oh the good ole days! Super Fun. As for the name...there wasnt any....except the generic title "Looping Cannonball" I was just glad I was one of the few that ever got to ride this slide! I dont believe there will be anything of this caliber ever again. And if you knew Action Park, you know the owners were pretty tapped. Action Park was home to many other great rides such as the Alpine Slide (some of the best), the tallest speed slides, a flying machine (aerodium), the Colorado River (in its original year, the slide was concrete....ummm...not so smart)After a couple of broken bones, they tamed it down and added foam thru out the entire ride. Other rides: Bungee jump (which was my home base) the sling shot, lola cars (in motor world) the tarzan swing...the list could go on forever....wow...thanks for bringing back such great memories. I truly loved Action Park! and completely miss it! Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! If any one has any crazy stories about Action Park, I would love to discuss. Take care matty baclueless

Doing a little search on imdb.com.....this is what I found. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414982/ Sorry, not really sure how to add an address. But it looks as if its going to be in 3-D and coming out in 2006. Hope that helps. By the way Canobie Fan.....its Pizza Crust, running on a treadmill, and riding on a roller coaster.... Sounds a bit lame, but lets see, since I loved the first two matt[/url]