aslinterpreter Posted August 16, 2006 Posted August 16, 2006 Hello everyone, this last wekend was Deaf Awareness Weekend at SDC in Branson MO and for 6 years now April and I have gone down to interpret for the Deaf that come that day. They give us a free hotel room for the weekend and free passes for us and our friends so its a good deal! We live in Kansas City so its only about a 4 hour drive. The weather was perfect and a great time was had by all! Powder Keg and Wildfire were both excellent! The new kids part was cool also! A little backstory before the pics. My family used to go each year to SDC when I was a kid. But my parents always told me these urban legends about the park. The first one was with fire in the hole. They said that one day as the last train of the day disbatched the operator hit the wrong button and sent the train to the holding station which was just tall enough for the trains, he yelled for everyone to duck but the guy in the front didnt hear, and lost his head which ended up in the womans lap behind him! The second story was about the flodded mine ride. This one went that as a family went thru, their son who was sitting in the back of the boat began screaming, the parents thought that he was just scared of the ride and didnt pay attention, but when they got back to the station they found out that he had been bit by a water moccison(sp) and was dead! So the first time I rode this, I was 7, and we get stuck for 30 min right by this prisoner guy that keeps saying"sweat a little blood and you might get outta this place" So for the next 23 years I have been scared of both those rides, I still ride them but feel weird each time I ride! Well onto the pics. This is where I got stuck by the sweat a little blood guy for 30 min as a kid. Snakes on a boat! Ready for the mine ride. April and some friends kid at the new Exposition area. April on wildfire Ralph and Ralphie after the robbery. The $ that they collect goes to buy gifts for poor kids at christmas. This is inside the shack at the train robbery. the robbers play video games while they wait for the next train. Two train whistles means that the train will be there in 2 min. First time on one of these. Didnt throw up! This took several tries to finally get the fire! Power Keg launching. Me and the Showgirls! Wildfire. It was very nice and smooth! Last year April rode it with theis deaf and blind woman! That was funny! Fire inside Fire in the hole. Fire in the Hole station. Baldknobber is a weird word! This is the 7' guy that has worked there forever!
ECZenith Posted August 17, 2006 Posted August 17, 2006 Wow, what a fantastic photo of Wildfire, which happens to be one if the coasters I want to ride the most... The setting is so beautiful.
OzCatter Posted August 17, 2006 Posted August 17, 2006 Man, I'm so glad I got down there again this year, I love going to that park no matter whats going on
kennywood!007 Posted August 17, 2006 Posted August 17, 2006 Great photos! I really want to get on Wildfire also. It looks like a pretty good B&M sitwdown. Does anyone know how it measures up to Kumba?
CoasterExpert13 Posted August 17, 2006 Posted August 17, 2006 First off...Great PTR! ^Well an answer to that would only be an opinion...So here's mine: I thought both Wildfire & Kumba were awesom B&M sit-downs. Both distinctively different in their own aspects. Wildfire has one of the best coaster settings around, hidden in a plush forest of trees. The "openess" of the cars make it that much more thrilling and seemed much faster than 66mph. If you are looking for great scenery, speed, of course inversions...this would be a great choice. Kumba is one of the only B&M's i've ridden that doesn't seem to have that "aged" feel to it. A superb layout, 7 killer inversions and is located at one of the best parks around. If you are looking for length & duration, lots of inversions (and a awesome color scheme) Kumba is the way to go...Or be like most enthusiasts, like myself and just ride them both... and see what ya think!
SharkTums Posted August 17, 2006 Posted August 17, 2006 ^It doesn't! Seriously, Wildfire is pretty good. I see it as the 'bridge' between the old school more forceful B&M's and the new school more forceless B&M's.
coaster1 Posted August 18, 2006 Posted August 18, 2006 They aren't KKK or anything related to them .. the baldknobbers according to SDC and Branson folk were a group of men who were somewhat a terrorist organization, but really took the law into their own hands and punished people for certain crap. Plus the KKK is very strong here in Texas, even today, my old day care building was actually the HQ for the KKK in Dallas back in the 1920's, it was creepy.
OzCatter Posted August 18, 2006 Posted August 18, 2006 The Baldknobbers were real, them and the Jayhawkers
aslinterpreter Posted August 18, 2006 Author Posted August 18, 2006 From what I can remember about the baldknobbers is that they had their meetings on top of the hills in the ozarks, and that the hills were called knobs. The meetings were on top of the hills that had no trees and looked bald. They would set these huge fires on top of the knob and just the fire would scare all the people in the ozarks. They were the first terrorists from what I have heard. Some people said they were like vigilantes. Does fire in the hole count as a powered coaster? It has several drops at the end that are not powered so was just curious.
coaster1 Posted August 18, 2006 Posted August 18, 2006 I count it .. very similar to the old Scenic Railways of the early 20th century .. plus it just kicks ass along with Blazing Fury. All I know is the guy I talked to at Shepard of the Hills got pissed when I related the Baldknobbers to the KKK.
Bob O Posted August 18, 2006 Posted August 18, 2006 Nice photo's!! After seeing these photo's im really looking forward to our visit next year!!
thrillrideseeker Posted August 19, 2006 Posted August 19, 2006 OH I LOVE SILVER DOLLAR CITY! I went the first part of July, I should make a photo TR. I never thuoght to do that! Great photos! Was electro spin good? I didnt get to ride it
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