Photo TR: Indiana Beach - 20 Aug 2006

[Coasterkid20]

Park 1: Indiana Beach

 

Ok so I'll be the first to admit that Indiana Beach is a completely uninteresting park, I mean it has been 4 years since a new coaster was built so, so what. Well let me set the mood, it was Aug. 31 and all of Indiana was under a heat advisory, a scorching 96 degrees out. Ok so I'm from AZ where the temperature is over 100 over 3 months of the year, and in the nineties for another 2 months. But man I'd take 111 any day over 96 in muggy ass Indiana! Needless to say it was way to hot, and the park was empty.

 

I brought my nine year old nephew along for the trip to have a kick butt day with his fun uncle . Got to the park and the first thing we hit was Hoosier Hurricane, which I have actually never been that big a fan of.

 

Hoosier Hurricane: 8/10

 

In the past I have always thought that the Hurricane has always been pretty tame, giving one decent moment of airtime (second hill) and that was pretty much it. This time though........ So we are climbing the lift in the front seat and I'm thinking "Okay first coaster of the summer, so what" Well I hate to say this but WOW, Hurricane ran the best I had ever been on. I had ridden it 3 previous occasions but man that obscene heat actually made it a good ride, not just a tame one. It picked up a lot of speed on the first drop, gave a that great long lasting pop of airtime on the first hump of the double up. Once it dropped under the bridge it picked up speed and sped around the turnaround with shocking speed and intensity (still not crazy but still good). And to my surprise there was actually a little floating airtime over the bunny hops home, which I had thought never did anything. I wish i was exagerating but it was actually a decent out an back wooden coaster, unlike the tame past experiences.

 

After that we decided to go ride LoCoSuMo cause it was running and I knew it was something my nephew would like. The line was only into the first 2 zig zags, but they were only running one train so it made the wait about 20 minutes. And for everyone that knows the Q line it is completly uncovered from the protection so the sun and heat kicked into overdrive. Everyone (myself included) were just sweating like crazy. But it is still a unique ride that is impossible to recall.

 

Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain 6.5/10

 

My mom and my nephew rode facing foward, so that forced me to sit backward. Oh uh..... I had never ridden it backward so I was a little nervous because it is brutal wierd scary facing foward so riding backwards was twice as much so. I'm not going to give a blow by blow, because i can't so I will mention the highlights. It beats the snot out of you in a good way, and doing this knocked my sunglasses, but I somehow managed to pick them up afterwards, and then it managed to actually yank them out of my hands so they were able to make a couple of nice friendly slide across the diamond plated bottom. On the upside the ride has airtime and definately seems out of control, but the ride does like to beat the snot out of you.

 

 

We then headed back over the the Tig'rr coaster, which I havealways thought is extremely bizarre. But yet again I knew my nephew would eat it up.

 

Tig'rr Coaster 5.5/10

 

This coaster is cute, but I just find it wierd. The first drop is good, but that turn afterwards is crazy, since you aren't strapped in it always makes you kinda slide around, force keeps you secure, but it still has a strong psychological force on you. I consider this one of those coasters to be a one time a trip deal.

 

After that I was finally able to talk my nephew to go on Cornball Express, a wooden coaster that has been secured in my top ten for the last 4 years. For some reason he didn't want to ride because the "turns are to steep". Well we got in line so me and my mom could ride it and he could wait the minute it takes to ride. Well he changed his mind and opted to ride.

 

Cornball Express 9.5/10

 

This coaster has been in my top ten for four years, but the last time I rode it in 2004 I thought it ran sluggish. But it didn't this year. I don't think that there is a wooden coaster out there that has more moments of airtime per foot of ride. I find the back seat the most rewarding and this time was no different you get a solid 7 moments of air, 5 of which are signifcant doses. Cornball may not be the tallest, but it really has a great first drop, and the drop near the flyers is first rate. The helix is powerful, but not intense, and the pair of hops at the end give great little ejector pops of airtime. Still one of my favs.

 

After that we rode the always refreshing but to gummy long flume. And of course he had to ride the watercoaster near double shot. Which reletlessly SOAKS shorts, and we had to ride it 3 times. Oh well at least it was hot. My nephew also wanted to try Double Shot. To be honest Big Shot in Vegas is the only S&S tower that I think is worth a darn. I just find them...... well nothing to get excited about. My nephew, however find it a little to much. So we took a nice relaxing ride on the sky ride and finally rode Galaxi.

 

Galaxi 6/10

 

I actually kind of like these rides, they give you some decent airtime, one good pop in the front and 2 strong jolts in the back. The helixs aren't horrible either. I do have to say the ending is a little unlikeable. It has some trims and then some funky twisty hill and a flat turn.

 

After that we rerode stuff, and rode some of the flats such as the Tilt-a-Whirl and the swings. We did ride Cornball in the front, which is always good, but I just don't like it as much as the back. Indiana beach has a wierd vibe that surrounds it, and it really is kinda a ghetto park, but I still enjoy it for some reason. I really had a great relaxing day with my mom and nephew, and here are some of the pictures I thought were decent.

A nice refrashing piece of gum, I mean a nice refreshing dip into some gum.

Yah I know. So what. I just liked the picture for some odd reason.

No Restraints, no problems! Just hold on cause Anton is not always kind to the body! Tig'rr will have you clenching and laughing (or screaming) at the same time!

Warning: Riding backwards on this confusing little thing is brutal. It is somehow really enjoyable to do that though......

Signature shot! Both Hurricane and Cornball kicked butt, while LoCoSuMo kicked our butts!

At the entrance stands the 4th best wooden coaster in Indiana The start and end of a great Day!

[Jonathan]

Ok so I'll be the first to admit that Indiana Beach is a completely uninteresting park

 

It might be the most interesting park I have ever been to!

[Coasterkid20]

From the marketing and ride standpoint it is rather dull but the execution of it is interesting. Also what I meant is the fact it isn'd the most buzzed about park out there, people have kinda written it off. They are now focussing on the Voyage and other high buzz coasters.