Photos of Shockwave and other defunct coasters

[Screamin_Eagle]

Wow. This thread has me feeling nostalgic. I will always feel bad about Shockwave, especially considering its fate and the roughness it got as it aged. The Shockwave was originally designed to go into New Jersey at the site of Great American Scream Machine. The world from Six Flags during the design for GAdv was to save as many parking spaces as possible in the parking lot so we squeezed everything into a very compact footprint. At the last minute, something that I can't remember happened to make it impossible to build the ride in NJ, so the ride was moved to GAm. We went out to see the site at GAm and i immediately asked to redesign the ride for GAm's more spacious parking lot, but was denied. so the ride designed for GAv's cramped parking lot was built at GAm. that ride was our first above 150', i think it was around 165 or so ( it was meant to be the world's tallest but i think something taller opened in Japan earlier that year and so it was billed "the world's tallest looping coaster"), we were still learning how the really big rides behaved and it turned out that they were a little faster than we thought, with the greater height and length of the ride amplified the effect of extra speed and forces on the ride that probably factored into its early retirement. we made a little change in the ride for GAdv the next year to open it up and suck up some more energy (and also use more parking spots). thanks for letting me share

 

 

Thanks for that bit of history about Shockwave, I believe the the height of the lift of Shockwave was 170, with the actual drop being 155 ft. I remember the first time I went to SFGAM, and I drove down the entrance and saw that big giant blue coaster looming over the parking lot, just couldn't wait to ride it!

[palmerleeberry]

I had a chance to ride Shockwave way back in 2001 as part of my two-week amusement park tour. This was the last coaster I rode before the park closed. You see, the park was crowded on the day I visited that park and could only go one complete circuit around the park. I got to ride the Whizzer (probably the most-fun ride in the park), the Viper, Raging Bull, Screaming Eagle, Iron Wolf, and Demon coasters. I didn't ride Batman because I've ridden many Batman cloned rides, nor did I ride V2 due to the huge line (besides, I was going to be at Six Flags Worlds of Fun in a few days and would ride Superman several times), and I wanted to ride Deja Vu, but the coaster was closed (to this day, I have never gotten to ride any Deja Vu's).

 

So it was getting late by the time I got in line for Shockwave. The line wasn't as long as the other lines for the other coasters, but I also remembered that coaster shaking me around when I rode it. Still, I was going to ride it again, but they closed the line by the time I got off.

 

It's great to see old pictures of defunct coasters and wonder what were they thinking off when they removed them.

[DCody]

Shockwave was a BIG, BIG DEAL when it was built. I was a fifth grader in the Chicago suburbs at the time, and I remember all the conversations about who would be brave enough to ride Shockwave in the spring. Those high loops were something totally new. Shockwave was always a very forceful ride; I remember kids complaining about that like 20 years ago, so it's not like it was buttery-smooth in the beginning. The coaster was such an icon of the "taller, faster, more inversions" era; I too wish it had stayed in Orleans Place. Not at the expense of Whizzer, of course, but a S:UF clone is not worthy.

[mcjaco]

^ Same. I remember getting so excited over the winter everytime we'd drive past on I94. It just looked so monstrous and mean.

 

I think I have a fetish for blue and white coasters. Shockwave and Z Force hold a very special place in my SFGAm heart.

[ebl]

"I believe the the height of the lift of Shockwave was 170..." (Screamin_Eagle)

 

Correct. Then GASM at SFGAd went to 173 ft., and Viper at SFMM is 188 ft. Note about Viper...I don't know what they've done, but I've had some pretty decent rides on it over the last couple of years. It isn't "butter smooth," but for me, very rideable.

 

Eric

[DCody]

^^ I love Viper! I always get a good ride on it and I hope it stays at SFMM for a long time.

[cfc]

I was dreading Viper a bit when I rode it a few years ago, but was pleasantly surprised--sure beat the hell out of GASM (which beats the hell out of you) at Great Adventure. It's easily the best of the big Arrow loopers I've ridden, such as Anaconda and Drachen Fire.

[austinlee]

^^ I agree. Viper has been one of my favorites since it opened. I still think it is one of the best they have. I love the hangtime on the corkscrews which is something I have not experienced on any other coaster.

[Montupoopc]

Anaconda had amazing hangtime during its corkscrews. I loved it.

[Skycoastin Steve]

The one coaster that is now defunct that I wish I could have ridden is Drachen Fire. Although people say it was rough as hell, they also say it was such a fun and creative ride.

 

I rode Drachen Fire in 1994 (before the re-profile) when I was 9 and I remember LOVING it. I was incredibly upset when they removed it, but in retrospect, it was probably the right thing to do with how unbelievably rough it was. However when I was 9, it didn't seem that rough, just banged my ears a little bit during the helix at the end. I always get very nostalgic whenever anyone mentions that ride. RIP Drachen Fire, we hardly knew ye.

 

[kingsdominionlvr]

^ I rode it in 1996, I didn't mind it, though it certainly was no where near one of my favorite coasters. I would compare it to Anaconda (KD) now as far as roughness goes. Basically, Griffonluv, if you don't like Anaconda, you wouldn't have liked Drachen Fire. One of my friends says he rode it shortly before they closed it for good, and the roughness was unbearable. But, when I rode it, I had no problems with the roughness.