texcoaster Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 After sampling the nighttime pier last night (photos in the other Pier thread), I decided to head back down there today so I could get pics of the Iron Shark in the daytime. Oh, and a few more rides, of course! The closest free spot I could get on the seawall was a 25 minute walk to the pier. It was a nice day, so I didn't mind taking in the sunshine instead of paying for the premium lot. Besides, the people watching was pretty good today. Iron Shark beckons from behind a food stand The carousel isn't the eye candy during the day that it is at night, although there are some interesting animals on it including a Bald Eagle, a sea dragon, a shark, a dolphin, and a lion. The teacups are nicely done, although not many people rode them. I'd bet that this is one of the first to go if there's a swap-out for a different ride in the future. The Himalaya is themed well, with 50's music playing during the ride. We got "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay" and "Chantilly Lace" during the ride. The bumper cars finally got up and running this afternoon. Nice that they have both sports cars and jalopies to choose from. It's an electric floor model as opposed to the electric overhead chicken wire kind. A look down the boardwalk. The main thing is rides, although there are a few midway games, an antique photo stand, and a couple of minor food stands. The food (I haven't tried Bubba Gump yet, as there's always at least a 30min wait for a table) is the weak link of the pier experience. Below-average stuff, even for "park food," and way overpriced. Cyclone makes the rounds Iron Shark is currently the last ride you can get to on the pier. Just past the entrance is the construction barrier. The Whack-a-Mole loop is the last thing before the brake run A guy from Gerstlauer was on site today making adjustments. I saw him on the pier later and congratulated him/Gerstlauer on a very good ride. I asked if they planned to put the new OTSR-less cars on all the future Eurofighters and he said, "I hope so!" So do I. I can't emphasize enough how much more comfortable and thrilling that drop is in these cars-without-the-bars. The whole layout can be seen here. The brake run actually hangs off the edge of the pier a bit. The crew was running all three cars today and there was never a line. They have about 57 seconds from the dispatch of one car to advance the next car, unload, open the gates, collect loose articles, load the next riders, check the restraints, do a "visual scan", and dispatch the car if they want to run it without stacking. Last night and today, they were pulling this off really well. The coaster sits on blocks and rubber mats, but isn't bolted down. Instead, the grid work of beams sits between an upper and lower pier. The lower pier is what all the rides' foundations sit on. The upper pier sandwiches all those foundations and provides the walkway. Pirate's Plunge began testing just before I left. For a small drop with an empty boat, that's a pretty good splash! There is a "splash zone" waiting area if you want to get REALLY wet and an 8ft high wall to shield unsuspecting pedestrians from the wall of water The wall doesn't stop ALL the water, though. There's still a pretty substantial shower in store for those who aren't paying attention. It will be interesting to see if the splash is bigger with a boatload of riders. According to the sign at the entrance, they allow up to 5 riders per boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FilmoreISnAZN Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Wow! The pier looks extremely photogenic from the pictures you took. I love how it turned out and can't wait to see pictures with all the rides operating with people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Not going to lie - that's the first time I've seen a Larson Fire Ball that isn't themed to (ahem) a fireball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Edge of Beast- Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 The look of this pier makes me want to actually stop by if I ever go to Texas. You could mistake it for one of those Jersey piers! But yeah, nice photos, Iron Shark looks like a great little addition to the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted June 3, 2012 Author Share Posted June 3, 2012 It isn't up to par with places like Morey's, but it could hold its own against any of the smaller piers along the Jersey shore.... with the added bonus that it's NOT in Jersey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Thanks for the TR, tex. Iron Shark looks great, as does the pier. I'm looking forward to taking a spin or two tomorrow on Iron Shark before driving on to San Antonio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon8899 Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 The coaster sits on blocks and rubber mats, but isn't bolted down. This makes me hope to see a carnival version of the Eurofighter someday.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 What's with that SeaDragon? It's a SeaDagon boat on a Pharaoh's Fury structure. Weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
projekt15 Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 What's with that SeaDragon? It's a SeaDagon boat on a Pharaoh's Fury structure. Weird. That's pretty much what you get now when you order a Sea Dragon themed Pharoah's Fury from Chance Morgan. (They don't manufacture the old 2 trailer, larger Sea Dragon model anymore.) However, parks can order it custom.. have you seen Morey's new RipTide? One of the most awesome Chance ship rides I've ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacoaster09 Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Can anyone detail exactly how Iron Shark is not bolten to the anything but will be able to withstand a hurricane? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalCoasters Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Can anyone detail exactly how Iron Shark is not bolten to the anything but will be able to withstand a hurricane? I'd think the extremely well-engineered steel grid base which the ride sits on as well as the total weight of the steel multi-ton structure will keep it in place through strong winds. Just because the base sits of blocks and isn't bolted doesn't mean it isn't strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texcoaster Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Can anyone detail exactly how Iron Shark is not bolten to the anything but will be able to withstand a hurricane? There are two piers, one on top of the other. The lower pier has the footings for the rides like Iron Shark. Those are connected together with a framework of beams that hold the uprights in their proper places, so it's one giant latticework frame resting on the footers. It's (of course) insanely heavy and it would take more than a hurricane to move it. Even so, there is a second pier sandwiching that frame between them. The upper pier is the one you walk on and is the only one visible, usually. Iron Shark's uprights that hold the rollover aloft can be seen going right down through the decking of the upper pier and disappearing below. Edited to add: Also, there isn't much on Iron Shark that offers a lot of wind resistance. The track's design allows air to pass through it and the large uprights are all cylindrical, so the wind will slip around them easily. There are little or no flat surfaces to catch a gale wind. Even Boardwalk Bullet, with its flat-sided wood beams fared just fine during Hurricane Ike, even though pretty much everything else on the boardwalk was heavily damaged or destroyed, because the wind and water just passed through the structure with very little resistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 The picture of Iron Shark taken from the beach almost looks like a post card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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