Hands up!

[sharpstick]

Is there a reason why everyone holds their arms in the air on roller coasters?

[EricGarbo]

It's called the 'Power Pose.' Runners do it when crossing the finish line of a race. It's basically the most alpha position possible. When you're on a roller coaster and the blood gets pumping and you feel on top of the world where nothing can bring you down you do your best to strike the power pose as best you can by throwing your arms up in the air.

[MFJorts]

I don't really see it as a "power pose" as such. To me it is more about letting go and allowing the roller coaster to throw me around and out of my seat instead of clutching onto the lap bar super tight, eliminating the effects of the forces. Throwing my hands up in the air is more of a "Look, Ma! No hands!" sort of thing.

[rcjp]

I don't really see it as a "power pose" as such. To me it is more about letting go and allowing the roller coaster to throw me around and out of my seat instead of clutching onto the lap bar super tight, eliminating the effects of the forces.

 

Couldn't agree more.

It's not by chance that I tend to raise my hands a lot more on coasters with lots of different forces, specially the ones that have airtime.

Usually when riding coasters that rely more on inversions and positive Gs I just lay my hands on my legs or something. When riding rides that rely more on airtime, that's when I like to throw my hands in the air the most (like skyrush).

[XYZ]

Riding with your hands up is simply more fun. Medusa (DK)'s zero-G roll is a perfect example of this. If you hold on to the OTSR during the zero-G roll, you don't feel much, but if you don't hold on to it, it's much more exciting.

[Pyrozooka0]

They are preying to the Coaster Gods, especially the God of

[A.J.]

I typically put my hands up when going over hills. At the bottoms of hills, I keep my hands on a grab bar and my body all the way back against the seat so I don't get thrown around.

[Schrecken]

For me, I think that it enhances the sense of airtime you get on certain coasters, like you are truly just floating or lifting up out of your seat. I do it on airtime hills and also on inversions like zero-g corkscrews on B&M coasters and others where you literally float in your seat for a second or two. I also do it on flat rides like S&S screaming swings and Huss Giant Frisbees where you get floating airtime and a little hang time to enhance the sensations.

The only ones where I hold on are coasters and rides that have sharp lateral directional changes so that I can stabilize myself so I don't hurt my back.

[B&MBoy1982]

It seems like a good idea at the time?

 

Me in front in my Club TPR shirt with coaster hair, and moobs on Gatekeeper Media Day!

 

Hands up is a freeing and exhilarating experience for me.

 

My first hands free ride was on Kumba in 1994. It was my fourth ride on the coaster, and when it got to the top, I put my hands up. I only held on during the zero g roll, and now I am hands up all the way!

[rcjp]

That picture of Millennium Force reminded me of the way people raise their hands more or less according to the coaster. I remember when I was in line for MF I noticed that, at least near the end, everyone had their hands in the air. I suppose that it is mainly because, as it is a long and not very intense ride people gradually gain more confidence as they get through the course and even the ones that didn't originally have their hands up will raise them eventually. Also, throughout the rest of the park most people seemed to do the same so maybe it also has to do with the public that Cedar Point has. I will never forget when, after one of my rides on Skyrush I was looking at the photos and noticed how I was the only one out of 32 people who had their hands up when the picture was taken. Probably that's just because the drop has insane ejector air and most people (even the ones who had their hands up) will instinctively grab the restraints so when they get to the bottom of the first drop (where the pictures are taken) almost no one will have their hands up in the air.

[gisco]

I put my hands up because it is fun! I think it is the loss of control, letting the coaster dictate how you move over the hills and turns.

 

I think letting go enhances floater airtime too!

[cmullin]

It makes the ride feel more free to me. Just let the ride do what it's going to do. It's not even a thought anymore though, it's automatic for me.

[Wes]

So the ladies know I'm a badassssssss

[Jew]

I put my hands up because it is fun! I think it is the loss of control, letting the coaster dictate how you move over the hills and turns.

 

I think letting go enhances floater airtime too!

 

My thoughts exactly! Shouldn't have to worry about bracing yourself if the ride is good.

[Schrecken]

That picture of Millennium Force reminded me of the way people raise their hands more or less according to the coaster. I remember when I was in line for MF I noticed that, at least near the end, everyone had their hands in the air. I suppose that it is mainly because, as it is a long and not very intense ride people gradually gain more confidence as they get through the course and even the ones that didn't originally have their hands up will raise them eventually. Also, throughout the rest of the park most people seemed to do the same so maybe it also has to do with the public that Cedar Point has. I will never forget when, after one of my rides on Skyrush I was looking at the photos and noticed how I was the only one out of 32 people who had their hands up when the picture was taken. Probably that's just because the drop has insane ejector air and most people (even the ones who had their hands up) will instinctively grab the restraints so when they get to the bottom of the first drop (where the pictures are taken) almost no one will have their hands up in the air.

 

You're right about very few people putting their hands up on Skyrush, but I also think that is because of the way riders are whipped around laterally for the rest of the ride. People hold on to stabilize themselves (yes, the drop is so ferocious negative-g wise, that would account for the on-ride pics of most riders holding on, but there are lots of off-ride pics where you seldom see more than maybe 2 or 4 people per train going hands-up anywhere along the track) so they don't flop around like trees in hurricane force winds. I can put my hands up for most of the ride on El Toro, which has some similar killer negatives, (but not Skyrush), because El Toro lacks the hard-core laterals.

[rcjp]

^I actually quite like the feeling of being thrown around like on Skyrush, that's why I had my hands up. The only thing keeping me from having them up all the time was the fact that the restraints hurt my legs quite a bit on the airtime moments and I sometimes had to grab them to relieve the pain. (I think that I managed not to grab them once on my second ride, though). But yeah, I suppose the "out of control" feeling is why most people grab the restrains on skyrush.

[TPDave]

I don't always do it (only if it's a fun coaster usually) but when I do it's so that you're not braced and can get thrown around a bit, makes the ride more exhilarating.

 

So not on Vekomas then

[Mrlittle]

I put my hands up because you know....

[robbalvey]

I put my hands up because it is fun! I think it is the loss of control, letting the coaster dictate how you move over the hills and turns.

 

I think letting go enhances floater airtime too!

Perfectly said!

[CorkscrewFoley]

I ride with my hands up, sometimes I'll reach for the grab bar or the side of the seat if I get a strong pop that totally surprises me...what I don't do...devil horns...there I said it. lol I'm also one who loves to be thrown around, and that's why I put my hands up...

[Ed Farmer]

I started to do the hands up thing right around the time I got over the initial fear of roller coasters when I was perhaps 13- not too long after that I began kind of keeping my hands under the lap bar so that it wouldn't slam down further/staple me when the train traverses a valley.

Hands up on a ride with OTSRs is sign language for kindly beat me in the face.

[Chroniq]

Hands up on a ride with OTSRs is sign language for kindly beat me in the face.

 

 

^This... I put my hands up on any lap bar ride simply for the floater/ejector air feeling to get maximized (as a side benefit, I'm able to also offend everyone around me with my terrible body odor . Putting your hands up on OTSR though is just saying punch me in the face... A follow up question for anyone who cares to respond- Are there any OTSR's that are SMOOTH enough for hands up?

[Ed Farmer]

A follow up question for anyone who cares to respond- Are there any OTSR's that are SMOOTH enough for hands up?

 

The only ones that come to mind from what I've ridden are the Busch Dive Coasters- but I'd rather let someone else verify that. The transitions on the 2nd-Gen designs seem like might be gradual/drawn out enough to allow for it.

[rcjp]

Are there any OTSR's that are SMOOTH enough for hands up?

 

Every single B&M that I've ridden apart from Mantis and Green Lantern closer to the back (and maybe raptor's cobra roll due to the slight snap). At least when I rode them I got absolutely no headbanging and I've ridden the ones at Cedar Point, Hershey, Dorney, Six Flags Great Adventure, Parque Warner Madrid and Portaventura.

[VF15]

I didn't start putting my hands up routinely until earlier this year, but I'm glad I've started doing it. Putting my hands up when possible helps me get more out of the ride. Letting go of the restraints makes me feel more out of control, which is an element that I really like in a coaster. If it's an airtime-oriented ride, hands up will usually help me get better/more airtime . I keep my hands down if the ride is rough, not particularly thrilling, or if the restraints wont allow putting hands up.