The Coaster Critic's Blog

Ever wonder why there aren't more stand-up roller coasters?
Shockwave probably should've been scrapped long ago. It's got a decent first half, but I don't think park-goers would shed any tears if it was removed. After the death of a rider in 1999, the ride was repainted, but not removed. Apparently, the rider freed himself of the restraints while he was aboard and fell to his death. So it was rider error, not a malfunction or defect of Shockwave or negligence by Kings Dominion.

Loading always goes pretty slow, so it's not unusual to see the line spilling out onto the walkway. You might want to do yourself a favor and come back when the line's shorter. Shockwave is not worth a long wait. The restraints are stiff and uncomfortable. Riders should make sure that they're in a good position before the ride ops lock you in. The climb and the view of the park are nice. You can easily look more than 90 feet down at the ground below. The drop and the vertical loop combination has got to be the highlight of the ride. Right after the loop you enter a downward helix. It's pretty fun if you like strong g-forces.

From there on the ride is terrible. Those bunny hills are jerky and mechanical. Someone should give Togo a lesson on shaping hills. The uncomfortable restraints don't help as your thrown into them on those hills. I don't even know why they're there. Does bunny hills on a ride where you're in a standing position really make much sense? I almost gave Shockwave a 4, because the first half is kind of fun, but the load time, uncomfortable restraints, and horrendous finale bring it down a notch. It's also short making you feel like your long wait wasn't worth it. Final Rating - 3.5 (Bad Approaching Below Average)

Check out this onride video of Shockwave at Kings Dominion. It actually looks much better than it is. Maybe it's the dramatic music.

Photo courtesy of CoasterImage.com
What do you think of Shockwave? Should Kings Dominion scrap it or sell it like Hypersonic? Leave a comment below.