The Coaster Critic's Blog

New Ring°Racer Video Shows the World's Fastest Coaster in Action
Finally, more images and a video has been posted on the S&S web site of the Ring°Racer coaster coming to Nürburgring in Germany. It's called 'F1 Coaster' on their web site, but there's little doubt that this an animated video of Ring°Racer. When it opens in June 2009, it will surpass Six Flags Great Adventure's Kingda Ka which tops out at a blistering 128 mph. Ring°Racer will push the envelope even further with a top speed of 134 mph (217 km/h).

The world's new fastest coaster will have an appropriate home. According to wikipedia, Nürburgring, known as simply "The Ring" by enthusiasts, is a motorsport race track in Nürburg, Germany. Like the infamous Autobahn it includes public acceess roads where anyone with a registered car can drive as fast as they want.

Ring°Racer Takes the Crown
This will be the first time that I can remember the Germans holding a major roller coaster world record. Unlike, the 1990's, I doubt this will kick off another coaster arms race due to the state of the economy, but you never know. Kingda Ka will still hold the height record and is so insanely fast that I doubt Six Flags will blink. Besides, the general public that makes up the majority of the park's patrons will have never heard of Ring°Racer.

Check out this pov video of the ring°racer at Nurburgring:

Ring°Racer's Unbelievable Launch
The ride looks pretty short, but so are Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka. Obviously, the real draw here is going to be that insane launch of 0 to 134 mph in only 2.5 seconds. Kingda Ka doesn't reach its top speed until 3.5 seconds. The video can't possibly to the launch justice, but it will likel become legendary. Well, at least until it's surpassed by another record breaking roller coaster.

What's Your Take?
What do you think of this future top speed champ? Is it enough for you to hop on a plane to Germany? Any Germans out there excited for Ring°Racer? Leave a comment below.

Beast at Kings Island | Roller Coaster Reviews
Once again, I traveled westward for another much hyped woodie. This time I was in search of the Beast at Kings Island. For nearly three decades it's been the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. I've been looking forward to riding it for a decade. Between expensive Cincinnati airfare and that fateful April day in '05 when Kings Island closed for SNOW!, it's taken me years to make it to Kings Island and the Beast.

The Pre-Ride Experience
As I neared the section of the park where the Beast lurked I found a pretty cool sign and a Coaster Landmark plaque from the American Coaster Enthusiasts. The sign also helps people find the Beast as the station is tucked away in a corner of the park and only parts of the ride's track can be seen from other lift hills. Part of the mystique of the Beast is its location in 35 wooded acres in the back of Kings Island. The station was a lightly themed saw mill. I was pleased to find an excited station with a skinny, speckled DJ with the gift of gab. He kept the station abuzz with excitement as trains filled with happy riders entered and exited. Through my travels I've found that a lively station is a trademark of world-class roller coaster and the Beast is no different.

An Unforgettable Night Ride
After hearing, "Enjoy your 4 minute and 50 second ride" we were off. The train took a smooth right turn out of the station and we approached the lift hill. As always, the lift hill built the anticipation of the drop to come, but on this particular ride there was an additional treat. A large pink moon hung over the dark wilderness. It lightly illuminated the forest below. Riders were awe-stricken by the beautiful sight and now we were about to be treated to an unforgettable night ride on the Beast.

We plunged down the opening 135-foot drop and immediately into the rocky mouth of an underground tunnel. The train flew out of the tunnel and banked to the left and our journey through the Ohioan wilderness had officially begun. The second drop was a memorable airtime hill that hugged the rolling terrain. At night the barely visible trees were accented with fireflies. This was one of the most remarkable sights I've ever experienced on a coaster. The cool air in the woods was a welcomed relief from the humid stickiness of the packed station.

Next the train banked to the right and stormed through the long, flat covered section. After a right turn and a small dip the train charged into the second tunnel. This tunnel was much longer than the first and at times was pitch black, especially at night. After exiting the second tunnel there were a few more turns that set us up for the second lift hill. The real strength of the first half of the ride was the speed, just a touch of airtime on hill #2 and the sheer distance covered in an unusual atmosphere. For the second act the Beast really lived up to his name.

The Beast's Famous Helix Finale
On coasters like Big Bad Wolf, the second lift hill really steals the moment of the ride. Because most coasters would be over by this point I didn't mind the break in action. I had already been given a satisfying ride, the rest was like a bonus. Atop the lift the train turned to the left and began a long (141 feet), but very gradual 18-degree drop. It couldn't look more tame in pictures, but I had heard such great things about the mighty Beast's helix. And I wasn't disappointed.

At first, the train gradually gained speed, but before we knew it we were barreling towards what appeared to be a black dead end in the mouth of the first helix tunnel. Somehow the train stayed on the track and we experienced some vicious lateral g-forces. It's complete mayhem in the helix tunnels, but for some reason even after 28 years its not a rough or painful experience. After surviving the first covered helix the train marches around the downward helix and plows through another covered helix. Then, finally, the Beast released his grip on us. We coasted for a while back to the station where we passed over a dispatching train set to embark on the same 4 minute and 50 second adventure we had just experienced. The Beast gave me three amazing rides and it lands at number 6 on my Top Ten Coasters. Final Rating - 10.0 (Superior)

Take a virtual ride! Check out this onride video of the Beast at Kings Island:


Got a comment or question about Beast? Leave a comment below. Photos 2-4 courtesy of CoasterImage.

Twin Peaks: Kingda Ka vs. Top Thrill Dragster
One of the most common comparisons in enthusiastland involves the two tallest and fastest roller coasters on Earth. It's like Everest and K2. They are very similar strata coasters that launch riders from 0 to 100+ miles per hour in a matter of seconds. They both take riders over 400 feet into the air only to send them spiraling back down to Earth.

Since Six Flags Great Adventure's Kingda Ka was built second, it bested Top Thrill Dragster's 420' peak by 36 feet and added a second 129' hill. Thanks to a rainy day at Cedar Point, Top Thrill Dragster closed before I was able to ride it. So I really can't give a clear cut winner from my ride experience. But I'll compare and contrast what I've observed of the two rides.

Theming the Sky Scrapers
Kingda Ka's Golden Kingdom is nice, but Top Thrill Dragster's dragster-inspired trains, station, and observation area take the cake.
Edge: Top Thrill Dragster

A View from a Hill
On a clear day you can see New York City and Philadelphia from the top of Kingda Ka. TTD's view of Lake Erie and Canada(!) is probably more memorable.
Edge: Top Thrill Dragster

Ride Experience
Again, the rides are pretty similar and I seriously doubt the additional 18 feet on Kingda Ka's drop is perceptible. Ditto for the heights at about 42-stories and 45-stories and the speeds at 120 mph and 128 mph. Kingda Ka does boast that second hill which does offer some airtime in certain seats.
Edge: Kingda Ka

Verdict
You decide! I'm sure some of my readers have ridden both Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster. Which ride gave more airtime on the top hat, felt faster or smoother? Which did you just enjoy more? Leave a comment below.

Kennywood Offered a Unique Hyper Coaster in Steel Phantom
Phantom's Revenge was originally known as Steel Phantom. It was Kennywood's entry in the Coaster Arms Race of the 1990's. Theme parks around the world were trying to one-up each other in boasting the tallest roller coaster in the world. Coaster designer Arrow had a large part to play in the Race. In most cases they were brought in to build coasters with a tall first hill that broke the current world record. Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point, Desperado at Buffalo Bill's Resort, and Pepsi Max Big One at Pleasure Beach were some of the major players.

Steel Phantom was One of a Kind
Unlike those hypercoasters, Steel Phantom was not technically taller than 200 feet, but it did take riders down a breathtaking 225' drop down a ravine and through Thunderbolt's support structure. After the intense drop, Steel Phantom unleashed 4 loops including a boomerang (2), vertical loop, and a corkscrew. Unfortunately, I was never able to experience Steel Phantom before it was transformed into Phantom's Revenge. As Phantom's Revenge it was given a traditional hypercoaster make-over and the four inversions were replaced with airtime bunny hills. I really like terrain coasters and looping steel coasters. I think I would've loved Steel Phantom.

Check out this onride coaster video of Steel Phantom. It's from a news story in 1991.

Image & video courtesy of CoasterImage
Do you have any memories of Steel Phantom? Do you like Steel Phantom better or do you prefer Phantom's Revenge? Leave a comment below.

The World's Only Looping
Wooden Coaster Will Be No More
After the accident on the Son of Beast last year that injured dozens of people, new Kings Island owner Cedar Fair has decided to remove the Son of Beast's sole vertical loop. For King's Island fans this is still much better than the complete removal of the coaster. But, Son of Beast will loose it's title as the world's only looping wooden coaster. Thanks to a stinking, snowy day (in APRIL!) I never got the chance to ride Son of Beast, so I can't really chime in on what the loop or the entire ride is like.

The consensus in the coaster enthusiast community is that the Son of Beast is an ultra-rough, abomination. It's massive in terms of height and speed (for a wooden coaster) and the loop seems to be added for the mere sake of marketing. Purists, especially woodie fans, would argue that wooden coasters don't need loops even if it is possible. All of the height and speed don't amount to much, but a really rough and intense ride. I've rarely seen "fun" in a Son of Beast review. Alas, I don't have first-hand experience.

Meanwhile, in Switzerland, Intamin quietly begins working on a looping wooden coaster. With the incredible smoothness of their prefabricated wooden coasters, like El Toro, they could pull it off if any designers could. I'm sure some park will want to take the crown at some point in the future even if it's an unnatural marriage of steel and wooden coaster qualities.

What do you think of the Son of Beast's de-looping?

Photo courtesy of bdougherty

The Coaster Critic v.s. The World Champ
After my rainy trip to Cedar Point and the subsequent closing of Top Thrill Dragster, I was looking forward to getting to Six Flags Great Adventure. Not only does Great Adventure have the only other Strata Coaster on the planet, they boast the world record holder for height (456') and speed (128 mph) in Kingda Ka.

Loading was very slow going and the park was only running two trains while two more set off to the side. If I didn't have a Flash Pass I don't think I would have waited for a second or third ride. Waits were 2 hours or more, but with the pass I waited about 15 minutes at most. While I didn't get to ride Top Thrill Dragster thanks to the rain, I do prefer it's theming and integration into the park over Kingda Ka's. The launch area was near a foot path, but exotic foliage partially blocked the view of the launch section. There were onlookers and you could see the launches, but why not highlight them instead of hide them? Six Flags dropped the ball in that regard.

Any Last Words?
Kingda Ka's intimidating launch and ridiculous height had quite an effect on the park-goers. In the station and aboard the trains people were saying their goodbyes. "If I die you can have my girlfriend," said one teenaged rider to a much older gentleman in line. One girl frantically told her boyfriend that she loved him just before the launch. She begged him to put his arms down for fear that they might be dislocated by the intense launch. Some thuggish city types standing near the launch area were yelling to their scared friend waiting to be launched. "When you hear the click you got 5 seconds [left]!" They laughed for a moment at the double meaning. If I could have taken excerpts from what people said you'd think we were in a war zone of some kind, not an amusement park. It was silly, but entertaining at the same time.

A Rocket Coaster Indeed
On my first ride they sounded a horn. On my two later rides there was no horn, just the train shifting backwards a few feet and small click. It was the only warning before we started tearing down the long straight track. The faster it got I realized my head was pinned to the headrest and my cheeks were being pushed back. The train felt like it was going TOO FAST. It was unreal! Over in the new Plaza del Carnival section people just heard what sounded almost like thunder, but it came from the ground not the sky. As we hit top speed (128 mph), the train's rattling like it might come apart and then you begin your ascent.

The View From the Top of the (Coaster) World
Cresting the top was awesome. The view was amazing and the quietness was in direct contrast to the mayhem from seconds earlier. From certain seats I got a little pop of air at the top. Really about as much as you'd want when your 45-stories up. Extreme El Toro-like airtime that high would be pretty terrifying. Call me stupid, but I didn't expect the drop to be that great. Maybe because I've scoffed at other ultra steep drops offered by coasters like Hypersonic and SheiKra. Kingda Ka's drop is fun, you feel yourself dropping and you get that nice twist on the way down. Vehicles in the parking lot below looked like ants. As we picked up speed on your way back down to Earth the ride became pretty rough again. You crest that second hill and you smoothly decelerate. I think I was sitting towards the front when I got a little lift on that second hill. It was nothing to write home about, but just perceptible.

If I were rating thrill rides, Kingda Ka would get a 10! But as a coaster it's way too short and pretty rough in some seats. It has a reported time of 28 seconds, but it felt even shorter. Six Flags really needs to work on the capacity and loading time. If they have four trains, then they should use them. I also hear that break downs are very common. I experienced a brief amount of downtime on my trip. The points here are for the insane experience that the launch provided, that unforgettable view, and the long drop. It's a great experience, but not a great overall coaster. I'm giving Kingda Ka a very weak 8. Final Rating - 8.0 (Great)
Check out the rest of my rating scale here. Video could never do 128 mph justice, but here's a roller coaster video of Kingda Ka.

What do you think about Kingda Ka? Leave a comment below.

A great example of bigger not always being better.
I had a short 20 minute or so wait on a rainy, dreary day in May. I was looking forward to my trip to the 'Coaster Capital' (Cedar Point) for a number of reasons, including riding my 100th new coaster. As I arrived at Cedar Point I was drawn to Millennium Force like a magnet. It was to be number 100. The ultra-steep lift hill was very intimidating even for a seasoned vet like me. Luckily, I was able to draw on the courage of the pre-teens I rode with. The quiet, speedy lift doesn't help to settle your nerves as you quickly rise high into the air and feel like your basically over Lake Erie. And then, the BEST and most intense drop I've ever experienced. I fought the urge to pull my hands down and hold on as we plummeted down the longest drop of my life. I figured that if the kid half my age could keep his hands up so could I.

Finally, we reached the bottom, and we were being pelted with a light rain at 90+ miles per hour. Next, we're thrown into the huge over-banked turn. It reminded me of the Superman: Ride of Steel (@ Six Flags New England) only much larger. After the over-bank MF let me down. The rest of the ride was very fast and relatively smooth, but not all that thrilling. And for me, the hills offered NO airtime. None. Well, the small hill right next to the station offered a little lift, but nothing to write home about. Where Superman: Ride of Steel (again I'm referring to the SFNE version) offers a thrilling opening and a near flawless middle and finale, Millennium Force doesn't do much with it's layout. It didn't bore me by any means, but it definitely didn't wow me either.

Also, the theming was lackluster and almost non-existent. But how do you theme something called Millennium Force? I guess Cedar Point needed a name that meant: big, high tech, and opening at the start of the new millennium. Never mind the fact that the real start of the millennium was 2001. I admit that I may be a bit too critical of coaster names.

Millennium Force offers an exhilarating ride, but by no means is it a classic. For one of those see that shorter, slower, older red coaster on the other side of the isle. This is a great coaster, but I think it gets more credit than it deserves. The points here are for the unique lift, breath-taking drop, smoothness, setting, and the speed which is unparalleled for a coaster of this length. Final Rating - 9.0 (Excellent)

Wondering how good a 9.0 is? Check out the CCCS to find out. Also, watch this roller coaster video of Millennium Force to get a taste of what it's like.

What do you think about Millennium Force? Leave a comment below.

The Revolutionary Coaster that Started A New Era
After being encouraged to make Magnum my 100th coaster, I went against the advice and just rushed to Millennium Force instead. I wish I would've listened to the advice because on my trip to Cedar Point, Magnum stole the show. The hype for the prototypical hyper coaster (coasters over 200 feet tall) was huge. I'd look at on-ride footage and pictures and was always very unimpressed. It just didn't look like much to me. But this is a great example of a coaster you just have to ride to appreciate.

The long, slow lift hill offered a great view of Lake Erie. The first drop is pretty strong considering it's not that tall by today's standards. There's a slight turn at the crest of the next hill. After the second drop into the tunnel the train just becomes possessed and gave a pretty intense ride. The pretzel turn around is fun and the burst of speed when you leave it is pretty surprising.

The trip back to the station is stuffed with ejector air. You almost feel like you're out of your seat as much as you're in it even though that's not the case. While the air time is fun it does approach roughness. In contrast the air on Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England is forceful, but not as rough. Of course, Magnum is much, much older, but the rough ejector air was still a factor. The station, with it's outdated futuristic look offered a dash of theming and it seemed pretty lively. I was blessed with two back to back walk-ons of this ride thanks to large storm system sitting over the area. I can finally see why the Magnum has the reputation it does. It's an older ride, but it makes up for it's modest stats with more personality than a lot of the newer thrill rides out there. So it turned out that my 101st coaster was the highlight of my trip to Cedar Point. Final Rating - 9.5 (Excellent-Approaching Superior)

Want to know how amazing a 9.5? Check out the CCCS. Also, check out this great onride roller coaster video of Magnum XL-200.