Scott And Carol Present - Goliath at Six Flags Great America

We arrived in the dark, to better bring you pictures of the sun rising over Goliath, symbolizing the dawn of a new coaster at Six Flags Great America. Unfortunately, it was so cloudy you couldn't even see the sun and the threatening weather ruled the day. It didn't really matter, everyone was excited to finally ride the latest Rocky Mountain Coaster wooden hybrid coaster that they refused to let anything dampen their spirits.

Hank Salemi, park president, welcomed people to the grand opening after daylight, and just before the sky opened the faucets. The park has something to crow about since Goliath breaks three existing world records for wood coasters.

 The Gladiators arrived to provide a nice visual for the television crews.

 

But here are the real Gladiators of Goliath, the Rocky Mountain Construction Goliath installation crew. These are the guys who braved one of the worst winters in Gurnee's history and just like the mailman, they delivered!



Here is an overall aerial view of Goliath from Sky Trek Tower. This was the original design of the lift hill, not a change. Artistic license was used in the creation of the simulation so it did not show the correct structure.



We took our first ride with Alan Schilke, lead designer of Goliath and many other coasters. He talks about the challenges of perfecting the layout for Six Flags Great America's new roller coaster, and one of the downsides of being a coaster designer.

A new sign guides riders to the redesigned station, leftover from Iron Wolf. Oncoming riders have a great view of the train climbing the lift, and they will see how fast it goes through the course. Goliath has polyurethane coated wheels which give it a different sound than a traditional wood coaster, but they sure make the ride smooth.

The lift hill of Goliath reaches 165 feet skyward, and it goes below grade to complete the 180 foot drop. We showed how deep the tunnel was here, on a construction tour last winter.

The 85 degree first drop with a nice blue sky the Saturday prior to Media Day. We took some pictures during the commercial/B-Roll shoot. Riding in the back seat is the most intense spot on the six car train. With only lower body restraints, every rider on the train has a great view of the many unique elements of Goliath.

You can see the brightly painted "Topper Track" throughout the structure as it twists and turns along the 3,100 feet of track. The train is exiting the tunnel as it heads back towards the station.

The over banked turn after the first drop gives riders a preview of things to come. The first pass through the tunnel is just before the track rises up towards this turn.

The Spacely Sprockets Rocket family roller coaster in the foreground is a good training tool for those not tall enough to tame the airtime of Goliath. Conveniently located just around the corner, it makes it easier for families to regroup after their rides.

You can see the cameraman in position to shoot the zero-g stall video as the train roars by going approximately 50 mph. The top speed of Goliath is 72 mph, at the bottom of the first drop. The compact layout is evident in this shot because you can see three separate pathways for the train.

After traversing the over banked turn, on the decline the riders experience another radical change in orientation. The elements seem to flow into each other, without any pauses, changing east, west, north, south, up, and down, almost as quickly as you read through the different options. 

Here is the top of the dive loop... 

and here is the down side, but thrill seekers won't find anything down about this element! 

  

After the dive loop the trains heads up to the zero-g stall, a great feature of Goliath.



Fred and Suanne, owners of Rocky Mountain Construction, recently announced they are doubling the size of their track manufacturing plant, to better serve the industry. They also had high praise for the crew who built Goliath.

With live shot cameras on the front, and on ride videos set for the middle, there was lots of media interest in Goliath. With the longest drop and fastest speed of any type of wooden coaster, national attention was given to the opening of this new rollercoaster.

If you just can't wait, here is the POV, courtesy of Six Flags Great America. Our thanks to Katy, and the rest of the Six Flags Great America crew, for their assistance on both 6/14/2014 and Media Day. Also Alan, Fred, and Suanne, for talking with us and graciously answering our questions, no matter how strange they seemed.

Scott And Carol Present - The Little Coaster that Roared into Story Land!

 

 

 

Story Land is a park unfamiliar to most coaster enthusiasts. While it has had the Polar coaster for years, the addition of Roar-O-Saurus has made the park a mandatory stop for everyone who enjoys wooden roller coasters.

 



 

With the official title of Assistant General Manager, Jack has the unofficial title of park historian. As keeper of the traditions for Storyland, he is the go to person for great park stories.

 

 

These genuine German dolls provided the inspiration for Story Land. Currently in the conference room, the park is looking at options to put them on display for everyone to enjoy.

 

 

If you follow the Roar-O-Saurus signs you will soon come across this gem of a family wooden coaster.  The height of 40 feet really stands out in Story Land.

 

This rather large dinosaur, just outside the entrance to Roar-O-Saurus, is animated and actually moves the branches of the tree as it "feeds.

 

One of the many unique elements of Roar-O-Saurus is this high speed turn inside the lift hills support structure with a prehistoric onlooker who seems frozen in time.

 

 

The beautiful blue sky and fluffy white clouds provide a wonderful back drop as the six car Timberliner train descends the 38.5 foot 1st drop.

 

This close-up of the 1st drop shows the wide variety of coaster riders, with their  respective array of varying expressions, enjoying the ride.

 

Here a young rider flys through the bowels of Roar-O-Saurus. She appears to be either having a good time or trying to eat a bug?

 

The second half of the coaster's double-down has these young ladies holding on tight.

 

The fun has just begun, stay turn for part two, where we venture to the more hidden aspects of Roar-O-Saurus. A big thank you to Jack for being on guide on the adventure, including the great construction photos he provide that helped us get through the winter! 

Scott And Carol Present - Kings Island's Banshee Takes Flight Part 2

Here is the link to part 1 of the Kings Island's Banshee Takes Flight story posted on April 24th, 2014 for NPN readers who may have missed it.

There are lots of positive "Gs" throughout the ride, and the change up on the flat spin near the end is disorienting in a very fun sort of way. Even with its forcefulness, Banshee is very reridable for the average park guest.

The slow-motion roll at the end of the ride is a wonderful surprise for first-time riders. All day long trains returned to applause and cheers.

Rob Decker, led the creative team that helped bring about the Banshee experience. He tells us that due to the popularity of the Halloween season, Cedar Fair is revisiting names like Possessed and Banshee. He believes the hill is haunted, "because it's on the Internet." When you enjoy the queue experience, it's due to the Cedar Fair team effort.

Banshee doesn't let up in either the speed or the forcefulness throughout the ride. And every time you go upside down it's the beginning of another great drop with airtime. The radius of the pullouts is tight and intense.

The majestic elements have fast transitions with no time to pause/catch your breathe throughout the entire ride. Even with the massive size of the elements, they still deliver a wonderful forcefulness that reminds you that this is not a family coaster.

Sophie Bolliger gives a us a few words on how privileged they felt to be changing the skyline of Kings Island. They have created yet another masterpiece, by utilizing the terrain in a unique way. The improvement in the restraints is also appreciated.

For some, the incredible first drop will be the high point of Banshee but that is just the beginning. B & M has strung together a series of lengthy drops, with the starting point of each a different type of inversion.

While the Banshee exit is close to the newly renamed Bat, if the timing is right, you can get a great views of either ride from the other one.

Here is your front seat ride on Banshee, courtesy of Kings island. Spoiler alert, if you would like to be surprised on your first ride, this gives it all away.

Our thanks to Jeff, who took us behind the fence for some better views of Banshee. 

The eternal flame for Son of Beast is a nice touch. Some riders still carry a torch for the ride, but now Kings Island allows you to relight it when you pass through the queue for Banshee. Whatever you felt about Son of Beast, you will remember it. 

Our thanks to Don, Robb, Greg, Jeff, Sophie, and the entire Kings Island crew for their assistance in bringing you this story. Special kudos to Kings Island's maintenance, for their excellent work on getting Banshee rolling in the cold weather.

Scott And Carol Present - Kings Island's Banshee Takes Flight!

We promised you more, so here is what Banshee looks like after the sun came out to join the festivities. Despite how bright the light, it was still cold until lunch was served. 

In the foreground is one of the many Gothic lights that adorn the queue and Banshee's station. They flicker, adding that extra touch of foreboding.

When Kings Island is open, you can visit the top of the Eiffel Tower for a great view of all the roller coasters, except Flight of Fear, which never sees the daylight. 

Here is all 4,121 feet of track encompassing seven inversions. The official colors are moonlight blue support structure with mystic red track for the three trains. The 150 foot first drop curves from right to left.

No generic cyclone fencing for the restricted areas on this ride! The structure is use to create feelings of closeness as the train flies along the track. 

 

Here is our ride on Banshee, well before the temperature began to climb. The incredible job done by Kings Island maintenance department had the coaster running from the start.

Riders swoop low to the ground, which serves to heighten the sensation of speed. Due to no midcourse brake, Banshee actually goes faster after the midpoint due to Bolliger & Mabillard's clever utilization of the terrain. The maximum speed is 68 mph.

Banshee riders find themselves in this position seven times during the ride experience. The new spring-loaded "vest" restraints are similar to the wing-rider trains. They do not lock down like the early wing-riders before the update.

 

Greg Scheid, Vice President and General Manager of Kings Island, has nothing but good things to share about the ride, and the process. With this being the largest investment since the opening of Kings Island, it is surely $25,000,000 well spent.

Here is the view of the loop over the lift hill from above showing the intricacies of the structure. The large majestic elements proved to be surprisingly forceful, encouraging riders to came back around to ride it again. With a capacity of around 1600 riders per hour, the lines will constantly be moving at Banshee.

 

So this is Part One of our Banshee review. Check back later for even more, we are going to go ride it again!

Scott And Carol Present - A Banshee Teaser

On April 17th 2014 Kings Island unveiled their latest roller coaster...The Banshee! It is the longest inverted roller coaster in the world.

The park pulled out all the stops to welcome us. This Banshee ice sculpture was located in the VIP Reception area.

Our day had an early start with trains pulling out of the station, with the sky still dark and all the lights on.

The Banshee's eyes lit up as she cleverly clutched rider in her grasp. Many time she held them upside down.

It was a very chilly start to a wonderful day! Kings Island's maintenance department worked very hard to insure that the Banshee took flight at the appointed hour. Only 48 hours prior Banshee was experiencing snow.

You will have to wait for the rest of the story, because we are on the road all weekend.