Re: boardwalk bullet anyone.....
I rode it recently for the first time and absolutely LOVED it! The park was not crowded and I got over 20 laps with my unlimited rides wristband even though the ride opened later than other rides (at around 5 PM for a 12 noon opening).
Most of my rides were at night with about 2 thirds of them in the front seat, and the rest in the back car. I could have had even more night rides but opted to take a break from the woodie to spend about an hour getting night rides on the park's other rides, including the drop tower, Aviator, observation tower, train, carousel, Wipeout, and Pharoh's Fury. With a 9 PM close and standard time finally in effect, this still gave me about 2 hours worth of nightime ERT on the coaster!
As for any alleged "roughness", I didn't notice anything, but I have yet to meet a woodie yet that was too "rough" for my taste. All woodies are marathonable for me, with the main thing that distinguishes them from each other in my mind being their thrill factor - speed, intensity, aggression, out-of-control feeling, surprise factor, airtime, etc., - but mostly airtime, more than anything else, is what I love the most.
And Boardwalk Bullet delivered the goods! I counted 7 spots of solid frontseat air and almost as much in the back, though of course some came in different places. In addition to the twisted layout, another thing this has in common with many GCI's is very, very, solid frontseat air, and more moments of frontseat air than backseat air.
The first drop gives a nice float in the back car all the way down the hill, while the two rapid-fire bunny hills after the long right-hand turn at the bottom of the drop provided killer front seat air - the kind where you can land on top of of the seat divider because the track turns while you are airborn. I LOVED it!
I loved the twisted layout, which took me almost 10 laps before I knew what was coming next, which is a lot for me. While the twisted layout reminded me of GCIs, the ride had a more intense, out-of control, unpredictable feel to it than most GCIs I've ridden. The only slow spot was towards the very end. The ride does not hit the final brakes "hot", as others have said and that is the only small "flaw" on an otherwise amazing ride. If the Cyclone and it's clones are a "12 acre ride on a 3 acre site", than Bullet is a "12 acre ride on a one acre site!"
Bullet to me is a perfect example of how a small facility can level the playing field (as far as thrills go) with the large themers by building a woodie than can more than hold its own with, and outclass, many of their woodies. (another example being the Dania Beach Hurricane)
IMO, Kemah Boardwalk and the Bullet is definitely worth visiting, whether because you're in the area or making a special trip to ride it. My one word of caution is to call the park first, especially if making a special trip, because even though the rides at the Boardwalk are open every day of the year (except for Christmas and I think Thanksgiving) there is a chance the woodie could be down for maintainence, particularly in non-peak seasons. So call before you go.
But otherwise, a world-class, kick-ass woodie with an aggressive, unpredictable layout and several solid spots of airtime that is open ALMOST every day of the year AND gives night rides almost every night of the year - what's not to love! 
PS. I also have to give props to the new-for-2009 drop tower, the Drop Zone, which had great airtime, floating down the entire drop. The placement is inspiring with a view directly looking at Galveston Bay to the east and the park itself on the other sides. Night rides - staring into the vast blackness of the water with the full moon reflected on the water providing the only illumination - were quite sublime.
Last edited by Frontrider, November 6, 2009, 5:42A