Return to "The Beast" at PKI

It had been 16 years since I was last here. Son of Beast was down both days, and a major dissapointment to not be able to ride it. Arrived at the park at 5:00 pm 1st day and went straight to The Beast, which was the main reason for me to vist this park. It had left such a lasting impression on me 16 years ago, that I felt I had not yet met it's equal of any wood coaster I have ridden. I thought that it was time my family finally got to meet The Beast of which I have bragged on and dreamed about returning to for 16 years. I was impressed at how well maintained the coaster was, but very, very dissapointed at the reduced level of intensity it now has. It is now tremendously slowed from what it used to be as the chain lift on both hills seem to barely dump you over the top. Maybe they did this for maintenance, I don't know, but the legend of what it once was now lives only as a memory. A great coaster still, as it runs today, but if you have never experienced it running wide open, you have really missed something. I can't believe that they built a coaster such as Son of Beast after they have tamed The Beast so much. After riding The Beast several times, It did not really matter that SoB was down because my disappointment was for the Beast its self. I do still like The Beast, it's simply a great ride, it's just not what I remembered it to be.

I rode the Beast for the first time in 2000 and out of over 180 coasters I've been on it is my favorite. I only wish I couldn't have ridden it before it was tamed, but it's still great.

SOB was closed when I first went to the park, and I had to wait a whole year to ride it - you didn't miss anything, only a few bruises perhaps!


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Let the world know your Top 10 Coasters at http://www.coastergrotto.zzn.com

It's a funny thing about The Beast. At certain times of the year or even certain times of the day, the crew has been known to run him wide open. I recall being there 2 years ago and again last year when it did run full blast, but there have been other times when my ride wasn't much different than yours. I think a lot of the reasoning has to do with weather conditions and whatnot.

-Eric
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E Blitz Entertainment
Bay City, Michigan

When I rode it last Saturday, it was really disappointing during the day. But at night....oh at night! 'twas a ride indeed! Just thinking about it has the hair on the back of my neck raised.

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Yeeee Haaawwww!

Well, it is good to know that there still is some fire in the old boy once in a while. How lucky one is when you experience it untamed. A true #1 classic on anyone's list. And Jan- just thinking about it the last 16 years gave me the same feeling! I wonder if they run it full blast during ACE events? I'll just have to go back some day.

It'd be reason alone to join I'd imagine! ;)

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Yeeee Haaawwww!

It runs based on how we run the ride. If we get the trains moving quickly the ride is full go. But you throw in wheelchairs, and larger guests and it all slows us down. But usually at night time we get our best crew members up there when possible to put the trains on time. Once on time the train shouldn't stop till it hits the station.

My first rides were opening year (1979) and it wasn't until twenty-two years later that I returned. Sonny was first up and I worked my way around to Poppa later in the day. When did they connect the concrete tunnels with the wood structure? I got back to Sonny by night-fall and then closed out my night on Poppa with the fireworks going off. A couple of great woodies, though Sonny is trying too hard and Poppa is a little soft around the middle. In the dark Poppa is still great, maybe even top ten material.
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21 parks so far in 2001.
Tremors, my 100th coaster.
Ghostrider, stopped counting laps at 100.

*** This post was edited by boblogone on 9/13/2001. ***