SOB Accident at Kings Island

You want good and rough, the kind of woodie where you feel like the thrusts to the left or right are leaving permanent indentations in your ribs, the kind of ride where you're not certain if you have an ass left after each hill descent. . .

Try doing 12 hours on the Blue Streak, which I had the pleasure of doing last summer during the Blue Streak Challenge.

I was delirious about 2 hours in, foaming at the mouth by the time we got to Hour 10 and taken away by the men in the white coats by Hour 12. . .

I always wondered what it would be like to do a 12-hour marathon on SOB, the Texas Giant, or some of the others that J7G3 mentions above. . .

I wouldn't mind doing a marathon on the Villain. It's gotten rough, but i still like it.

Tidbits from local media...

Graphic: "Terror on the Tracks"
Umm...tracks? Was this a railyard accident?

Blurb: "Despite the mishap, the park stayed open and ended the night in fireworks."
How DARE they?!

Soundbite: "They had to go through the second loop with a broken chest bone"
Put your own response in here.

Photo caption: "Cars suspended on track"
Wrong coaster.

Soundbite: "The Beast is silent tonight"
Again, wrong coaster in this context, though the Beast was silent, since the park was CLOSED for the evening.

I was wanting to rant on this, but I think the sensationalism, elitism, and outright stupidity speak for themselves.

You might need a hospital visit after a 12-hour SoB marathon.

Seriously, this is one of the roughest coasters that I have ever ridden. One of the worst parts is the rolling stock. But with something this size, would anything else have helped?

Heck, the least they could have done was make the seats cushy like the MFlyers and PTCs--not that horrible, Morgan-wannabe, Premier crap that should only be used on steel coasters.

Maybe it's time for a spin-off topic. . .

To kind of give us some relief from this SOB-BING day we've had. . .

Best Butt-Scraping Woodie You've Ever Been On. . .

Mine would have to be that thing at Williams Grove, I can't even remember what the name of it is. . .

The Coaster That Dare Not Be Named.

I remember watching pieces of the wood snap, crackle and pop, and move around, while you were riding it. . .

Shivering Timbers, indeed.

Even more tidbits:

WBNS in Columbus said it had two loops, and called it The Beast. Do they research anything? Just sad bad reporting to me. They did two segments back to back on the accident.

I'm actually surprised we haven't seen more headlines like SON OF BEAST STRIKES BACK or REVENGE OF THE SON OF BEAST. . .

Actually, come to think of it, they might have used sayings such as those when they were actually unveiling the ride. . .remember the theming aspect of the "Beast In The Box" that shook, quivered and roared when you walked by it the year before it was completed???

Maybe it's actually COME ALIVE. . .

Brotherbehr, yeah, that's where I got a couple of those from. At least the end of the world (er, I mean, severe thunderstorms) is diverting some attention away tonight. :-)
*** Edited 7/10/2006 9:40:02 PM UTC by jimmybob***

Barry, do you consider a butt-scraping woodie a good or bad thing?

BTW, you're talking about Cyclone @ Williams Grove.

I say "tear it down".

The ride has been nothing but a problem since it was built. It must cost the park a fortune for upkeep on a ride like this every year.

I just wonder how much cedar fair is willing to put up with s.o.b? We all know what happend to herculies.....and that coaster was not near as bad as s.o.b.

The last time that I had been on s.o.b(about 3 years ago) I came off with blood dripping down my leg, and a migrane. These are not things that should happen to you on a rollercoaster. I would not shed a tear if it was torn down.

I terms of fearing for my safety, the Williams Grove Cyclone was easily the most frightening ride of my life.

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jimmybob said:
Tidbits from local media...

Graphic: "Terror on the Tracks"
Umm...tracks? Was this a railyard accident?

Blurb: "Despite the mishap, the park stayed open and ended the night in fireworks."
How DARE they?!

Soundbite: "They had to go through the second loop with a broken chest bone"
Put your own response in here.

Photo caption: "Cars suspended on track"
Wrong coaster.

Soundbite: "The Beast is silent tonight"
Again, wrong coaster in this context, though the Beast was silent, since the park was CLOSED for the evening.

I was wanting to rant on this, but I think the sensationalism, elitism, and outright stupidity speak for themselves.

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I am also pissed off with crap like this. I am concerned with rider safety above all, but it is a personal pet peeve of mine when ignorant news outlets play on people's fears with incorrect facts and poorly formulated articles (yeah, I realize this happens with everything, but coaster-related misquotations really get me).

I realize that today's breaking news format leads to many different story accounts, but seriously, if the train returned to the station then it didn't stop, or else it would have valleyed if it was anywhere but the block brake. I agree that the info. must be referring to the train e-stopped on the lift, but why must everything about a coaster mishap be so sensationalized?

I realize that many of you will not agree with me, & I am glad it is of human nature to do so.

*** Edited 7/10/2006 10:19:26 PM UTC by Willh51***

American Eagle is smooth, it is not rough. Hades was not painfull either even though I rode it in its first year. The Boss is somewhat painfull. Mean Streak is painfull but tolerable. Son of Beast now is the most painfull rollercoaster I have ever been on in my life.

It seems like some parks knows how to maintain their woodies well other parks don't. but this seems beyond that. SOB is too tall and fast for a woodie, plus it has had structural problems. They should tear it down and have a camp fire using SOB wood during their winterfest so guests can sit roast marshmellows.

*** Edited 7/10/2006 10:44:32 PM UTC by Cs6153***

It was cracked wood on the track! Here's the link.

http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/07/09/kings_island_ax.html

The second loop they were probably speaking of was the second helix, they just don't really check into names like that.

So, Maureen says the train returned to the station and that article says it came to a stop. WTF, yo?

^ I believe this link was posted earlier in the topic.

If this is true, I am guessing one of the carpenter's is probably having some serious issues right now...wondering what he (or she) missed.

I do hope that everyone injured suffers no long-term effects, and that this ride is addressed somehow. Personally, I hate to see any coaster go the way of the wrecking ball.

I just can't help but wonder how this compares to the Crystal Beach Cyclone. From a philisophical perspective, it's amazing how our society has changed over the years.

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I am also pissed off with crap like this.

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Remember how you feel right now, and think about it EVERY TIME you read a newspaper, or watch the news on television. Reporters are wrong in unimportant details all the time, and wrong in important details surprisingly often. One of the most enlightening courses I took in college was a history of journalism course. I never read a newspaper the same way again. Muckrakers. Yellow journalism. Sensationalism. None of this is new, but it's all garbage.

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jimmybob said:
elitism

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I was kinda sorta with you until this word. Care to discuss exactly how the media's coverage of this is elitist? Maybe I'm missing something really obvious.

Two loops, eh????

It just confirms my beliefs that the news media is on crack.

Splinters and cracks in wood. Show me pine that doesn't do that after a while after several seasons. I use water retardant stains on my pine fence and every year I wind up replacing a few boards.

Butt-Splinter coasters! LOL

Sphincter Eraser: The Mis-Adventure! A True Journey Into Terror! *** Edited 7/11/2006 12:14:31 AM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***