Paramount sues manufacturers of Son of Beast for faulty construction

The defense has good facts that should help them win. SOB must of brought in a lot of cash and alot of profit.

Todd

I think that it just goes to show you that wooden roller coasters are not supposed to be that large. No matter what the case is, when I rode Son Of Beast in August, I hated it. Besides a somewhat nice drop and smooth loop, I found the rest of the layout extremely boring. I couple floater hills, and something more than two helixes would have done it wonders. I feel bad for PKI though, imagine the maintainance nightmares that ride will create in the future. I have a hard time believing that the ride will stand anymore than ten years unless something drastic is done to it. I am no structural engineer, but I think the ride would be great if steel rails were placed on it. The ride would be smoother (which is needed), faster, and the laterals would be less painful.

I think the defense is screwed. Do a search on Son of Beast in the news section here and you'll see more bad press than any park should have in a year. Word on the street is that the park did not have a good year, and that wouldn't surprise me.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

Yeah, and that would defeat the whole purpose of the ride! Wood is wood, wood is rough, deal with it enthusiasts! Not every coaster can be Intamin smooth, the fact that it is rough is great, it gives a little flavor and personality to the ride. The Beast is slightly rough, not quite as bad as SOB, but nobody complains there. I mean in no way to make people mad, I am just stating my point.
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Coasters- a little slice of heaven

I think Kings Island has done a great job in bringing new and exciting rides to the park. Son of Beast is definately an exciting ride, though I think it will be there for more than 10 years. the park has done so much for the guests that it still gets a bad rap. Cincinnati should be proud to have this park at there reach. Just like Sandusky is proud to have CP. I am also happy to here that they are sueing those companies that built/designed the ride. Now maybe people will relize that it was not the parks fault or the ride operators, so many of those ride operators take alot of **** for something so far out of their control. I give PKI two thumbs up for such wonderful coasters.

Like what has been pointed out on another thread there is almost always some tweeking to be done on a coaster,especially a wooden one. When a ride is built on site and it's the first of it's type there is going to be problems. A lot was expected of it right off the bat. It probably really needed a season just to work out the bugs. When you advertise something as heavily as SOB was and not have it available half the time it makes you look bad. Paramount is looking to recoup real and perceived losses. IMO, they're partly to blame. They've been in the business long enough to know that situations like this happen frequently.

I have one question. I thought that Son of BEast was designed by the Roller Coaster Corporation of Amerca. Not the roller coaster corporation of Ohio. I live in Cincinnati and rode Son of Beast 30 times, I agree that it is rougher then The Beast. To put steel rails on the structure would entirely defeat the purpose of a wooden coaster. Also, I think SOn of Beast will stand longer than ten years. It will probably be around for the next twenty five years. (Anyone know when PKI will anounce next year`s attraction`s?)

Ok heres how I see it. The builders of the ride have a duty. The ride should have never been open in the first place. They should have taken 2 years instead of one building the ride, because you cant be expect your company to build a ride that is wood and is as big as fast and can take all the twists and turns in the track as Son of Beast in one year. The company that the ride ride would be built within that time frame so its their own fault.

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Cause I am whatever you say I am if I wasn't then why would I say I am.

If you ever wondered why SoB only had 1 car for the first part of the season, it was as I said before: bad structure. Other than that, it's a great ride, and a lot smoother than it's father...

Everdred, how can you think that SoB is smoother than The Beast? Have you experienced the roughness at the top of the second hill? That part is rougher than any part of The Beast

If you want examples of why big wooden-coasters aren't as good as smaller ones, try riding Mean Streak or Hercules at DP.

Hmm... This seems a little one-sided, don't you think?

I am so sick of this. SOB is one of the greates thrill rides ever built, and ten times better than anything at CP. the only rides on the planet that can compare with it are The legend, the raven, the beast, villain, and the boss. SOB is the most visionary and risky coaster ever built. please please please, give PKI a break. just this one time. give PKI a break. i beg of you.

kennywood rules

ravenguy, I agree with you. Son of Beast is a wonderful coaster. Yes it is rough, but that come with being a wooden coaster. (I do have one complaint, they need to have pads on the lap bars past your legs so your legs don`t keep hitting the metal bars. For a pass holder party when I rode Son of BEast 9 times in less then two hours and 13 times in three days I recieved bruises on my thighs.) I love PKI. They need a Bolliger and Mabillard, or flying coaster though.

As a Season Pass holder I visited the park about 70 times this summer. People from all over the country visited PKI to ride SOB. Every day that SOB was open the lines were ungodly! It isn't the best coaster in the world, but it is a wild (albiet rough), ride. I guess my point is that Most likely PKI made the $14 million they shelled out for the coaster this year. And they will continue make money on it. It's too late to redo the coaster. I have no sympathy for PKI, they make a fortune and had more control in the design and construction than they are letting on. Chances are, the contractors will settle, if not PKI will probably lose.

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Coasterguide.com a great coaster site!

BTW, PKI is sueing Roller Coaster Corporation of America (located in Ohio), the Roller Coaster Company of Ohio was a mis-print.

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Coasterguide.com a great coaster site!

Shawn, do you know what PKI is adding next year (the year after that?)? [I also think that RCCA is located in Atlanta, not Ohio.

Oh boy... the SOB debate starts again.
Everything about this ride (the ride, design, lap bars) got mixed reviews at best. I personally liked it. I wouldn't rate it as one of my absolute favorite wooden coasters, but the ride was enjoyable, thrilling, and I agree risky. It will be a novelty for years to come I think. Now where's Punk to come and make this thread even more interesting with his opinions?