Shockwave leaving Six Flags Great America, headed elsewhere

The Great Escape can install rides up to 200 feet tall provided they put it on their lowest level of land. Considering Shockwave is 170 feet, I'm sure they could squeeze it in just fine, and probably put it into previously untapped land.

This would be a financially feeble way for The Great Escape to compensate for the major general improvements the park is making for 2003 (ie: parking lot, ped bridge... etc etc etc).

I'm not sure what other desperately needs a coaster, but it makes perfect sense to send it there.

She says they don't have any room to expand without taking something out? Yeah, right. They've got plenty of room. Look at Raging Bull. It's just that in order to use their room, they need to have a layout customized to the space they're using. So, basically, they need ot get rid of something if they want to put in a pre-designed ride. Say hello to another parking lot coaster. And possibly to the begining of competition for Batman as the world's most popular continuous-circuit design.

I'm never happy when a coaster leaves, but at least it's going up in a new home. Is the space that Whizzer occupies big enough/shaped properly for a S:UF style B&M flyer? I really still think it was a publicity stunt.

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*Does a Happy Dance* Good riddance to bad rubbish! (to the park getting this ride) I'm so sorry!

The only Six Flags-owned park that "desperately" needs a coaster is... Wyandot Lake!

I bet attendance would double if they put it there. I'd go. I'd go just to see how they wedged it in.

I always liked Shockwave. It was the first ride that made me gape when I first saw it.

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He let the contents of the bottle do the thinking; can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding.

Come on, Six Flags Arizona. Yeah right. With the Six Flags ride swapping program, this is going to end up going to SFKK, SFAW, or SF Belgium.

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I was asked to describe X in one word. The word? -- OhmygoshwhathaveIgottenmyselfintothisisthescariest
thingintheworldhelpmeIamgoingtodieAHHHH!!!

Was this ride rough like all typical Arrows of the late 80's/early 90's (see Drachen Fire)... or was it actually smooth like the Arrows of the Early 80's & late '90's?

I'm curious because whatever park DOES recieve it, I'm wondering what kind of upgrades they'd put to the coaster, besides a paint-job.

It's not that they don't have room, but the Village of Gurnee won't let them expand outside of the parks current non-parking lot or open field space. They have to stay inside of the themed area boundary, or the actual "park space".

"I'm never happy when a coaster leaves, but at least it's going up in a new home. Is the space that Whizzer occupies big enough/shaped properly for a S:UF style B&M flyer? I really still think it was a publicity stunt. "

S:UF was actually designed to go in Whizzer's footprint--it fits like a custom shoe for a reason :) SFoG getting it last year was a last minute thing. We have found the New Batman: The Ride.

I am glad it is gone but I am also glad that another park that may not have a lot of coasters will get it so that maybe other people can enjoy it. I enjoyed the ride a lot when it first came out but over the years I have found I cannot ride it anymore.

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Bob Hansen

A proud CoasterBuzz Member

Operation Wicked Twister - Goal: Lose 50 lbs by next season to ride it! (updates soon)

Why take out Shock Wave (which was closed when I was there so I didn't get to ride it) when they could yank out that pile of crap Iron Wolf (which I wish was closed when I was there so I wouldn't have made the mistake of riding it)?

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

SFMW would be cool we couls have 2 Arrow 7 loopers in Cal

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It isn't so bad. . .
Once you're used to it

I will second that RideMan. I think it was more of a popularity contest that gives Shockwave the heave ho. What baffles me is that back in January at No Coaster Con they said that they were not in the business of removing rollercoasters. I will love to see them eat those words at No Coaster Con 2003.

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My website - Zero G Thrills www.crosswinds.net/~zerogthrills/

It's really disappointing to hear the announcement even though i knew it as coming. Shockwave has to be one of the best looking coasters ever, (next to drachen fire of course.) And also was a blast to ride.

The best thing about shockwave though was its capacity, it's one of the only rides at GA that could take care of a line, now i fear it's only raging bull. Well i hope most of it is still standing when i go to fright fest in a couple weeks so i can take pictures.

Thank you all you Whizzer people who'd rather have a barely functional classic than a steel megalooper.

DawgByte II wrote:

The Great Escape can install rides up to 200 feet tall provided they put it on their lowest level of land. Considering Shockwave is 170 feet, I'm sure they could squeeze it in just fine, and probably put it into previously untapped land.

WHERE could they possibly squeeze a coaster of Shockwave's magnitude? It wouldn't even fit in the park-side parking lot even if they removed Steamin' Demon to compensate! The footprint is far too large and awkward to fit anywhere in The Great Escape.

I'm not sure what other desperately needs a coaster, but it makes perfect sense to send it there.

I'm not going to speculate on where it's going, but I can tell you first-hand that it's definitely not coming to The Great Escape.

AndyDSRB - You're welcome.

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'Let's fly close to the sun. Let's do it just 'cause it's fun.' - The Wedding Present '2,3, Go'

I agree with another poster and hope they remove all of the concrete etc for the parking lot underneath the ride!!! lets hope they add some type of theming rather than seeing the parking lot w/stripes as we did with shockwave!!

Dave, while I disagree with your opinion of Iron Wolf (I actually really like it), I think that would have made a better location for the flyer. Even if the course almost matched Iron Wolf, it would have been spectacular. (Small, tight, fast, and through the trees..)

Cam.

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Cameron Silver

I think this is a bunch of BS. They have plenty of space available compared to other parks like CP. I think removing SW is the cheapest.

Why don't they get rid of the crappy log and boat rides, they can put a couple of coasters in that area?

:( Good bye Big Blue.

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.