Beech Bend Expansion

While checking out ITAL Intl today I came across this:

http://www.italintl.com/detail_page.php?record_id=1288

The ad is for the Looping Star At Beech Bend, so I checked the parks website and found this:

http://www.beechbend.com/parknews.htm

Sounds like something big (at least for Beech Bend) is in store for 2010.

It would be a good move to get rid of that Looping Star. I mean, ouch! Unless of course, they put in lapbars/seatbelts and added padding. I keep thinking about how amazing SO MANY loop coasters would be (big and small!) if were only for those obnoxious, injury causing shoulder bars.

Beech Bend is a great park, loved my visit back in 2007. I dunno who made their drop tower, but it drops like a dead weight - much better than any other drop towers I've been on.

Larson makes their drop tower.

I know the topic didn't reveal it was from Beech Bend. But, we discovered the coaster was for sale about 2 weeks ago.

http://coasterbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/56480.aspx

Hopefully the expansion will be a good one for the park...its really a nice, little, somewhat unknown park.

Heck, you can even ride Michael Jackson's Sea Dragon there...

Looping Star looked like it was going to be rather painful for me. The dead weight analogy for the drop tower is perfect though.

Beech Bend really is a nice little park, brought down by some poor attractions like this one. I'm glad they're getting rid of it!

For what they are, they have a decent selection of rides. A larger flat would be nice. Maybe a disco or a frisbee. Or, a small steel coaster. Perhaps something like Steel Hawg.

I remember the swing ride there was weird in that you faced outward (away from the hub) rather than forward. It was disorienting without being "queasifying" like the Scat II. The Moby Dick ran an absurdly long and strong program.

A great little park, deserving of the accolades. But I have to wonder if a ride like Hawg or a Eurofighter wouldn't be outside their budget? I know it was a *major* effort to get together the funds for Rumbler (and well worth it according to the attendance, from what I read).

I hope they eventually upgrade that Kiddie coaster as well, it's in pretty bad condition, those Wisdom Rides wear out really fast.

I do hope Beech Bend looks into getting some sort of a Wave Pool or Large Pool. That's one of the water attractions that seems to be missing.

A couple other thoughts: I would love to see them replace that old 12-tub Eli wheel with a larger Gondola model and a Flying Swing ride would be great as well.

And dare I say it... but a Vekoma Boomerang would be a nice replacement for that Looping Star.

I guess it depends on what they're trying to do. Expand or maintain. I was trying to see how much they invested in for Kentucky Rumbler and couldn't find it. Mumbo Jumbo (S&S El Loco) was a 4 million Euro investment. That's about 5.8 million US dollars.

Does anyone know how the parks attendance has been since Kentucky Rumbler went in back in 2006?

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Ironically a Boomerang would in fact be less painful than the Looping Star. It's not too often you can say a Boomerang would be less painful than what it's replacing. That is unless it's replacing a more painful boomerang. ;)

Maybe they are getting more MJ rides!

If I remember correctly, the investment in Kentucky Rumbler was 4.5 million.

Wish I could have gotten that credit on LS, pain or no pain. Both times I've visited it was closed.

Don't know if BB is ready for the investment required for a new steelie, even something on the scale of Steel Hawg. That might be a case of too much, too fast. But a used Boomerang, if picked up at a good price, might fit nicely into their lineup.

Wonder if they'll be running their Christmas lighting display/operating hours again this year?

Mike, a few park employees told me they would be, but there is no mention of it on the park's website of brochure.

So I doubt it.

It's only October. I wouldn't write it off yet. How well attended was their Christmas event in the past?

No Christmas lights this year. But, on a brighter note, they are holding a Press Conference tomorrow to announce their 2010 plans. It's at noon and everyone is invited. There will be lunch served.