BKF from across the lake is pure beauty, isn't it?

Top Gun is definitely World class chico. Never been on it I must confess, but I have heard nothing but good comments about that coaster!

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The Yankees are still #1

Peabody, sethman, 2hostyl (I prefer that name just cause it's clever AND argumentative in the proper tone...I call it my very own "devil's advocate")...I think a large part of it is what Legendary said about the SETTING.  For me, theming and setting are very important to "ride experience".   So for me at least, I thought BKF gets a nod over Medusa East due largely to the ENORMOUS, ENORMOUS (intentionally shouting!!!) ineptitude re: theming!  Crackheads would easily come up with a better idea for theming...Medusa East also lost a lot of luster after getting to ride BRAKE-FREE during Spring Conference and never getting to ride it again that way...man, going through those corkscrews the way nature (and Walt & Claude I'm sure) intended...WOW!  After that night, I kinda felt cheated by the ride after that...And as for Kraken, it suffers for two reasons:  One is the noticeable lack of other coasters around.  And I was disappointed when the "coaster ending" on JTA was SO short!  Sure, Kraken IS a beautiful ride, and I hated to have to pass up a photo shoot for it...but 7 am on a Tuesday WITH a 2-hour drive, when I found out at the last minute...SUCKED.  Couldn't get out of work at all.  (Not the rides' fault, granted).  And it suffers from the "too many laps, too many B&M's" syndrome we tend to suffer, albeit happily, through the winter.  Trust me, you really do start to "anticipate the moves" a little too much after having basically B&M showrooms all around, and I seem to believe that the layout of Medusa was just a little too similar to Kraken...well, I guess what it comes down to is this:  BKF challenged me a little with the high-banked curves, and there were several taken at high speeds.  I think it spent the most time at high positive G-forces than the others, and I am a high-G junkie!  It's location near other coasters was a HUGE plus...can't help it, I like to see other rides racing while I'm riding.  Now I haven't ridden Medusa West, or SKC...yet...but I do love SKC's setting, and Medusa West is definitely better than Kraken in terms of the coaster park/marine life breakdown.  BKF is compact, and after riding Ga Scorcher and now Talon, I think they do their best work in a confined space....kinda like a "B&M in a box".  Too much land I think makes B&Ms almost "too comfortable", which, now that I think about it that way, is probably why I prefer Intamin's S:RoS over the B&M hypers of AC and Nitro...hmmm. 
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Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery581.htm?Picture=11" target="_blank">http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery581.htm?Picture=11
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Montu, God Of Coasters
Raging Bull, Don't Fight It, Ride It/P

*** This post was edited by CoasterSaurus on 11/13/2001. ***

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery581.htm?Picture=14" target=_blank>http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery581.htm?Picture=14
Montu, God Of Coasters
Raging Bull, Don't Fight It, Ride It

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That is beautiful.  I love that ride

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Paramount Carowinds: Forgotten but not Gone

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Tocci55 said:
Hey GoldRusherROCKS,
I spent a lot of time at Magic Mountain in the 70's and you know what.........
I always LOVED the Gold Rusher! Even up against The Revolution!
For a MineTrain ride, it's very dynamic! And I thought it was great the way it zoomed around the side of the mountain and around the bushes and through tunnels! GREAT FUN!
Question: I can't quite remember...does it go by a waterfall too?
Fond memories,
~Tocci

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Yes! Gold Rusher EASILY beats out Revolution any day. And answering your question, yes it does pass by a waterfall during the 270 helix up after the first drop.

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Homey G. Said:
Again, not to get all Brainy Smurf on ya, but "Papa Smurf ALWAYS says 'Apostrophes signal ownership. What does the snow cone own?' " Feel free to throw me out of the village where I land on my head and my glasses get all bent.

oops. I was thinking about that. I'm a dumb (insert bad word here) I'll change that. THANKS!

*** This post was edited by GoldRusheROCKS on 11/13/2001. ***

Re: GOLDRUSHER,

If a real waterfall doesn't make a GREAT touch on a roller coaster...then I don't know what does!  ;-)

"Theming" (Environment) can make a good ride GREAT!

~Tocci

I have to agree with you partially, Gator woodie. Kraken may be similar to Medusa in the first half of the ride but the second half is completely different. KBF has the very unique turns but yet, it has the very ordinary and now commonplace interlocking corkscrews. I find the corkscrews fun but nothing compared to the buried veritical loop on Kraken, which produces some great g forces.In the finale of Kraken, I digged the  air time hill on Kraken and the turn into the lair, which is a great incorporation of theming. Kraken also has the nice trenches into the cobra roll and the beautiful lakeside view. All thes aspects for me add up to make Kraken a slightly better floorless than KBF. 

It's funny that you mention themeing. I think Kraken, BY FAR, has the best theming of the three (Medusa's sucks!) And I can appreciate your "been there done that" attitude about M-E and Kraken as they are both REAL similar to Kumba (minus the ferocity). While none of them are *exactly* local to me, I've actually ridden B:KF the most.

When I say I like Medusa more, we are only talking *that* much. Catch me on the right day and I'll say just the opposite. But Kraken leaves them both aways behind.

But YES, BKF is a beautiful coaster to look at, especially from the 'Wild Life' side.
lata,
jeremy
--who notes that GOLDRUSHER is the only coaster he's ridden @ SFMM!

FL is REALLY beautiful to look at all on its own(until you've lived here a loooong time)...and we've got the best looking (family site...) anywhere.  AND the paint job on Kraken cannot be denied!  The portion through the lair, I was kinda hoping for a *slight* waterfall...and vertical loops by B&M are second ONLY to thos of the MAN, Anton...RIP!  I really think the worst part about Kraken was the proximity to...other parks...if you want more coastering.  I know that isn't Kraken's fault, but then I look to SFMW for what they've done, and I get to thinking...what IF...
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Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!