Carowinds Announces Intimidator

I think I can easily drag one up from '99 or 2000... It's been a while since I've been on the forum... or involved in the coaster world at all.... I think I used to post as vettemette, I've also been formerly known as wildcathp, terminal00, and way back as steverbvr... back in the rec.roller-coaster days. Not sure if that's still around, I've pretty much let usenet fall by the wayside.

Anyway, for those who don't know me, my name's Steve, I'm a 27 year old mechanical engineer living in charlotte, nc. My home park is Carowinds, but for the first 18 years of my life it was playland, in rye ny. My track record is somewhere between 100 and 120, and I haven't been deeply involved in the coaster scene since 2000. I suppose I lost interest when I was in college and starting my life, but now that i'm settled down my interest is re-emerging.

As an engineer, i'm as interested in the technical side of coasters as I am in riding them. I believe the path to better coasters is in better trains, and the millenium flyers are one of my favorite designs of anything, period. I prefer wood over steel. My favorite woodie is wildcat at hershey park and my favorite steelie is superman at darien lake, although, depending on who's operating it, the HSTC at Knoebels is king! I personally believe GCI, B&M, and Intamin design the most elegant machines, however, I don't particularly lust after the smooth ride of B&M coasters.

Steve

Welcome aboard Steve..

*The forum calls out in unison*, "Hi Steve!!" :)

It's amazing how much of the ride they already have up. I remember when Paramount didn't even start building Wayne's World and the Hurler till after the park opened for that season.

So, Steve, you're an engineer living in Charlotte. I guess you must do some sort of work with a NASCAR team. I apologize in advance if I'm wrong.

I hope this "hyper" lives up the the "hype!"

I'll be the bearer of bad news (since no one else has told Steve)...HSTC is no more, it was scrapped this past offseason when KG determined it could no longer be repaired for continued use. The replacement, Kosmo's Kurves, is a better-than-average Miler "family coaster". ;)

Back to Carowinds...Intimidator + Top Gun (by any name) + Hurler and Thunder Road (when running well) = great lineup! Still could use a wooden twister though..wonder if CF knows of a company that builds twisters? ;) :)

I actually don't work for NASCAR. I know alot of folks who do, and it's not a very stable job. The money's great, when it's there, but the teams are so competitive and change hands so often that it's hard to keep a job... especially as of the past year or so. I actually design medical equipment, specifically for the blind and visually impaired living with diabetes. It's pretty rewarding albeit somewhat less glamorous. Of course, the dream is to design rollercoasters, but the market is so small and the technology changes so slowly, that there's not many jobs available... but we can dream.

And i'm sorry to hear about HSTC... and interested to know who's running it in their backyard...

Steve, it sounds like your work helps more people that the guys who work the NASCAR teams. So, blind a visually impaird with diabetes? That would be a talking glucose meter, I guess? Keep up the good work bro!

Steve Guilmette said:
And i'm sorry to hear about HSTC... and interested to know who's running it in their backyard...

No one, sadly. It was scrapped.

After seeing pics of the 2nd hill I am getting a bit excited about this one. It reminds me of the 2nd hill on Nitro which I love.

^Told'ya it's going to be better than Diamond-bore!! ;)

Tig, I have been on all but 1 of the B&M coasters over 200' in North America. Diamondback is one of the best of the bunch. Nitro IMO is the only other one that equals it but in a different way.

I know you love Behemoth, but I did not see it as being better then DB in fact, I would rank it just below DB. Now Timmy looks like it just might have some of the best elements of both DB & Nitro.

I thought Goliath oG was the best of the bunch (haven't been on Behemoth or DB, yet).

The only hypers I've yet to ride are the ones at LaRonde and SFM...clearly SFOG has the most forceful ride of the B&Ms. Walter and Claude ought to make more "mistakes" like that... ;)

Rollergator, I didn't know that LaRonde had a hyper. Which one are you talking about?

Andy, I guess it is like all thing objective. What is the best ever for me might be blah for the next rider. It all depends on what we are looking for in a ride.

I like air time be it ejector air or floater air. I get that on Diamondback but did not get much on Goliath.

Dave, it's also named Goliath. http://www.rcdb.com/3385.htm

Isn't that the coaster that was used one of the freeceditreport.com commercials earlier this year?

I've only been on four of the US B&M hypers, but Diamondback was easily the best of the bunch. The out-of-your-seat airtime doesn't quit, and it's one of the most forceful of all B&M's period that I've been on. It was impossible for me to marathon it during the media event.

The last Beemer I rode (the floorless Batman at SFNE) was smooth like butter. If it's got that same smoothness, combined with the sick aur of Magnum, I'm in. I just make have to make a road trip to Carowinds this year.

rollergator, not to be picky, but the Goliath at LaRonde is not a hyper. The total height is only 174' 10".