Did Rougarou actually save Mantis?

Mantis was the first and only stand-up coaster I have ridden. It was horrible. The entire idea is horrible, especially if B&M, the greatest coaster-maker, ever can't pull it off. So the answer is yes, Rougarou is better than Mantis. However, it's name is not. Mantis was such a cool name and had such a cool logo. Rougarou has neither.

There is a successful B&M at Six Flags over Georgia in Georgia Scorcher. And by successful I mean pretty comfortable with a smaller but fun layout.
I always thought Mantis, which was actually the ride's second official name, wasn't all that great, but... what's in a name?

Other than Scorcher and Riddler, the rest of the standups could all be Rouarou'd and it would be no big loss....it's really not an enjoyable riding position.

Kinda like flyers....

I liked Mantis, and I like Vortex at Carowinds. Riddler's Revenge, however, was one of the roughest and most uncomfortable coaster rides I ever have had. Not sure if I caught it on a bad day, but the headbanging rivaled my worst rides on the old Kennywood Steel Phantom. It was awful. And I really wanted to like it since I was always a Mantis defender.

Funny you should say that. Riddlers is the only standup that I enjoy. I rode it last summer, and yes, it has aged a bit, but I still think it's the smoothest stand-up I've ridden, and (off the top of my head,) I've ridden all of them in the U.S. I absolutely love the layout, I think it's one of B+M's best. Of course I wish it wasn't a Stand-up, because I do not like them, but with Medusa East, West (aka Scream) a short walk away, the chances of it being Rougaroued are slim to none.

And there ya go. It's funny how the head banging thing varies from person to person.
I was eager to try Rougarou, as guys I trust gave it a good review as a ride with marked improvements. I sat in the recommended front row in some seat I forget and from the first drop I experienced vibrations and bad head banging, especially in the back half. I truly thought it wasn't much different, and proclaimed it as one and done.
It was faster than I remembered Mantis to be, so that was a plus, it looks pretty, and time spent in the station was shorter. But that's about all I could give it.
Oh well.

Rougarou definitely has the distinction as the most head banging in the park, though its individual instances aren't as jarring as Corkscrew's, and potentially the Raptor "snap" at the end. Mean Streak gets the nod for "roughest" coaster still as well. But if that gets RMC'd next year, as suspected, Rougarou may very well be the roughest coaster on the whole in the park, which is a pretty surprising distinction for a B&M Floorless to hold! I still like it though... if only for that first half.

^ Are you trying to say the second half is the roughest?

RCMAC said:

And there ya go. It's funny how the head banging thing varies from person to person.
I was eager to try Rougarou, as guys I trust gave it a good review as a ride with marked improvements. I sat in the recommended front row in some seat I forget and from the first drop I experienced vibrations and bad head banging, especially in the back half. I truly thought it wasn't much different, and proclaimed it as one and done.

It's all about where your personal heart-line is. To find your own, take your right hand and extend your index finger pointed upward with your thumb extended at a right angle (like a backwards "L") to your index finger. Hold your hand in this shape against your chest (over your heart) and stand in front of a mirror. Now slowly extend your arm in a straight line toward the mirror (while watching your own image) while holding the shape with your hand. You just found your heart-line. If you can't see it, keep staring at the image of yourself in the mirror as you retract and extend your arm. It will eventually emerge.

Shawn Meyer said:

^ Are you trying to say the second half is the roughest?

That is correct...

I love the first half of Rougarou, but man, that last half is a real "lean forward and endure" stretch for me! At least it's easier to do that now that I'm sitting down, and not standing up.

Corkscrew actually has a pretty strong to roughest coaster in the park after Mean Streak as well, but it's not for as long as Rougarou, which is why I would give that the nod...

^ I wonder If Cedar Point would ever consider fixing that part of the ride? Yes it would be new again, but at least people would notice the difference. To me I like it the way it is, but If they were to change it, why not add an upward helix.

I can't see a scenario where any B&M looper would ever receive any kind of reprofiling. It's just not necessary. As these rides enter their third and eventually fourth decades, will there be some track replacement here and there? I believe that is likely. But I can't imagine a scenario where layouts change.

If there was to be a precedent set for layout changes during an overhaul, I think we would have seen it with Hulk.

(I'd love to see the 2nd half of Rou re-profiled as well, but I'm sure it'll never happen.)

Like I said yesterday, I feel like if they ever re-did the second half of Rougarou, I would keep the downhill part before the corkscrew, but eliminate the corkscrew and add the upward helix. That's how I would re-design that part in RCT. For now Rougarou is the bomb and I wouldn't change it!