Does Anyone Like Standups?

I remember Shockwave at SFGAdv. opening late that day (and this was before Premier!). At the time I believe it had a tire brake on the midcoure, which made a very loud screeching sound. The ride was so loud that the ride attendants were wearing earplugs! I rode it again at SFAW two years ago, and due to the enclosed station, it wasn't nearly as loud. It has a great layout, but the earpads hurt real bad.

As for those who say they hate Vortex, make sure you specify which one for those of us playing at home (unless they have the same exact layout). I think that standups are dead because the restraints just aren't that comfortable.

I rode Shockwave at PKD this past Monday. Other than the lil gray out i had, i thought it was a pretty good ride. definitely better than Mantis, which i didn't like much at all.

oh, and i thought the standup at SFGAdv left because someone died on it? or am i just getting fuzzy from too many rides?

I've been on: Chang, Riddler, Scorcher, Iron Wolf, Mantis, King Cobra.

The one I truly enjoy: Scorcher.

I don't believe anyone died on Shockwave. The only ride fatality I know of at SFGAdv. was on Lightning Loops (I'm not counting the haunted house walk-thru disaster).

Standups are just far too painful as far as I'm concerned...the whole ride you're just trying to keep from getting hurt rather than enjoying the ride. I've ridden quite a few standups and I've never enjoyed one. same for flyers....

After riding Iron Wolf, which was my first stand up experience, all I could think of was my poor ears. They were getting so crushed on the ride. I could have cared less about the ride itself when I got off of it; I was more worried about the pain I had just experienced. I have a season pass to Great America, and go maybe 10 times a year, and yet I have not ridden Iron Wolf at all in the past two years.

Sadly, Vortex at PGA (my 2nd standup) provided me the same type of discomfort (not as bad though), so it was not my idea of fun.

I did ride Chang last summer, and it was a really nice stand up. It seemed quite graceful and not violent at all. But it also was not quite thrilling. I recommened it to a friend who likes stand ups (note the word "like" and not "love") and I am sure he will enjoy it more than I did.

Shockwave at PKD was just a strange ride to me. It was my first Togo and I honestly do not remember much of the ride, and I was only there this June. I do remember that the restraints were different from most other rides. I guess I was not blown away, and I only rode it the one time, merely for the credit.

Whenever I am at CP, I will ride Mantis, only if there is NO line. I really enjoy the second half of the ride the most. I also have never really been beaten up on it either, minus the fact that I am 5 feet tall, and the metal between the legs is not exactly a pleasant experience. And if the ride ops ask me to stand all the way up again... yeah, I don't get much taller than 5 feet.

Basically, I only ride the standups for the points, and not for any real type of pleasure. Mostly just points, accompanied by pain. This is really rather depressing. I do the think that that the era of the standup is over...at least for me!

oh ok Intamin Fan, like a said, my brain may just be scrambled :) thanks!

I personally enjoy the feeling you get on the Beemers as you go through the vertical loop while standing. It just feels strange, but in a good way ;), and is very unique. None of the other elements can match it for me. I've ridden all of the B&Ms except Vortex @ PGA and enjoyed The Georgia Scorcher and Riddler the best. Iron Wolf was hands down the worst. We got just terrible banging through the corkscrew.

Shockwave/B:TE simply fell victim to SF's ride rotation program which is why it,along with a lot of new rides built at their parks during that time period only lasted a season or two(cough Flashback/Z-Force cough).

The novelty of the stand up obviously didn't last what with newer prototypes like the flying & floorless rides replacing them as the "flavor of the month" especially in the SF chain....SFA was slated to get a standup in 01 but of course they chose to add a flying dutchman instead,although there's no concrete evidence to actually support the stand up being cancelled outright & perhaps it's just been put on hold for now.

Something else no one has mentioned is the fact that most people don't want to wait in a line for 2 hours only to have to stand up on the ride.

Brian, who says there's something to be said for sitting down for 2:28 minute ride cycles...even on Vekomas!

I have yet to meet a standup coaster I truly like. I have only ridden one standup that I voluntarily rerode on the same visit and that was Mantis. I have also ridden Chang, Riddlers, and Iron Wolf and found them all to be horribly rough coasters. With the exception of Iron Wolf, I think they would all make fine sit down coasters with much better load times and a bit smoother ride because the center of gravity is lowered. I think Iron Wolf, unfortunately, is unredeemable.

The death on Shockwave (or Sh**wave for the old-timers) was on PKD's stand-up, NOT the one at GAdv. All indications are that the young man *intentionally* wriggled out of the restraints and jumped, (instead of fell)....:(

Sorry to say, sounds like RRv and Scorcher will be deteriorating rather rapidly as they age, so ride them now, WHILE they are still ride-able...the rest of them, eh, I got the credits, save for Skyrider at PCW, which I hope turns out more like PKI's departed Togo than like PKD's rolling disaster...;)

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Homey G. said:
Something else no one has mentioned is the fact that most people don't want to wait in a line for 2 hours only to have to stand up on the ride.

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And there are some that don't. I don't know which is sadder. The people who try to sit down on standups or the ride-ops who let them.

My wife loves stand-ups and I don't care for them. Draw your own obvious conclusion.

Wow, you guys are harsh. I don't think I'd call any of the stand-ups I've ridden rough.

RRv is probably in my top 10% of coasters overall. Scorcher in the top 20%. (of 197 coasters I've ridden) last ride on both of those was 2003.

Hell, I even just rode Shockwave at PKD for the first time this past June and didn't find it rough at all (maybe I was too bust laughing at those ridiculous restraints) - but that probably comes from my weird 'immunity to TOGO' condition. Still haven't ridden one that I found to be truly horrible and I've done most of the usual suspects.

Mantis (2003) and Vortex (Carowinds,2002) are both less than thrilling to me, but not what I'd call rough.

I've also never experienced "man problems" on a stand-up. To me Acrophobia was much worse in that department.

-Gonch
sadist at heart

I like stand-ups. I said it. I really like the sensation of standing up- it's just fun. Yes, Iron Wolf is rough. But the layout is just crazy! You have no idea where you're going, and I just like that out of control feeling on it.

Mantis was also pretty fun, but I espically liked that little twisty hill before the midcourse- fun. But the 2nd half was kind of blah. Taken too slow, but there was less roughness, so it's a trade off.

I don't mind stand-ups, but my wife can't stand them - they bang her head around and she gets a migraine. I suspect that stand-up coaster restraints are only comfortable for guests of specific body types, likely in the 5'6" to 6' range. (I'm 5'8" and my wife is 5'2", and I've heard tall people complain about them too.) If they changed the restraint system so your head wouldn't bang around, everyone might enjoy them more.

I've ridden SkyRider at PCW, Cobra at La Ronde and Mantis at CP. The only one I go out of my way to ride is Mantis. SkyRider and Cobra are virtually identical and boring. Mantis thrills me because of the sheer number of inversions and the maze of track.

The fact I've left the Mantis lineup multiple times because of maintenance issues doesn't bode well for stand-ups in general. *** Edited 8/6/2004 5:03:38 PM UTC by greatwhitenorth***

I like stand up coasters. I remember my first stand up was the King Kobra at PKI. I thought it was a crazy concept at the time, but it was fun. I liked the trick track section. Then, when my brother introduced me to Cedar Point in 2000, we rode the Mantis and I absolutely loved it. I never knew that stand ups could do so much. I like just about everything about the Mantis. The diving loop is awesome and I like the vertical loop that leans slightly (either it is leaning or just falling over kinda like Magnum is sinking).

Actually, Gonch, Vortex @ PCar probably wasn't that bad in 02. I rode it in 99 and it was good. Rode it in 03 and it wasn't bad (but I did exp. the man prob that time), rode it this year and aside from the vomit on the break run, the coaster was rougher than I ever remembered, and it just got painted. Go figure.

But I have the TOGO immunity as well, and enjoyed both King Kobra and Shockwave (call me weird, I sure do).

LOL, Clint....you mean King Cobra....KK was the Anton shuttle at PKD, and definitely NOT a standup (although it was a *stand-out* for me personally)...;)

P.S. Diggin' the sig!