Drachen Fire: Missing it, or Good Riddance?

This is a topic I've been thinking about, and wanted to post it and see what others here think.

My younger brother and I have both been coaster enthusiasts for years, and generally have always hade similar ride experiences, and favorites.

However, when we had an opportunity to ride Drachen Fire at BGW back when the ride was there, we really disagreed about the ride. I thought it was great, and rode it again once or twice. He hated it, saying it was too jerky, and never rode it again.

When I found out the ride was torn down, I was quite dissapointed, and was surprised to learn it was because of too many complaints about the roughness. I hadn't thought a park would shut down a ride just based on a few complaints, especially since many coasters (and most woodies) are a bit rough, and some exccessively so IMO. (my back is still sore from my ride on SOB at BeastBuzz the other day :-0

My brother thought it was good when he found out the ride was taken out, and it seems as I've browsed enthusiast sites in the past, that I've heard a few other people complain as well.

This has prompted me to wonder: how many of us coaster enthusiasts here at CBuzz really liked DF, and wish it were still there, and how many disliked it, and are glad it has gone the way of the dinosaur.

I thought it was a great, intense, looping coaster, and didn't find it too jerky. It was my fave. ride at BGW after that visit there, and I think it would still be a good ride today. Am I alone in this view, or are there others who miss the "fire".

Take care and God bless!

It Was rough, But I overall liked it, and thought it was somewhat fun. It was very Unique for Arrow, and it's twsited-ness has only been seen in one other Arrow Coaster, The Tennessee Tornado. I Do miss it, but not that much.

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"The Mountain Slidewinder. Voted The #1 Non-Rollercoaster Ride in America Amusement Business Magazine, 1991"

Good Riddance...

It was re-profiled to get "smoothen" out the course of the ride and they scrapped a cool element.

It was SBNO for years, and just gathered dust & eagles nests...

I say that it's a good thing because it just clashed with the rest of the park. Why have 2 Arrow loopers at the park when most typically have 1, and all they need is 1?

It WOULD have been nice if it was put up at another park, but it's best for the scrap yard for all the troubles its had, and the complaints its recieved.

I never got a chance to ride it. The first time I was at BGW the coaster was SBNO. It looked cool though, and I would have loved to take a ride. The next visit I took BGW it was gone :-(

I LOVED IT especially before the reprofile. It was a beautiful structure. That's my photo in the ACE news announcing it's removale. That pic under the first(removed) corkscrew and having most of the elementsvissible in the background was my favorite coaster pic that I took.

My favorite element was the wrap around corkscrew after the lift.

There was so much new on this ride. I always hoped these elements would become standard equipment on arrow loopers. Unfortunately(for arrow) this was also the time B&M was coming into play. Arrow virtually disappeared from the market.

Drachen Fire was reprofiled and no longer as pleasing to look at and that hop to the mid course block brake was rough. You all know the rest
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JOHN
RCT INSOMNIACS
KIMBERLY LAKE INC.

I miss it, and always will. Drachen Fire immediately became my #1 coaster when I first rode it in '92. My friend, who used to be my primary riding partner, wasn't incredibly fond of it--he found it much too rough, and would ride it only once each visit.

I've felt the same way as DILinator for the past few years, uncertain why so many found Drachen Fire unbearably rough, when so many other coasters--Son of Beast primarily--are much worse.

Personally, I would love to see a lapbar retro-fitting on many of Arrow's loopers. I predict that would eliminate many of the complaints about the infamous 'bad transitions' cliché.

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-Mike B.
Son of Hulk

Good riddance.

Too much notoriety for a mediocre coaster at best.

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Shaggy

I never rode it, but it looked quite unique. The 1st drop with that corkscrew looked incredible, how was that element(for those that have ridden)? And the cutback too,,that looked incredible.

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"You know its a good ride when you come into the final break run wiping tears from your eyes"-me

I rode when I was 7 in 96 and thought it was great but it also might have had something to do with the fact that it was my second looping coaster... I rodeit like four times with my sister and she thought it qwas too much of a headbanger. I found it did have quite a lot of head banging but npt really enough to take it down. However, I'm glad that they took it down after being SBNO for so long.

Being 6'4", I've never had much problem with head banging in shoulder harnesses...that could be part of the reason that when I visited BGW in high school, I really enjoyed Drachen Fire a lot.

I miss it, because I was young when I rode it,.and at the time wasn't into roller coasters. I honestly don't remember much of it.

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

The ride was awesome. It didn't give me any problems. It was my favorite coaster @ BGW.

Good riddance:

A severe head banger. Might have been interesting with a premier style conversion though.

I wish I hd a chance o ride it. It looked like a good ride and I love all the arrow coasters 've ridden, Steel Phantom, Great american scream machine,Corksrew, and Magnum XL:200. I think it would have went into my 10 ten inversion coasters or in the top 20.

Mike, I agree 100% with you. I rode in 92 as well, and didn't have a bad ride in the bunch of times I got to hit it. I never rode it after the reprofile, and glad I didn't. Do I miss it? Yes. Simply for the fact that I had nothing but good experiences on it. There is something to be said for not being an "enthusiast," as I loved that ride simply because it was unique, and fun. Nowadays, I know I wouldn't look at it in the same light. Sad, but true.
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Hair Metal? I think not. - Click it, or lose it. ;)

I can echo the comments of others here. I rode the ride in both of its forms. The ride was notably smoother in its early years and I liked it for what it was then - the cutback was especially cool. However, considering all of the better rides we have to choose from today, I probably wouldn't throw old Drachie a second glance. However, I will continue to wear my Drachen Fire t-shirt with pride. ;)

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Rich Genthner / PTC99

i guess i'm one of the lucky few who got to ride it. i'm a bit tall, and thus didn't experience too much headbanging. i loved this ride and it's interesting elements! honestly, for the time, it was a step forward. i thought it was a really great ride, but my short friend thought it was too rough. i think Premier refit style lapbars would have made this one a favorite for years =(

oh well. there ARE better, smoother, faster coasters now. but it was a fun and unique ride! i definitely miss it =(.

I definitely miss it.....im 6'2'' so i never really experienced any headbanging on it, however it was rough on my shoulders, as they are extremely wide ( i work out) and always made my upper body sore. The thing i miss the most was the first hill....NOTHING compares to that in the back seat.....slowly climbing that wraparound corkscrew, only to be suddenly yanked around the rest of the corkscrew to plunge down that hill.....definitely the most stomach wrenching and disorienting start to a coaster ive ever ridden, in fact its the only coaster that ever gave me a queasy butterfly feeling, and it was all due to that unique first hill and drop....Busch Gardens should do "Return of Drachen Fire" and have Arrow redo it, with the style and smoothness of Tennesse Tornado.

I think that would be a great idea davidnc25, although some would argue with LNM and AC they already have enough steel coasters. I just think there was enough unique and exciting about DF that with a little smoothing out, could make it a hit ride.

However, on a seperate note, BGW could really use a wooden coaster, and they would probably need that space where DF was to build one.

Take care and God bless!

DILinator,

The unfortunate thing is that a mere "smoothing out" could not cure DF's ills. Drachie's biggest problems were its poor transitions and overstressed track issues (only some of which were addressed during its operating life). Making a smooth DF would have required reprofiling on a scale such that it is not economically worthwhile.

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Rich Genthner / PTC99