Flatrides we will never see in the U.S.

I don't think there has ever been a ride to make me dizzy to watch it, until now. That Transformer ride look INSANE!!!

Fever I really enjoy the Simpsons. It's just a shame that I am starting to LOOK like Homer.

billb7581 said:
The Morey brothers actually became fascinated with brining all the European rides they could over to their piers after a trip to Oktoberfest back in the 70's, their insurance carrier probably took one look at that Taumler and said "no friggin way" LOL

Morey's Piers actually had a version of the ride in that video called "Schunkler II" during the 1980s. It was located in the spot to the right of where the Maelstrom sits today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QEOq0uy21w

3 of the other 4 calls are for the Condor. LOL. That thing usually fails in the up position

A big problem with some of those big European rides is that they simply aren't very good. They are big and spectacular, but they are oncers. The Transformer/TopStarTour certainly fits into that category (Conklin shows had one, and operated it at the CNE), much like the Spin Out. And the rides are big, heavy, and can be difficult to maintain. To make matters worse, as big and flashy as they are, the rides aren't big enough for the American parks, but they can't be moved on single trailers, so they are too big for the American carnivals. So we tend not to see them much here.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

    /X\        _      *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
   /XXX\      /X\     /X\_      _     /X\__      _     _        _____
  /XXXXX\    /XXX\   /XXXX\_   /X\   /XXXXX\    /X\   /X\      /XXXXX
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That is probably why they appeal to the Morey's, they lack real estate, but want to offer a different experience then you'd get at the local Catholic church carnival.

I had forgotten about the Schlunker II... by that point in the 80's I was more interested in chasing girls and drinking beer than going on rides LOL.

Last edited by billb7581,

One of the crazy parts of the German Circuit Fair is that a ride like Transformer is just there for a 3 day Weekend and within two days, you will have the ride up and running in a different town.
It it simply amazing!

You have to go to one of the giant fairs (San Diego, California State Fair, etc.) to ride the spectacular rides.

What impressed me was the cycle time in the video. I don't think I'd want to ride that long!

"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza

Carowinds had a tamer version of that in 1973. Long gone though.
http://www.carowindsearlyyears.com/surfer.html

Two rides have made me feel that my brains were going to come out my nose. Maelstrom at Moreys and Scat II at Beech Bend. :) However I did ride Maelstrom four times just because it was unique to Moreys in the USA.

Another ride I caught at Ohio State fair was Magnum. I think its KMG and its a big huge ride. Scrambler, chaos, Tilt-a-whirl combination. The only one that was permanent was Catwomans whip at SFNO. Wonder if that ride was totally junked or what?

One ride I'd love to see is a SKID that is in Europe. Kinda a hoped up Whip. Bowerys SKID RIDE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KleKRBg0IAo

Last edited by Charles Nungester,

In some of those SFNO SBNO videos and slide shows you can see Catwoman's Whip sitting there abandoned. Not that I'd try to salvage it at this point, but it's a shame - I believe Charles is right in stating that besides Wood Entertainment's traveling Magnum it was the only other one operating in North America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn-bmtyXFuI&feature=related
Wood bros. Magnum ride

In looking at the ride further, It is aparent to me that the ride is nothing more than a modified Calypso with different type vechicles that can both spin and flip. All i know is it was a fun ride. However be very careful entering and exiting it as the cars will flip you out without a attendant holding it. I found out the hard way landing face first across the carriage beem and had a bruise that lasted a month on my leg.

Hence the army of staff to run the ride. Im told it takes four trailers to transport it.

Heres a closer view of the action of the ride

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRv-vh4I8M0&feature=related

Last edited by Charles Nungester,

Thanks, Charles. I was searching earlier for a video of Catwoman's Whip in motion. This will do just fine.

-Travis
www.youtube.com/TSVisits

FWIW, Magnum (and Catwoman's Whip) is a Mondial Shake, not a KMG ride.

Has anyone here ridden a KMG Inversion? They had one at the Minnesota State Fair last year, but capacity was so terrible I didn't get a ride. I'm a big Afterburner fan, so I've wondered if it's any good.

-Nate

Last edited by coasterdude318,

I also saw the Inversion at Minnesota, but didn't ride it either. (I waited all year for our trip to the Great Minnesota Get Together and I came down with the worst case of flu the night before - there was all that great food, and one of the best midways in the U.S. and I was havin' none of it...) My friend Jeff rode it, though, and liked it, but with so few seats the capacity did indeed suck, and the cycle was short. In fact, the portion of the cycle where it just swings back and forth and the cars flip was cut altogether.

I've always thought the Mondial Supernova looked interesting. Are there any of those traveling the U.S.?

http://www.mondialrides.com/products/Supernova/video.html
(early 90's music bonus!)

That looks very similar to the Vekoma Waikiki Wave. They used to have one at Kentucky Kingdom called Earthquake. I never got to ride as it was broken down far more often than not.

Here is a video of a model operating at another park. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-GqnFM7aD8

The Vekoma Wave and the Mondial Supernova look like very cool ride concepts with a motion that is very unique. However I assume that the wear and tear on those two main joints must be heavy and require lots of maintenance.

I'm sheriff of this here rollercoaster.

Kentucky Kingdom's Quake looked a lot more interesting than it was. In fact, when it operated, it basically sucked. In spite of appearances, with no brake on the gondola, the gondola cannot invert.

On the Kentucky Kingdom ride, the gear noise on the thing was so loud that the airport next door had reason to complain about the noise.

And of course it was the most reliable ride in the park: you could count on it to fail.

Getting rid of it was one of the smartest things Kentucky Kingdom ever did.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

    /X\        _      *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
   /XXX\      /X\     /X\_      _     /X\__      _     _        _____
  /XXXXX\    /XXX\   /XXXX\_   /X\   /XXXXX\    /X\   /X\      /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX

There are/were two Mondial Supernovas in North America.

One -- which is no longer there -- was the Surf Dance at Adventureland on Long Island. I've ridden it many times; it was fun but not particularly intense. This ride may have ended up in the Phillippines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CCZkRfRwxI

The second was Indiago and operates at the State Fair of Texas. Not sure if it's around anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgeZjPJ0vfE

-Madison

Wow the arm on the right with the articulated section that changes with the geometry of the ride must require daily PM.

Yeah, most of the videos I have seen on YouTube shows Supernova's which are not nearly as intense a cycle as the one shown on Mondial's site. Most of them seem almost like Rainbows or non-inverting Top Spins, only facing sideways.