Intamin... someone talk to me about Intamin..

Intamin AG is a company on the rise. I don't think anyone can even argue against that statement. They are contracted to build some of the best Hyper coasters around. They're widely renowned for building their very popular Impulses. They have some good inverts and I have heard rave reviews about their woodies. Now, they're coming on with the new Rocket Coaster. I know all this without ever even riding anything made by them. My point/question is this...

Are they really that close to pushing B&M for the top spot in coaster design/manufacturing? They seem to make a great product, but so far they seem very regional at least in the US(through no fault of their own). I can't even tell you where the closest Intamin product is from me (Greenville, SC). Am I the only one who feels this way?

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Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas.

I'm not trying to bash you or Intamin or anything, but Intamin sucks. just my opinion. I don't really like their coasters. the Impulses are great and tons of fun, S:ROS @ SFNE looks fantastic, and their woodies look great, but other than that they really don't catch my attention. S:ROS @ SFDL was boring. Xcelerator looks like a waste of money, but that's because there isn't any land which isn't something that Intamin can control. I just don't like Intamin's style of coaster designing. B&M, although repetative at times, suites me much more.

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-Bob
Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park
"Your proctologist called, he found your head!" ~Jerry "The King" Lawler

Well if you're notice, I said I've never ridden one, so don't worry about bashing me. I just said they seem to be making great strides. If you'll also notice my coaster count, I've been on a few B&M's. Not a bunch, but definitely a couple.

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Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas.

I don't think anyone could disagree that Intamin's stock is rising in the amusement industry. They are certainly poised to hold the top spot with B&M with their installations this year. 2003 could be an even more interesting year. But, the enthusiast community is pretty fickle. Intamin could very well the flavor-of-the-month. A decade ago, Arrow was on top. Over the last few years, B&M could do no wrong. Now everybody is looking to Intamin to rise up. Who knows what happens 5 years from now?

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Homey G. said:

Are they really that close to pushing B&M for the top spot in coaster design/manufacturing?

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Only if you assume B&M is the "top" manufacturer currently.

I happen to feel that Intamin coasters as every bit as smooth and in most cases more exciting than most of B&M's work.

The only place B&M can't be touched is with their inverted coasters. I don't think thay've made a bad one yet. It's B&M's bread and butter.

...and Kraken. Kraken is gooooood.

What can I say? I never had the blind adoration of B&M that so many enthusiasts seem to have. I don't really like to say one manufacturer is better than another, I just want to ride. But I will agree that Intamin is hot.

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www.coasterimage.com

I have enjoyed the majority of the Intamin coasters I've ridden, with the only exception to that list that comes to mind being SFMM's Flashback. SFNE's Superman, with air a-plenty, is currently my favorite steel coaster, their Impulses are just plain ol' fun and always make me laugh, and Perilous Plunge is just all wrong...in all the right ways.

Homey - without consulting a map I'd have to say your closest Intamin rides are going to be Acrophobia at SFOG or Volcano at PKD.

Mammosh,

I think you're right.. Volcano probably is. I need to correct something. I have ridden an Intamin product (FreeFall at SFoG, a first gen drop ride), but just no coasters.

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Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas.

Intamin makes some fantastic coaster no one can deny that but like every coaster company people will have some qualms with the ride experience.

Personally, I think that SROS at SFNE is the closest to coaster perfection of all the coasters io have been on. I cannot find one major flaw in that ride. (Except for maybe the safety flaw but thats another story) The hypers seems to be all the rage and deservingly so since they provide some amazing quanitities of airtime and powerful helices.

Homey, I think your belief about Intamin being only regional is slightly misleading. They seem to be all over the place except for the south. Poor Rollergator:). Remember there are more Intamin hypers than B&N hypers, so don't think that there is a scarcity of Intamin coasters. Intamin coasters are pretty expensive so we really cannot expect to see them at any small parks. Their inverts are quite rare in the US, unfortunately since they could rival B&M's spectacular inverts.

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confucius say:Show-off always shown up in showdown.
Best Fortune ever!!

Intamin has been around for decades. I'd hardly call that "up and coming." Most of their coasters are build using their own technology (the track design, lift systems, etc.), but as far as layouts go, much of that has to do with the parks and Werner Stengle, who apparently consults on most of their projects.

Intamin, like everyone else, builds what is asked of them.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

What is the Intamin Rocket coaster?

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CANADA ROCKS!

coomanchu, the Rocket coaster is Xcellerator and the like.

Jeff, I didn't say "up and coming" which if I said it would have meant new. I said "on the rise" which means making a definite name for themselves, especially of late. Any company can be described as "on the rise" if they show increasing activity. All this about Intamin came about because my buddy who likes coasters but doesn't care who makes them asked me about Intamin. I chose to defer to the more intelligent masses to see what you guys think.

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Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas.

*** This post was edited by Homey G. on 3/11/2002. ***

coo man chu, that would be Xcelerator at KBF...

Homey G, all I can say is GO to PKD and experience V:TBC for yourself....it's kind of a "one-trick pony", but only 'cause they didn't add the nice tight helix before the second launch like I requested...LOL. Afterwards, go to SFA and try out a "real" Intamin product.....since I haven't gotten to SFNE (yet!), it's my fav steelie....IMMENSE ejector air, more than even Dick Kinzel would want!

The drop rides are cool, especially the gyro-drops. The improvements in their rides over time show a REAL commitment to their customers, i.e. parks. From the first-gen drops to the second-gen was a HUGE leap, then they went and got WAY better again...I'd really like to see some more Intamin inverted full-circuits with more intesting stuff than V:BTC (perhaps a vertical loop, and HELICES)...I just prefer Intamin trains by about 100:1 over the B&Ms.

sethman, we appreciate your support (heisted from Bartles and Jaymes)...;)

coasterjedi: I can't believe you think Intamin sucks. I know it's your opinion, but I am left to wonder why anyone who likes coasters (like we presumably all do) would make that statement. But whatever you like - "personally, I would like a toilet made out of solid gold but that's just not in the cards, baby" (Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me, 1999).

Personally, I think Intamin and B&M are COMPARABLE - they both offer smooth rides. Intamin is not, in my opinion, any more viable right now than B&M. B&M has sold countless inverted designs, and Intamin has sold countless hyper- and inpulse designs. I think as long as both designers are putting out new designs (that parks are going for), what makes the difference? As far as these designs being "expensive," well, big surprise there - if they weren't expensive I would have one in my backyard, too (right next to Drachen Fire).

As far as who likes what, well, that's your decision. I've personally been on equivalent numbers of each and they offer totally different ride experiences. I like each company just the same. If a ride designer can make me go stand in a three hour line with a bunch of smelly people and niosy teenagers cracking their bubble gum on a ninety degree day in Florida with 200% humidity, that's no small accomplishment.

But above all, the coaster industry is cyclical, and some day you'll be seeing some other designer on top (and no doubt people on this site will be saying, "Oh My God, I Just Can't Stand Millennium Force, It's So Rough..........). So don't worry about what people say about "who's dethroning who" in the coaster industry (and a lot of people seem to be thinking this)....because, two handfuls of nothing is still nothing.

opthodoc, I think you're wasting a perfectly good handle if you're not telling those who disagree with you "get your eyes checked man!!" :)

As for our reptilian fan Bill, if you'd pony up the 20 bucks and FINALLY join CB, I'd make the trip over to SFNE with you to try that bad boy out while we're up in that neck of the woods for ERT at PKI!! ;)

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Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas.

Intamin have made as many fluffs as Vekoma have lol its just when they do sucseed they do VERY well lol.

Take a look at Indiana too see what i mean. They are just as good at clones too lol. But Intamin are deffinatly a hot prospect

How in the world Cincinatti and Agwam are in the same "neck of the woods" is far beyond me. But anyway, Intamin can and will continue to sell rides that people want to ride. I also think that B&M will do the same. Do I necessarily think one desinger is better than the other? NO. I *do* believe that the Intamin rides tend to be more intense than the B&M rides, but I believe that is a by product of what the customers ask for (ask for a family hyper, get a family hyper).
lata,
jeremy
--who notes that B&Ms litter his top steel favorites, but *still* likes Intamin better

Yipes! Unfortunately a good call by you Jeremy. :(

13 hours is a hike from Cincinnati. But I GUESS it's closer than the 14.5 hours from my home, and almost 20 hours for Gator Bill.. :)

Hm, anyone up for a skip on over to SFKK while we're up there?

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Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas.

Jeremy, its Agawam, MA;).

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SFNE drops the "floor" on SFNE for 2002! Visit www.geocities.com/sfneguy for info. and pics of SFNE, including NEW constr. pics of B:DK!!!

I like B&Ms better than Intamin, but that's parrtially because my experience is skewed to the more interesting B&M creations and I've only been on Millennium Force.

That said, personal preferences do *NOT* make Intamin a bad company at all, and while I understand your "on the rise" comment, it's probably a little more accurate to say it's "rising again" due to its long and very storied history. The only company I've found lacking would be TOGO and that seems to be because their engineers design for small, thin people, and I don't fit that category. :) The rides are not bad, but the restraint system needs an overhaul (I'm talking to the SFGAdv Viper crew here!).

Considering the rides weve received over the past decade, I'd place all of the companies together near the top just because they continue to innovate and give us new designs.

I personall like Intamin more than B&M. I think Intamin's quality has gone way up. They are always improving. From the 1st generation free-falls to Acrophobia today, look what they have done with their drop rides. Impulses are great rides that take up very little space and Millennium Force is amazing. Another reason I prefer Intamin to other ride designers is they have a small rattle to their coasters, not roughness, but not silky smoothness where you can't feel anything.