Intimidator 305 Media Day

What I find the most interesting about all of this "overly intense" speak; In recent years coaster-fans have whined and moaned about how they'd love to ride a Traver ride, and they all of these modern steel coasters are too weak for them, etc. The second something comes out that delivers an ass-kicking, the way that the old time rides have been described to do, it's "too much" and "the next SOB".

I'll stand by my assessment, that no matter what products and services are delivered, there's always someone waiting in line to bitch about what they don't like.

I personally don't see greying out as a bad thing. In fact, I think it's part of the fun. Pain? No thank you.

A couple more months before I will get a chance to ride...cant wait!

I have no excitement about this ride whatsoever- the OTSRs are the deal breaker for me, and like some others have stated positive gs where you "grey out" are no attraction either. Yawn.

I love this coaster. I also experienced a little gray out but how do you know what the limits are if you don't reach them? As for someone actually passing out that same person might also pass out on Maverick or MF. Some people may just be more susceptble like others get motion sickness. Perhaps they should give this ride a thrill factor of 5+.

I thought the ride auction winners should have been allowed to ride before the media. These people paid a lot of money to be first. I heard one guy Fri. morning say he got 15 rides in Thur. What a slap in the face to those who paid $1,000 or more to be first. I understand letting the media ride it to promote the ride and the park but the auction people should have been truly first.

I completely agree about the first riders. If it was just media, I would have understood, but they let in many plain ole enthusiasts too.

Now they could have invited the first riders to media day and let them ride their brains out. (For all I know they did) Ridemcoaster was at both events.

Isn't the point of an auction to raise money?

The auctions are intended to raise money, not boost your ego for some pointless bragging right.

I think saying the OTSR's "ruin" the ride is a little strong. I agree they take away from the ride, and even keep it from being the Greatest Ride Ever®, but they're certainly not a deal breaker.

I grey-out on Millennium probably once a year. It's usually during an early morning ERT session. I attribute it to being tired and the fact that I don't usually eat breakfast. With my experience Saturday, I think I will always grey-out on I-305. I ate that morning, was well rested and didn't get on the ride until about 11am.

I think I-305's OTSR's are "slightly" different than Maverick. Where Maverick's are an oval shaped bar that can hurt when you hit it, I-305's seems to be L shaped a bit with more padding on the inside where you would hit it. (Reference Sketch) I didn't find the OTSR's as annoying as on Maverick. Though I would still prefer no OTSR's at all.

I'm not complaining. As I mentioned. I liked the ride. It's just not the best thing out there, in my opinion. I don't think I could marathon this ride. But, then again, I've never been able to marathon Voyage either, and Voyage is my #1 wood coaster. My final opinion on the new Voyage trains will not be known until Fall Freakout.

I don't mind greying out once in a while. But, having a ride that will cause it during every ride, is a bit much for me. Either let it happen and it effects my enjoyment of the ride or I tense up. But, tensing up effects my ability to fully enjoy the ride too. That's why I don't usually do it on Millennium.

Jeff said:
The auctions are intended to raise money, not boost your ego for some pointless bragging right.

Expecting perspective? From coaster enthusiasts?

I305 restraints are identical to Fahrenheit (I should know since I was on them both Saturday) while Maverick and Storm Runner are the same.

I'm wondering if there has been any explanation from someone who knows why - what happened to the 'soft' backpack-like restraints that were supposedly going on the ride?

I can't believe the industry hasn't learned the lesson of OTSRs. I think Intamin is now overcompensating due to the deaths.

Greying out - has never caused Shockwave in TX to be slowed down (before the loops, anyway). Is the greying out on I-305 much more intense?

Perhaps slowing the lift down to a crawl just at the top - that may shave 5-10 mph off of the turn speed.

I don't think the G's are any higher, I just think they last for a longer period. I have to laugh when ever a coaster's G's are compared to what the Astronauts feel in a Shuttle launch. The duration of the G's is the more important factor. We may feel the same G's for a couple seconds at most. The Astronauts are feeling them for several minutes.

I was thinking the same thing about the lift hill Demon. I don't know if it would help or not. I would hate to see a trim added. But, if they added a trim there, I would think there would be no problem in removing the one later in the ride.

DaveStroem said:
I305 restraints are identical to Fahrenheit while Maverick and Storm Runner are the same.

I agree. If you compare Intimidator 305 and Fahrenheit to Maverick and Storm Runner, you can see the padding on the inside of the restraint is raised on I-305 and Fahrenheit. But, not on Maverick or Storm Runner like I mentioned in a previous post.

CoasterDemon said:
I think Intamin is now overcompensating due to the deaths.

Does anyone have the total number of people ejected from an Intamin ride with T-bars?

I wonder if the restraint has something to do with the fact that you can strap enormous people into it. I saw some very large folks able to ride, where I know they'd never fit on Dragster, for example.

That's true Jeff. But, if they used the "Ball Coaster" restraints, we would have the ability to accommodate the large, while still avoiding the head banging and the bruises caused by riding with your arms up. I have bruising on both arms from 4 rides.

I've not seen those in real life, so I don't have an opinion, though I suspect you might be right. Given my height, I take the abuse of the restraints mostly on the jaw. And the nipples.

^Ouch!!!

Has anyone here rode a ride with the soft harness? My friend said the Vekoma harness on Noreaster was better than the old ones, but still rubbed and burned his chest (nipples ouch).

Other than me? I've been on Inferno (I'm on the left). I will be riding Carolina Cobra at Carowinds in August. I didn't notice any nipple rubbing. :) And I rode it over a dozen times.

I'm really wondering why they went with the hard harness instead of the soft one. There was a little blurb about it NOT having shoulder bars, but rather shoulder straps - and it was a semi-big deal, and there was relief in the industry knowing it wouldn't have shoulder bars.

Not that the parks owes anyone an explanation - I'm just very curious about this.

The good thing is that it looks like the shoulder bars/straps are easy to take off an interchangeable...