Michigan's Adventure announces SLC: Thunderhawk

Just saw a teaser for the 5pm news(wxyz) channel 7 in detroit. They will be showing the coaster.

I wonder what it will look like? ;)

Do you have a link Crazy Horse.

Does anybody else think that Headspin should have been announced for next year instead? And then followed by Thunderhawk a year or two down the road? That way the company could've been making better use of excess assetts. I'm making that suggestion considering no other Cedar Fair park would really benefit from the introduction of a Vekoma Boomerang -- and after Thunderhawk, it'll be like taking a step back if they put in Headspin (if they put it in).

^I agree. I wouldn't count it as a step back, necessarily. But it seems like MiA is the best place for Head Spin to go, whenever they decide to move it.

For everyone who thinks new trains would be a good idea, remember that this will be a 10-year-old ride by the time it’s installed. It’s not the Legend, which had only run for two seasons when it was decided to ditch the Gerstlauers for PTCs. Similarly, the Premier rides were all between three and five years old when their OTSRs were switched out. Those changes were investments in young rides. Thunderhawk is not that young, and it might not run another 12 years. (Of course, Wildcat at Hersheypark would be an exception to this example.)

Also keep in mind the fact that the first major coaster MiA is getting since Shivering Timbers is a used one. Cedar Fair is not dumping money into this park. Considering that they just closed a park and recently bought a park chain, buying more comfortable trains isn’t the highest priority, especially if the old ones still work. And no one can say that getting more comfortable trains would directly lead to more park revenue at the end of the year. Nobody’s removing SLCs from their parks for lack of popularity. In fact, Six Flags is removing popular rides (The Chiller and Déjà Vu) that just don’t run reliably.

Sometimes you have to look at things from the perspective of the non-enthusiast. It’s a “new” ride to MiA, even if we know it’s relocated. An SLC might be an acceptably “rough” coaster ride to people who have never ridden a B&M or Intamin. The bottom line is ROI. Thunderhawk is going to be popular enough with the trains it has now, just like every other SLC in the world.
*** This post was edited by Olsor 10/2/2007 5:48:42 PM ***

^Didn't WoF get their Boomerang after Mamba. Please no one say CP. A boomerang isn't going in there, that wouldn't make sense capacity wise at all.

As for MiA, think I said in my other post, I don't think they have the money for a major coaster such as this. But the fact that their just moving this one from another park is costing a lot less. At least that's my thought. That was always my viewpoint on Shivering Timbers. You have this small amusement/water park and there's this huge roller coaster that is usually found in a larger park.

And to think SFA was *thisclose* to getting this ride. Poor SFA BATWING FAN...screwed again! BWA HA HA HA HA HA! ;)

I'm not sure I understand why people keep bringing up the age of the ride or the trains. There are Arrow loopers all over the place that have been running for nearly or more than 30 years.

With more and more state regulations leaning towards a 'equal national level', the window to move rides is closing. CF has to move the GL rides this season, and assemble them soon. You will not see them mothballed for any length of time.

As for the SLC, they are a great ride, but agressive. When the ride moves, so does the legal issues, inspection reports, and mandatory manufacturer upgrades, reguardless of the state it operates in.

Eventually, all SLC's could have this option, or rather the order to change the trains, so my thoughts are to make the upgrade, and give MiA a better ride than it left as.

If I was closer I'd say the new trains would make me definitely want to go to MiAdv just to check them out, otherwise, I've ridden a standard SLC, so I'll get there whenever and ride it if at all. I agree it's a great addition, but new trains would make it a must ride for some just to see how it is, and could give that marketability of "the only lap bar inverting suspended coaster" blah blah. Ah well, bottom dollar rules even over customer satisfaction.btw, why does MiAdv's site just plain suck compared to the other CF sites? I know this has been said countless times, but the overall look seems so dated anymore. The UNofficial site ( http://www.mirollercoast.com/ ) looks 10X's better then it.
*** This post was edited by P18 10/2/2007 6:26:58 PM ***

I would love to see the trains with the new lap bars, but to say that they would be required in the future? Unless I'm mission something, they don't make the ride any safer. So why would they be required to upgrade?

If head banging, which results in injuries, legal issues, etc continues to be an issue, and an alternative 'vehicle'is available, then manufacturers make the upgrade, which everyone must follow.

The SLC's are on their third generation shoulder harnesses. Plus, you have whole groups of folks who will not ride because of the head colliding with said harness. Its a proven ride, and can have its life extended with a whole new group of riders experiencing a pain free ride.

Look at the Steel Phantom. It was a bad ass world class speed coaster. However, most riders felt like they just got out of a boxing match in leiu of a coaster ride.

The bottom line is that the majority of park visitors do not like to go upside down, and those who do really aren't looking for the added bonus of neck and head jarring.

The new SLC trains are supposed to be smooth, with no neck or head issues. That will, by pure word of mouth, increase ridership, reguardless of ROI this ir that.

To the Moreys, upgrading a $7 million coaster with $1 million in trains gives the ride more appeal. $1 million is cheaper than replacing the GNE with a new coaster.

MiA has the chance to do the same. I am sure once the CF guys see the Moreys on the new trains at IAAPA, they will take a look, even know they were offered the trains last winter to test.

Very funny Moosh ;) .....I'm just waiting on that Dominator announcement for KD.

I think that the headbanging situation with most SLC's is greatly overexagerated,I've had some pretty good rides on ME lately with very minimal headbanging with most of it occuring more near the end of the circuit coming out of the last turn.On the contrary I've heard that some of the B&M's have gotten pretty rough lately with some moderate headbanging,most notably B:DK/B:TR @SFNE,Scream @SFMM & a couple others which I can't remember the names of at the moment.

Supes has also become noticably rougher lately as well,granted there's no headbanging but it's not alltogether smooth as silk like it was in it's debut season 7,almost8 years ago.

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As for MiA, think I said in my other post, I don't think they have the money for a major coaster such as this. But the fact that their just moving this one from another park is costing a lot less. At least that's my thought. That was always my viewpoint on Shivering Timbers. You have this small amusement/water park and there's this huge roller coaster that is usually found in a larger park.

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Have you ever been to MIA.

Correct me if Im wrong, but I believe that Verkoma's "new" suspended trains do not swing like the Arrows and are instead are rigid like inverteds. If thats true those trains should never ever defile the great Big Bad Wolf, Ill take the boxy car that can swing over an inverted train.

I'm sure the ride is going next to Grand Rapids, I think when they said it was going by Rip Cord and Adventure Falls they were just refering to the general area it was going to be placed in since those two rides are right next to Grand Rapids. I believe Cedar Fairs plan was to paint the ride at GL a few years before they moved it so that Michigans Adventure wouldn't be the one paying for it. Does anybody know if there keeping the on-ride videos? .

Since when can Vekoma order its customers to spend another million dollars with them?

^^^, I understood that they do swing. Aren't there some in RCT2?

^Those are different trains. The suspended swinging trains, that are running on the Vampire are totally different from the SLC trains (old or new). They swing freely

The "old" SLC trains tend to swing a little bit, hence the shock absorbers and the name "Suspended Looping Coaster". They are patented this way.

Alledgedly, the new trains with the new vest restraint are completely rigid.

Question: Is Moreys Pier a pay-per-ride park?
If yes, they would be the second ppr to retrofit their Vekoma headbangers (Prater Park in Vienna being the first to put a lapbar train on a Boomerang).

I would have guessed the boomerang coaster would have gone to MI Adventure. The waterpark is still the big draw there, and I wonder if this ride might be a bit "big" for the target audience. Either way, its still a nice addition.