Mojo Jojo roll!

Ok I have a quick question...what is the "so-called" difference between Hydra's new "jojo roll" and an ordinary heartline twist or zero-g roll? Is it the fact that the jojo roll comes right out of the station, is that what makes it different? Or is it because it travels at a downward angle? I'm kinda well...confused...

The JoJo roll is only being called that by the park. It is just an ordinary heartline roll. The park is calling it the JoJo roll because Joe Greene, VP of Maintenance and Construction came up with the idea for it, so they named it in honor of him.

Ok, I was assuming that they were calling it that because the inversion takes place in a downward angle. Most ordinary heartlines are taken straight. But yes, I also heard the story about naming it after someone who came up with the idea who works at the park. Dorney figured it was a new inversion because a). it takes place before the lift and b.) the heartline is taken at traveling downward. New inversion=new name. Just my two cents.

I doubt the rolls on Colossus are not at a downward angle, but I have not seen it in person and that's something you really can't tell too much from pictures. Seems to me like they just wanted to give credit to the guy for the IMO pretty cool idea.
*** Edited 9/20/2004 3:34:24 AM UTC by GoliathKills***

Also, this is B&M's first straight "heartline" roll as opposed to zero-g roll. Just like they call corks flatspins on inverteds, maybe they decided to call their straight "heartlines" jojo rolls.

OK so then my question is, what's the difference between a heartline roll and a zero-g roll? I thought they were the same...

Well, since no one else will actually answer you're question, I will!

Let's look at inverted coasters first: when you ride a B&M inverted coaster and go through the heartline roll or barrel roll, you may notice that the roll really doesn't spin you around using your heartline. The roll really seems to spin you more around the top of your head-line. Now take Volcano: TBC at PKD in VA, this launched Intamin invert spins you right through the center of the rolls, truly spinning you through the middle on your heartline. To really understand this heartline idea; imagine an imaginary line going through you front-to-back, through your heart. Now this line represents the axis in which Volcano's rolls will spin your body around.

With a B&M Floorless heartline, it seems to have a similar effect that the B&M Invert has. When riding, the ride is not truly spinning you on your heartline through the middle of the roll. It still feels like your body is being spun "around" some imaginary line going through the middle of the spin. But by looking closely at early renderings and a video for Hydra, it really seems to me that this "Jojo Roll" really does spin you around the heartline, much like Volcano and the other Intamin heartline rolling coasters.

I hope I explained it OK and that it makes sense! *** Edited 9/20/2004 6:38:10 AM UTC by go with gravity***

go with gravity - Yes. I've been saying that for years but some people seem to be in denial. The zero-g rolls do not have their axis of rotation about the riders' heartlines, but above their heads on inverts and below their feet on floorlesses.

I can't tell from the Hyrda promos where the axis is on Hydra, but the reason it's not a zero-g roll is because the train travels in a straight line through the inversion. A zero-g roll is essentially a camelback with a twist at the top. The idea is to get air time but to do it while upside down. It approaches heading up and leaves heading down. The jojo roll is just flat.

I'd say first and foremost that Hydra's Inversion with the Stupid Name® does not qualify as a zero-g roll because the train looks like it executes the element at a snail's pace. Thus, everyone will experience crazy hangtime rather than a weightless sensation.