No more Lap bars.

Boy scankinrab,

You think us CP fanboys are upset now remember back when SDk2000 topped MF by 1 and a half feet!

I must say that the OTSR's will put Kingda Ka one notch below Dragster in my book. It may be 36 feet taller, but practically free falling from 420 feet in the air straight down with nothing over your shoulders and your hands up has to be one of the most exhilerating experiences ever.

I don't think that having OTSRs on Kingda Ka is something to worry about any more than the traditional stapling of riders to the back of the seats ;)

My opion on this is, lapbars will always have there own place on coasters, but.

now coasters are becoming faster and more extreme.over head restraints are safer.

i say this as im 6 foot 4 inchs and the coasters i go on in england that have lap restraints are painfull, not only for my legs but also for my back as there is nothing supporting it as the coaster goes though its lateral g's.

many a time i have come off a coaster with a painfull back.

then again, with lap bars you do have more of a feeling of openess and a great example of this is in spain on a coaster called Raging Bull.

all in all i think lap bars have had their time and now should be slowly removed from coasters. especialy since coasters are getting faster and more extreme.

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GIGAFORCE01 said:
Boy scankinrab,

You think us CP fanboys are upset now remember back when SDk2000 topped MF by 1 and a half feet!

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Yeah but then again our 300 footer didn't going flying off the track and hit a bunch of people in a water park.

Millennium Force is THE tallest complete circuit traditional OPERATING coaster on the planet.

TTD and KK are taller but still MF is like a 'real' coaster with a long track, hills, turns, and tunnels.

Our 300-footer?

Can you show me your $25 million receipt?

The only record I'm hearing is a old, scratched one by the group Fanboy.

It goes "Waaaaaaaah!" (Skip) "Waaaaaaaah!" (Skip) "Waaaaaaaah!" (Skip) "Waaaaaaaah!"

Can we break THAT one for once?

-CO

I have never understood why so many people ***** about OTSR, on a lot of coasters it just doesn't bother me, it only bothers me on coasters that have headbanging. But on the other side, I honestly feel more held in by the Premier lap bars, those things just stable your butt to the seat like there was no tomorrow.

While the restraints on Storm Runner had no effect on the ride, I suspect that it might on KK. I know that on the majority of my rides on TTD I was flung out to the left side of the car. Since KK has the same basic twist, you might end up hitting the OTSR on the way down. Though, it could just be me who gets pulled out that much. It thats the case, then the OTSR wouldn't be a problem.

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Mark Burleson said:
Though, it could just be me who gets pulled out that much.

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Nah...that happens to me too. I really don't have a problem with OTSR's. Most of the time I'm glad they are there. (Although taking them off of FOF was like the move of the century.) I don't think lap bars are gone for good but rather strategically placed. :)

I disagree that the OTSR will be comfortable on Kingda Ka. From the forces I have felt on Dragster's twisting dive, Kingda Ka's dive will most likely be painful because of the over the shoulder restraints.

I don't understand the people who say the OTSR's weren't a problem on Storm Runner but will be on Kinda Ka. From my experience with Storm Runner and TTD, the former has far more laterals than the latter. Kingda Ka really shouldn't have any more or any less laterals than TTD, which is to say that it won't have many at all. So why the concern when its okay on Storm Runner, which is a pretty lateral-heavy ride?

-Nate

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coasterkid16 said:
I have never understood why so many people ***** about OTSR, on a lot of coasters it just doesn't bother me, it only bothers me on coasters that have headbanging.

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Because it is the root of almost all headbanging, unless you have a coaster with coffin headrests like the ond ones on Texas Cyclone ;)

How about because shoulder bars do not provide restraint appropriate to the ride action?

I found Storm Runner to be an unpleasant experience because I wasn't secured where I should be (at my CG so as to stay in the seat), and was secured where I shouldn't have been (around the neck). At least three other people have observed the same unnerving (but perfectly safe) effect on Dragster, and it is worth noting that Dragster has that enormous wrap-around headrest that Kingda Ka can't have because of the shoulder bar. In other words, Kingda Ka will offer less lateral support than the clearly inadequate (albeit safe) lateral restraint provided on Dragster.

Just remember when the complaints start next Spring: You heard it here first.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

After riding Storm Runner a few times this past season I'd tend to think that Kingda Ka will be just fine with the OTSR.

I can see where some people would have problems with them though. I am 5' 9", and there were several inches of clearance between my shoulders, and the the restraints. I never had a problem.

People that are tall would have a problem because the OTSR would be resting on their shoulders. I think Storm Runners height limit was 70 or 71". I also see a problem with people that have big guts because that doesn't allow the restraint to put the pressure where it is intended. Hersheypark has several examples with pictures while waiting in the quene, and in the station of people that shouldn't ride.

What I noticed is that the park let people that shouldn't have ridden ride. I have seen them push the restraint down on people many a times, so that they could get the belt fastened. Question is will Great Adventure enforce those requirements when they open Kingda Ka?

70" = 5'10"

If that was the maximum height for Storm Runner, then I certainly shouldn't have ridden (72"). But that would not be reasonable, as these days, 72" is actually below normal for an adult male.

Even 75" is kind of short for a maximum height. If you want to set a maximum, it ought to be around 78"-84".

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

On some Inverts (like Deja Vu), 75 inches is the max.

Rideman I think you are correct. I've tried looking for a height limit, and haven't been able to find it. It may be 80". For some reason 71" stuck in my mind, but my friend is 6' 3", and had no problems riding it.

I believe 78' or ,6 foot 6, is the the maximum height on most coasters.

72' is definetly not below average for an adult male. That's my height I'm definitly taller than most adult males.

Try more like 70'.

Well, I found at least one chart in a quick search that indicates that 70" is the 50th percentile for men, and 72" is the 75th percentile. My observation is based on the fact that I am 72" tall, and when I am in parks it seems I look up to an awful lot of people. So either most men are wearing taller shoes than me, or the chart needs updated. Or, the population subset of males who visit amusement parks are, on average, taller than average. :)

I need to borrow a copy of "The Measure of Man and Woman" for another project I am working on anyway; when it arrives via ILL, I'll make it a point to check the average height numbers.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I could swear you were just slightly shorter than me. Of course, I'm used to being the short one, even among the 17-year-old girls on my volleyball team.