PKD's Grizzly birthday

This isn't really news, but I thought I'd share it. PKD's Grizzly is celebrating its 21st birthday. The park posted the original press release and some photos.

Here's the vintage press release and photos:
http://www.kingsdominion.com/corpinfo_pressGrizzly.jsp

------------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"The world rotates to The Ultra-Heavy Beat!" - KMFDM

Cool...thanks, Jeff. its always fun to read press released from days gone by.

Is it just me, or is that second pic flipped to a mirror image?

------------------
"God put animals here for us to eat them! I didn't rise to the top of the food chain just to have a salad!" - Bassistist

I like the last line - "The Grizzly will be America's newest coaster." Wow, there's a record that'll last awhile. Although, back then, it would have lasted a lot longer than it does now...

------------------
A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

Very cool. I remember riding it in '82. It's as good now as it was then.

Moosh--that image is indeed flipped. That pic has to have been taken when it was first built. You can actually (almost) see the whole layout, and the wood looks new.

------------------
-Vater
'These pretzels are making me thirsty.'
Take a ride...

*** This post was edited by Vater 3/27/2003 2:57:08 PM ***

I miss the days when Grizzly looked like it did with all the trees. I especially think Hypersonic XLC "screwed" up the landscape forever.
------------------
If you have a problem with clones, the solution is real simple—Stop traveling.

I'm with you, IF. I practically grew up on the Griz, nothing compares to how it was before Wayne's World sprouted in the woods.
It's funny, I remember reading about Grizzly that year that it opened (I was 6), and I thought that because it was called 'Grizzly' the track must form the outline of a Bear. I even remember doing drawings of what it looked like in my imagination.
Needless to say, I was disappointed when I actually saw it.
It's still one of my favorite and most meaningful coasters. Nothing reminds me of my childhood like riding the Griz.
--------
Pun is the death of wit.
*** This post was edited by ThemeDesigner 3/27/2003 5:07:31 PM ***

Ahh yes,now that is a delight to see that the park has an interest in preserving it's history by providing classic footage & information on one of their most popular coasters.

I can somewhat recall some of the commercials that they aired to promote the ride back in 82 which made it sound like such a wild hair raising experience & those pics are great as well.

Did anyone else notice how the logo on the trains have changed quite a bit over the years?

It is fun seeing the stuff from when it opened. Grizzly is still pretty much back in the woods with a well hidden entrance. I always walk past the entrance at first, then I see the exit and turn around and go back.

I have found Grizzly to be a strange ride in one respect. More than any other coaster that I've ridden it has good days and bad days for noe apparent reason such as temperature or rain. Some days it is a slug. Other days it is a wild ride with so much air that you can painfully land on top of the seat divider if you aren't careful.

Jim, I agree with you about the entrance. There is a lare grizzly bear by the sign, but it kind of gets missed because of the arcade, and the Skycoaster and Hypersonic.
------------------
If you have a problem with clones, the solution is real simple—Stop traveling.

I remember when The Grizzly opened. I was living in OH and was a PKI/Beast junkie. The Grizzly was such an obvious attempt to mimic the Beast's (already legendary) trip through the woods. I knew it couldn't equal The Beast. Boy, was I wrong- far superior to the Beast. My favorite coaster (behind Ghostrider).

Wow, that's interesting to hear, Anastasia. While Grizzly is definitely in my top 10 woodies, Beast is my #1. I can see how one could rate Grizzly over Beast, but I can honestly say I've never heard anyone clain that it's 'far superior.' Go Grizz! ;)

I Fan said: I especially think Hypersonic XLC "screwed" up the landscape forever.

Personally, I think Hurler already accomplished that 9 years ago.

------------------
-Vater
'These pretzels are making me thirsty.'
Take a ride...

Vater - add me to the list of people who not only feel that Grizzly is far superior to The Beast but that Beast is vastly overrated as well.

------------------
"God put animals here for us to eat them! I didn't rise to the top of the food chain just to have a salad!" - Bassistist

How landlocked is this park? It seems like they have messed up some wonderful landscaping of the original plan (lake charles, the railroad and the woods around grizzly) in the sake of expansion. Kings Island has did a lot of expansion in what was the safari monorail area. Has Kings Dominion not touch that area yet?

Heres to the coaster that will always be unfairly compared to the Beast (since they are in the same place at sister parks) cosidering you are not the Beast you are a good ride!

------------------
I don't care what anyone says, Magnum is better then Millenium Force.

The Beast is definitely not in the same place as Grizzly. The Beast is all the way at the back of the park next to Tomb Raider. Grizzly is all the way near the front of the park next to I-95.
------------------
If you have a problem with clones, the solution is real simple—Stop traveling.

Ive only been to PKD once but if I remember right Grizzly is in the corner of Old Virgina (like the Beast is in Rivertown) and the map agrees with me, http://www.kingsdominion.com/i/map03.pdf sure the Grizz is not in the very back (because of the waterpark) but it is in the back right cornor of the park just like The Beast (and for good measure here is PKI's map: http://www.pki.com/i/lg_park_map_2002.pdf)

------------------
I don't care what anyone says, Magnum is better then Millenium Force.

Mamoosh: YES, I noticed that too! I was looking at that pic and was like *wait a sec something is not right*

Corey

Show me a person who feels that the Beast is over rated and I will show you a person who has not experienced the Beast at night unchained (no trims) :)

------------------
I don't care what anyone says, Magnum is better then Millenium Force.