Question about The Beasts

amen incidentalist!!! the racer backwards in the back seat is one of the best air time experiences out there.  i thought that this may also be true on rebel yell at pkd but it wasn't, it didn't pack nearly the air time that the backwards racer does.  wow, what a rush.

Perhaps I should have been a bit more clear...I think PKI (realizing the helix was Papa's "signature") tried to copy the hard-hitting helix TOO much, and lost sight of the fact that what really MAKES Papa Beast is the terrain nature and the wooded location...

Oh, and 2hostyl...I, for one, prefer the Raven over the Legend due to the STRONG laterals on Legend.  New trains on Legend WILL help, as the G-trains are cool with air, but stink (family site) when it comes to laterals.  As for LR, can't wait to get to HP when it's OPEN sometime...it'll be my third Schmeck!!!

-----------------
PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

The Beast's helix at night is off the hook. A ride during the day is not very fun though.

SOB didn't do much for me aside from bruising my hips. Ugh!

Perhaps they could reprofile the first half of the Beast...more hops...remove the trim etc.

I agree though, there are many many better woodies out there to ride...many of them built within the last 10 years.

-----------------
"I'll bet that thing hits 5 Gs going through that loop.....faaar ooouut!"

I guess I should say one other thing.  I didn't ride it in the dark.  I imagine it does rock:) if the trims are off. 

-------------------------

www.tripowered.com

The Beast is a totally transformed ride at night.  Give it a try.  I agree that the first half isn't spectacular, but the 2nd lift hill with its long decent while you tip over in the car and get slammed on the side in the helix under total darkness is what gives this ride its name.  The Vortex should get its tubes tied and never "reproduce" with The Beast again!  Just tinking about SOB makes me want to paint my legs black and blue, but I have to say that the loop is great!

nasai are you Rob? I was checking out your web site out and was woundering which one was you.

The reason people here don't like the Beast is that most coaster enthusiasts are airtime junkies, and the Beast has none.  BUT, if you are like me, and the reason you like roller coasters is the speed and not the airtime, you'll love the Beast.  Being near the ground the whole time, it feels like a runaway train.   The Raven is the same way, only it has airtime as well. 

-----------------
You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."

I agree that The Beast in its current state is overrated. The drop into the tunnell and the final helix are still off the chain, but the middle of the ride is very middle of the road when the breaks are on. You can still catch a ride that will remind you of "back in the day," but that doesn't seem to be too often. I rode 7 times this year, and only got one killer ride (not a good batting average). Contrary to the experience of others, this ride was in the morning during the walk-back, and not at night.

My first experience with SOB was in April of this year, and I absolutely loved it based solely on the intensity and power of the ride. When I later rode it in September, I still enjoyed it, but wasn't "blown away" as I had been before. I believe this is because my tastes had changed since my first experience. I guess I look for more in a ride (interesting layout, pacing, etc.) now than I did in April. For what SOB delivers in power, it lacks in these. The loop, however, is sublime.

-------------
"Now Tyson Chandler can't even do a layup line? Come on. Maybe he misses homeroom." Steve Rosenbloom, Chicago Tribune

The Beast is the single greatest coaster I've ridden.  It's full of speed, intensity, and POWER.  I have yet to ride a coaster that generates as much momentum and power as the beast does.  The setting in the woods and the "What's gonna be around the next turn" helps make the ride what it is.  The second lifthill drop into the double helix finale is just crazy if your sitting on the left side.  I don't care what anyone says or builds, the Beast is and always be my #1 coaster. 

Son of Beast was a little dissappointing to me after all the hype but it still delivered.  I still rank it in my top 10.  It absolutely amazes me to look around and see how much wood is in that ride.  The first drop is awesome.  I love the view and the sensation of being over 200 ft. in the air and not being supported by steel.  The loop and helices are fast, intense, and outta control.  Plus the fact that there are not OTSR on SOB makes the ride and especially the loop sweet.

Now for those who say "Whaaaaa I'm a big boy and I got a bruise on a rollercoaster."  and "It's too rough."  Well, thats a wooden coaster for you.  Like someone said earlier, wooden coasters are not supposed to be silky smooth.  I rode both SOB and the Beast in just about every seat and in different weather conditions and found both to be comfortable to my liking.  The Beast and it's kid are not rough, if you think they are toughen up a little or have your mommy put a band-aid on your bruise.

Ok Ok...calm down thar'....All I said was that all SOB did for me was give me a bruise. Yah see...Ghostrider has delivered plenty of bruises...and plenty of fantastic rides...so you never hear me complaining about the roughness. If the thing delivered a decent ride, you wouldn't hear complaints. If all I wanted in a ride was roughness, I'd save the $40 and throw myself down a stairwell.

In terms of delivering an intense ride, the Beast has the helix...but there are other more intense rides out there that deliver better rides overall...concussions, band-aids, contusions or otherwise.

-----------------
"I'll bet that thing hits 5 Gs going through that loop.....faaar ooouut!"

When the beast is running in top form, there is a huge pop of air in the back on the first drop, and the second drop.  You just gotta be patient ride it on a hot night.   
-----------------
Kicking screamin' Gucci little siggy.

The Beast was GREAT! I love jerkiness, and SOB did it for me, but it wasn't very good. It was too close to the rest of the ride, not spread apart. What a lame place for an on-ride photo!!

Yeah!  That's pretty dumb for KI to put the on-ride-photo at the bottom of the chain lift.  Maby they just wanted to take your picture before you ride SOB

Of course The Beast is tame by today's standards...it isn't the fastest or tallest...but it is a lot of fun.  You really feel the power during the helix!  For what it is, I think the Beast is a great ride...I laughed all the way through!

Son of Beast.  Ugh...very hard to be positive about this ride.  Extremely painful if you are tall (I'm 6'2") and very bumpy.  A neat ride.  It is unique, and it has a fantastic first drop.  If you can overlook the roughness, it is a really great ride.

-----------------

Are you saying that The Beast is tame by today's standards because it isn't the tallest or fastest?  Is that what you really meant?
-----------------
Kicking screamin' Gucci little siggy.

One of my favorite things on coasters is airtime, still I love The Beast. The front seat is scary. To me it feels like it goes so fast and of course the lack of visual distance so you have no idea of what is next is fantasic. The tunnels, the giant helix, its all wonderfull, I love it.

I like the Son of Beast for different reasons and unfortunatly I had a headache the last time I rode it, so I felt like I was going to have a brain anurism at any time, which caused me to not enjoy it as much.

-----------------
Mike Middleton of Urbana, Indiana

SON OF BEAST :   Painful YESSS!!!  That's one of the things I LIKE about it!!!   If you don't have bruises after a couple of rides, then what good is it?  Hee hee hee.....I know that opinion isn't popular among the "softies" here.....But I like it rough (like your mother likes it Trebek!)

THE BEAST:    The OVER-ALL most enjoyable coaster I have ever ridden.  The time of the ride (about 4.5 minutes) is part of the experience. It is not the "most" of anything, except maybe duration, of course. But there are MANY very pleasing elements to this ride.
1. Long duration.
2. Beautiful scenery.
3. "Good" drops.
4. Unusual pacing (i.e. second lift hill)
5. A sense of travelling.
6 "Good" speed.
7. THE most terryiying, whup-ass helix ANYWHERE!
8. A beautiful, traditional look to the entire ride, station, and cue.

...and I even like the color.

A "Life changing experience"? - No, but a WHOLE LOTTA FUN!

~Tocci

ZeroG, yeah that's me!  Do you like?  Write me. 

Now.... on to the topic.  My only trepidation with the Beast is that, like 'well-loved' movies, you hear so much about it, that you are doomed to not love it, simply because of over-saturation.  I did enjoy moments of the ride.  The roughness that some people claim, on many rides, I might add, is virtually non-existent.  BUT, I hate the long straight sections, and the helixes don't do a thing for me.  I have never ridden it at night, so I know I am missing something on that end.  I agree that it is NOT a life changing experience, at least for me, but it wasn't half bad in my book.  I prefer many other woodies to Beast, including Coaster thrill Ride here in Puyallup, WA, and I haven't even had the luxury of riding Coaster at Playland yet.

-----------------

Don't YOU want to know more?

 I think the Beast is one of the best coasters I have ridden. Those that say things like, "It doesnt' have airtime" or " it just statys close to the ground for most of the ride"  were either expecting too much from the ride, or they just don't 'get it'.  The Beast wasn't designed to be an airtime machine. To me, it is all about seclusion. Being out in the woods and not being able to see any of the park is something special.

 To this day, the ending helix scares me. Out of all the wooden coasters I have ridden (99 at this time), I think The Beast has one of the best endings to a coaster anywhere. Sure, the ride is heavily braked at times, but the qualities I like about it don't ruin the overall ride for me. I guess I just look at the different side of things as opposed to the "Well, it doesn't have this, and this, and this, so it must suck" type of thinking.

Son of Beast is a different story. I have had many good rides on it, as well as bad. In the morning, it usually runs pretty slugish, but if you are lucky enough to get a ride on it around 4:00PM, on a warm summer day, it can be a great ride. I don't care much for the trains as some others do, but I try to make the best out of it rather than worry about little things.

-Sean

Beast was the most "hunk of junk wood coaster" I ever ridden. I enjoyed RWB at SFWoA better then the Beast. SOB was great, very exciting. Rough, but fun. Beast is just very boring, and has no airtime what so ever. I bet it was awesome before PKI made it brake heaven! I didnt like PKI at all. The best ride there was Drop Zone. PKI needs to re-make the beast. Keeping the same trains, and layout. But having CCI or GCI re-construct it to withstand the forces it was designed for. 
-----------------
Steve
Staff
SFWoA Online