RIP Viper, all over again...

I now appears certain that SFGAdv's Viper is gone after all. (I know it's no surprise, but there is what I consider quasi-official word in the latest ACE newsletter). An article on the dismantling of WindJammer mentions a coaster "by the same manufacturer...on the oppsite coast" to be removed. Apparently it wasn't "official-official", but how many hints can they drop....Second East-coast Viper in one year. The article mentions a more "delicate" operation that that for WindJammer, so I guess SF is gonna try and move or sell it, unlike CF's decision to make recycleable steel...
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Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

OK, so I have to ask... I've only seen it as this was my first year visiting. Was it as bad as assume it was (being a TOGO and all)?

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

I only rode it once, but the first drop was very fast and very steep. The inversions were cool, but, the pain from the half-OTSR harness was not.

Now, I know it doesn't seem like it in this case, but don't jump to conclusions.

Viper is the first coaster that comes to mind with those 'hints' but there was a coaster which had a description that fit PKD's Shockwave perfectly on a used rides site awhile back... I hope not, though, Shockwave has great stand-up air and positive g's, a rarity these days, although it's poor curve transitions which do make me rank it lower on my list...

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~ Blast Coaster - COASTERnet.CoasterBuzz.com!

viper was great. short, intense but a little painfull. the drop was my favorite part , it was so steep! it was also a unique looking ride.ill miss it. :(

Viper was definately unique. I'll have to admit the first drop, although not that big, was great. The rest was just eh, and the pain on the OTSRs was average I'd say. I also think it'll stay at least 1 more year whether it rots or opens with some improvements.

The Viper didn't quite live up to its horrible reputation. It wasn't a great coaster, but I would have ridden that one over some others.

Viper was never built to the true ideal size and space. That ride was cut short due to a budget overflow. This should have an amazing ride. Sorry to say it was horrible on the sholders.

BlastCoaster, I can't find any other TOGO rides on the east coast other than Viper and Shockwave (and I think Shockwave is safe, for now at least). The clues definitely added up to Viper, IMO. Got to ride Viper during ERT at Spring Con '00. The inverted dive section was completely unique, and I didn't think it was ALL that rough. The ride, as I understand it, was to have been a bit more stretched out entering the "coiled section", but that it was shortened due to space constraints at SFGAdv...that transition was THE rough spot I noticed, so I'll reserve judgement before blaming TOGO for this one.
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rollergator - intent on improving the "guest experience" - coming soon to a park near you

Viper is one of the very few coasters I have ridden that I have no desire to ride again. I gave it a couple rides over the last two years and decided it's not my type of ride.

The concept for the ride is neat, but what makes me not want to ride the coaster anymore is those restraints. I rarely have a problem with any form of restraints, but the way the restraints sat on my shoulders, and the bad transitions during some of the curves made the ride something unpleasant for myself.. Out of the 389 coasters I have ridden, there are only 3 that I don't care to ride again.

The weird thing is I rode Manhattan Express in Vegas earlier this year with no problem. I didn't find it as bad as some made it out to be, and it has the same restraint system as Viper. Go figure. I remember at one time, TOGO had a full sized working model of the concept for Viper sitting in the back of the offices in Southern Ohio. Parts of that model were used in Viper.

When I was at SFGADv earlier this year, there was welding being done to the last heartline spins of the ride so it was closed.

I agree that the restraints really ruined what would normally be a fun ride. I loved the steep drop and the barrel rolls. I became afraid of it after really hurting my shoulders on it once.

It is interesting to note that Viper is the second Togo to be built and removed(?) in that exact spot.

If the coaster is removed, I hope they at least try to save some of the cool western theming. It is one of Great Adventure's better theming jobs.
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everything's better with a banjo

*** This post was edited by millrace on 11/7/2001. ***

OK, Sean....now you piqued my curiosity...what are those other 2 coasters? My worst experience on a woodie was RWB (sorry bigkirby) and my worst steel experience was Revolution - which upsets me greatly since it was a Schwarzkopf....
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rollergator - intent on improving the "guest experience" - coming soon to a park near you

*** This post was edited by gatorwoodie on 11/7/2001. ***

I agree with many of the previous comments that the ride was just too painful, even with the cool first drop. I've always felt like it carried way too much speed into the brake run, and you get off the ride wondering "why did I ever get back on this thing?"

It really is one of Six Flags better theming jobs! Personally, I love that station, it looks so realistic.

I had no idea that Viper was supposed to be a larger coaster, although I do remember seeing pics of Togo's new "Mega Coaster" (or something like that) in ACE News before the coaster came over to SFGAdv, and it did have some track that the Viper doesn't have.

As others have said, the first drop was fantastic, definitely one of the better steel coaster drops I have experienced.

The only thing that makes viper a bad coaster is the Car type's if it had better cars made with difrent types of restrainets then the ride wouldent be that rough and it wouldent hurt so much but also it was the ending that hurt the most,the rest of the ride wasent that bad it was the very unbanked ending which was rough becuase since the ride was so short you still had alot of speed left over from the drop and first inversion that you would fly trou the barrel roll and fly trou the ending which would cuase alot of side to side action with your body and the restrainets ,you would get tossed all over the place untill it hit the brakes. so all they need to do with that ride is new cars and restrainets and maybe a more banked ending and i could see it operatinal for more years to come.

Gatorwoodie:

The 3 coasters I don't care to ride again are:

1. Viper at SFGADv (as mentioned above)

2. Thriller (Texas Tornado) at SFAW- As far as restraints go, those are the absoulte worst I have experianced. Never have I ridden a coaster where my back actually snapped because of restraints...until I rode that one.

3. Serial Thriller at SFWoA- I have ridden many different SLC coasters, but for some reason, after the first season for this coaster, I can't enjoy it anymore. I gave it two more chances this past season and decided not to try it again.

I didn't mind Revolution that much, although I would love to ride it without the OTSR. As far as Raging Wolf Bobs goes, I might have to include that one also, but not because of the restraints. It's just the jarring, slow, ride it provides that makes me wonder why I waited in a long line for it.I I have gotten a good ride on it before, but not recently. Now, if the rumors are true, and a Gerstlauer train ends up being installed on the ride in the near future, then perhaps I will give it another try.

As far as the roughness of Viper, I found it to be the most rough in the middle sections of the ride.There are a couple of curves there that the train enters to violently IMO.

The TOGO that used to sit on the same site as Viper was the Ultra Twister that now resides at SFAW. Call me crazy but I kind of liked Ultra Twister. It was kind of rough on the shoulders but it has one of the best first drops (85-degrees!) I have gone down.

gatorwoodie said:
My worst experience on a woodie was RWB (sorry bigkirby)

Awww :(
;) It does get a little shaky, but gotta love the short lines :)

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G.Bush:We will find those who did it, smoke them out of their holes, get them running, and bring them to justice.
I pray that I will never see a Six Flags Conneaut Lake

I only got to ride it a couple of times, but i liked this ride. Hope it doesn't go...

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The roughest part of a B&M is having to get off.

Gatorwoodie, The info about Viper is in the newest ACE newsletter? when did you recieve it?

sethman said:
Gatorwoodie, The info about Viper is in the newest ACE newsletter? when did you recieve it?

I just received mine today. The July-August edition. I guess we can expect Sept-Oct edition next summer.LOL

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SFGadv Please I'm begging for the Gyro Drop tower.