SFGRAM tricked us.

good point but they could've done that just to make us think that they were really going to do it and not write it off as a publicity stunt and press bonanza

-----------------
Burn in Hell
Shockwave you Nazi
(the first drop was awesome) other than that uhhhhh good riddance

Closing one flat ride is hardly a sign that construction is going to start. It's fairly common for flats to close now and then, for maintenance, etc.

As far as you feeling that they saved the Whizzer because of public outcry......that's what they wanted you to feel, you think "hey I made a difference"!

-------------
So many coasters, so little vacation time....

*** This post was edited by RollerFreak on 8/8/2002. ***

Coaster Sam-I don't think they would go as far as to close a ride next to the Whizzer just to make us believe. You all are making them sound like they are out to get us or something. I truely believe there was a plan to remove it, but sometime in late July they changed their mind and didn't announce it till now. Who knows, maybe the area where Whizzer is turned out not to work for some reason and the space where Shockwave is will work for the ride they are going to put in. It happened with SFEG and TFC, they changed the location of where that coaster was originally going to be.

*** This post was edited by RubberDucky on 8/8/2002. ***

Ohioan, the scrambler known as Hometown Fun Machine has always had some problems with mechanics. It has been off and on running for a few years now. I have seen them tear it apart half way through the season just to fix it.

-----------------
Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM,Shivering Timbers
Favorie Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull

ducky look there is no way in hell they would think about making a flyer on whizzer's plot of land because the whizzer's track layout has trees outlining it and plus there is a huge lake in the middle and they would have to dismantle the ride and do all that hard landscaping when they could just rescape the parking lot it doesn't add up

-----------------
Burn in Hell
Shockwave you Nazi
(the first drop was awesome) other than that uhhhhh good riddance

Sam, while I love a conspiracy (especially one where SW dies) but you mention having to deal with hardscaping...look at SFoG and what they did for the area where S:UF is....

-----------------
Posting, "Me too" like some brain dead AOLer. I ought to to the world a favor, and cap you like old yeller...

Hey, you have to look at it from the other perspective, guys.

What if they announced the closure for the Whizzer, and there was really no big reaction from the crowd except "oh its closing, should we ride it?" What if there was none of the "Save the Whizzer stuff" on the enthusiast forums. Do you think they would still "save the Whizzer" if nothing happened except maybe a 10-20 minute longer line because of the banner hung up?

Its still a 50-50 chance that they staged it all, but its just too uncertain at the time.

-----------------
The ice age killed the dinosaurs, we killed ourselves.

So can some SFGAm local update me? When I go on Aug. 16 and 17 will be Whizzer be open and Shockwave closed?

The park reps were talking about it in the news item from http://www.amusementtoday.com/extra.html , saying '"We heard from families all over the Midwest about retaining the Whizzer," Six Flags President Gary Story said in a statement. "When the management team at Great America told me about the tremendous response they were receiving from our guests, I realized we absolutely could not allow the park to close the ride. I have instructed the park to look elsewhere for opportunities to expand the ride product at this park."'I highly doubt that they were reading the stuff on the enthusiast forums, but rather that people actually responded to the announcement.

So, basically what you are saying is that it wasn't set up?

-----------------
The ice age killed the dinosaurs, we killed ourselves.

Coastersam....Tree's can be cut down, coasters can be built over lakes, by planning on closing Whizzer in Mid August, they were admitting construction would take a long time. A flyer has not even been confirmed, nor that it is a coaster.

Why do some think it was a conspiracy? Whenever Six Flags does something the enthusiasts don't like, it is argued that they are doing it to be greedy or anger the enthusiasts. News flash-Six Flags could care less what we think. If you take the number of moderatly active enthusiasts and compare that to any parks attendence, we are a very small minority. Six Flags is a business, they will run it like a business. If we ran the parks, there would be few flats, and family attractions.

I applaud them for making the change. I don't feel like it was a set up, why would they do that? Why would they care what we think? We certainly pump money into the parks, but not much. Most of us have a season pass that is good to all SF parks or CF parks. They are making no money on our attendence.

Had they originaly announced that Shockwave would be closed on August 11th, they would have had the same situation of people coming to ride it for the last time. Mind you it would be a different demographic. Some people really liked that coaster. We would have complained that as well, although not as loudly.

-----------------
wof fan

I'd give SF the benefit of the doubt anyway. Especially after they've proven themselves with this move...

-----------------
Did you know that 1 in every 5 American teenagers believes that the US declared its independence from FRANCE???

Also, did I miss something in that article? It mentions nothing about Shockwave leaving. Is there another story?

-----------------
wof fan

---

Matt said:
Also, did I miss something in that article? It mentions nothing about Shockwave leaving. Is there another story?

-----------------
wof fan

---

It's just a rumor. Personally, I liked Shockwave, and it's sad to see any coaster leave a park, and I like all of SFGAm's coasters, well, I could part with Spacely Sprocket's Rockets. We'll just have to wait and see.

-----------------
What is it Lassie? Did Timmy fall down the well again? Rough. Did Mr. Wilson have a heart attack? Rough. Is the drug dealer here for his money? Rough Rough. RUN!

Ok, smack me in the head for not seeing the "save the shockwave" forum. I consider Amusement Business to be a legitimate source, and don't think they would ever spread a rumor.

-----------------
wof fan

I think this is an article that just doesnt make sense. Gimme a break.

Matt: While AB is usually pretty credible, if the information had already been given out that Shockwave was going to go, why would Story lie and say that a new site had not yet been decided on? While it may turn out that Shockwave is leaving, at this point, I still consider it a rumor.

-------------
"To get into this head of mine, would take a monkey-wrench, and a lot of wine" Res How I Do

I agree. I would typically say (and I did) that AB is trustworthy. But it is odd that no one else has brought it up. I can't explain why she would lie, but then again there is a looong thread about how this was just a publicity stunt. (for the record I don't believe it was)

-----------------
wof fan

I don't think so The Whizzer didn't seem to have much public intrest I heard constant remarks about low ridership and its expensive and difficult to maintain. Why would a park put that much effort into a ride that it seems the public has forgotten about? I think they had full intentions of taking it out and things just worked out the way they did. I noticed they in the last few years have been looking at where PGA has been puting it's new rides and for the most part doing the same thing there like Deja-Vu and the Drop Ride (sorry don't know it's name). Could it be a possibility that Yankee Clippers days may be numbered to be replaced with a Flyer? There is plenty of room there just look at Stealth

-----------------
Aughhh look out there are Mice all around

Well i did see the yankee clipper/ice mountain splash drained the other day when I went (im 35 mins away from gam). But that doesn't mean anything it would be awesome if they would put in two new coasters for 03 but that is highly unlikely. were probably going to get some dumb superhero themed clone

-----------------
Burn in Hell
Shockwave you Nazi
(the first drop was awesome) other than that uhhhhh good riddance