SFoT imploding Wildcatter

^^Jason: I was going to say the same thing. While it certainly has the right connotation, I dont think that "implosion" is the right word here.

lata, jeremy
--Damnit Jim! I'm an Engineer not an English Professor.

Here is another video of it with sound

link *** Edited 10/3/2007 1:30:03 PM UTC by Jeff***

Wait, what about Stuntman's Freefall at Great Adventure, isn't that still operational?

I haven't paid attention to the whole amusement park scene for like 2 years, so maybe I missed something.

ha ha!! I just sat down and turned on the TV here to see the "story" on NBC Nightly News. Apparently this was BIG! :)

Scroll down to the Having a blast at SF video for the whole thing *** Edited 10/2/2007 11:35:10 PM UTC by Ajrides***

Not that I'm any kind of demolition expert, but just because the tower of the ride was brought down with dynamite doesn't mean the thing doesn't have to be taken apart. Granted, it's closer to the ground, but it's not like it was blasted into small pieces that can be carted off in dumpsters.

Trust me, seeing stuff get imploded is usually cool (although bittersweet when it has something to do with an amusement park), but don't demolitions require a bunch of permits and leave a mess behind? Certainly a lot of things in the general area are now covered with a layer of dust!

Stuntman was torn down from Great Adventure last year. I take it Six Flags as a chain is removing them all?

Also keep in mind that the park is still open on weekends. Taking it apart piece by piece would mean they'd either have to close the area or not work on it when the park was open (and have a half standing ride with a crane next to it).

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palwine said:
Stuntman was torn down from Great Adventure last year. I take it Six Flags as a chain is removing them all?

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I believe so. The only two remaining installations in the U.S. are at Cedar Point and Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Magic Mountain's Freefall is rumored to be discontinued after Fright Fest 2007 concludes. My assumption is that it will go down around the same time Flashback is to be removed.

I would LOVE to see Cedar Point keep Demon Drop just because it would now be a unique classic ride. Anymore, it's unusual to parks to have the only one of something in existence. People still ride it. People still love it. It looks cool. I say keep it. :)

And if Demon Drop is bought and scrapped or reinstalled outside the U.S., then that would make the 1st generation freefalls extinct I suppose.

But if I recall, Kinzel said something along the lines of(paraphrasing) "I'm not running a museum, I'm running an amusement park." So I wouldn't count on Demon Drop being around much longer. ***Edited 10/3/2007 1:39:24 AM UTC by RushStreetFlyer*** *** Edited 10/3/2007 1:42:11 AM UTC by RushStreetFlyer***

When Demon Drop is the only one of its kind left, that'll be the signal for Cedar Point to get rid of it ;)

Very sad to see it go. That thing was way more thrilling than any S&S tower.

ANYTHING is more thrilling than any S&S tower. At least we still have some Intamin 2nd and 3rd gens around ... when they actually run. This was one of my favorite types of flat ride, I'm very disappointed that they've hit the end of their useful lives. I'll be sure to ride Demon Drop next weekend though!

By the way, I work directly across the street now from SFoT. I had no idea this was going on, but when it happened, I was on the phone and my cube is in the middle of the building, and the bang was still so loud that it sounded like when you're outside and lightning strikes literally right next to you. I checked outside thinking it was lightning, but when I saw no clouds, I just went back to work ... too bad I missed the show. Probably would have just made me mad anyway had I seen it.

Edit: spelling, etc. *** Edited 10/3/2007 2:34:09 AM UTC by Impulse-ive***

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Rob Ascough said:
Not that I'm any kind of demolition expert, but just because the tower of the ride was brought down with dynamite doesn't mean the thing doesn't have to be taken apart. Granted, it's closer to the ground, but it's not like it was blasted into small pieces that can be carted off in dumpsters.

Trust me, seeing stuff get imploded is usually cool (although bittersweet when it has something to do with an amusement park), but don't demolitions require a bunch of permits and leave a mess behind? Certainly a lot of things in the general area are now covered with a layer of dust!

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It was all steel. No concrete. The only dust created would have bee from ground impact and with the slow rate of the fall, that was likely minimal.

^^ Eh, it's all subjective.

I find S&S towers to be more thrilling than the Intamin towers I've ridden. All depends on who you ask. Though I'll admit I find a good number of people like Intamin towers better.

*** Edited 10/3/2007 2:45:55 AM UTC by kRaXLeRidAh***

Never got to ride it, but I wish they didn't have to go. From the *only* one which I have ever been able to get on while I was at a park with one (Demon Drop), I thought it was the best drop ride that I have rode. Sure -- it's more enclosed than the Giant Drops or the S&S rides, but I also found it to be FAR more fun and intense with the forward movement and complete feeling of being in a cage.

Then again, considering that the other four parks that I have been at that had these rides "operational" weren't able to keep them working long enough for me to ever get in a ride on another one, and I'm guessing that they just were no longer the reliable things that rides of this type need to be to stick around. I'm definitely glad I got to at least ride the one that I got to ride when I did, just in case we are truly seeing the end of an era for a certain era of drop rides.

The poor old Texas Chute Out looks really nervous in those pictures.

I've ridden a few of those first-gen freefalls and found them to be fun, but that was before modern drop towers made them obsolete with better views and open-air seating. Still, I hate to see them all disappear. Hopefully one or two survive.

I have no problem with S&S towers. They vary from location to location but I've never found one boring. The only "dull" one was Big Shot in Vegas, and that mediocrity was more than offset by its location. I like Intamin towers as well as Morey's AtmosFEAR, which is about as perfect as they get.

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Neuski said:
Implosions also equal free press.

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I think you hit the nail on the head. They sent out invites a few days ago, and the press responded. It was covered by every news station in town on the 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 9:00 and 10:00 news and they were even showing it again this morning. A friend called and said they even showed the demolition in Kansas City. Every time I saw it they then talked about the new ride that will replace it. You couldn't buy this kind of coverage. I'm sure there were other benefits to imploding the ride (such as not having to haul in a crane) but it was also a great publicity stunt that has paid off well.

*** Edited 10/3/2007 2:25:12 PM UTC by Jeffrey Seifert***