Shockwave

Just because I'm a coaster enthusiast doesn't mean I have to like ever coaster ever built. Is it not possible that I only like *some* of them? Or heck, what if I only like a *few* of them? Does that not make me an enthusiast? That's BS.

Shockwave was a piece of crap. And it's *not* enthusiasts that get rides torn down. If ridership is up (with the GP, that is) the ride isn't going to go anywhere, no matter how much enthusiasts whine and complain. However, from what I can tell, the only rides enthusiasts think are *really* bad rides are those with low ridership anyway. Blaming Shockwave or Drachen Fire's removal on enthusiasts is ludicrous.

-Nate

Shockwave was one of the most impressive “looking” rides SFGam had to offer. Ever since it’s opening in 1998, it was a signature attraction from a visual perspective. When it debuted, it was one of my favorite coasters. It aged poorly over the years and became extremely rough, which most likely contributed to its demise.

I honestly think that the management at SFGam wouldn’t have closed Shockwave if it had been worth maintaining. As excited as I am to ride Superman: Ultimate Flight, there is absolutely no way that S:UF can compare visually to the majesty of Shockwave.

SFGam will most certainly get a Floorless, a tall 4-D, or some other prototype to fill the visual void left by its removal. This is purely speculation, but I think we should look for something new in the area currently occupied by the Go-Karts & Space Shuttle… probably in 2005
*** This post was edited by djgreghaus 3/10/2003 5:57:56 AM ***

IMO, Superman more than fills the visual void left by Shockwave. Honestly I think that Superman looks much better than Shockwave ever did. Of Course that is just my opinion.

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My website - Zero G Thrills

anyone who thinks SUF doesn't fill SW's visual void hasn't seen it in person. sure, you can't see it from 41 and you can see only parts of it from 94, but when you drive up the entrance, SUF is equally impressive as SW was. trust me, there is no visual void.

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-Bob (formerly Coaster Jedi)
Matt the mutt 1989-2003
gimmie a hell yeah!

I have to back up beast and Bob on this one.

Just pull into the entrance and you will see a beautiful B&M structure that IMO also looks better than Shockwave.

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Arena football has arrived in the Windy City. Go "Chicago Rush"

Ok...fine, S:UF isn't as tall as Shockwave, but everyone I have told about this ride has had a similar response, "Oh My God!" with a shocked expression on their face.

This ride will be a hit with (the rest of) the GP...believe me. Shockwave while it lasted was a good coaster, S:UF will be a great coaster and will strike awe in people as they approach the park. The thought of facing the ground will *heighten* the experience more than can be said in words...(pardon the pun)

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--George H
---Superman the ride...coming to a SF park near you soon...
Currency tracking experiment... http://www.wheresgeorge.com (Referring to The "George" on the $1 bill - Not Me)

I have seen S:UF in person and it looks like it will be an awesome ride to go on. However IMO this has to be one of the ugliest and poorly placed coasters I have ever seen. But the ride its self looks like it will be outstanding! :)

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The Demon He's gonna getchya!

Ugly as far as what? Its a B&M. All of their coasters look impressive from a structural standpoint.

Poorly placed? And Shockwave wasnt?

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Arena football has arrived in the Windy City. Go "Chicago Rush"

I'm sure when I finally see S:UF in person I'll be blown away... I trust you guys (Bob, Chitown, Redman) on this one. Living in Chicago without a car has kept me from driving by the park during construction. I guess it's just hard for me to imagine a 115ft tall coaster being as visually striking as the 170ft Shockwave.

Nostalgia is death... I should get over it. My May 17th trip to CoasterbuzzCon should help.

:-)

I say " Retro Fit that Sucker" most of the cost of the ride is incured on the lift hill and station. The new elements and transitions on the newer Tennesse Tornado work. So why not redesign the rest of the coaster and put it in a park that could really benefit from it. or have Morgan do a Phantom's Revenge on it.

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X is UP and it's RUNNING

I'm sorry. Nothing will replace Shock Wave, visually, for me. Maybe S:UF is impressive, but it just won't have as many loops. While I don't like riding them too much, I love watching them. Stupid and nostalgic? Yeah, probably. But, there it is.

Personally, I think every enthusiast should lament the demise of every coaster. To a point. There is not a single coaster, not even Psyclone, that hasn't gotten positive remarks from the people on this site. However, some coasters should only be lamented to the point that we will miss the recall of great memories riding these rides gave us, not necessarily because they didn't deserve to be torn down. IMHO, Shock Wave was a great ride. But, I am sure I will enjoy S:UF flight more than I ever enjoyed Shock Wave. I hope The Big Blue gets rebuilt somewhere else, and if it doesn't, I will mourn for it. But not too much.

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I hear America screaming...

I just find it very odd that not one enthusiast here is lamenting the dismantling of the FIRST 7 inversion coaster in the world, or at least North America, as far as I know, anymore than they lamented the dismantling of the first and ONLY coaster ever to feature a cutback, and the world's FIRST cobra roll. To me, that just doesn't indicate a TRUE enthusiast, whether the rides were painful or not. It's just like when Jeff said they might as well scrap Drachen Fire, it was a slap in the face of every TRUE enthusiast who comes to this site. The rest of you who call yourselves enthusiasts just because you like coasters more than most of your friends do are only kidding yourselves. Merely liking some coasters and not others does not qualify you as an enthusiast, it merely makes you an avid fan.

If justice were to be served, both Drachen Fire and Shockwave would've been declared as historical landmarks, and at least moved to some sort of coaster museum, even if they never operated again, rather than being sent to the scrap yard for melting, or lying in pieces in a parking lot awaiting the same heinous fate. Suppose that a few years from now some bonehead decides that X is too rough, and they want to tear it down and send it to the scrap yard too. Are all you "enthusiasts" gonna nod your heads in apathetic agreement and just let it happen, or are you gonna pitch a fit over the loss of the world's FIRST and possibly ONLY 4D? I'm sure there's already plenty of you coaster wannabes out there who would just as soon see that happen too, because you're too busy riding cookie cutter boomerangs to care.

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Excuse me while I swat the sky! SFAW 2003
*** This post was edited by Iron Draggon 3/11/2003 10:54:09 PM ***

From the way it looks S:UF will be a great and fun ride, but I do agree that Shock Wave was done a huge injustice and Whizzer was almost going to have a huge injustice done to it as well. But don't blame S:UF on it, blame the laziness and lack of creativity of the people at SFGAm. S:UF is a very small ride and could have easily fit perfectly next to Shock Wave and only sacrafice a small amount of parking lot. Like SFGAd did withoutremoving GASM http://www.gadv.com/SUF3703c.jpg

The queue entrance could have started right next to Theather Royale (like Top Gun at PGA) and the line could have twisted around the theater and gone under the shock Wave structure that could have led to S:UF (There was a large amount of land within the Shock Wave structure where a queue line could have easily fit and employee walk ways and service roads could have remained unharmed.) The exit line could have gone into the back of the pirates Alley arcade. This most likely could have workd. It would have taken a little bit more time and money, but in the end we would have ended up having the Whizzer, An awesome new B&M Flyer, and the parks beautiful 170 foot Arrow megalooper, and have our coaster count go up.But sadly that didn't happen. Anyway, Long Live Shock Wave! :)

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The Demon He's gonna getchya!

You are not mentioning that Shockwave was essentially a huge waste of space. It had very few riders but it took up a massive amount of space -- not a good business investment.

"You are not mentioning that Shockwave was essentially a huge waste of space"

Thats just your opinion, there are some who would think it wasn't a waste of space at all.

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The Demon He's gonna getchya!

The coaster may have had some historical significance to it, and I do hope it gets a new home, possibly even the "Phantom Treatment", butas mentioned, from a business standpoint, there was no sense in keeping the ride. I loved the walk-ons, there was usually time for a marathon on every one of my visits last year, but a major park like Great America needs somthing to draw the masses to it, and Shockwave, as impressive as it looked, doesn't quite cut it.

Now, maybe if they could pull a phantom, and find space for it somewhere else in the park- that would be somthing... :)

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

I'm pretty sure "cobra rolls" had been around for *years* when Drachen Fire was built (Vekoma boomerangs).

Shockwave and Drachen Fire were no more historical than any other piece of crap Arrow megalooper. If a few years from now X can't draw a line on *any* day, is hurting people left and right, and is rough is heck, then yes - take it down. What's the sense in continuing to operate such a piece of junk? Why spend the money only to hurt your guests?

According to the dictionary, an "enthusiast" is simply one who is "filled with enthusiasm" or who becomes "absorbed in an interest." I'm interested in a lot of roller coasters, just not the crappy ones. If that doesn't make me a coaster enthusiast, that's fine. I'd rather not be considered in the same group as someone who thought Shockwave or Drachen Fire were the second coming (or should be preserved in "some museum" LOL!).

-Nate