Shockwave Deconstruction has begun

Head here:

http://groups.msn.com/MrSkyWhirlsPics/shockwavedismantling92802.msnw?Page=1

To check out some pics taken yesterday at Six Flags Great America...as of this post there is only a couple pictures in there...I will be adding more as the morning goes along, I just wanted to get a couple up to start.

I was lucky enough to go to the "private event" yesterday at the park and got to see first hand that blue beauty being dismantled....no matter how you feel about the "ride" of the ride, you have to admit it IS a landmark at the park.

Enjoy the pics, I will post more as the morning goes along....I will also post some more of my thoughts from my day at the park later.

Also, I have a few shots of all the pieces of the new coaster track in the employee lot...I will put those in the same album listed above. Oh yah, got a couple nice shots of the stump that is the East River Crawler....

Well it certainly isn't taking them much time to dismantle this thing. Let's just be happy that it isn't being scrapped.

I think I am gonna Cry. Oh well I get to ride GASM Sunday.

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All I need is 4.5 million bucks and a half a mile long sliver of land and maybe someone could build me my very own Shivering Timbers. ;)

I was REALLY moved by seeing what I saw yesterday...until you see the dismantling (whether in person or in pictures) you just don't realize how much we will miss that ride. While I have "disliked" riding that ride for a few years now, it really was a bit sad to see it, with all it's loops and corkscrews, just sitting there dead.....and now, even worse, having an incomplete loop, the track just stops in mid air.

Not to get too dramatic here, but it was sad. Shockwave being removed will most definitely change the face of the park...because no matter how little or how much you rode it, it was indeed a ride you identified with Great America.

All I can do is hope is that they do it right this time...if the new coaster is going into any part of the Shockwave area, they better tear up that old parking lot and plant some grass and trees...

Getting some more pics up now...will post more later.

*** This post was edited by MrSkyWhirl on 9/29/2002. ***

Hey, thanks a lot for those pics, this truly is sad to see Shockwave go. Even though I have never been on it, from pictures, I can tell that it was a beautiful ride to look at when you first pull into the parking lot and more. I hope a park will maintain this coaster with great care like Six Flags Great America did.

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Good Times!! Good Times!!
CCI Lives On!!!!
-Patrick

*** This post was edited by cdrpointcrazy4 on 9/29/2002. ***

Did anyone else see an arm of ERC sitting next to Power Dive? Is this going to be another rotting attraction in the parking lot? Or will it have the same fate it has with Shockwave and get moved to another park??

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"My friend who works there said.." In enthusiast talk is,"The Lemon Chill guy said.."

Very upsetting, the park will never be the same again.

Shockwave was my first coaster. I was terrified of it and I almost didnt ride any coasters after it. Now I love coasters and every time I rode shockwave I was always a bit nervous. It truly hurts me to so this coaster go even if it did bang my head some times. I had 2 great smooth rides this year too. So sad it is.

*** This post was edited by Magnum XL-200 on 9/29/2002. ***

So put it in the news... Jeff just closed a topic because it was news.

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87 different coasters for this year and counting... 149 total!

That was fast.

I don't think it is going to take to long for SW to come down.

This sucks, I hope that this new coaster will not be a clone of S:UF, that just seems like the biggest waste ever. Replacing a 170 foot, 7 inversion Arrow Mega looper, with whats most likely going to be a 120 foot some, 2 inversion Flyer. Great America could have easily gotten a custom design made so that we wouldn't have to tear down any coaster. Plus I thought Great America was in the business of "Adding Coasters, not removing them"

Very sad indeed. :( I'll snap photos next week on the 5th.

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

Some people need to learn that bigger isn't always better. Also, SO WHAT IF IT'S A CLONE. Not everyone travels around the world just to ride roller coasters. I bet a lot of people haven't even heard of S:UF in Georgi***

Woah. Fast progress. I loved shockwave but at least it isn't being scrapped. I wonder if they'll be done by mid october.

thank you for the photos

i really dont know that to say but good riddins

ondrew

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p.s. contrary to popular belief i am not an idiot nor i am i a child.

Hey Gamfan...about the Crawler, that is a GOOD question. I think there ARE pieces of it laying around in the parking lot, the question is why? As I am sure you agree, that would be a ridiculous waste of a solid, original flat ride.

One can only assume that it will be relocated...that would only make sense.....but, then again, we are talking about SF here.

I love the "lobster", I hope it doesn't meet the same fate as my beloved Sky Whirl (how much do you think SFGAm would charge me to buy a basket from Sky Whirl, they're just rusting away out there too).

PS--I apologize if I should have put this in the NEWS area, I wasn't sure if it was "worthy". I mean, we knew it was coming down, it's just that it finally started.

You should contact public relations and see about that. I'd expect that it would be pretty cheap only about $500 since noone is buying them. But I think you would have to transport it yourself. It would be an awesome piece of furniture for any home.

A Sky Whirl cage could be a good time-out cage for kids.;)

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"My friend who works there said.." In enthusiast talk is,"The Lemon Chill guy said.."

i have a sneaky feeling that the ERC will be resurrected in shockwaves plot near the new coaster as part of a mini area that will attempt to make the flyer seem less "lonely"..

however, in reality, the park will seem very lonely anyway without the Wave, no matter what you put in its place :(