Shockwave Deconstruction has begun

SFGAm Shock Wave said:
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***

Well, I have and coming from NJ, I'm certainly going to have heard of S:UF 2. I'm not saying that SFGAm. is making the wrong decision, but it would be nice if the park had something new to ride that I don't have 30 minutes away.

So it's the right decision for the park, but it's dissappointing to me.

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A rollercoaster? What's that?

We're forgetting Six Flags' old slogan:

'So Big, So Fast, So Close'

And the old taglines like... 'Over 90% of America is with a day's drive of a Six Flags'

These parks aren't national draws. They are regional draws. Sure, enthusiasts are disappointed with clones, but they make money from the local crowds, and crowds love exotic ideas. Clones are cheaper (for the most part) than original ideas.

From a business standpoint, SF is doing the right thing, unquestionably. From an enthusiasts? I'm a bit disappointed with an S:UF clone, but not that much. In fact, I'm more excited about this than V2 or DV (not combined, though...)

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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
http://www.loopscrew.com

i do have 1 quick question... if you look at the pics of new B&M track.. all their track is on wooden blocks, but if you look at the shockwave dismantling picks.. all the track appears to be resting on the ground? is this just cuz B&M track is a little more fragile, or is six flags being careless w/ the deconstruction??

East River Crawler is a Schwarzkopf Polyp, though I want to say his title for the ride was "Monster."

-Nate

onceler,

in my opinion this is more than likely because it will be repainted when it gets to its new home.

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

Well, it certianly looks like it needs a new coat of paint. But I hope they keep the color scheme. One of the most intimidating things, subconciously, about this ride was that you have this terrible, mean looking, bad boy rising into the heaveans... painted the colors you associate with clear skies and fluffy clouds. Delicious.

Is it just me or was calling the great american scream machine @ gadv the dumbest thing ever. I mean come on Six Flags GREAT AMERICA GREAT AMERICAn scream machine. Who thought that up?

Well, the first coaster to bear the GASM moniker was the one at SFoG...

Well, Shock Wave was originally supposed to go to Great Adventure. It was only a few weeks before construction that Six Flags management turned around and told Great America that they were to be the lucky ones for the BIG new ride next year (Don't ask me why. Others can better tell you...). This may have something to do with why Great America just plopped it down in a parking lot, without even removing the lines. Aceepting this, and assuming that all three of the seven-loopers were planned (not nescessarily designed, just planned) together, I don't think it's going too far to theorize that the Great American Scream Machine was origianlly slated for Great America. Now, they certainly could have called Shock Wave GASM, but with its already-determined main and train color schemes, this wouldn't have made much sense. When Great Adventure finally got their ride, they decided, for some reason, to keep the name and color shceme that were (I believe) originally intended for Great America.

For the record, I think it would have been a little over the top for a coaster called Great American Scream Machine to be at Great America. I like the way things turned out.

I believe that Shockwave will simply die......as mentioned in another thread, it's happened before to Arrows, I think it will happen again with Shockwave.

I think it is fair to say it'd be hard for Six Flags to get it torn down, loaded on to trailers, shipped and setup for the start of the 2003 season.....so, Shockwave (or whatever another park might call it) will most likely be "in storage" next season. I just have a sneaking suspicion that it might just sit in some parking lot for a few years then eventually be scrapped.

Now, I could be wrong, for sure. Perhaps it IS worth it to reconstruct it at another park.....and, while doing that, fix what was wrong with it.

That said, my prediction is that this just might be the end of the line for Shockwave. Only time will tell.

Earlier in the season, I posted a link for Shockwave construction photos. After spending about 30 minutes searching through last year's topics, I finally found it. It's very ironic if you think about it... Very stark compared to the pics MrSkyWhirl linked earlier. Here they are again.

http://www.angelfire.com/mn/cwsr/shock.html

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

*** This post was edited by BullGuy on 9/30/2002. ***

I feared this day would come, but I'm very surprised Shockwave has gotten the axe before Whizzer or Demon. a big part of Great America will be missing next season. :(

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Formally Known as Ozzyhead.

Well, I hate to see it go, but at least I'll probably get Big Blue again. It'll be bittersweet, no doubt about it- but it's better than nothing. I just hope that whatever park is blessed with this ride, they decide to keep the name, and color scheme. And I'd love to see it in a parking lot for old time's sake . ;)

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

Update: Shockwave's track has been dismantled from the MCBR all the way to the return approach into the station.

Pretzel loop and corkscrews are gone.

Sorry, no camera on hand. I just pulled into the parking lot to check it out for a few minutes.

"I never thought I would see or say this, but Demon has more inversions than Shockwave" :)

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2 superheroes in Gurnee next season? Oh the humanity.

*** This post was edited by Chitown on 10/4/2002. ***

just a reminder

a large nummber of us coasterbuzzers will be heading to the park on sunday. we will probably meet in the morning when the gates open in front of the blood red reflecting pond by the entrance.

we will make our rounds on the rides and more than likely talk coasters and shockwave all day.

i look forward to it ondrew

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

It will be very sad seeing a once enormous seven inversion beast reduced to a three inversion puppy...

The reality is still sinking in. I look forward to Superman in '03, but Orleans Place will never be the same again. :(

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

*** This post was edited by BullGuy on 10/4/2002. ***

So uh, ondrew! Is the meeting calendar broke? You've posted this same message in at least 2 topics now.

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

Update 10/06/02:
Track from the midcourse to right after the 2nd corkscrew is gone, Transfer track is gone, and the turn around to the lift hill is gone. The station is gutted. No hand rails, no operator's booth. The track pieces are so clos to the fence that you can touch them. One of them didn't look to good though. The peice farthest from the drop off zone appeared to have been cut off. Not a smart thing to do if they plan on relocating the ride.

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Shock Wave R.I.P. 1988-2002

Yet another update:

Shockwave is now reduced to "1" inversion. The second and third loops are now gone. All that seems to be left for track are the lift hill and the first loop.

Sorry. Once again no pics. I am just pointing this out from my usual Friday night drive-by of the park to pick up my daughter.

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2 superheroes in Gurnee next season? Oh the humanity. :)

The term "Fright Fest" could never be more appropriate for SFGAm this time of year. With Shockwave no longer standing there, that area will look like a ghost town.