Shockwave Update - CoasterBuzz

Coaster World (http://coasterworld.cjb.net/) has about 40 pictures of the shockwave deconstruction from this past weekend. All that is left is pretty much the lift hill and 1st loop, with the supports. All of the track and white supports from after the 1st loop are all removed. i wonder why they are waiting to remove the 1st loop and lift hill. The crane looks big enugh to do the job. maybee the 1st loop and track are giving the lift hill stability so they have to remove them together. Anyhow, just thought i would give people an update. Cant wait to see what happens when the shockwave is gone, If they put the new coaster in its place and all. I hope we can get pictures of the construcion of the new one, since the park will be closed by then.

*** This post was edited by Tuffy303 on 10/21/2002. ***

Should be pretty easy to get pics of that area as one can drive right up to the gated entrance of the parking lot. From there one should be able to get some pics without traversing park property. Though I would recommend you have a telephoto lense if you want to get some more up close pics.

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My website - Zero G Thrills www.crosswinds.net/~zerogthrills/

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, now we lay Shockwave, in the earth's crust.

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"The opposite of war isn't peace, its creation," Rent.

Still looks like she's coming apart pretty well. Looks like they are taking good care of her.

I was there saturday and all I have to say is wow. The blow wasnt as bad as I expected because the massive first drop and loop are still there, but its so so sad.

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R.I.P. Shockwave-My first coaster. Some day I'll ride you again...SFGAm-1988-2002

I was also there saturday, and it quite sad. I am glad that I had one last chance to see her massive drop and first loop looming above the midway.

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-Matt

I saw it on Saturday when I drove by the park, it was a really sad sight to see.I still can't belive that a flyer is going to replace this masive blue monster. I want a flyer just as bad as anyone else, but come on, a clone of Superman (Which it will most likely be) Replacing Shockwave!? Thats just pathetic. If anything I would have rather seen a 4-d or Floorless replace ShockWave instead of a puney flyer.

How is a clone of Superman pathetic? If a coaster is good enough to be cloned, it's obviously liked enough to be shown to the rest of the country. If anything is pathetic in this situation, it's the fact that they didn't take Shockwave down sooner.

Just be glad that you are getting something new,which is more than can be said for the rest of us who are probably getting nothing at all again.

No trust me I would love to get a Superman Ultimate Flight clone, but I think that they could have easily put it somewhere else instead of tearing down Shockwave which was my favorite ride.

S: UF is a awsome ride, probally most of you will complain, that it isn't "Intense enough", but universally it is a great ride.

The pretzel loop kicks a**, and the full experince of flying is wonderful and relaxing, in the oh so comfy B&M flyer trains. The B&M flyers make the Vekoma ones look and feel like toys.

Not to mention with 3 trains it's capasity rules. Other then opening day I have only had to wait more then an hour once, this season, The time I had to wait more then an hour was becuase dumb people decided not to listen to the ride ops about removing any "Losse articales" so 2 people lost their car keys on the ride, and the ops had to shut the ride down for 30 minutes to find the 2 sets of keys. I have rode S:UF about 12 times this season (3 night runs). and only 2 times have I waited more then an hour, and 3 time I've waited less then 20 mins.

First, BATWING FAN SFA, I really do think it's time you start posting useful and/or interesting things. Constantly complaining about your perceived lack of 'respect' for "YOUR" park in any/every thread here is really getting old.

But, I digress, last thing I want to do is to waste a post complaining about your wasteful posting.

Anyways, change is change...it's gonna happen. Many SF Great America fans were outraged that a coaster would be built in the parking lot...it was, some continued to complain, some just enjoyed the new thrill ride. Fast forward 12** years later to today...that parking lot coaster is all but gone. What exactly (or maybe more specifically HOW) Shockwave will be replaced is a mystery. We have no real idea what the plans are for the flyer. One thing that we CAN assume, however, is that the park (with Shockwave's HUGE footprint and the flyer's smaller one) will reclaim some of that parking lot area. I just wonder if they will actually tear up the old blacktop and landscape or simply cover up a little bit more of what they left years ago. Or, perhaps, they will just plug in the flyer, build a new fence and reopen some of those old parking spots...who knows. Until we start seeing some markings and footers, it is all a guessing game.

So, I (personally) am sad to see Shockwave go...but I was also sad about the Sky Whirl. Both landmarks in their own right...both now gone. I for one will look back at Shockwave in a positive light and now simply look forward to the new coaster that will be flying into that space by next season.

EDIT--**Make that 14 years later...it's late, my math is bad. ;)

*** This post was edited by MrSkyWhirl on 10/22/2002. ***

Isn't Superman only about 50 feet shorter than Shockwave? The 'looming' effect will be almost the same.

Cam.

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Cameron Silver

Not quite, Cameron.

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery1568.htm?Picture=7

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery4.htm?Picture=5

Though 50 feet doesn't seem like a lot at first thought, it will be noticeable considering it was the massive support structure on Shockwave that helped create the "looming" effect. Superman, on the other hand, won't have any of that.

Though I'll *really* miss the visuals of Shockwave, it should be interesting to see a pretzel loop in Gurnee.

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

*** This post was edited by BullGuy on 10/22/2002. ***

Moreover Cameron, the American Eagle is only about 20-30 feet taller than Demon, but I would say that AE "looks" remarkably taller than Demon. 50 feet would make a WORLD of difference.

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

Though I'll *really* miss the visuals of Shockwave, it should be interesting to see a pretzel loop in Gurnee.

Agreed. It'll be nice to have more than a corkscrew at the park! Yeah, I know, B:TR has a few nice elements, but the first time I've ever been in a boomerang, or heartline, or pretzel for that matter was at IOA, or BGT!!! They were fun. I was thinkning, "Man, we could use some of these in Gurnee!"
All's well that ends in the well!
d8 - Who used to think that Wizzer was named after a dog lifting its leg.

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"Getting on Iron Wolf is kind of like going in a blender and pressing PUREE"