Son Of Beast to Re-open 2007

"Or the King Cobra got stuck in the loop? Yeah.... I know"

Actually, if I remember correctly, a wheel fell off in the helix. I worked there at the time. It was very strange to see the train chained to the tracks in such an odd position.

But then I also worked there where Tower Johnny took his fall. One of my first official acts as a KI employee was to let the coroner through the employee entrance - past the dozens of cars full of worried parents.

It was just little old me, my radio, my polyester KI jacket, and no security (I was a tram driver). This should have told me about my experiences to come over the summer - but that's another story not worth telling.

". . . don't you know baby that life is a scream!" - Gordon Gano

I don't know if any of these pics are at the correct angle, but here's somehthing to add to the fire. http://www.pkicentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8294&st=255. Seventh post down is two pics posted by PKIDelirium. In the first photo, on the far right, behind some kind of pole, it appears that SOB's loop may still be there as I can't quite tell. What I am seeing is the poissible top of it, but I really have no idea. Or, it could be from another ride, I am just clueless, but it's fun specualtion.

The photo is fairly recent and not photo-chopped. *** Edited 12/12/2006 3:44:36 PM UTC by Coasterbuzzer***

As I said in my post there, those photos were taken last February, February 2006 when the loop was definitely still there. My point in posting those was to show that it's very difficult to see the loop from outside the park even when it is there.

My mistake. I thought that photo was current.

Well, I did take a few photos of SOB yesterday. I couldn't see the loop even from the angle that I *thought* you could, but still no guarantees.

http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/448/img0706jh1.jpg
http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/1289/img0661bg1.jpg
http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/5413/img0703po2.jpg

If anyone knows what I'm talking about... King High School's parking lot has a good view of the loop. I used to go there, and i strictly remember seeing the train go through the loop back in 2000 when it was first testing. I'll see if I can head up there tomorrow, but i'm nearly positive it's gone.

I wouldn't be too surprised if the loop is gone *temporarily* for some tweaking of the entrance/exit, or possibly on the loop itself. I'd still be REALLY surprised if it was gone entirely, just seems weird as anything that they'd remove THE signature element from the ride (not to mention the only *smooth* part of the ride from the drop to the end of the second helix)...

Konstantine said:
Ensign Smith: That has to be the most pointless idea I've ever heard.

I'm honored by your hyperbole!

You don't "make amends" with your guests. Considering 99% of the people who go to the park won't even think about the loop on Sonny being gone any more than, "Oh, they took the loop out of SoB..."

I think it's high time we started giving the mythical 'GP' more credit. Most non-enthusiasts that go to King's Island live within 60 miles of the park. Many of them probably go every year, a good number probably for multiple trips. We enthusiasts and enthusiasses seem to think they're like little brainless ants, wandering around following chemical trails from one ride to the next. We need to get over ourselves.

IF (and it's more than likely true) CF does bring X-Flight to KI, it's as a new attraction -- certainly not as a way to appologize to an apathetic GP for removing a loop on a ride. Especially when the reason the removed it in the first place was to make the ride better...

Does one reason preclude the other? Does every action have to have one and only one reason? Perhaps you should look up the word 'hypothesis'. Wait, allow me. hypothesis: an unproved theory, proposition, supposition.

Don't get me wrong, the loop is one of the best vertical loops on any roller coaster I've ridden. I will miss it greatly, but it really won't have any noticeable affect on the general public at all. If anything, I'd say it might spike ridership just a tad.

I can almost read the peep balloons: "Wow! They took the loop out of SOB! I bet it's a lot more fun now!"

If the loop is officially being removed from the ride, which none of us can be sure about, the reason points to new trains. And with GCI opening business to none GCI roller coasters, we can only hope Sonny will get a nice set of Millennium Flyers. As explained by Rideman, these trains should fix the shuffling problem around the turns. However, they may not be able to negotiate the sharp positive change in the y coordinate at the top of the loop (explained by Charles Nungester). That is more than likely the reason it got scrapped...

I never suggested anything to the contrary.

And even though I'll be dissapointed we lost the loop, Millennium Flyers will more than make up for the loss as far as overall ride performance is concerned.

I'm still not convinced that, in your own words, taking out "one of the best vertical loops on any roller coaster I've ridden" makes it a better ride.

I was in the camp saying BS over the removal of the loop. Then I called my source at PKI(a high ranking office employee) she would not confirm for me that it was removed. This is strange, very strange she has always been very open with PKI news. Now the only thing I get from her is a no confirmation and a "lots of changes are being made" comment. You can take what I have to say with a grain of salt, as you should with anything on the internet. Or you can just think that I got my information from the Dippin Dots guy, I dont care. But the bottom line is that something is up, and it may go farther then new trains, or some minor reprofiling. *** Edited 12/12/2006 8:11:04 PM UTC by indyandrew*** *** Edited 12/12/2006 8:13:51 PM UTC by indyandrew***

Removing the loop woudl require a lot more then just removing the loop. It would require a complete rebuild of a significant portion of structure.

The most obviuos change woudl have to be a change in the alignment of either the drop out of the midcourse,the curve after the loop or both.

The track cannot just magically line up.

-Brent Kneebush

The most obviuos change woudl have to be a change in the alignment of either the drop out of the midcourse,the curve after the loop or both.
The track cannot just magically line up.

All they have to do is hit the 'complete circuit' button. ;)

coasterimage - lordgonchar

The changes from Paramount to CF policies are really going into effect this off-season. No surprise that someone working at one of the formerly parks doesn't want to make any comment right now.

Didn't the train fly off the Bat, carom off the train stuck on King Cobra, knock over the loop on Sonny, and explode on impact? :)

A loop on a wood coaster was meaningless.

However, it was the only good part of the ride, and one of the best veritcal loops anywhere. There was a great feeling of weightlessness and freedom in that loop.

*** Edited 12/12/2006 9:00:12 PM UTC by super7****

I have seen people at the top of the second hill on nice days like yesterday. Other than that, Part of the Rosebowl and the Horshoe are the only visable parks and I've seen nothing there as of yet.

Chuck

I wouldn't say that the loop was pointless. That was part of the records that it held at the time...the tallest, fastest, and only looping wooden coaster around.

This is strange, very strange she has always been very open with PKI news. Now the only thing I get from her is a no confirmation and a "lots of changes are being made" comment.

Welcome to the Cedar Fair family of parks. ;)

http://cse.umich.edu/

^ ROFL! Nice.....

P.S. Have you told Gonch to read "Blink" yet? Maybe once he finishes Freakonomics? ;)

http://photos.pkicentral.com/thumbnails.php?album=177

Looks like the loop is still there after all....

Oh, and there's some land clearing next to Flight of Fear. Is this anything? =)

Dental Plan! Lisa Needs Braces.

rollergator said:
P.S. Have you told Gonch to read "Blink" yet? Maybe once he finishes Freakonomics?

Heh. 13 more days. I was skimming it before Santa wrapped it. Can't wait to finally bust it out.

So I should look into Blink too...hmmmm...

Oooh, looks really interesting. I wonder if Santa can toss that in the mix at the last minute? :)

coasterimage - lordgonchar

Glad I didn't say it was definately missing like three other people did. :)

It's hard to see and only visible from halfway in the north parking lot and even then it's hard to see unless there is snow on the ground.

Chuck