TR: Six Flag's St. Louis Opening Weekend

As I said, Ninja is for all intents & purposes a Vekoma coaster with Arrow trains. I never said it was all Vekoma, only that Vekoma was mostly responsible for the ride. And given the similarities between Ninja and other Vekoma MK-1200's, I think the reasons for crediting the ride to Vekoma are clear. Certainly one would not call it an Arrow coaster.

-Nate

^Except for every enthusiast who has ever thought it was an Arrow since it "looked" like one to them.

I actually find it fun and think it has a good layout. Vekoma has some interesting layouts in their back catalog.

Good to hear The Boss is doing well. I am a huge fan (both the coaster and Springsteen).

OMG I have blasphemed and called a Vekoma/Arrow coaster an Arrow coaster instead. Excuse me while I duck the pitchforks and torches. ;)

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Acoustic Viscosity said:
I actually find it fun and think it has a good layout.

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Agreed, I like Ninja quite a bit. Then again this is not the first time we have agreed on liking coaster others think are awful.

Andy, I was not referring to your original report but to Sawblade's insinuation that my statement ("Ninja is, for all intents and purposes, a Vekoma coaster with Arrow trains) somehow needed clarification, as if that statement was misleading or untrue.

I can easily see how someone may mistake it for an Arrow coaster without knowing the ride's history. Arrow indeed had a hand in the ride. But my point was that given the facts of the ride's history and construction, one would certainly not credit the coaster to Arrow.

-Nate

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And given the similarities between Ninja and other Vekoma MK-1200's, I think the reasons for crediting the ride to Vekoma are clear.

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Would you please list these similarities. I see more Arrow than Vekoma myself. For example the lift hill: it has box supports with the chain hanging down ten feet unlike most Vekomas that use tube supports.

The ride reminds me of Vekoma's Corcscrews...the ones featuring two single corcscrew elements separated by some turns/dips and followed by some nice head choppers.

And while we're at it, I very much enjoy Ninja at SFOG as well. Now that is a cool layout and the head-choppers are all over the place!

I only had one ride on SFOG's years and years ago. Actually Batman's first season, so, wow, 1997. I don't remember it being awful so I guess I like that one more than other people, too, haha. I dunno only riding once I bet my mind could change pretty quickly.

It seems I am fortunate to be the right height for the Arrow/Vekoma looper restraints since I don't get as much nasty headbanging as everyone else seems to. I for one vastly prefer Shock Wave to the Superman that took its place at SFGAm and I love riding Great American Scream Machine at SFGAdv. They aren't as smooth as the B&M's, but they offer that snappy airtime action on the drops that B&M's lack due to how fluid their layouts are. Just imagine how boring a B&M Mine Train could be. :) Those rides are all about the nasty transitions and violent forces!

I will have to make it back out there sometime to ride new woodie and try Boss again. Last year it was horrible! I rode it 3-4 times and none were good rides. Was as bad as Mean Streak to be honest. It has potential of being good ride.

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Acoustic Viscosity said:
I for one vastly prefer Shock Wave to the Superman that took its place at SFGAm and I love riding Great American Scream Machine at SFGAdv.

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I like all of those last Arrow/SF mega-loopers, mostly for those wonderful, swooping first drops that feel like you're getting sucked right into the ground. Shockwave and GASM, I just kinda tolerate the rest but Viper is pretty decent even after the first drop so it's definitely the best of the bunch.

Then again that first drop on KI's Vortex whoops them all for me.