Viper @ SFGAdv. offically gone!

Eh, it kind of felt like being in a boxing match with a concrete pillar, but you know? Throw me in the small batch of people that will be disappointed to see this ride gone. I actually kind of liked the unique layout of this ride.

If I remember correctly though, this was another Togo ride that had really low capacity and also low ridership. I'm no expert on the park or the ride since I've only been there twice, but that's what I remember about the ride in 2002. I could see Great Adventure sacrificing this almighty "coaster count" to scrap this ride.

But hey, at least I got a credit :-P

~Rob Willi

I guess they are gonna start dismantling soon since it is clearly visible in the aerial update on great adventure source (www.gadv.com)

I will not be sorry to see it go since I have sworn off riding it due to it almost giving me a concussion before. *** Edited 2/7/2005 7:51:43 PM UTC by dragonoffrost*** *** Edited 2/7/2005 7:52:21 PM UTC by dragonoffrost***

I'm not saddened at al if its true, which I have no doubt that it is. I rode it this past summer and I've never been in that much pain on any coaster. Oh the agony!

I WILL admit the Roll Dive thingy was pretty cool, but that is all the positive feedback I can give that heap of metal. Good Riddens.

Know what would go great there? A spinning mouse! Or one of those Gerstlauer spinners.

I won't shed a tear... it was fun years ago but it hasn't aged well. I'm glad the park is getting rid of a lawn ornament and preparing for the future.

BigJim4Life,

Rolling Thunder could be a good ride, it's just that SFGADv won't take care of it. Kind of sad.

A mouse at SFGadv, do you WANT to wait four hours for a mouse? I still want to see a dueling mouse. :)

Viper was one of the worst coasters I have ever been on, I came off with not just a headache, but a sore neck.

I unfortunately got one of the bad rides on it. A lot worse than my ride on the Manhanttan Express. I won't be sad to see it go, as it just didn't provide a positive or even slighty decent ride experience for me. At least the park as recognized that the coaster is a problem (wether it be maintenace or complaints from patrons) and is replacing it.

Wahoo - no more tarnishes on the good name of Viper at a Six Flags park ;) I can display my SFMM Viper shot glass with pride again ...

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eightdotthree said:
A mouse at SFGadv, do you WANT to wait four hours for a mouse? I still want to see a dueling mouse.

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There is a dueling mouse. Winjas at Phantasialand. And it's superb, one of the best coasters in the world IMHO *** Edited 2/7/2005 10:50:28 PM UTC by Martin Valt***

Any kind of drop tower will do, but something that tilts would rule.

Maybe they're having B&M rework it as a standup coaster? ;)

SFGAdv doesn't have a standup from B&M... In August while I was at Dorney I ran into a B&M ride tech, and I asked if GAdv was going to get any B&Ms relatively soon since they already have one of each of the major 5 except Standups, and his reply was a cryptic "You just answered your own question." So I'm not quite sure what he meant by that.

For real...a stand-up coaster would rock...but in that tiny space where Viper is? Wouldn't work...if they expanded outward towards the treeline (but not too far out into the safari)...then I could see a smaller, compact stand-up coaster working...but it can't be too compact, or else it will make for a crappy ride (think Viper!) ;)

Good standups can fit in tight spaces if you can take a bit of pain. I'm a good fan of Vortex at PGA because it has a nice fast pace to it, and that footprint is a bit larger than Viper, but not much.

ive actually enjoyed Viper, though a little painful sometimes....but then again, im pretty massochistic when it comes to coasters, as those close to me know, lol.

Tim...the ardent togo/vekoma defender:)

a bit off topic, what would people think of a stand-up hydraulic launch? Think TTD/KK + Mantis/Iron Wolf

Possible the most intense ride. Ever.

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dannerman said:
a bit off topic, what would people think of a stand-up hydraulic launch? Think TTD/KK + Mantis/Iron Wolf

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It wouldn't work cause people's legs would buckle when the trains take-off out of the station, and plus, there is no way the catch car would work with the current B&M stand-up triain/car design and setup. I hate when people throw out new concept suggestions without thinking it through first. Might as well should have suggested a stand-up giga-coaster with no bicyle seat and with an underwater splashdown lagoon with viewing tunnel at the end. Absurd. The end.

I've never met a stand-up coaster that I actually enjoyed.
Having said that, I wouldn't dismiss dannermans's concept out of hand.
The forces on the launch would be horizontal, not vertical, which would not cause anyones knees to buckle, but would rather cause a rotor-like stuck to the back of the seat sensation.
Dismissing the idea based on a B&M design is also short sighted. New trains could always be designed, and usually are for new ride concepts. If you mentioned a hydraulicly launched 400+ foot coaster to someone 10 years ago they would have a response much like Kraxle's. To paraphrase "I hate when people dismiss new concept suggestions without thinking it through first."
Back on the original subject. Good riddence to Viper.

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kRaXLeRidAh said:
It wouldn't work cause people's legs would buckle when the trains take-off out of the station...

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But Riddler does 65 mph. How long does it take to go that fast? A few seconds to do the drop. So it's a launched stand-up that does 0 to 65 in 4 seconds - I don't see how the forces would be any greater than a coaster drop that does the minimal speed at the top of the lift to 65 on a drop.

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...there is no way the catch car would work with the current B&M stand-up triain/car design and setup.

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Keyword is 'current'. If someone would actually try this concept, of course they'd create a system that worked. Otherwise B&M would still be trying to figure out how to get stand-up cars on inverted track. ;)

It's really not such a far fetched possibilty in terms of being able to do it. It's a far fetched idea in terms of someone actually doing it.

I could take a launched stand-up if it were in the mold of Ga Scorcher or King Cobra, short tracks without rough transitions....now if it were, say, Iron Wolf, then that would be a recipe for head trauma...

Viper, you'll make someone a nice rear-end bumper someday...;)