What's happening at SFGAm

SFGAMNUT9302 said:

BullGuy said:
I'll probably get out there next weekend after Gurnee Mills. It looks so empty without Shockwave...
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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

Very much agreed. I drove past the park yesterday and the skyline looked so empty. S:UF won't be able to fill that gap.After seeing the skyline with out Shock Wave I ALMOST wished Whizzer had gone instead...

Amen, and amen. Shockwave's location at the entrance had the presence to welcome you to the park with open arms. A flyer 50 feet shorter than Shockwave, in Shockwave's location, won't have anywhere near the same effect. We may come to love the new coaster, but the loss of Shockwave (roughness or no roughness) will leave a bad taste in our mouths.

I agree with you guys, sw was a bumpy ride but I still loved it alot. It was my favorite ride in the park and Superman will not be able to replace what was lost. I will probably love the new coaster, but we had to loose our signature ride and destroy our skyline to do it.

Shockwave was not a signature coaster. A ride that nobody ever rides is not a "signature attraction."

Good riddance.

-Nate

Yet people still miss it in the skyline, I do believe it is a signature ride. Seven inversions, hundred sixty odd feet tall, and one hell of a presence seems like it make a big goddamn difference. And some 125' flier that probably won't be seen over the tree tops isn't going to make much of a replacement--view wise, that is.

Drove up 12/14. At least 1 vertical track support is up near where the drop would have begun on shockwave (west end). looked similar to this http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery1568.htm?Picture=5, could give us a clue as to the orientation of this one (but i dont have a layout of sfog suf).

Although Shockwave in the skyline will be missed, a rough coaster with few repeat riders does not do a park or us justice. Let the new coater be built and I hope it's something we'll all enjoy for years.

How deep do the footers go in to the ground and sometimes dont they have them all ready done before they put them in the ground. I think I saw it somewhere. I but I was maybe it did not happen. But the foorters still should not take very long to cure.

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Top 3 coasters at SFGAm: 1. DeJavu 2. Raging Bull 3. Viper

Sure, the skyline from a distance has now been altered, but when people first pull into the parking lot next season and the first thing they see is this "brand spankin new" B&M, they are going to be excited.

Some of you younger people are really spoiled by the heights of coasters. I remember before Shockwave was built, no coasters really ever exceeded 150 ft.

Now, if it isnt at least 200ft tall, it just wont do.

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

..I'm sorry.

coasterdude318 said:

Shockwave was not a signature coaster. A ride that nobody ever rides is not a "signature attraction."

Um, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. Shock Wave was certainly a signature attraction. The main Great America page at SixFlags.com had a surrvey asking what their top thrill was. The choices? Raging Bull, Deja Vu, Vertical Velocity, and, you guessed it, Shock Wave. Apparently, they didn't think anyone would be thrilled if it wasn't either new or big. Shock Wave, simply put, was simply too outrageous a ride not to be signature. Love it or hate it, when you thought of Great America, Shock Wave invariably popped into your head fairly quickly (or at least it did for most people).

But, the ride is gone, people. Yes, almost anyone who calls this park home will miss it, to some extent, for one reason or another. Can't we just accept that it is gone, and shut up about it?

*** This post was edited by (SF)Great American on 12/16/2002. ***

They had Wicked Twister on that poll? :) Just kidding.

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Final Deja Vu Count for the 2002 Season: 52
SFGAm CoasterWorld

All I drove past the park today and here's the update:

One large support 30-50 feet at most. The support looks to be further over than the lift hill supports ever were on Shockwave.

There were also some supports on the east side of the construction site no where near the double loop and block brake of Shockwave were located. Also a large white structure was in the center of the construction. I couldn't really see from the glare of the sun. Also There was a large mound of dirt in the parking lot near the construction site. I don't know if this was from Ground clearing or if it was for some other project.

The support that is installed looks like this one pictured on the drop of SFOG'a version.

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery1568.htm?Picture=1

The support can be seen clearly from I-94 and from Grand Avenue. The craine almost looks like it's positioned in Carousel Plaza. Just a brief update. Will update on Tuesday.

Yeah, I noticed that support to but really couldnt make it out because I keep driving by the park when its dark. :(

On a side note, my daughter and I stopped into the McDonalds in front of the park and I just gazed at the pics they have of Great America. Damn I hate the offseason. :)

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

Coasterdude316 said:

They had Wicked Twister on that poll? Just kidding.

Er, I meant Vertical Velocity... I must have been in a Cedar Point state of mind...

For the few who are asking about concrete cure times hear you go.

Usually the day after you pour you can walk on it but it is still very green and any rubbing will damage the surface. You can drive on concrete about 7 days after you pour. For footers depending on the diameter and depth, they usually want to leave them for 28 days before any large force is placed over head. This is a standard for 8-bag mix.

I hope this helps

Ondrew

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I saw that support that is up but due to it's positioning in the parking lot I actually expect that it is not where it will finally be placed. I think that they put it together and will put it place later. (Pre-assembly).

However if it is going to be placed there as it's final position that would open a HUGE area of the parking lot for expansion of the park. This particular support is right up against the entrance road. Shockwave did not even extend halfway from the edge of the park to where this support is. Also of note is that most (if not all) of the other support beams that have not been assembled are very close to the the position of this support. Which would then add to why I think that the supports are being pre-assembled.

Of note is that there is at least one peice of track for Shockwave left in that area as well. However there is no track for the new Superman ride up at the front of the park where the new ride is going to be installed.

Also I would have to agree with BMCoaster that it is one the supports for right after the lift hill. When I went by the crane was near that one support that has been assembled.

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My website - Zero G Thrills

*** This post was edited by beast7369 on 12/16/2002. ***