Why does Vortex at PKI suck so much?

I'm seconding those who commented on the first drop in the back seat. Forgot Apollo's Chariot, forget Raging Bull, forget Magnum; this is by far the strongest air on a steel coaster I've ever felt.
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You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."

Shaggy said:

When Vortex opened, it was an absolute mind-boggling display of loops, drops and twists never before seen. The volume of new elements and sensations it provided challenged even the most seasoned coaster rider. It was and is a virtual showcase of distinct Arrow trademarks and elelments.
Vortex is an Arrow. And we all know that Arrow multiloopers do not hold up. (One notable exception... I personally think Loch Ness is easily the best Arrow looper ever built) Mr Toomer is to be congratulated on his distinct contributions to the world of coasters, however his genious did end with the ability to transition smoothly from one element to another.
Shaggy
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Shaggy, you are the MAN. Vortex must be seen in the context of when it was built, and PKI did a fantastic job filling the void left by The Bat (which, sadly, I never got to ride). The reason LNM is "the best of the Arrow loopers" IMO is that the only inversions are vertical loops, and they seem to age much more gracefully than the corkscrews, etc. As for Ron Toomer, he definitely picked up the ball from Morgan/Bacon and RAN with it - the shame is he wouldn't ride...
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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

This is certainly one of my favorites. That first drop is one of the best. I also feel suspended animation, as if in slow motion, while going through at least one of its loops. The ride ops even let me take my backpack aboard (in 1999). I don't know how I kept it. This rollercoaster is the best example of all of the ones that I have ridden which delivers both in airtime and positive g's. Like being served ribs and chicken wings.

Oh yeah.... it was my first looper too. And only my fourth adult coaster (after Screechin' Eagle, the Racer and the Beast). So add "sentimental value" to my list.
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You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."

it does have a good first drop from the back seat , lots of air time.

Just thought I'd add my two cents.....

I rode Vortex it's opening season, and man, what a ride!!! I love how it has the high turn around after the first drop, and then the gradual descent into the loops. IMHO, it is THE best sit-down looper, due to packing so much craziness into such a tight space (I will concede that I have yet to ride Hulk or Kumba).

It's second season in 1988 gave me two wonderful memories. The first was going early in the year with my two best friends (who are brothers) when we were about 16. They hadn't been on any kind of major coaster at all in their lives, and I convinced them to go on Vortex first thing in the morning. It took some prodding, but after we got off, the ear-to-ear grins were all the payoff I neeeded. We of course went right back in line........

Later that summer, the three of us went on a tour of CP, PKI, and BGW. We hit PKI on a Wednesday, and found barely any crowd at all. That day we rode the 'tex 22 times, for a total of 132 inversions. I can remember getting tunnel vision from the g's in the vertical loops on the later rides. Wow!!! The following week I had bruises on the tops of my collar bones from the OTSR's, but it was worth it!!

LONG LIVE VORTEX!!!!!!!!!!!!

Later,
EV

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"Just remember, wherever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai

ShiveringTim said:
I have a theory (along with others on this site) as to why the old Arrows cause some people extreme discomfort when others aren't bothered. Basically, if you're under 6' tall and 200 lbs you're gonna have problems on an Arrow looper. Larger people fit into the harness better and don't get slammed around. Think about it, the ride is naturally rough due to design (transitions). The train isn't going to go anywhere when it hits the transitions, you are. If there's room to move, you will. Vortex suffers from this, as does almost every Arrow looper pre-1999.
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Scott W. Short
mailto:scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com

Your on to something here. I am 6'1, and I have never had *one* discomforting ride on an Arrow looper, ever. Just like many people do still enjoy Vortex, Viper is still one of my favorite looping coasters, I'd take it over Medusa anyday. I don't really enjoy the awkward Arrow transitions, but that's mostly because they don't make any sense, and lead to unnessasary trim breaks.

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"Conviction is a luxury for those who sit on the sidelines"-A Beautiful Mind(best film of 2001)

So, can we now get one of the mods to change "sucks" in the title to "rocks"? Pretty please? ;)
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"When I come to a town I would love to see a children’s festival and children’s choirs singing my songs - maybe create a children’s day! A Holiday! With parades and songs - oh, I would love that!" - I swear to god its a Michael Jackson quote

Arrow loopers often have that rough quality if a person is too short for the ride. However, I am taller and have experienced some of the head-banging. Arrow just didn't have the perfect smoothness in a lot of their rides. which is unfortunate. They can't exactly go back and replace track like a woodie, so we're stuck with it.

Too bad some of you have said things about this topic being closed down. What is an "appropriate" or "interesting" coaster/park topic, anyway? Perhaps we should be required to submit topics for prior approval? There are perhaps thousands of things we can have fun talking about without having to try to figure out which ones are "worthy" of discussion. This Vortex topic is just fine.

Hmm. Well everyone has there own opinion, and here's mine!

I love Vortex! Yes, it has Arrow, roughness/uncomfortable trains, but most loopers of that time did. It's got good pacing, a variety of sensations, and runs quick throughout. And it looks cool!

So to answer the question of why it sucks so much is... it doesn't!

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Can't this thing go any faster?

coasteray, in general, discussion moves forward if the topic starts with "what could be done to make ride X run smoother", or something that actually leads to productive commentary. "Park X sucks" or "ride X sucks" don't really tell us what you may dislike about a particular ride, and tends to lead to more arguments/flames with less discussion...
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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

Just thought bumping this older thread would be appropriate so anyone that didn't catch this the first time around could get some opinions on Vortex. :)

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If the shoe fits, find another one.

After reading this I can't stop laughing about how this thread has backfired on April. HAHAHA I don't think anyone agrees with you. SORRY BOUT YOUR LUCK!! NOT.... Vortex is just simply awesome! An instant fan Favoite!

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Sit up right, hold on tight!

Let me run this equation by you really quickly:

Vortex + PKI + backseat + me = bliss

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Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like bananas.

I don't think we need this up here along with the other recently started thread, especially with such an insightful title as this one. ;)

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"