PKIDelirium

They might use the other crane that's still in place. It uses a wheeled base with outriggers instead of crawler tracks, so it could probably be set up anywhere around the course without needing to build up a base pad like for the crawler cranes. Even without the extension boom attached it has some serious reach.

Only time I was there was for the holiday event in 2006. While not priced into oblivion like WinterFest 2005, there's no arguing the production value of WF2005 totally destroyed the old Beach event. Beach's thing was cheap, but you could tell it was cheap. The pedal boats on the lazy river were, uh, interesting. Those things couldn't steer well enough to keep up with a winding lazy river, and the length of them was less than the width of the river itself. Just on my one time through that, I encountered several mishaps in the form of boats turned around in reverse with staff seemingly never going out to check, and personally encountered a boat in front of mine that was stuck sideways at a curve. Out in the back part of the river away from the event area, it was quite dark and again the staff they claimed were keeping an eye on the course seemed to be non-existent. Someone on a boat that came up behind mine during that jam had a flashlight and I was able to use my boat to nudge the stuck-sideways one back on track. Other than that it was just a big tent in the empty wave pool to act like a "festhaus" sort of place, a few small carnival rides, vendors (including KI's glassblower), and a sketchy looking "sled down a slide" thing.

I actually think The Vortex station, with the open sides closed in and the dividing wall between the main part and the storage shed removed, could make a good park museum. Put the doors where the exit is, and keep the entrance stairs area as an overlook. They could keep a piece of the storage track siding right there where it's next to a Bat footer.

I wouldn't mind seeing the batwing element just left in place where it is and freshly painted. Right on the midway, they could even put up an info board/sign about Vortex where the photo spot sign is now. I mean, what else would fit in that little area for it to be in the way of future development?

Terrain is a major factor at KI. Just look at how WindSeeker looks from the Weatherbug camera for example. Also, Orion doesn't have a monstrous support column right at the peak like Diamondback does, so the proportions will look strange until it's topped.

There's still another column assembly around the same height as the current highest one that will be on the drop side.

Well that news just totally threw me for a loop, no pun intended... After Firehawk's demise, I had assumed Vortex would be safe for at least a few more years. There are older Arrow multi-loopers still in operation, including at Cedar Fair parks, like CP's Corkscrew.

Not to mention that Python is far from being the most comfortable coaster of its class. The fourth row of the train can't even be used because of how violent it would be. It's a decent ride in the front row, but the second and third are rather dicey.

Another incorrect spelling of Banzai... And Surf Dog is not on RCDB. RCDB lists powered coasters, but Surf Dog ain't there.

I have one actual rollback "credit" on it. It was the end of 2006, closing night. Train launched, at the end of the launch run the LIMs shut off and the brakes grabbed at the back of the train right before it cleared the launch track, and we only made it about 2/3 up the helix.

The easement is probably something to do with the power lines.

I think it was 2006 or somewhere around there, using the now-defunct Viking Fury locker location.

If it is a B&M Giga, I hope it doesn't have that insanely high-up final brake run. It looks ridiculous.

I've never seen any "wardrobe malfunctions" at Pipeline, but I've seen my fair share of epic faceplants by the hotshots that think they can just jump in and be a pro surfer.

I remember sometime in the late 90s on the way to KI seeing gas for something like 79 cents. 1997 or somewhere around then.