OFFICIAL! Son of Beast Will NOT Operate in 2010

[The Interpreter]

Someone's missing the...uh....Point.

[calakapepe]

He isn't suggesting that a doctor would know much about coasters, and if a certain ride is really bad.

He's saying to check with them to see if you are well enough to endure something like a coaster. Like he said earlier, it's common sense to know whether you are well to ride. But some just don't pay attention, so why couldn't a doctor tell you if you're well enough?

Perhaps you just came out of a surgery 2 months ago, maybe you've had a sore back for 2 weeks and wonder if it's safe to ride, even though your back feels fine under regular conditions.

It honestly isn't that "ignant"

i think this is pointed towards me, so let me clear up my post.

the field reporter did a great job telling facts (i was extra impressed that he didn't include either of the extra "the" 's that are usually placed in Son of Beast's name), i was referring to the man setting behind the desk and him giving information on how "metal" coasters are in comparison to wooden coasters.

Oh okay then, sorry.

[KIfan1980]

Someone I'm sure will have a picture, but got to say I enjoyed the Haunt prop visible from The Beast queue.

Tombstone with something along the lines of RIP My Beloved Son on it.

[Justin_M17]

That haunt prop was pointed out to me by another KIC member when we went for last rides on Beast! I'm not quite sure if I should just laugh or take it as foreshadowing

[The Interpreter]

That haunt prop was pointed out to me by another KIC member when we went for last rides on Beast! I'm not quite sure if I should just laugh or take it as foreshadowing

Yes. Or no.

Terp, who doubts there was value added by this particular post...or was there?

[Jason B]

Someone I'm sure will have a picture, but got to say I enjoyed the Haunt prop visible from The Beast queue.

Tombstone with something along the lines of RIP My Beloved Son on it.

I am wondering if they are trying to tell us something. The coffin with the SOB emblem on it, the tombstones with the 3 different years of operations and like mentioned above the 4th stone.

[The Interpreter]

So? There are also tombstones in every Cedar Fair park with Mr. Kinzel's name on them...

and used to be with Falfas's...I bet those latter are gone....

The park may be dropping hints, or merely FUNnin' ya.

[Aaron88stang]

Even if the ride is modified and re-opened, maybe it is time to let the SOB name RIP...I know I would kill it if were up to me.

[IndyGuy4KI]

So? There are also tombstones in every Cedar Fair park with Mr. Kinzel's name on them...

and used to be with Falfas's...I bet those latter are gone....

The park may be dropping hints, or merely FUNnin' ya.

Sounds like it's fate is written in stone! : )

[Beast1979]

Along with the "RIP My Son" tombstone, the baby carriage, and the casket with the SOB "Toxic" logo on it, there are also these three headstones. From left to right is "H" (Hercules), "TG" (Texas Giant) and "R" (Rattler.)

I'll let someone else try and interpret this for me, I'm done trying to figure out the SoB situation.

[The Interpreter]

It's always darkest before the dawn...

Send in the cranes,

There ought to be cranes...

And now it's....

Conference call on a Tuesday to come, Q's asked and answered, but only for certain analysts...

Stay tuned...

[bkroz]

At the very least, the situation isn't being ignored.

Whether these signs really are pointing to the demise of Son of Beast, who knows. But they are a clever puzzle references all sorts of different wooden coasters that have met with different fates: Be it Hercules (demolished for a steel B&M coaster that thematically "follows" Hercules), Texas Giant (receiving the Iron Horse re-do), or Rattler (according to RCDB: "Over the four years following the Rattler's opening it was reprofiled in some way each year. The end result was a 42 foot shorter drop"), they're definitely playing around with the minds of enthusiasts. After all, the general public would not understand the importance of those initials.

In a way, they're displaying three wooden roller coasters and laying out burial plots for all three. However, two of the three still exist, just in an altered form (and the third, Hercules, still lives on in a way - memorialized by the coaster that took it place). It's interesting, then, then that they specifically chose those three, calling the rides "dead", even though new & improved versions of two of them still exist. Of course it probably means nothing and is just another roundabout way of keeping people like us pecking around like hens in a wild goose chase (two avian references in one sentence? Geez). But hey, it's worth thinking about: Maybe Son of Beast as we know it is dead. That doesn't mean that the ride is. Or, maybe it does...

In my mind, this is a good thing. Son of Beast is no longer "that ride that doesn't exist and we can't see it and lalalalala we can't hear you." For better or worse, they've acknowledged that it exists, and have done so in a way that many of here can pick up on and speculate on. That was certainly on purpose.

It's very interesting either way!

[KI FANATIC 37]

I think that this is very neat! I'm gad they are doing this but I have no clue what this means???

I really want to look at this soon!

[Guest rcfreak339]

Along with the "RIP My Son" tombstone, the baby carriage, and the casket with the SOB "Toxic" logo on it, there are also these three headstones. From left to right is "H" (Hercules), "TG" (Texas Giant) and "R" (Rattler.)

I'll let someone else try and interpret this for me, I'm done trying to figure out the SoB situation.

All 3 of those coasters at one time had the worlds tallest and fastest wooden coaster records at one point....like SoB.

All 3 of those coasters got major rehab sometime in their operation although Hercules was replaced.

Also, all 3 were made by Dinn corporation....

Can't really make any clues on the SOB situation though....Maybe it's something like this; All 3 of those coasters received major rehab, although 2 failed they were still better then the last version. Could SoB be getting major rehab like all 3 of these wooden coaster did? All 3 of these coaster at one point in time had the tallest and fastest records...so perhaps it's just fate?

On the Rattler tombstone it appears int hat photo that it has no date but the numbers "166'"....Rattler was built with 166 foot drop when it opened but during rehab was shortened by almost 50 feet.

Cody, thinking nobody will get what he just said.

[The Interpreter]

John Pierce would be more than a little surprised to know that Dinn had ANYTHING to do with Rattler...

And Hercules never had anything remotely resembling a rehab...nor was it ever the tallest or fastest anything.

And other than insurance companies (one of whom was a part owner at the time), I think you'd be hard pressed to find people who think Rattler improved.

[Guest rcfreak339]

^

Hercules did receive a rehab of the bottom of it's first hill. I'm not sure what they did to it but I know it happened....a trim was also added to the top of it's first hill.

Notice the different shades of color between he turn around and the bottom of the first hill. That was taken shortly after the rehab.

Didn't Dinn build Rattler...perhaps no design it but build? Or was Dinn strictly a designer?

[TylerRider]

I'm scared

[The Interpreter]

Dinn had absolutely nothing to do with Rattler. Nothing at all.

And Hercules was not rehabbed. If you call putting in a trim brake a rehab, a certain park chain is the king of rehabs.

RCCA built Rattler, the Blacks' company...the same company that at first was building Son of Beast. Imagine that...calling itself Roller Coaster Co. of Ohio.

[Guest rcfreak339]

Hercules did not only get a trim...The bottom of the first drop was completly rebuilt.

[The Interpreter]

Baloney. I rode it every single year it was open. Replacing wood is hardly a rehab.

Regardless, it has nothing to do with Son of Beast...

[Shaggy]

Baloney. I rode it every single year it was open. Replacing wood is hardly a rehab.

Regardless, it has nothing to do with Son of Beast...

Not trying to fan a flame... but Hercules was indeed overhauled quite extensively... Below is the detailed list (courtesy of my long time coaster bud Sparky from URC.)

From 1991-1994 all kinds of modifications were perfomed to the ride to take it from intense/rough to rough/borng/pointless....

Pneumatic squeeze trim brakes installed at top of the big drop. This created a domino effect requiring the following modifications:

1) Track on the lake turn lowered from about a 60 degree bank to around 40-45 (the entire track bed was removed and re-installed).

2) The top of the second drop was lowered nearly 20 ft from a double up into a slow and boring ramp. This in essence made the rest of the ride painfully boring. Because the banking on the reamining turns in the ride was not modified to reflect the new slower speed trains had while navigating the course, the turn felt un-natural as riders would slide in their seats towards the inside of the turn instead of how the the ride was initially designed to deliver.

I haven't found real documentation on this, but I also want to say the first drop itself was lowered, as it originally opened with a drop marketed at 157 ft but later was touted as 148 ft. Another interesting Hercules tidbit was involving the lawsuit between the Weinstein Family and Six Flags over the title of "World's Tallest Wooden Coaster". In 1990, the Texas Giant debuted with a lift of 143 ft and a first drop of 137 ft. Meanwhile, Hercules had a lift of only 95 ft, but a higher drop than Texas Giant thanks to the terrain driven site. Not sure what the outcome of the lawsuit was, but it all put to rest in 1991 when the 161 ft tall Mean Streak opened (followed in 1992 by the even taller Rattler).

Shaggy

[PhantomTheater]

Baloney. I rode it every single year it was open. Replacing wood is hardly a rehab.

Regardless, it has nothing to do with Son of Beast...

Why did you put your body through that torture year after year?

[Burgtoad67]

Along with the "RIP My Son" tombstone, the baby carriage, and the casket with the SOB "Toxic" logo on it, there are also these three headstones. From left to right is "H" (Hercules), "TG" (Texas Giant) and "R" (Rattler.)

I'll let someone else try and interpret this for me, I'm done trying to figure out the SoB situation.

As a SOB lover, I hope this means something in favor of SOB living, as 2 of those rides are still physically standing (with alterations), and the third is basically there in spirit. Why would they make the comparison of SOB to the three of those when they have all "died", just like SOB has with its gravestone and casket, yet they are all operational?(sort of) Maybe I am just a conspiracy theorist, but I have hope...

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Along with the "RIP My Son" tombstone, the baby carriage, and the casket with the SOB "Toxic" logo on it, there are also these three headstones. From left to right is "H" (Hercules), "TG" (Texas Giant) and "R" (Rattler.)

I'll let someone else try and interpret this for me, I'm done trying to figure out the SoB situation.

As a SOB lover, I hope this means something in favor of SOB living, as 2 of those rides are still physically standing (with alterations), and the third is basically there in spirit. Why would they make the comparison of SOB to the three of those when they have all "died", just like SOB has with its gravestone and casket, yet they are all operational?(sort of) Maybe I am just a conspiracy theorist, but I have hope...

The bold makes this the best first post ever:D I am hopeful as well, I fear I will come back from Disney and SOB will be nothing more than a memory

[The Interpreter]

Thanks, Shaggy! rcfreak339, I'd say that qualifies as extensive rehab and I apologize!

In any event, the ride was never all that grand to begin with, was greatly disappointing, cost the company that paid for it much money in alterations (as we can see) and in litigation, and had a layout that looked far more interesting than it was....

Gee, that sounds familiar (some would say the same of the Texas Giant).

[Burgtoad67]

The bold makes this the best first post ever:D I am hopeful as well, I fear I will come back from Disney and SOB will be nothing more than a memory

Haha thank you! I have actually been reading this for awhile, so I thought I'd finally put my 2 cents in

[Browntggrr]

I cannot believe people are reading this much into the name on a tombstone.

There is no ulterior motive. It is simply a prop.

What's next? Getting all excited about seeing a dirt pile?

[bkroz]

I cannot believe people are reading this much into the name on a tombstone.

There is no ulterior motive. It is simply a prop.

What's next? Getting all excited about seeing a dirt pile?

You're right. Someone at Kings Island decided to references two wooden roller coasters from outside the chain that have undergone extensive alterations in the same style as they referenced (after years of silence and pretending it doesn't exist) Son of Beast. They just randomly chose three random roller coasters from around the globe with absolutely nothing in common (oh, except that all three are / were considered among the roughest around, and that all three were "fixed" in way way or another) and stylistically represented them in the same way that they represented Son of Beast at the same event.

As I said, it might be a wild goose chase and it may mean nothing. Even if it does mean something, there's quite a range of things it could mean (from being replaced by a steel coaster whose backstory involves being stronger than the Son of Beast, to Iron Horse track, to extensive modification of the track and ride statistics).

But don't you ever just look at your posts and go, "I really act like I know everything, don't I? Why am I such a wet blanket?" If you don't think that it means anything, say that and then leave. Your opinion, however "informed" you may think it is, is not fact. If we didn't get excited about little teasers, and hints, and props (even if they are meaningless) this would be a pretty boring place. You immediately come in pretty much laughing and ridiculing us for even considering that there's a chance that this could maybe mean something. It gets us no where, except to make people frustrated and tired of dealing with you.

Would you like us to not speculate or have fun with it until the day of an official announcement comes? Right, okay. We'll all just pretend Son of Beast doesn't exist. And we'll all just adapt your opinion that it's awful. And when new members join and stupidly say something about Son of Beast without conforming it to your opinion first, we'll berate them and laugh at how silly they are to think that the park might actually acknowledge that this ride exists and put in a few brainteasers for enthusiasts. And before anyone posts any rumors or thoughts or ideas, they'll private message you to ask if you think it's silly. And if you do, then they'll forget it and leave it behind because if you don't agree or you don't feel like having fun with it and playing around and speculating, then it's not worth any of our time either.

[Erosarrow05]

LoL... I think it might be fair to say the pot has reached boiling point ...

I just pray it was said in this vein...

[Burgtoad67]

I cannot believe people are reading this much into the name on a tombstone.

There is no ulterior motive. It is simply a prop.

What's next? Getting all excited about seeing a dirt pile?

You're right. Someone at Kings Island decided to references two wooden roller coasters from outside the chain that have undergone extensive alterations in the same style as they referenced (after years of silence and pretending it doesn't exist) Son of Beast. They just randomly chose three random roller coasters from around the globe with absolutely nothing in common (oh, except that all three are / were considered among the roughest around, and that all three were "fixed" in way way or another) and stylistically represented them in the same way that they represented Son of Beast at the same event.

As I said, it might be a wild goose chase and it may mean nothing. Even if it does mean something, there's quite a range of things it could mean (from being replaced by a steel coaster whose backstory involves being stronger than the Son of Beast, to Iron Horse track, to extensive modification of the track and ride statistics).

But don't you ever just look at your posts and go, "I really act like I know everything, don't I? Why am I such a wet blanket?" If you don't think that it means anything, say that and then leave. Your opinion, however "informed" you may think it is, is not fact. If we didn't get excited about little teasers, and hints, and props (even if they are meaningless) this would be a pretty boring place. You immediately come in pretty much laughing and ridiculing us for even considering that there's a chance that this could maybe mean something. It gets us no where, except to make people frustrated and tired of dealing with you.

Would you like us to not speculate or have fun with it until the day of an official announcement comes? Right, okay. We'll all just pretend Son of Beast doesn't exist. And we'll all just adapt your opinion that it's awful. And when new members join and stupidly say something about Son of Beast without conforming it to your opinion first, we'll berate them and laugh at how silly they are to think that the park might actually acknowledge that this ride exists and put in a few brainteasers for enthusiasts. And before anyone posts any rumors or thoughts or ideas, they'll private message you to ask if you think it's silly. And if you do, then they'll forget it and leave it behind because if you don't agree or you don't feel like having fun with it and playing around and speculating, then it's not worth any of our time either.

It's good to see support. I am new, but I have noticed lately that although SOB has its lovers out there, pretty much all the feedback I read about it is negative. I came here to share my thoughts about it, and I hope it stays