And how is the public to know to do this? Not to mention that the ride manufacturer's instructions include sitting back with your back against the backrest. . .

Well I stand at 6'2" and the back rest on those trains only go about halfway up my back. If I sit back in the bowl its like having daggers nailed in my back. Remember those trains were not designed for that coaster.

^ SOB isn't that rough. I rode SOB yesterday. It was the first time I can remember riding it since the loop was removed. It was AWESOME! I LOVED IT!

If people who ride it are crazy, I'm INSANE! I LOVE SOB!

^ SOB isn't that rough. I rode SOB yesterday. It was the first time I can remember riding it since the loop was removed. It was AWESOME! I LOVED IT!

If people who ride it are crazy, I'm INSANE! I LOVE SOB!

It's okay, guy. *I* love the Georgia Cyclone.

And I know exactly how you feel . . .

Maybe I was in a bad seat, but last time I rode sob this year I felt like someone was hitting me over the head with a bat, the worst headache i've ever had, It will be a while before I try that again.

Front seat, and if you sit in the seat on your right it might be smoother.

I thought the front seat my be a lot better, but I wasn't willing to risk it and ruin the rest of my day with that bad of a headache again this year, but I will probably try the front next year.

^ I've had worse rides on The Beast than on SOB! Yea, in some seats it can be tourcher (sp?).

Most seats are awesome!

And Interpreter, leave it to you to back a guy up!

Heres an also really simple way to avoid wooden coaster roughness: keep your back off the backrest, I dont know why it works but I know it does work. The only times I have ever gotten shooting (pinched nerve) pain from wooden coasters is when Ive had my back on the backrest. Im guessing it has something to do with allowing my body to shake/compress/decompress on its own without the added friction from my back on the backrest slowing down the process unevenly.

A LOT of this is caused by the high density urethane foam used for 'cushioning' on Ohio wooden coasters and on The Georgia Cyclone. When Racer (and Beast) opened, the cars had thick, lush cushioning. That's been gone for many years now.

Sigh.

If anything, the Gerstlauer trains have even LESS cushioning that the high density urethane foam in Ohio PTC's. (Stricker's only recently made this conversion to the HDUF...sigh, again).

^ I loved the old days,

Back when there was cusioned seats, no headrests, no seat dividers, 1 lapbar, no seatbelts,

Note: The Big Dipper @ GL fits all those qualifications!

Ahh, the old days.

As for SOB.... When it reopened, I rode it and thought that I had been in car accidents that were less violent and that it was just worthless and couldnt be fixed. But after the last few times I rode it this year, i must say: "I'LL BE darnED!!! THEY FIXED IT!!!!!!"

^ The SOB was like one of those toys that are near impossible to fix, but once you do its the best toy in the closet!

It's been 'fixed' many, many times before, The Interpreter noted dryly. The question this time is the same as before. Assuming it IS fixed, how long will it stay so THIS time?

^ I'm guessing that it will close again in:

JULY OF 2008!

Enjoy while you can!

lol you're pretty generous... I give it till May 2008 before it breaks down again.

^ What will they do to it then!

I think if SOB has an accident like before, it's days are numbered.

Considering the improvments that have been made, I really don't see another accident like there was before.

And I despise SoB.

I agree. It was a GREAT ride at the end of the season.... And, there will NOT be another accident like what happened before.. They have got to be watching that ride like hawks....

And, of course, with the safety measures that parks employ, remember that the most dangerous part of any trip to an amusement park is the car ride to and from the park. You have a much greater chance of being in an automobile accident on your way to or from the park than being injured on a ride.

Considering the improvments that have been made, I really don't see another accident like there was before.

And I despise SoB.

I do think that there won't be another accident like before, but it will be hard to maintain.

And I love SoB, but thats o.k.

^ How is maintaining SoB harder now than it was two years ago?

The company that owns it is deeply in debt now and must husband its money far more carefully than the company that owned it FOUR years ago. The company that owned it two years ago was largely the one who had done the maintenance and repairs prior to July 9, 2006. So maintaining Son of Beast is just as important as it ever was, but every dollar so required must come from a pie that is much more difficult to get than in the past. It will no doubt get its pie until such time as there is no longer any Son of Beast, but at the expense of something else. How long? That's the rub.

I agree that Cedar Fair has to watch there money, but I think what has been saving SOB more then anything is the fact that it is still a record holder, I think if it was more like Top Gun or Face off it would of been long gone. Also, I would think SOB would be in more trouble if it wasn't so big, there not a lot of the park you can walk thru and not see it somewhere in the skyline. It would seemed to me that SOB was supose to be KI's MF, and the first drop is killer. I like woodies and there going to be rough. I like SOB and all it needs now as far as I'm concerned is a third train and a tunnel! Maybe use some theming from TR:TR if nothing else!

The company that owns it is deeply in debt now and must husband its money far more carefully than the company that owned it FOUR years ago. The company that owned it two years ago was largely the one who had done the maintenance and repairs prior to July 9, 2006. So maintaining Son of Beast is just as important as it ever was, but every dollar so required must come from a pie that is much more difficult to get than in the past. It will no doubt get its pie until such time as there is no longer any Son of Beast, but at the expense of something else. How long? That's the rub.

"Until there is no longer any Son of Beast......" Are you insinuating that SOB's days are numbered? If so, that thought has crossed my mind as well..... I have thought (because of the accident) that, once it is no longer a record holder, its as good as gone......

I agree that Cedar Fair has to watch there money, but I think what has been saving SOB more then anything is the fact that it is still a record holder, I think if it was more like Top Gun or Face off it would of been long gone. Also, I would think SOB would be in more trouble if it wasn't so big, there not a lot of the park you can walk thru and not see it somewhere in the skyline. It would seemed to me that SOB was supose to be KI's MF, and the first drop is killer. I like woodies and there going to be rough. I like SOB and all it needs now as far as I'm concerned is a third train and a tunnel! Maybe use some theming from TR:TR if nothing else!

You are kinda correct. SOB is KI's answer to Millennium Force. Both built in 2000. Cedar Point went the way of steel while KI went the way of wood.

^ Yes, yet CP wen't the way of the Intamin while KI wen't the way of the RCCA.

Now honestly, which do you prefer?

INTAMIN! As if you couldn't tell from my sig!

i rode it when the brakes didnt go on...we got stuck on the lift hill due to an apparent ghost train and the computer attomatically shut it down. It was in maintinence mode. So much better ride experience...the only place to ride SOB is in the front...if you sit anywhere else it isnt worth it.

INTAMIN! As if you couldn't tell from my sig!

I have Always loved Intamin, but KI is allergic.

I would rather see a B&M before we get an Intamin coaster, at least we have Intamin rides in the park.

Drop Zone, Viking Fury, Eiffel Tower, White Water Canyon, and Congo Falls, are all Intamin rides in KI.

I would rather see a B&M before we get an Intamin coaster, at least we have Intamin rides in the park.

Drop Zone, Viking Fury, Eiffel Tower, White Water Canyon, and Congo Falls, are all Intamin rides in KI.

Yet, no coasters. Aww.