Your SoB memories

[Sonofbeast2.0]

What was one of your favorite or least favorite moment(s) on SoB that happened to you or someone you know?

Mine was back in 2005 or 06 Me and my brother were getting ready to ride it and we decided to sit it the last seat. I was talking the whole ride and I was laughing so hard. Never bit my tougne either, but that was one of my favorite SoB moments. I also got to ride it as fireworks were going off in 2008 and that was fun too (even without the loop).

Saddest moment is that I never did get to ride it in 2009. Thank you SoB for some great momories and not a couple not so great, you will be forever missed.

Note: I never did have a bad ride on SoB.

[Original]

Looking at it and saying: "It looks scary daddy"

I never got to ride it. xD

[Hank]

The anticipation.....and then the let down.

[Maverick00]

My family on the Eiffel Tower and my mom telling me an accident happened in that circle area.

First visit to Kings Island was 2006, about a month after it happened. Never got to rode it. That was probably the busiest I have ever seen a park, it was bring a friend for free day. Never again will I make that mistake again.

[LongliveKingsCobra]

Riding with it my father the year it opened. I was petrified! Once we got on and went down the first drop I was hooked!

I loved that ride! It was amazing.

Of course, three years later I did a Marathon on it with a friend....felt that the next morning!

[TombRaiderFTW]

Any memories I have related to Son of Beast are pretty much only related to the people I rode it with. It used to be a staple of a visit to the park in 2008 because my friend loved it. I liked The Crypt more than SoB (which should say something about SoB, considering how much I liked TR:TR), so we'd usually trade off rides. I'd ride Son of Beast once with my friend, and then she'd ride The Crypt with me. The only thing that really interested me about Son of Beast was looking at the pieces of Diamondback's supports stored behind the ride and being surprised at how big the supports looked to me. I didn't think that season was that great at the time, but I now think that's probably been my favorite season since I started buying my own pass in 2008. (Ironically, both of those rides are gone now!)

The only exceptional memory of the ride I have is of the one time I rode it in the dark after a light, prolonged rain in 2008. The train was totally hauling through the course, which somehow ended up easing some of the jackhammering in the helices. It still wasn't that great, but it was probably the best ride I ever got on it. The heightened sense of speed surprised me.

I also remember noticing how weird it was the couple times I rode it in 2009 that there was another coaster across the park around the same height as SoB. Didn't know those rides would be the last I had, but I really can't say I miss the ride for any reason besides nostalgia.

That being said, I rode the thing enough to remember the hanging feeling when the train entered the turn out of the station, the awkward way the train jumped back and forth between the rails on the first big turn, and the way the jackhammering would inescapably force your elbows into your legs if you tried to resist the shaking. I've got whiplash just thinking about it.

(Sorry if that post didn't flow well... I'm a little worn out, so all the thoughts just kinda spilled out all at once.)

[Oldschool75]

The pain after each ride.

[TTD-120-420]

My best memory of it was a couple days ago when it fell down.

[Sonofbeast2.0]

Each person see's/feel's things differntly. So I understand while some hate and some love/like.

My first time I was scared and didn't want to ride it either but that moment on after riding I loved the ride since.

[xXDrummerKiDXx]

I've never been hurt on SoB. My favorite memory was when me and 2 friends rode it. I was the one who had to sit alone, front seat. I thought the ride was gonna collapse ... I loved that feeling . (Just cause I knew I was fine)

[Browntggrr]

My only memory was the ride coming down.

I have been told that I did experience it, but the numerous concussions have left my memory lacking.

[Diamondbacker]

My first and only ride on it with my dad. A good story and great father-son bonding.

[Browntggrr]

My first and only ride on it with my dad. A good story and great father-son bonding.

Stuff like that are SoB proof as good bonds don't break

[Bennett]

I remember vividly my first ride on that darn thing...in the original trains, with my brother. I am 6'6", 235 lbs. He is 6'4", 260 lbs.

Not only did we barely fit, but, we were both beaten half to death. The novelty was cool, the bruises, not so much.

Ride experience was so bad, did not ride it again in that incarnation.

Rode again after the removal of the loop, with the new trains, by myself, since they "fixed" it. Did not beat me up nearly as bad, but taking out the loop neutered it. Still not a good ride. Rough.

Shame that the decisions made during planning and construction resulted in such a bad combination, which, in turn, wasted untold tens of millions of dollars.

[stashua123]

i rember seeing how massive it was in 2005 and i had just got off of The Beast. I remeber viewing it form viking fury and i was in awe. it was mentioned by my bros and dad alot i even made up a nickname for it. i called it son of a beep literally not in the cussy way. I then said i wanted to ride but for some reason my dad did not let me on it. 2 hours later they came back and they said it was extremely rough and unenjoyable my bros said they blacked out and the where screaming into the loop they said it was the scariest part was the first drop. didnt go back to KI until 2011 but it was closed in SOBNO era. It was on my must ride list. kinda sad. Then on July 27th, 2012 i was in the park on woodstock express and somebody said to me their tearing Son of Beast down. i did not believe her and i thought it was crazy talk but then i came back at 11:00 p.m to my house and found out it was being torn down. Kinda ironic i was their and saw sob and not thinking it would be my last time seeing it ints true full form.

[coasterfanatic83]

Never got to ride it. The closest I got was next in line to ride when it shut down due to an undisclosed ride malfunction.

It closed permanently 12 days later.

Ironic, huh?

[Roarbot]

The singer Pink rode on the same train as my wife and I in 2000. My wife's nephew was with us and I asked him who was the pink haired girl getting the VIP treatment. She had an entire entourage with her and she was sucking on a pink pacifier. He said it was a new singer named Pink and she was opening for New Kids on the Block(...or one of those boy bands) at Riverbend. Great ride with the loop.

Rode it a couple times with and without the loop. Last time was in 2009. that was the first year we had season passes. It was the one and only time my son was able to ride it. He loved it, I was sore for 3 days.

[Mr. Christopher]

I remember watching an animation of the ride while riding the Eiffel Tower elevator as it was being built. Only rode it with the loop... had one or two bad experiences where I had an extreme headache after the ride; wasn't too bad any other time. Not much else to say...

[BB1]

The greatest memory was hearing of its destruction, then another was of the sight of half of the track gone, its priceless.

SoB, something I liked for Cedar Fair to take down from the Paramount era, it brings a new thing in, and kills the old, bringing its enthusiasts to a sad moment.

[faeriewench]

The singer Pink rode on the same train as my wife and I in 2000.....

....she was sucking on a pink pacifier

I just had the greatest mental image of this. (I'm easily amused)

I was never a fan of actually riding SOB but some of the best moments I had back when I worked summers at KI involve the Son in some way. My first ride on it was its debut year, and I did not like it, even vowed to myself that I'd never ride it again. At that time I had my dad turned into a coaster buff. He was supposed to go on that first ride with me its debut year. However the way the lap restraints were set up and my dad's leg is fused so he couldn't bend his knee to get into the car... I ended up taking that first ride alone. He wanted to try it when the other trains came about but his cardiac issues he stayed away.

Though that promise to myself about not riding it ever again was broken 2 years later. Before I learned to drive and after I get off of work and go change I'd often ride SOB as a way to kill time while I waited for either my mom or dad to pick me up. I think the few good rides I gotten when it had the old trains was riding it during ride nights with fellow coworkers and it was also the last coaster I ever ridden with my cousin before he got killed (he was killed last year in a car crash). So that's a memory of that ride I now cherish.

After the accident and the loop was removed, I was actually pleased with those other trains that first month it reopened. Almost to the point I could say Sonny was my favorite in the park... Shame though because it felt like it started to get mean shortly after. I have a high tolerance to pain (unless you are my dentist then its a different story) so I was never really hurt too much thankfully. I will miss Sonny just cause of how the skyline looked when you drive by, even if it was only there for about 12 years sure felt like it been there forever.

[McSalsa]

I'm in the same boat as Coasterfanatic2012, except I never even got to get in line. Had just gotten off Diamondback, was ready to take on the 218' wooden monster, and when we got to it a ride-op told us the ride was having issues and would be closed the rest of the day. We then headed to Flight Deck instead. While heading to Flight Deck, I watched Son of Beast, as it was testing and running empty trains...as we left the park that day, I thought "Well, there's item #1 to do when we visit Kings Island next time..."

Next time was 2010. Son of Beast never re-opened, and item #1 on that trip ended up being Delirium...which I ended up loving...

A much earlier visit to Kings Island, in 2000, obviously also had some non-rider SOB memories as it was brand-new that season. I remember how noisy the chain lift was, and how imposing and scary the TALLEST, FASTEST, and ONLY LOOPING wooden roller coaster looked. The sheer size of Son of Beast, seeing it as a kid, may have been the cause of me getting a 9-year fear of roller coasters in spite of having a blast on Indiana Beach's Hoosier Hurricane in 1999...which was broken, in quite ironic fashion, in May 2009, by...The Beast.

[Diamondbacker]

Stuff like that are SoB proof as good bonds don't break

I felt like I should post the story.

It was mid-season 2007. My family had just gotten off of Delirium, and my dad wanted to ride Sonny. When no one in my family said they wanted to go with him, I manned up and volunteered to go. I was hyping up the ride to my dad and telling him how great it was going to be. After about a half-hour wait, we finally got on one of the back seats. We went down the first tiny hill and went around the turn to the lift hill. I was crying (hey, I was only 11!) and told my dad that I hated him and to get me off of the ride. When we crested and made the turn around, I was just in awe of the massive structure of SoB. We went down the first hill and I was neither happy or sad. As the ride progressed, I started to enjoy it and I put my hands up at about the point where the loop used to be.

I absolutely loved it, and I wanted to go again with my dad someday in the future. If it were still open during the 2012 season, though, I believe that I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much, being that I am 6'4" tall, 210 pounds. That memory is still the best memory I have ever had at Kings Island.

[Sonofbeast2.0]

I'm glad some people on this site enjoyed the ride! I wish a company like Gravity Group would come in and rebuild it from ground up and re-add the loop.

I wonder if Don would be able to touch on his exprinces with the ride?

Was SoB anyone's favorite night ride? mine was and still is The Beast.

[The Interpreter]

Cedar Fair and Kings Island considered all possible options before making the decision that they did.

[TTD-120-420]

At IAAPA, one of the guys from Gravity Group said they would not put a loop on a coaster. They are comfortable with the corkscrew thing they are adding on to Hades, but they will not do a loop.

[Voicetek]

The number of times I rode the Son of Beast I could literally count on one hand. I remember the first time I rode it and the sheer feeling of pain as the coaster beat me to death. I remember thinking I got a bad seat. I continued to ride it a few more times over the next couple of years picking different seats and different sections of the train. Each time hurt just as much. I remember thinking that The Beast was a heck of a lot smoother and I wasn't sure why. After 4-5 times of trying to ride Son of Beast without getting beat up, I finally decided to stop trying. I think the coaster was an amazing idea and it came with loads of potential. Sadly, I just wasn't that impressed with it. Maybe it was because it hurt so much to ride it lol. I wish it would've been a success, but I'm kind of glad to see it go so that KI can make room for something even better!

[dakota2112]

The number of times I rode the Son of Beast I could literally count on one hand. I remember the first time I rode it and the sheer feeling of pain as the coaster beat me to death. I remember thinking I got a bad seat. I continued to ride it a few more times over the next couple of years picking different seats and different sections of the train. Each time hurt just as much. I remember thinking that The Beast was a heck of a lot smoother and I wasn't sure why. After 4-5 times of trying to ride Son of Beast without getting beat up, I finally decided to stop trying. I think the coaster was an amazing idea and it came with loads of potential. Sadly, I just wasn't that impressed with it. Maybe it was because it hurt so much to ride it lol. I wish it would've been a success, but I'm kind of glad to see it go so that KI can make room for something even better!

This is almost my exact same experience. I only rode it a handful of times, and each time I was thinking "maybe it'll be better this time" but it never was.

I have three specific memories:

• My back was wrenched around to the point of pain before even reaching the lift hill (seriously).
  
• The first big drop was pretty incredible.
  
• The only thought running through my head during the ride was "Is it over yet? Is it over yet? Is it over yet?". I'm not exaggerating. Granted, I always ride Racer and Beast in a center seat because it's too rough otherwise... but SoB wrenched my spine in ways that I truly feared would cause moderate to serious damage.
  

[DaveWorldEmperor]

I have a few memories...

• While waiting to ride in terror (I believe I was either 5 or 6 at the time), we reached the top level of the ramp and my dad pointed out the fact that the whole lift hill swayed towards the right as the train coasted across its pre-drop and I was so terrified that I almost didn't ride!
• Cresting the hill for the first time, getting that amazing view of the whole park, and clenching the harness so tight that I think I lost the circulation in my fingers! (My first hyper coaster ride. My previous tallest coaster was The Beast, what a jump!)
• The Inside of the double helix for some reason was my favorite part of the ride, although I really liked the loop too.
• I really miss camping at the campgrounds and watching the ride run its early morning test runs from our camping spot and specifically remember the empty trains vaulting across the MCBR.
• Standing in the parking lot before entering the park listening to the distinct, loud, chain dog on SOB, especially the loud clanking noise that I can't quite describe as it released from the dogs at the crest (if anyone remembers what I'm talking about).

I guess most of my stories are more related to memories with my friends and family and relate to my childhood, but this was still my favorite ride from when I first rode it (2000-2001) to 2005. Also, I rode it the day before it shut down.

EDIT: One very distinct memory I forgot to mention was in 2008 while standing in line in the station after a good rain, I watched a train fly up into the brake run and as each car hit the first brake, the back of each car popped up an inch or so. Kind of an odd memory but very memorable.

[LongliveKingsCobra]

Yeah SOBs lift was just so powerful. You could hear it clear across the park in the morning. It was a loud S.O.B.

see what I did there...? No...awkward...

[shark6495]

I dont have a specific memory for SOB but more a combo of all the memories. The sheer fear I had before I rode it the first time. Squeezing into the seats on both the old and new trains. Hating getting the picture taken before the first hill. Pushing the lap bar down because my mind said "Hey, you dont want to fly out." Cursing the ride because I couldnt move my feet, had no wiggle room at all, being crushed into those seats. Talking to a friend/yelling at a friend on the lift hill because it was so so loud. Seeing the park come into view as we crested the hill. The sudden dread of the drop. The feeling of riding in the very front seat as you scream to the ground on that massive first hill. Getting beat up and wondering if the train would jump off the track in the first helix. Then rollin up the hill and down into the beautiful loop, it was smooth as glass. Going into another Helix and getting beat up. The entire time hating how my feet were stuck and I barely fit. The ride ending and sitting on the brake run at the end, still cursing the ride for how much it hurt and how tight it felt. Getting off and thinking I am never riding it again, till the next time you go on. Beautiful moments with parts of evil. Reminds me of my first love. Sometimes memories are best in the mind because they can be what we want them to be, which may be very different than reality.