A tribute to "The Beast".  

 

http://www.polygon.com/2015/5/19/8625239/the-beast-kings-island-ride-it

Very cool! Seems like no matter what Kings Island does, the legend of The Beast lives on.

You'd think they'd want to capitalize on that, and maybe even build a follow-up...oh, wait.  

 

Sorry, just couldn't resist.

Different they.

And Thank God and Greyhound They're Gone!

I have to agree.  The Beast is amazing.  Many might say it lacks "theming", but I would totally disagree.  It has a very strong theme, and I think it's a large part of what has made it be so popular for so long.

Beast was just done right. In every way.

Son of Beast would be a great case study of how nickel and diming cost cuts, in design, construction, operation and maintenance, can pyramid into a devastating product.

Beast was just done right. In every way.

Son of Beast would be a great case study of how nickel and diming cost cuts, in design, construction, operation and maintenance, can pyramid into a devastating product.

Someone better tell Ed Hart that.

Great article! The Beast is a legend!

Nice article, though the source makes me go "Huh?"...Polygon is usually just a video game website.

 

The Beast really is an awesome coaster though- and a famous one. The only ride I can think of that would surpass Beast in fame would probably be the Coney Island Cyclone. Hence why Beast had 2 R.L. Stine books, the kids wooden coaster was themed after it for a good while, and it even got a horrible sequel.

At first I thought this article was going to make me cringe based off the title. Phew.

 

Neat article, The Beast is such a milestone coaster and really an incredible thing, but...I'll let my opinions go elsewhere in terms of best coaster..or best wooden one. It's not a coaster classic, and even removing the fantastic rides in that category, it's still not the best woodie, not even best woodie in the state, not by a longshot.

ehhh... I feel it is an excellent coaster, even among wooden coasters

ehhh...

 

 

Great post.

 

Very insightful and straight to the point.....thanks for enlightening us with your input.

Good article. Sums up The Beast nicely. Sorry, but in my heart it will always be the best.

ehhh...

Great post.

Very insightful and straight to the point.....thanks for enlightening us with your input.

Also, see the TOS. One word posts (along with "I agree" posts), are generally forbidden.

not even best woodie in the state, not by a longshot.

Interesting. What would be the best in Ohio, in your opininion?

The best is currently SBNO unfortunately. I've since resorted to Blue Streak @ CP following it's extensive refurb and trains. But I'd much rather enjoy Big Dipper at Geauga Lake, or Wolf Bobs if it was still standing as well. Villain was another great ride, and potentially my favorite hybrid. It was one of the few coasters to actually frighten me from riding it, it bucked on those hills with incredible speed and very enjoyable, but worrisome laterals if you were on the right hand side. 

 

However, I'll enjoy what little is still left in Ohio for Wooden Coasters, it's sad they are a dying breed, they always have been my favorites to ride for the most part, but that could be the nostalgia speaking.

I was afeared you were gonna say Mean Streak.

Mean Streak is a great twister layout, one of the best, and looks fantastic on the peninsula, it's just a tad too painful for me in a few spots. If they reprofiled it completely and did a great job it may be tolerable and one of my favorites indeed. Even the fan curve they started with at the end of 2010 is already starting to wear badly right at the end of the turn, it used to not shuffle there at all. 

 

I'd love to see if whoever did the retrack on Hurler at Carowinds would come in and do Mean Streak, it was GCI if I remember correctly, could be wrong, but that's a night and day difference, especially over the one over at KD, I'll never ride that again for quite awhile. Grizzly yes, that, no

Twister?

Where's the pacing? Where are the laterals?

Ramp, ramp, ramp.

Sigh.

It should have laterals if it rode the rails well and was profiled better I'd believe.

 

But, for now it'll shuffle and bounce everywhere making you think you didn't secure your back before riding. Maybe I should report it to lost & found.

It was not appreciably better the day it opened.

I got off that thing and wanted to cry for the park. Not as badly as I did in 2000 somewhat south, but yeah.

I just hope Cedar Fair doesn't cave into the RMC deal with Mean Streak considering how they want to improve ride experiences in the park all the sudden. I'm not a fan of butchering coasters. If it's a new RMC great, if it's not leave it how it is. Reprofile and retracks are acceptable, but turning a wooden coaster into a hybrid and claiming wooden coaster records (looking at you Goliath) I won't stand for.

What about big steel flats...called coasters?

See Six Flags....and....Kings Island.

Ah back to the great coaster debate

Or how about a Haunted House in West Virginia that should by all means be considered a coaster?

I was a little less than enthusiastic about how the final paragraph almost felt "in memorium". It's not dead, not even dying as far as I know/am concerned.

What about big steel flats...called coasters?

See Six Flags....and....Kings Island.

For a newb could you explain this comment? Thanks, I really do appreciate everyone who is helping me learn the terminology and such.

Steel flats that are called a coaster? What do you have against Kangaroo?

...rotating powered discs going up and down a hill?

Kings Island says that...that's a coaster!

Turn that thing vertical, put it in SIX parks--or so, Flags does, too.*

* Offer not valid in former members of the Six Flags Theme Park family in, say. okay.

 

What about big steel flats...called coasters?

See Six Flags....and....Kings Island.

For a newb could you explain this comment? Thanks, I really do appreciate everyone who is helping me learn the terminology and such.

 

 Surf Dog is listed as a coaster, by some.