The Interpreter Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Close call for two after cable snaps on Catapult Ride: http://www.fox28.com/story/29514468/2015/07/09/snapped-cable-on-mount-olympus-amusement-ride-creates-close-call-for-two-riders-in-wisconsin-dells "Shocking" video. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperial79 Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Wow! Glad nothing bad happened! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Wow, that could have been much worse. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voicetek Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 It amazes me that the snapping cable doesn't even seem to phase the riders at all. They remain seated and act calm. Not even a twitch, flinch, or a jump from the sound of the cable snapping and hitting the ground. Heck, it even looks like they're smiling when the ride-op comes to let them out. If it would've been me, you couldn't have kept me in that thing. I would've been clawing my way out and would've probably wet myself. How those two (seemingly) remained so calm is beyond me! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Was it a cable or bungee cord? Seems to be a much different ride than KI's Slingshot. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malem Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 The original story has been updated; the ride will be removed from the park. "After further review Mt Olympus has required Casco Inc., the owner/operator of the Catapult ride to permanently cease operation of the ride and remove the ride from Mt Olympus Water and Theme Park." 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrill_Biscuit Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 This is the worst that could happen... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindingSon Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Can't imagine who'd want to ride it after that happened anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrill_Biscuit Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 That's pretty much like basic RCT1. A ride malfunctions, and everyone looks at it and just moves along... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 This seems to be this park general thing, accident happens, ride leaves. Not the ride's fault but in this case it likely isn't the park's either. It looks similar to Funtime's Slingshots, anyone got details on similar or not? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph88 Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I'm surprised they made a decision so quickly! That seems to be somewhat uncommon. Seems like usually a park says "we're shutting down the ride and going to evaluate for a while" and gives an announcement weeks, months, or even years later. Has anyone been to this park? What did you think of it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 10, 2015 Author Share Posted July 10, 2015 I've been many times. It's...interesting. Its operating methods are...interesting. Its customer service is...interesting. And that's all I'll say here. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsus Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Having no personal experience with this park, I'll say that management's tendency to rush to judgment with regards to removing rides after accidents says a lot. What that says is up for your interpretation. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gplez90 Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I now live in WI about an hour from Dells. I was a looking to visit Dells and Mt. Olympus until i met several people at Six Flags Great America who told me it wasn't worth my time and money. That, piled on top of my existing suspicion of the park was enough to sway me away from the park. And then this happens..... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I'm glad nobody was hurt, but I'm curious as to why that ride was allowed to operate to begin with. Bungee cords are not designed for that sort of thing, and it could have been far worse if the cables had snapped further up or they had snapped while the ride was in the air. I've also never seen a park hire a third-party company to operate a ride like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 There's a mighty fine little coaster over at Timber Falls Adventure Golf...or whatever they call that place these days. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 It really floors me that this happens, it closes, they replace the cable and reopen in the same day, then close to do an investigation. What on earth was the train of thought there? Your ride just failed with riders on it... and you try to just play it off and hope no one noticed? Did they close when they realized a news station had picked up the story? Did the state of Wisconsin step in and force them to shut it down? Was there seriously no concern about why it happened? I seriously can't think of a well-intentioned and logical reason as to why it reopened in the same day. If the incident happened unexpectedly, then the operator appears very apathetic about safety. If it was expected, then that is neglectful. It is extremely, extremely difficult for me to believe that the failure was analyzed and remedied and the ride was legally approved for reopening in the course of an afternoon. It makes me sad when people are cynical about parks' safety. It makes me even more sad when events like this justify it. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 The paragraph at the end of that article certainly doesn't make me want to visit that park anytime soon... A little more than a year ago Mt. Olympus removed a different ride from their park after a man fell more than 15-feet. 63-year-old Anthony Theisen fell off the "Opa" Roller Coaster in March of 2014 and suffered serious injuries. State safety officials ruled a lap bar failed and that the park did not follow all maintenance recommended by the ride's maker. Why would you not follow all recommended maintenance procedures? 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 Negligence? Stupidity? Saving money? Not caring? 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindingSon Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I'll take all 4 for the win. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsus Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 ^^ Many would rightfully state that skimping on manufacturer-recommended maintenance to save a relatively small amount of money*, be it an automobile or an amusement ride, is a telltale sign of negligence, stupidity, and not caring on behalf of ownership/management. * Relative is referring to the cost to compensate injured riders, repair the ride later, and comply with government inspections and modification requests, as well as the cost to the owner's reputation, the latter capable of drastically reducing income and other key metrics as a result. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindingSon Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 See: The Racer running backwards until Cedar Fair took over. Wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homestar92 Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I now live in WI about an hour from Dells. I was a looking to visit Dells and Mt. Olympus until i met several people at Six Flags Great America who told me it wasn't worth my time and money. That, piled on top of my existing suspicion of the park was enough to sway me away from the park. And then this happens..... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Stepping aside from the discussion of ride safety for a moment. Keep in mind, Mt Olympus is a small(ish) park. SFGAm is a HUGE park with a HUGE company to support it. To the average parkgoer, that's probably true. But not necessarily for everyone. Think of it like if someone at Kings Island told you that a trip to Holiday World isn't worth your time or money. Probably a true statement for the average parkgoer, but I know lots of people who like Holiday World as much as, if not more than, Kings Island. Not saying that KI is any better or worse than SFGAm or that Holiday World is any better or worse than Mt Olympus, I was just trying to come up with an example in this region where the distance between the parks is similar and the size of the parks is comparable. See also me with Kentucky Kingdom. Many would believe that a trip to KK isn't worth the time or money when I live so close to KI, but it all comes down to what you like. Personally, you can keep your Beast night rides. I'll just as happily marathon the heck out of Thunder Run even during the day, thank you very much. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 See: The Racer running backwards until Cedar Fair took over. Wait. That's because PTC decided to specifically recommend not running trains backwards. In Ohio, you either follow all manufacturer recommendations or the ride doesn't get certified to operate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gplez90 Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 ^^ I see where you are coming from, but they were taking dead aim at the overall upkeep and quality of the park. I was ready to take a trip until they informed me of how unfriendly the staff was and how low quality (in terms of maintenance and upkeep) the rides are, the food, and overall amusement park experience. Holiday World isn't on the level of KI, but it's still a quality park with exceptional upkeep and staffing, making it work a trip for everyone. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgoble3 Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 See: The Racer running backwards until Cedar Fair took over. Wait. That's because PTC decided to specifically recommend not running trains backwards. In Ohio, you either follow all manufacturer recommendations or the ride doesn't get certified to operate. Not according to the park. KI says it was their choice to turn it back around. I commented your reasoning on a KI Facebook post once a few years ago, and the comment was promptly deleted, followed by a polite PM from Don informing me that that reasoning was wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindingSon Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Every time the official KI Facebook posts about The Racer, nearly every comment is about how it should go backwards again. Was it really that great, or is this a case of "It ain't what she used to be"? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Funny PTC says they don't approve their trains run backwards, I commented one time and PTC responded. Maybe PTC changed the policy after the fact. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homestar92 Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Every time the official KI Facebook posts about The Racer, nearly every comment is about how it should go backwards again. Was it really that great, or is this a case of "It ain't what she used to be"? People are inherently nostalgic creatures. That which you grew up with is always the best. Even if it isn't. Funny PTC says they don't approve their trains run backwards, I commented one time and PTC responded. Maybe PTC changed the policy after the fact. Think of it from the park's perspective. The reason they give is that they just decided to make both sides go forward again. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that PTC does not approve their trains to go backwards. In this case, it would be true that KI, being in Ohio, could not allow them to run backwards. But if this were true and you allow it to be known that this is why the trains were turned forward, then people would think that the ride wasn't safe before (after all, there had to be some reason that PTC would make this recommendation). So from the park's perspective, it makes more sense to tell people it was a decision that was made by the park. It's easier to deal with peoples' nostalgic yearnings for the older days than it is to quell concerns that a ride had been operating in an unsafe way. Another example, I had always heard that the loop on SoB was removed because Gerstlauer would not give approval for their trains to go upside-down. Whether there is any truth to that, who knows? Regardless, that's not the official reason the park gives (if they ever gave one...) so that's not the information that they would want being spread on social media. You have to keep control of the information (or possibly misinformation) being spread in order to maintain a good reputation for your brand. All that really matters is that both sides on Racer go forwards now, so you're riding it forwards. This comes with the added benefit, too, of being able to close one side on less crowded days and few guests will be upset that the experience they deem superior is unavailable to them. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 The Backwards Racer being "so great" isn't just a nostalgia thing. Riding backwards gives an entirely different feeling to the ride, and it was fun going up the lift hill with riders on either side facing each other (making it much easier to yell back and forth about which side would win). When I rode The Racer back then, it was almost always on the backward side (and it was frequently the much longer line) because nothing else in the park (or anywhere else I visited) gave that different experience of riding backward. If the park made the change to make it easier to close one side without upsetting people, they'd have been better off making both go backwards, because that was more popular than forwards. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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