Oldiesmann Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Another great article from @bkroz on TPT... http://www.themeparktourist.com/features/20160302/31662/son-beast 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDMC01 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 As I posted a few days earlier, excellent article on a very intriguing and innovative Y2K coaster... lately, I've been thinking about any operational wooden coasters that are similar to SOB in some way, which is why I'm looking forward to riding Boss! 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skylab Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 How about that map on the first page? King Cobra but no Vortex, so it must be mid-80's. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 That would place it between 1984 and 1986. King Cobra opened in 1984 and Vortex opened in 1987. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calakapepe Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 I love that photo of Son of Beast with the tower framed within the loop. It's so iconic. Do we know who took it? Was Don our PR guy back then? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldschool75 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 That would place it between 1984 and 1986. King Cobra opened in 1984 and Vortex opened in 1987. It was 1986. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 I love that photo of Son of Beast with the tower framed within the loop. It's so iconic. Do we know who took it? Was Don our PR guy back then? Looks like it was David Mandt at the time: http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/08/26/loc_kings_island_taking.html - mentioned as KI spokesperson in 1999 Further research indicates he later went on to a similar role at Carowinds in 2003, then VP of Communications for the IAAPA in 2006. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 And some of us were asleep or we would have told 'ya. David's awesome. Every time HW refers to its own PR person as a deity, I cringe. (Note that would have NEVER happened when a Presbyterian minister and former nun graced the park management.) David was not and is not a self-aggrandizer. He quietly went about his business as the supreme, confident. competent, humble, highly respected professional he was and is. The media love, adore and respect David Mandt. He's awesome. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoaster Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Great article, a coaster I loved for sure. Just maybe a bit ahead of its time. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Huh? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Thanks for posting this! As with the Tomb Raider article, it seems like the Son of Beast piece is doing really well and earning a lot of discussion and comments on social media, which is really what I'm in it for. Great to hear people's stories, to see friends reminiscing, and see strangers agreeing. All good stuff! An interesting story for a very interesting ride that probably is unlike anything we'll see again. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldiesmann Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 It's definitely interesting that few coasters these days even come close to the stats of Son of Beast. Interestingly enough, the only currently-operating coaster that comes close to matching Son of Beast in terms of height, speed and length opened just one year later at Heide Park in Germany and was built by Intamin. Colossos is 197 feet tall, has a top speed of 68.4mph and a length of a little over 4400 feet. Even then, nobody else has dared to go higher or faster. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dare-to-fly Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 And some of us were asleep or we would have told 'ya. David's awesome. Every time HW refers to its own PR person as a deity, I cringe. (Note that would have NEVER happened when a Presbyterian minister and former nun graced the park management.) David was not and is not a self-aggrandizer. He quietly went about his business as the supreme, confident. competent, humble, highly respected professional he was and is. The media love, adore and respect David Mandt. He's awesome. Quite a different person from the current PR person for Carowinds(Larissa Thompson), both my wife and I have met her.....I have personally met most of the Carowinds PR people since Scott Anderson took over, Larissa was very rude to both of us, in the park. Another reason why my fansite has shifted away from Carowinds. I'm wondering what the situation was in which you met Larissa. That's not at all what I would have expected. I'm just going to come out and ask it - was it media day for Fury? I have heard things about how the enthusiasts were acting... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerNut Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 It was C3(Cannon Coaster Classic), I was waiting to talk to the Rides Manager for Carowinds, I had permission from the Rides Manager to wait for him. Carowinds General Manager was aware of this also, Larissa was assistant that I leave the area as the park was closed. Carowinds Security Guards were ok with me waiting for Rides Manager, Larissa was not. She made no effort to verify why I was waiting or anything, just "Park is closed, go home. You can call him later." She even wanted to run my family off while I was still on Thunder Road. Again Carowinds Security was more understanding, patient and even helpful. Just my personal opinion, maybe one day in the future I will have another chance to form a positive opinion. I didn't attend Media Day for Fury, other coaster Enthusists behavior at C3 have turned off my wife from ACE events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 It's definitely interesting that few coasters these days even come close to the stats of Son of Beast. Interestingly enough, the only currently-operating coaster that comes close to matching Son of Beast in terms of height, speed and length opened just one year later at Heide Park in Germany and was built by Intamin. Colossos is 197 feet tall, has a top speed of 68.4mph and a length of a little over 4400 feet. Even then, nobody else has dared to go higher or faster. If wooden coasters were given literally just another year or two to mature, who's to say what Son of Beast could've been? It also would've required that Paramount Parks was willing to pay premium prices for Intamin's product, and that Intamin would've had any interest in designing and building Son of Beast to begin with. Worth noting is that while Colossos is now the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world (197 feet tall), its actual drop is quite a bit shorter (159 feet). El Toro is not physically as tall as Colossos (181 feet) but it drops further (176 feet). So El Toro is taller than Colossos depending on how you're defining your categories, and it's definitely faster. Goliath at Great America is the shortest (in terms of height) of all three (165 feet) but it has the largest drop of all three (180 feet). That said, I'm so confused about what we group into the "wooden" category anymore that I don't know if that's worth counting or not. If rides like Goliath count at wooden coasters, then Colossos will be the 6th tallest in terms of drop when Lightning Rod opens at Dollywood and RMC's Wildfire opens in Sweden this year. It makes you wonder which matters more: the physical height that the ride reaches, or its greatest single elevation change? Of course, that and the "is it really wooden" argument are all arbitrary classifications anyway. Neither here nor there, but interesting stuff. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I really enjoyed SOB when it first opened but even then it felt that the pacing (I didn't know this word at the time) get off. The whole ride felt like it was a race to the finish. And maybe with that height there was no way to burn off speed and energy efficiently. I remember the feeling of coming out of the first helix into the straight a (brief?) tap of the brakes and then going down into the loop and back into a helix. That's the only part of the ride that felt real good. The rest felt like the train was going to fast to enjoy anything. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI FANATIC 37 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 What a great read. I still think Son of Beast is one of my favorite rides! The last time I rode it was opening day 2009. It is crazy to think that was almost 7 years ago! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterOhio Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I just wish I had the chance to ride it once. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuxedoman52 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 The only 3 times I rode it were exactly 3 days before SoB shut down for good. It's crazy to think that the final factor in closing the ride (May 31st) happened before I rode it (June 13th). Son of Beast was a mean ride, rough, fast, and all around great ride. I wish I would've ridden it sooner, but I'm glad I did get the chance to ride. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver2005 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I really enjoyed SOB when it first opened but even then it felt that the pacing (I didn't know this word at the time) get off. The whole ride felt like it was a race to the finish. And maybe with that height there was no way to burn off speed and energy efficiently. I remember the feeling of coming out of the first helix into the straight a (brief?) tap of the brakes and then going down into the loop and back into a helix. That's the only part of the ride that felt real good. The rest felt like the train was going to fast to enjoy anything. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Which is odd since you'd think that a 200+ ft coaster that was also the 2nd longest wooden coaster in the world (only a few hundred feet short of his father) would burn off momentum properly. I remember it flying into the final brakes despite said brakes being on top of a 55+ ft hill. I think the Premier designed trains had something to do with it since after they switched to the Gerstlauer trains, the pacing seemed more adequate (though it also felt like it would stall on the 2nd hill). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italian Job 2005 Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I often ponder what might have happened if the woman hadn't called in about an alleged injury due to the coaster. Would Son of Beast still be operating? Did Cedar Fair actually fix the ride in 2007? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 There is a tendency to forget about the court case where the park was found to have been negligent in the operation and maintenance of the ride, resulting in injury to the plaintiff. After that verdict, and before the punitive damages phase, the case was quietly settled out of court on confidential terms... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldschool75 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I loved it when it was new. But after a couple of years it was becoming unbearable. The second helix literally beat the poo poo out of you. I think early 2008 was the last time I rode it. After getting off and having a bloody nose, I thought "that's it, I'm done with this ride" 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Literally? Oh man... There's only one coaster I've ever gotten off of and said "Never again." And this time, I Mean it. That being said, I am, at 24, different than I was at 18. For all I know, a ride on Son of Beast today might be too much for me. Especially with wooden roller coasters, I find myself asking, "Is it getting older, or am I? Or both?" 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freaks76 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 24? Man I'd love to be that young again. I think. That was a pretty good read, really liked the one about Geauga Lake. One thing I'm wondering, What was the big uproar at the C3 event? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaestroJr Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Ah Son of Beast. I was there when they were building it up, and there when they were tearing it down. It scared the living daylights out of me when I was little, but its legacy and memories that I have of it will last a lifetime. I even have a bolt from it on my bookshelf. I remember the first time looking up at it and seeing and hearing people scream going down the 200+ ft drop and thinking "I'll never ride that". The thing I remember the most is the sound of the chain on the lift hill. Going up the lift hill on Adventure Express, and looking up at them climbing SOB's lift hill forever changed me on how big and fast roller coasters could be. Still though, I miss it. My memories of Son of Beast are very happy, but I do love Banshee. MaestroJr 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldschool75 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Literally? Oh man... There's only one coaster I've ever gotten off of and said "Never again." And this time, I Mean it. That being said, I am, at 24, different than I was at 18. For all I know, a ride on Son of Beast today might be too much for me. Especially with wooden roller coasters, I find myself asking, "Is it getting older, or am I? Or both?" Let's just say I was older than you are now when the thing opened. You will understand in the coming years. That glossy indestructible feeling will slowly fade away over time. Lol Sent from a signal coming out of the Vega system. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph88 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I rode it at age 14 (with the loop), and I thought it was insanely rough. At 14, I didn't even notice things like that. But I did on Son of Beast. I don't mind that they removed it because there's no way I'd ever get on that thing as an adult. Still, I'm so thankful I got a chance to ride it when I was young. It really was an incredible ride and a crazy experience. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubaman Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 That was an enjoyable read, and I'm glad I got the chance to ride it while it was still Son of Beast Original Recipe. I'm having trouble recalling if I ever rode the non-looping variant. I probably wouldn't have rode it, but I went to Kings Island with two of my good friends and none of us wanted to admit to the others that we were scared to ride (we would have been about 12 at the time). That's the day I got over my fear of roller coasters. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperial79 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Really good article, I road it a 4 times in 2000/2001. It was a little rough but I still enjoyed it. Wish they would have built it correctly, it might still be around then. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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