OCR Text |
Show THE DAILY HERALD, (www.HarkTheHeraId.com). Provo. Utah, Sunday, May 19. 2002 Page A18 uper roller coasteirs mev By MAURICE THOMAS Knight Ridder Newspapers Roller coaster thrills are looking up, side to side and upside down for the 2002 season. The rides this year range coasters from with modern twists to highflying excitement machines. Paramount'? Carowinds outside Charlotte, N.C., recently opened Ricochet, a traditional wild-mous- e coaster with sharp hairpin turns. For its 30th anniversary, an the park entire area into Carolina Boardwalk and anchored it with the family-friendl- y Ricochet. Other parks, such as Six Flags Over Georgia, are thrills. going for This year, the park opened Superman: Ultimate Flight. The coaster is the region's first that people ride lying face down. The ride really gives the feeling of flight. Late last year, the park opened DejaVu. The suspended, boomerang coaster sends riders through a loop and butterfly turn twice. It is one of several similarly named and designed coasters at other Six Flags parks. high-flyin- g Sister park Six Flags Magic Mountain in California also went for big thrills with the debut of X earlier this year. The coaster features seats attached like wings to each side of the coaster train. As the train goes through its loops and turns, the seats rotate on their own axis. In a coaster war, the winner is almost always the rider. In the battle between Six Flags Magic Mountain and Cedar Point in Ohio, Cedar Point has added an LIM (linear induction motor) ride called Wicked Twister. Shaped in a U, the ride vertical has two 215-focorkscrews at each end. Because of LIM technology, riders are launched forward out of the station at 72 mph and up one tower, then backward up the rear tower. The coaster shoots riders back and forth five times. ot Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey. (732) www.sixflags.com 928-200- 0; Opened: spring 2001 Height: 230 feet Top speed: 80 mph Ranking: 10 This ride has the speed, the height and the thrills for any coaster enthusiast to enjoy. The coaster has a high seating position and open sides for an overall feeling of flying by the seat of your pants. The hills on the return trip allow from some great air time. THE SUPERMAN ESCAPE, Six Flags Magic Mountain California, Valencia, Calif. (661) 255-410- 0; www.sixflags.com Opened: spring 1997 Height: 415 feet Speed: 100 mph Ranking: 10 The speed and height on this ride is unmatched by anything else I've ever ridden. What else can be said? Using forward is something, the return trip backward gives you a totally different sensation. MEDUSA, Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey. (732) 928-200- 0; www.sixflags.com Opened: spring 1999 Height: 142 feet Speed: 61 mph Ranking: 9 This was one of the first floorless coasters in the country. It combines dan- gling feet, tight turns, large loops and the feeling of flight to make for a must ride. This ride gets high marks because it provides a lengthy ride and looks so scary as it performs a big turn right over the crowd. SUPERMAN: The Ultimate Flight, Six Flags over Georgia, Austell, Ga. www.six-flags.co(770) 948-929- m 0; Opened: spring 2002 Height: 115 feet motors, the ride Speed: 60 mph launches you 100 mph Ranking: 9 This ride truly gives you a straight up tower. At the top and the feeling of flight as you before the ride zips back race head first, face down down to earth, you have over and around the track. the feeling of complete The high marks come from weightlessness. The park the dives, rolls and the inversion that literature says it is for 6.5 seconds, but on the ride it flips you on your back and feels like an eternity. then face down again. My Great for the rush of only wish is that the ride were longer. weightlessness alone. VOLCANO: The Blast DEJAVU, Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, Ga. Coaster, Paramount's King's (770) Dominion, Doswell, Va. rides sme-imgl'm- g coaster. However, must-rid- e TALKING COASTER after the initial blast, the coaster does seem to have a lazy run of barrel rolls as it winds around the outside of their the volcano. But the last drop before the coaster heads back into the station ends the ride on $ high BUTTERFLY seats during a ride. A source of air time. TURN: This wings of a butterfly. note. GOLIATH, SixFlags Magic. Mountain California, Valencia, Calif. (661) are belted, are lifted out of stretch of quick hills is a good AIR TIME: When riders, who coaster architecture looks In it, like the riders are turned upside down twice. BARREL ROLL: Turns riders upside down in a tight, stratgfrj j spiral. 255-410- 0; BOOMERANG COASTER: www.sixflags.com Opened: winter 2000 Height: 255 feet Speed: 85 mph A coaster that goes in direction and then repeats the same course the gravitational Gs: Ranking: 8 This ride has the elements a 255-fodrop, fast speed and thrilling turns. It even rockets over the park's giant wooden racing coaster, Colossus. But it's built in a compact area of the park and though it is tall, the ride is over much too quickly. It's shorter than the Nitro at the Six Flags park in New Jersey. pull of one backward. the Earth on riders. gives a roller coaster its speed. The hill usually uses a chain system to pull the coaster to the topi of a ride. The coaster then uses gravity the rest of the ride, LIFT HILL: It ot c: that uses LIM: Linear induction motor. A technology usually doesn't "z. require a lift hill. The technology is used on Superman the; Escape and Volcano the Blast Coaster. magnets to propel coasters very fast. SUSPENDED COASTERS: A It coaster train that hangs frorrH beneath the track. 1 linear-inductio- n 41-sto- ry pretzel-s- haped 948-929- www.six-flags.co- 0; m (804) Opened: late 876-500- 0; www.para-mountparks.co- m summer 2001 Height: 196 feet Speed: 65 mph Ranking: 9 This ride looks very imposing and has the thrills to back it up. The vertical towers keep riders suspended before they go zipping through a loop and butterfly turn. But if you think going Opened: August 1998 Height: 155 feet Speed: 70 mph Ranking: 9 The design of the ride combining a volcano, a susn pended coaster and motors to blast the coaster straight up and out of a volcano (complete make this a with fire) linear-inductio- Est uu to $600 in Bonis Doimo DUGlIS 011 SGI3C! EiSiO flFUS. ED Honda's Spring into Action, ride off with selected Honda ATVs and you'll get a bonus. Up to $600 in Double Bonus Bucks you can spend on gear, merchandise and more. During Spring Special Professional Full Service Salon hard-workin- g, RANKING THE RIDES Take a look at how I rank of the coasters I've ridden the past several some years. They're ranked from a possible 1 (your living room couch is probably more exciting) to 10 ("rush" doesn't begin to describe what your adrenaline will be doing). A note for the purists: There are many excellent wooden coasters, new and old, with fantastic air time and chilling hills, including several that would rank 10, but my preference is for the smoothness of steel. MILLENNIUM FORCE, Cedar Point, San-- , dusky, Ohio. (419) www.cedarpoint.com Opened: spring 1999 Height: 310 feet Top speed: 93 mph Ranking: 10 This ride has the height and speed to take your breath away. The first drop makes you feel as if you'll fall forever. Riders don't have to wait an eternity to get up the lift hill, though. An elevator-typ- e system gets the train to the top rather fast. It's a thrill that doesn't stop until the coaster train slows before entering the station. NITRO, Six Flags 627-235- 0; 882 N. State Street Orem 1277 S. 800 E. Orem 314 E. State Pleasant Grove 224-328- 4 227-03- 03 785-31- HAIRCUTS SPECIAL 350 West 8ooNorthh Orem, Utah wwwMHHD.com Reg. $7.50 NOW $5.99 you have received any keys in your ailbox, we may have your match here at If Exp. Fred Meyer is Leaving We're Staying Monarch Honda Our South Orem Store will Remain Open and In Place Regardless of the Fred Meyer Closing 801-224-40- Call Rebecca at 44 70 HONIWi honda.com be a responsible rider, always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing and plea& neoroi me cinvinuNMcni. uoti nt law Ainu Mtflu tuuh uwntn a manual MUnUUunLY. Honaa UMyAIVS and the Sportrax 250tfc Forget the Rest Work for the Best We're Growing Now Hiring Full time, Qualified, Professional Stylists i are recommended and older. Sportrax 400EXarrf300EX are recommerdedta with the purchased select riew 2002 arrfrjrkirmco purchases at the dealership and must be redeemed on the day of purchase. Offer has no cash value and is not transferable. Redemption value no!? to exceed $600 for utility ATVs 400cc and larger, $300 tor Ranchers7 and $150 for Recons Sportrax 300EX, and Sportrax 400EX Customer maC! apply certificate to parts, accessories, riding gear, or other purchases, and is responsible for all related sales tax. Specifications and availability!? Other to notice. without restrictions Dealers actual set See apply. subject change price. your participating Honda Dealer for complete details FourTrax Foreman Rancher,'" Recon and Sportrax are trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 2002 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (502)2 only for riders 16 years Double Bonus Bucks offer good 5102-5310- , EXCITING FREEDOM TO ESCAP- z "Last summer we visited Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell. Our kids are now closer to each other & we have learned mm about each other than we ' thought possible. Thanks for spending the time to help us find just the perfect boat. Our family the boat we purchased front Heringer Marine, work we can be on the water. part h just a few hours after 51 is deciding when to go. JUJt ,JI ..J J atj mm pm ku an u vm, uKj mu m ummea TUmi s The hardest 17 ( to my ramtiy. v -- Boat Brands (jans&iMirsii E- At Heringer Marine we help provide recreation foe; you, your family and friends. loves (KB9H91 spmuGcno Ebbtide. Cekko. Triton. Hydro Sport. Lowe H Tracy Chapman T; |