Since there are 32 some Vekoma SLC's across the world, i'm sure we've all ridden at least one. Do any stick out in particular even though they are all the same design pretty much.
My favorites are T2 at SFKK and Kong at SFMW because they are painted odd colors.
Last edited by CoasterDude12-2 on March 6th, 2005, 10:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
While it's not one of the choices TraumaTizer at Southport Pleasureland is easily the smoothest and most fun of all the SLC's I've ridden.
Much easier to pick out the worst though, 5 worst in no particular order(actually it was originally 3, but I need to add 2 honorable mentions)...
T2-SFKK, first generation layout SLC with the shorter trains, violent is an understatement.
Great Noreaster-Moreys Piers, I took one ride on it, it was easliy the roughest one I've ridden, and that's saying alot (actually the fact I didnt ride it again, despite amazing placement withint the park says quite alot)
ElCondor-Six Flags Holland (at the time)- Worlds first SLC, very similar to T2, but slightly less refined, plus the OTSR's smelled funny.
Vampire-Six Flags Belgium(again, at the time)- I dont remember a damn thing about this one exept for the absolute worst smell I've ever smelt in my entire life, all the lining was worn off those head pads on the sides of the OTSR so it was exposed foam, it was soaked(literally dripping as it was hot out) with sweat/BO, and I'm positive those pads havent been cleaned/sanitized since the day they were installed. Also the fact people were openly urinating in the queue didnt help (that's a european thing), also every single person in the queue was smoking (europeans again), and it was running one train with nearly a 2 hour line (all Six Flags there)
Top Gun -Canadas Wonderland, again, overly violent, like way more than it needs to be.
Sucks so many are so bad, as the layout is fairly decent, but it really comes down to maintaince, if parks do it on a regular basis, they can be nearly B&M smooth, exept for a few jerks in the first 3 inversions that really dont amount to much.
Favorite Wood Coasters: The Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Thunderhead, Balder Favorite Steel: Voltron Nevera, Steel Vengeance, Expedition GeForce, Olympia Looping Parks visited: 232, Coasters Ridden: Steel: 894, Wood: 179, Total: 1073
[hijack] Once again, I must compliment FParker on his enlightening post... responses like these are what make the world of online forums a better place. [/hijack]
I've been on T2. I think it's terrible. The ride goes too fast to appreciate it. It's like making Batman, I don't know, 65 mph. The ride will just end like that, and your like, what just happened? Speaking of Vekoma, Vekoma is at so many parks.
I can't understand why SF has choosen them for many rides. Being bored, I was looking at rcdb.com and seeing that Belguims whole park is full of Vekoma coasters. I would love to try a regular boomerang that they make, and see how it feels. I sometimes feel that they don't have the feel of how rollercoasters should be made. I love the super boomerang at SFGAm, but I don't think they know what they are doing because it seems like speed is what they are focused on.
"I've been staring at the world, waiting. All the trouble and all the pain we're facing. Too much light to be livin' in the dark. Why waste time? We only got one life. Together we can be the CHANGE. So go and let your heart burn bright"
Most of the time Vekoma offers the most ecomically priced rides, which is why they are so popular, also Vekoma really designs for small parks, SLC's and (recently installed) Boomerangs in any SF park is a true perversion of the concept. Whole idea for Boomerang was a full sized looping coaster in a very small footprint for a reasonable price(due to the fact that there was no designing/engineering that goes into it), it was designed specifically for small parks that couldnt necessarily afford a larger coaster or didnt have room for a larger coaster and didnt necessarily need the capacity of a larger full circuit coaster either.
SLC is the same, cheaper alternative to the very pricey B&M inverts for smaller parks that dont have the money or room for a huge invert.
Vekoma is very popular at Six Flags Belgium as for a very long time it was a smaller family owned park, and the Vekoma factory is like an hour drive from both SFB and SFH. Also for a long time Vekoma marketed/fabricated for Arrow in Europe/Asia, so here where we have Arrow/Vekoma in Europe they were stuck with exclusively Vekoma.
Also as a side note the Vekoma Corkscrew w/Bayern Kurve is actually a really good ride for it's size, and they are pretty smooth and well engineered, which is why there are so many in Europe (there are only like one or 2 in N. America which is a shame, alot better than probably 80% of the Arrow Corkscrews out there.
Favorite Wood Coasters: The Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Thunderhead, Balder Favorite Steel: Voltron Nevera, Steel Vengeance, Expedition GeForce, Olympia Looping Parks visited: 232, Coasters Ridden: Steel: 894, Wood: 179, Total: 1073
I just found this out (no matter how late it might be to some of you guys/girls). I decided to put in either a Vekoma topic or a Disney topic, so I choose Vekoma.
Disney also says that they don't like reference Vekoma. I wonder why???
"I've been staring at the world, waiting. All the trouble and all the pain we're facing. Too much light to be livin' in the dark. Why waste time? We only got one life. Together we can be the CHANGE. So go and let your heart burn bright"