Us old folks remember the brisk spring morning that the new flying coaster was to make its debut. A friend and I got there very early and there was one other person there. A few hours later as more people started showing up we had some convo's going around (a lot of us knew eachother from waiting for DejaVu to open years previous) and met other enthusiasts who had made the trip for SUFs opening day.
Around 9:30 they started letting people in and naturally everyone ran to the new ride, coasterdave didnt realize his belt had set off the metal detector and started running to SUF and got tackled by security so he ended up getting in the SUF line way behind us. Running through Orleans we noticed and looking we noticed the new ride was far and less intimidating than the blue and white monster that we were used to seeing our whole lives before that, but we could see the famous pretzel loop and after reading so many reviews of SFOG's no one cared about how small the ride looked.
I was maybe the 10th or so person outside the entrance so front and back were most likely out of the question. SUFs entrance consisted of a big gray latticework structure with no signs and random half built columns. It was obvious on this day that the entrance was not finished. When the ride opened we noticed that the queue house was the same as Shockwaves with some plywood walls around it, and we had the pleasure of walking through every one of them. The area around the ride was all muddy with tracks from construction vehicles, not pretty but we were happy they had the ride open on time (unlike the previous coasters which had just started being built when the park opened)
As we were walking up the stairs leading to the station, everyone followed the employee who was walking up the right side of the stairs since there was no sign saying which way was which. This resulted in a line of like 50 people walking up the right side of the stairs with me being about 10th. On a stroke of luck I turned around and noticed Coasterdave running up the left side of the stairs by himself, passing everyone on the right. Knowing that he had gone to media day he knew something no one else did, I hopped under the railing and followed him up to the back row and soon a big crowd of people walking up the stairs followed and ducked under the railing and got on the first ride of SFGAm's newest coaster.
It's amazing how different the ride looks now compared to then with grass, a few trees and almost 7 years of the sun's UV rays hitting it's paint
Actually it's hard to believe that ride is in it's 7'th year of operation. Seems like just yesterday I was at IAAPA playing around with our Superman's control panel that was set up on the show floor at the Consign booth connected to a computer to simulate an operating coaster. I think I was operating it quite efficiently til I switched it to maintenance mode and attempted to transfer a train off which froze up the computer.
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
FParker185 wrote:It's amazing how different the ride looks now compared to then with grass, a few trees and almost 7 years of the sun's UV rays hitting it's paint
Actually it's hard to believe that ride is in it's 7'th year of operation. Seems like just yesterday I was at IAAPA playing around with our Superman's control panel that was set up on the show floor at the Consign booth connected to a computer to simulate an operating coaster. I think I was operating it quite efficiently til I switched it to maintenance mode and attempted to transfer a train off which froze up the computer.
It still does that.....
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
Correction: Saturday May 3rd. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I got there some time after opening and waited an hour or two to get on... it was then my favorite coaster, hahaha. And after I got off I heard about a girl dying on Raging Bull and didn't know what to think. Can't forget that part of opening day.
^ That is correct! If I remember right, the actual count was in the mid 50's (53 or 54) rides in a row during Media Day.
The park really wanted to keep the coaster running as much as possible, so that the media would have many photo ops of the ride. So, cycle time was very quick (train came in, did a quick unload/load, and you were on your way). I don't remember if they had both trains running for Media Day or not, which would also explain why the cycle time between rides was so short.
Word got over to the media that I had been riding "all day" (well, all day for the media event that is), and I think it was Fox 32 out of Chicago that came up to the platform and did a quick interview with me between cycles.
BrianPlencner wrote:^ That is correct! If I remember right, the actual count was in the mid 50's (53 or 54) rides in a row during Media Day.
The park really wanted to keep the coaster running as much as possible, so that the media would have many photo ops of the ride. So, cycle time was very quick (train came in, did a quick unload/load, and you were on your way). I don't remember if they had both trains running for Media Day or not, which would also explain why the cycle time between rides was so short.
Word got over to the media that I had been riding "all day" (well, all day for the media event that is), and I think it was Fox 32 out of Chicago that came up to the platform and did a quick interview with me between cycles.
--Brian
Were you still on the train when they interviewed you?
On the ride itself: I forgot what it looked like when it opened. I thought there was no landscaping around that now, but I can see the sod they laid after opening makes it look a lot better than just that dirt.
It was only running 1 train during media day. I must have rode it about 50 times that day, my shins were getting sore from the ankle restraints I was on it for so long. Got off a few times to get photos for the update and check out the free food .
Hard to believe it's going on 6 1/2 years since then. It was the last non-mouse coaster Great America added...but still feels like just a few years ago.
That was the day I officially became a coaster nerd. Started checking out websites like these at the end of that season.
Looking at those pictures I totally remember the day. The giant line forming Bull had after the girl died and nobody knew what was going on. Hot, fairly crowded for an opening day, but its definitely one of the days I remember best at the park. Really can't believe that was 6 1/2 years ago.
Top 5 wood-5-Goliath 4-Ravine Flyer II 3-Phoenix 2-Voyage 1-El Toro Top 5 Steel- 5-Velocicoaster 4- Maverick 3- Fury 325 2-Steel Vengeance 1-X2 Coaster Count: 444
I got there some time after opening and waited an hour or two to get on...
This reminds me of 2003-2004 when SUFs line would be past Rue Le Dodge all day every day, sometimes back to the Carousel. Though that was nothing compared to when BTR opened
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