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Sandusky, Ohio

My turn finally arrives. When I ride coasters I usually go for the first car but on this ride I decide to sit back a little ways. I board the car and buckled in. I have to take off my glasses because I don't have a band to hold them to my head, bummer. Had I known I would have bought one before I boarding the ride. I then start talking with the guy next to me. He tells me he's ridden the ride a couple times already. He doesn't seem nervous at all. He tells me all sorts of factoids about the ride. As we made our way up to the launch pad, I can feel my heart beating in anticipation for the unknown. I have never been on a ride that accelerates as fast as this one does.

Well time ticks by at break-neck speed and the christmas tree goes through its colored motions. Before I can even mutter "Holy Shit!" we're off and running. O H - M Y - G O D !!! I cannot accurately describe what I feel. The acceleration is numbing. I'm a pretty tough cookie when it comes to coasters, they don't bother me at all. But this coaster is different, way different. It's more a rocket sled than a coaster. I'm ashamed to say it, I close my eyes and just cringe! It's an instinctive reaction to an unfamiliar and highly unpleasant feeling. I don't feel anything in my stomach per say, rather it's a "whole body" experience.

During the acceleration and vertical upshot my eyes are closed tight. At the top of the tower I open them for a split second then close them again on the way down and only open them again when we exit the tower. This is by far the scariest coaster I have ever ridden, and I've ridden a lot of coasters in my day.

VIDEOS: Here's a video (5.95 MB) of the ride in its full glory. Here's another video (8.20 MB).

At the coaster's exit, riders can preview pictures of themselves on the coaster. If interested, the rider can purchase the image as a 6 x 8 print or on a key-chain. Seven of the park's coasters provided this photo service.

I end up buying the 6 x 8 photo. It is presented in a little folder. The folder has a page listing all the coaster's facts and figures and the other page has my photo. As you can see, I wasn't lying, I did close my eyes and held on for dear life. The kid in front of me looks really surprised. Maybe that is the other possible reaction for first time riders? I suspect if I went on the coaster again (which I didn't, I ran out of time) I would have been just fine, knowing what was in store.

BARF RATING: This coaster is the "bomb", it rates 10 barf bags out of a possible 10.

After getting spanked pretty hard by the Top Thrill Dragster, I figure it's all down hill from here. My next ride is the Power Tower. Standing at 240 feet, the object of this ride is to either launch you upwards or release you downwards. Two of the tower legs are dedicated to shooting you up and the other two legs are used for dropping.

VIDEOS: Here's a video (2.74 MB) of a "shot up" tower ride. Here's another video (2.36 MB) of a "thrust down" tower ride. Sorry, they are sideways.