Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Roller coaster designers are coming up with new rides that they could never manage to get me to ride. Ride designers are going even further than coaster designers. If you want proof, just view this photo and this photo from atop the Stratosphere tower in Las Vegas. The ride is called Insanity, and is appropriately named.

Imagine a swing attached to a merry-go-round. As the merry-go-round goes faster and faster the swings fly out further and further. Now imagine this happening at 70 MPH while you're dangling 30 feet over the edge of an 800 feet tall building. Brilliant!

Six Flags Magic Mountain has a ride called X. The cars for the coaster sit outside of the tracks and the special track allows the cars to rotate independently of the track. That means you could be going through a loop but be spinning in the opposite direction. I know what that feels like. It feels like you just tried to drink a gallon of milk in a hour and then puked twice in the process.

I've seen video of it where it's going through a cork screw to the right and the cars are spinning backwards. I can only imagine how many people are sprayed with vomit while waiting in line for it.

Lastly, if you'd like to see what it's like to ride Cedar Point's new ride maXair, just watch this movie. I might ride that. Maybe. Going backwards doesn't suit my elderly body very well though. Spinning either. Since this ride spins you constantly and you have no idea whether you're going forward or backwards, maybe this isn't the ride for me. Maybe.

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