Hi everyone, as you know I made some pics at SFH which can be viewed at zerognetwork.com. But I thought it would be nice if i wrote some ride reviews, so here there are [pshades]:
First of all Superman
The ride already is a few years old and you guys know what the sun does to the paint. So many like to call this ride Superwuss or Superwoman since it is more pink than red. Anyway about the ride experience.
You get in your seat which doesn't leave much room for your legs but ok, you make a turn into the tunnel. Light begin to run from the end of the tunnel towards you and you feel the train going back a tiny bit so the pushcar can attach itself to the train. Then the LSM's beging roaring and the train blasts away [pshades]. You blast into the rollover which is followed by some turns, then a corckscrew, and some more running arround over hills and trough alot of turns. To hit the brakes at the end and transport to the station. Overall a very cool ride but after the rollover it isn't that stunning anymore.
Up next: La Via Volta
Here it is, the boomerang almost every park has. You know the thing, you get pulled up backwards (pretty high backseat [^]) and then you are released to soar trough the station and into the boomerang, followed up by a loop. The the second lift pulls you a bit up again and **poof** the brakes open and the lift releases you for the second time to do the same thing backwards. Some intense G forces in the boomerang and loop. Then you hit the brakes in the station to make everybody deaf who is queing. [:p] Overall a funny ride but riding it once is enough.
Then we make our way to El Condor
Ya, SFH also has an SLC. This was the first one ever build so think of the age, almost or over 10 years (i don't know exactly, but it's old) Last year the ride wasn't really rough but this year it became even worse, it really is horrible now. When dropping from the lift the ride seems cool but as soon as you hit the end of the drop the cars are shaking everywhere. Also the ride was designed to pull 3.5G's but it feels like it pulls the double. Because it get's less friction from the wheels it goes alot faster. You just shake your way trough the ride and your glad the brakes work (not perfect though). Overall, this ride is not recommendable if you have ridden an SLC before in your life.
We continue are coaster tour to: The Flying Dutchman: Goldmine
Not a ride for thrillseekers but if you are in the park make sure to ride it. The queue has a max. length of around 20 meters so the queue time never is long. A funny coaster to ride. You start with a fast lift and then make some hairpins at the top. Make some turns a few drops and then take the big 60km/h drop. Pretty rough with intense brakes in some places, but still a cool ride, make sure to check it out.
In the back of the park you can find this sweet woodie: Robin Hood
Yup, that's right a vekoma woodie, the first one built to be precise. I believe they have built a second one by now... anyway if you're in the park this one also is a must-do. When you get seated in this ride it is time to relax in the couch. The trains' seats are very comfy [^] First you make a little drop from the station which brings you up to the lift which slowly but surely pulls you to the top, and over it You make some good speed (80km/h) at the first drop which is straight down. The ride banks and turns left over a hill and makes alot of nice hills and turns. Then it make a 180????????? and dives back to the water again to make a hop with the on ride photo. The ride continues over several hills and trough some turns. Shame the ride only has one underpass near the end. Then you hit the brakes and slowly slide back to where you came from, the station. [confused] If it starts raining, head over to this coaster because it really is nice to ride it after the rain. The wood smells fine and the ride get's ALOT smoother, because it's pretty rough under normal conditions like most woodies are.
The ride which has been built in the winter of 2001, every coaster fan has seen it and was amazed by that weird element the stengel dive. Of course i am talking about Goliath [pshades]
Doesn't it looks amzing? Ok, let's start the ride review. When in queue you are next to the lift and you can stare at all the technical stuff while you wait. When you enter the station you go into the first gate for frontseat. You get seated while the operaters strap everyone in there seats with a seatbelt and lapbar. Then the friction wheels push you up the lift where the cable lift takes over. The lift goes pretty fast and about half way it picks up even more speed and it really throws you over the top.
Then you look 46m down and start to accelerate, more and more, until this sensation is taken over by G foces pushing your brains towards your feet. Then you fly over the camelback to pull some serious airtime. This camelback is followed by a high speed turn in which you can get ready to stengel dive. You fly up the hill and start banking. Of course a true tracky will take the right seat so you can really hang out of the train in the dive. While banking back to 0????????? you can take a breath and prepare to fly into the horizontal loop. You really pull alot of G's here since the speed is still very high [shocked] Afterwards you fly over a B?????????ckel followed by a helix which also pulls quite some G's and has some nice headchoppers at the beginning. Then we bank left and approach the final three bunny hops. You pull some nice airtime on all three of them. Then you do some smooth banking to fly into the final element, a high G 180????????? turn. After this one you hit the brakes and the train comes to a gentle stop. The people behind you start laughing, talking and maybe puking [:D]
Now you've ridden all coasters except for the kiddie coaster, a funny one but not ment for thrillseekers or anything coming near that. Also not fit for too many adults because the friction wheels on the lift won't get you up [:P]
Then some more recommendble rides:
Crazy River, SFH's log flume. It's a cool ride featuring a backwards drop and a nice tall double drop at the end. Cool one, make sure to ride it if you don't dislike water rides.
The park also has a river rapids with cool boats which have 4 quater shaped parts which can move separatly which can results in alot of water over the ride [:)] If the queue is very long maybe it's not worth it but if you like water ride alot it sure it.
The park has lot more pukerides, childrens rides and of course a giant wheel which also is nice to ride for the view. A cool park which can provide you with a nice day of coastering.
For more pictures check http://www.zerognetwork.com/galleries/sfh/images/gallery.php
If you wan't an image for wallpaper just PM me and provide me with your email adress and requested size (max. 2048x1538)
cya in the park [pshades] greetz GFA