Any Extreme Thrill Riders Out There? What & Why?

from WinCustomize Forums
It's Summer!!!! (que Mungo Jerry) "In the summertime, when the weather is hot...."
Howdy all!

Last week Thursday night I saw a special on the new extreme thrill rides out in the year 2003. They started off with a giant whirling pendulum, called "Delirum" at Kings Island in Ohio that goes up 137 ft. back and forth, upside down, in a circle. They then progressed to Knotts Berry Farm for "The Xcelerator", which is a 50's style car steel coaster that goes up 205 ft, and then straight down the same amt. From there they went to Astroworld in TX, for a gigantic 2-sided fly swatter called "Swat!" that goes up 105 ft. in the air, then 360 degrees forward and backward....and they finally finished up with the worlds tallest and fastest steel coaster (at that moment) the "Top Thrill Dragster" at Cedar Point. It's height is 420 ft. tall, and goes from zero to 120 mph in 4 seconds, then straight up that cottonpickin' tall hill and back straight down....mercy! Cedar Point says it is "The Roller Coaster Capital of the World!" and they do have an impressive list of bone rattlers!

So, here's my question....IF you are an adrenalin freak and love to have your skeleton rattled and stomach contents completely shaken, what is the extreme thrill ride of your choice....and why on earth do you like doing that to yourself????????

/me wants it noted here that even tho' she once rode on an elephant, her idea of an extreme thrill ride is the bumper cars!

4,165 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I was a paratrooper and a sport parachutist in the Army, and to this day nothing else beats the thrill for me of catching some air and riding it to Earth.




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Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I live 5 minutes from Kings Island and have ridden Delirium more times than I can count, though mostly I ride it for my kids' sake. It reminds me of carnival rides from when I was a kid, only 50 times bigger! My personal favorite is The Beast, consistently rated as one of the top wooden coasters in the USA. I've been riding it since it was built in '79, and I haven't tired of it yet. They [ Kings Island] also have the Son of Beast, which will jar your fillings right out and is the only wooden coaster with a loop. Last summer I "rode" something called the Slingshot. You and a companion are strapped into a steel-cage ball. The ball is connected by steel cables to two steel towers sticking up at about 60 degree angles, like the top of a giant slingshot, a couple hundred feet high. The cables are pulled tight by a stack of springs and then they let you go....about 250 feet in the air, and all the while the cage you're in is spinning around and around as you bounce up and down high above the park. A total rush!
I used to want to skydive, but I've since learned how much I hate flying, so I think I'll stick with thrills that are at least attached to the ground.
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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thank you Gentlemen for replying to my silly question. I was just curious to know if folks who were into computers and skinning were also interested in going on coasters and such. The biggest coaster I've ever been on is Space Mountain at WDW back in the 1970's with my best friend, who after we got off of it said, "that was great, want to go again?" All I wanted to do was lean up against the wall and try to get everything settled down to normal again! Not my cup of tea at all! (I actually prefer Twinings of London Earl Grey, hot!)

Mr. SD, I can sort of understand why leaping out of a perfectly good airplane would be more of a rush than just riding a coaster....sort of makes roller coasters (& such) tame, by comparison!

Mr. tjesterb, I've been to Kings Island once, also back in the 70's with my best friend and our other good friend on a mini-vaction....we weren't daring enough to go on anything wilder than the water log flume ride...that was fun! We went thru twice....good for a hot day! The Beast, huh? Hmmm, well bless you hardy soul! You will have to venture up to Cedar Point and try out the Top Thrill Dragster to see if it compares!

On the program I saw, when they were there, they had the camera on the ride and showed the Down part of the hill top on that ride....made my muscles tighten up, just looking Down the hill....

Anyway, thank you again and many blessings to you!
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
mmmm, yeah, my body is all messed up with the stupid human tricks of old.

I've no deeper desire than owning my KZ1000-TC and running it up to 165-170 mph on the Interstate 275 at 2:00 in the morning. Or doing the same in any number of Rod's I have built my Brother or Friends and owned over the years.

Climbing Radio Towers un-hooked to do installs, building them the same way. Having to fly into an area on a Jolly Green because there are no roads leading to the hill/mountain side/top where the install is set to be.

Riding out on the free end of an 80 ton truss which is slung on a 180 foot Crane as a Connector for Red, Green and Black Iron.

Walking the Iron without being hooked, hell running the Iron without being hooked

anything on the edge.

though now I am more content with the thought that life is worth sticking around for and indifference to that fact could seriously hinder the journey

oh and I used to like sitting on the roofs edge of high buildings...

Why?

Made me feel alive and real, everything else pretty much made me feel empty and life meaningless.




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Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've been known to drive my old Chevy pickup truck through thin air at speeds nearing 75mph.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
hehehe, we've a bump in the road called Thrill Hill, anything over 35 mph and you go airborne.
More than one Oil Pan, Transmission Pan, set of Shocks, Springs, Tires and Wheels have met their match on the oppsite side when landing. That and a huge old Oak Tree on the side of the road on one side

That is one I drove over a couple of times, but found pointless.



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Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Thank you Gentlemen for responding to my little un-scientific poll. It appears that skinners are way too busy skinning things to waste pointless time on silly thrill rides! It also appears that some folks in the skinning community just like to do extreme things generally...ahem!

Mr. IPlural, since you like being up high and on the edge...you might want to check out the new ride being built on top of the super tall spire hotel in Las Vegas....it is a teeter-totter style slide that starts on the top of the spire and runs out into air with a major watch your first step please down! And then comes back to the top of the spire. Mercy! Can't imagine where they get these ideas from!

Mr. ToeJo, you sound like a person who lives on the edge! The last car I had before the new one I bought got so very old and tired that it beat it's speedometer right off one day....needless to say, it is very hard to tell how fast you are going without that cute little needle going round the dial.....God took care of me, and I never got into any trouble when driving it.....but it was kind of a thrill traveling on the highways at speeds greater than 45 or 50 mph!

Thank you again, and many blessings to you too!
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Sounds like a good ride

I never got to Sky Dive, Base or Bungie jump because of medical reasons. (some from other stupid human tricks of the past)

But I will pay the price for a really good wild ride every time, drives my wife batty because she can not bring herself to do so and my kids always want to be right there with me. The difference between my children and myself is that I am teaching them how to weigh the price and know when to say "No thank you". I didn't have the luck of having anyone to do that so it was always "Hey check this out!"





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