Date Ridden: Labor Day weekend of 2008. Times Ridden: 1 in the front seat.
Wow!This is my second Indiana Beach coaster review and there will probably be more to come as the week progresses. As far as this ride is concerned, I have to say I am impressed. When I saw the lay-out and the restrain system, I was ready for some serious pain as this little coaster looked seriously intense. The steepest drop in the world and some crazy inversions and transitions on this ride looked like total insanity. I was not far from wrong but the coaster is not as rough as I thought. At least for me it wasn't.
I may catch some criticism for this, but Steel Hawg looks and rides like a Mad Mouse/Wildcat on steroids. I understand that it is not a mouse ride per se as it does not contain the switchbacks or quick turns but I still got that feeling while in line and while riding. It basically has three elements. They include the steep 120 degree first drop, the twist and dive inversion similar to the one found on the former Manhattan Express in Vegas, and the zero-g roll right at the end. These three elements are each very unique due to the small size of the 4-seater cars. The restrains are not really the "over the shoulder" types that one normally sees on looping coasters. Instead they use a hydraulic type system to lower the top shoulder restraints into place as well as the lap bars. For me, the restraints were ok, but Julia, who is a bit shorter, said she had terrible problems. That made me wonder, so for the rest of the day I asked a variety of people in the park who had ridden the ride if they thought it was comfortable. I made special note of their sizes and heights. For the most part, riders between 5'9 and 6'0 were satisfied while those much shorter or taller said the ride was uncomfortable. I am around 5'11 so I fit just fine. Larger guests in general said they felt cramped and would not ride again. That might be something to keep in mind as the restraints are very unique.
As for the ride itself, I have to say I was impressed. The first drop was pretty darn good despite being very short. It is nowhere near as good as the steep drops on Maverick or Fahrenheit since the lift hill on the Hawg takes you up and around a curve before you drop. Still, the forces are there and it is actually pretty scary. The twist and dive produces some serious hang time and the zero-g/barrel roll at the end is smooth as well.
The ride is very short but still offers enough unique elements for me to give it an 8. It is by no means a landmark coaster or a destination ride. It is probably the 3rd best coaster in the park but it does offer some elements rarely seen on larger rides. Be prepared for about a 30 minute wait as the capacity is horrible. They have four cars but were only running two when we were there. Everything else in the park was a walk-on but we had to wait a while on this.
It is still tough for me to look at this as anything but a pumped up mouse despite its unique thrills. I enjoyed the Hawg immensely but just can't go above an 8.
Overall Rating - 8
Check out Steel Hawg below.
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