As most coaster enthusiasts are aware (and the general public sometimes is not) not all roller coasters are unique. Many coaster companies design a ride and then clone it out to a number of different parks. Batman: The Ride, located at various 6 Flags parks is one such example. Another common type of clone are Mad Mouse coasters which feature a number of switchbacks at the top of the course followed by a few small hills.
And then there are the Boomerangs.
In speaking for most members of the coaster enthusiast community, I can honestly say that these things are absolutely despised. I honestly do not know where the world's first ever Boomerang is located (maybe a visitor to the site might know), but these coasters are so numerous at various parks throughout the world that they are difficult to count. In my 330 coasters alone, there are twelve different versions of Boomerangs. They have various names, are painted different colors, and even offer different rides based on the upkeep of the track and the train wheels, but the designs are all the same.
A Boomerang is a very simple coaster. The train is pulled backward out the station up a lift hill that is normally around 100 feet tall. The chain disengages sending the train roaring the station and into a cobra roll double inversion, through a vertical loop and up the incline where the chain engages again and tows the train up, forward this time. At the top, the chain once again releases and the whole thing is repeated again (except the vertical loop is first this time) with the train coming to stop on the original lift hill and easing back into the station.
For the most part, the rides are very uncomfortable with restraints that come over the shoulders (called OTSR's) and cause lots of ear banging when flying through the inversions. Also, waits are usually very lengthy since the rides are popular with the general public (people like to go upside down and in Boomerangs you go upside down 6 times) and the fact that due to the construction it is only possible to run one train. I have waited up to an hour for one of these before simply to get the credit added to my coaster count.
Most Boomerangs also have down time issues. Once again due to the construction, many problems occur which lead to the coasters being down and not running a great deal of time. So anyway, since this is a review site, how are these scored? Well, the best Boomerang I have ever ridden was in HersheyPark, PA (called the Sidewinder) which I would give maybe a 6 due to its smoothness. Most of these rides score in the 5 range with a couple (Tidal Wave at Trimper's Rides in NJ and the Sea Serpent at Morey's Piers also in NJ) scoring in the 2 range due to roughness. For the most part Boomerangs are below average rides which do not offer anything unique once you have ridden one.
As an alternative, there are number of Boomerangs which feature the same track lay-out but offer trains which set below the track (inverts) and have seats which face one another. Two Face - The Flip Side at Six Flags Great America in Maryland and the Invertigo coasters at the former Paramount parks in Ohio and California are rides of this type. While the trains are different, the ride experiences are still the same: right at a 5 and very uncomfortable.
If you find yourself in line for a Boomerang, I would suggest the middle of the train. The front and back seat go through the inversions with much more force causing a great deal more discomfort than the middle seats. A well-kept coaster ridden in the middle of the train can offer a decent ride, but seriously, once you have ridden one, why bother? I guess if you are an OCD coaster geek, it's so you can count it and put it on your website.
Listed below are the Boomerangs I have currently ridden.
The Bat at Canada's Wonderland.
The Boomerang at Worlds of Fun in MO, Knotts in CA, the Great Escape in NY, Wild Adventures in GA, and Darien Lake also in NY.
The previously mentioned Sea Serpent and Tidal Wave in NJ.
The Sidewinder in PA.
The Zoomerang at Lake Compounce in CT as well as the Invertigo coasters and the Two Face ride previously mentioned.
Ride a Boomerang below.
No comments:
Post a Comment