Serious maintenance issues largely caused by the inferior Japanese steel (a long time ago) used to make what was in fact a prototype ride...the other two TOGO standups that KECO bought evidently did not share that problem.

I like Mantis a lot actually. It can be a little rough, but after a few minutes I'm fine. And I like the track layout a lot. Nonetheless, this POV really brought back great memories. KC was my favorite ride at KI when it was open, and it still may be my favorite ride I've been on at the park. The airtime on the camelback after the loop was incredible. RIP KC

I still miss King Cobra.

It was by far the most enjoyable stand-up I've ever ridden.... and I've ridden a bunch. It was, when first installed, a beautifully picturesque ride. Those that only saw it when it was a part of Action Zone have no idea how well that coaster fit into the original Safari theming. I'll never forget seeing and riding it for the first time in 1984. It seemed so state of the art then, yet was immaculately blended into it's surroundings.

BTW, the date of the video is circa 1995. How so? The Skyflyer is there, but Outer Limits Flight of Fear was not.

Shaggy

King Cobra was awesome and I miss it. I do remembeer thinking it was short but it was still a great ride (I was a youngin then, btw).

I'm with DVO on Mantis. I didn't used to like it but last season it really grew on me. It doesn't hurt my legs, I'm never uncomfortable and it has some great inversions though. The trim kills me though. I've read on e that it's to help make inervals but still, I hate trims on first drops.

I was able to ride this one several times. I was much braver (and younger) then.

I used to be scared of this ride, but realized how much fun it was once I found the nerve to ride.

That was a great pov, and a great overall remembrance of King Cobra, what a great coaster.

B&M is still open to building more stand-ups, though I read on a comment on this POV of The King Cobra. I wonder if they would make a new inversion of some kind that has never been made if all possible. Who knows if they ever will make another stand up again too though.

B & M is in the business of selling rides...the question is is there a park in the market willing and able to buy a new stand up coaster from B & M?

I would agree with you on that one. Steel is very high in costs really isn't it???

Steel is expensive, but costs relatively less to maintain compared to wood...

I thought it fit in that area where it was really and agree with Shaggy on that one also. It was in the area by the safari and it was almost like you were near the wild...

I didn't get 48" until 2004.

It was taken out because parts were hard to find for it.

I didn't get 48" until 2004.

It was taken out because parts were hard to find for it.

What? Where on earth did you get that idea? Parts are still sold today. As I stated earlier, the coaster's structural steel was inferior...continual welding and maintenance are what doomed the ride...If it WERE parts, why do Shockwave at Kings Dominion and SkyRider still operate?

B & M is in the business of selling rides...the question is is there a park in the market willing and able to buy a new stand up coaster from B & M?

There was a rumor on Screamscape in Feb about a new B&M Stand Up for Ocean Park in Hong Kong for 2011. Very conveniently located just 7,966 miles from my house!

It was rusting a lot also I do remember them keep repainting it too.

Two videos released yesterday from Kings Island. Enjoy!

Those two videos are significant for two specific reasons...

1. In the Adventure Express video, you can clearly see the construction area for Outer Limit:Flight of Fear. The concrete pad/footers had been poured. This confirms my earlier post that the videos were recorded in 1995.

2. In The Racer video, the coaster still retains it's final bunny hop into the brake run. It was unnecessarily removed once OL:FOF was built.

Shaggy

^That extra bunny hop caught my eye too. I then went back and watched that section again looking for OL:FoF, which wasn't there in the video.

I can NOT be the only one who put my arms up as I watched these. If my kids were in the room they'd be laughing at me. Is it April yet??

EDIT: also, that AE video must surely be a fake. All the eyes are lit up and the arms are all clearly working.

I didn't get 48" until 2004.

It was taken out because parts were hard to find for it.

What? Where on earth did you get that idea? Parts are still sold today. As I stated earlier, the coaster's structural steel was inferior...continual welding and maintenance are what doomed the ride...If it WERE parts, why do Shockwave at Kings Dominion and SkyRider still operate?

I knew that it was a maintenance problem. And I don't even know where I got that from.

Here is a video of Vortex from the mid '90's:

EDIT: also, that AE video must surely be a fake. All the eyes are lit up and the arms are all clearly working.

The videos were taken in 1995 - see, Paramount Era.

Anyone else notice that they're going in order when releasing these? They started on King Cobra's corner of Action Zone and have worked their way up through Oktoberfest and Coney Mall... which makes me guess that we're next going to see a BLSC, Beast, or Diamondback POV next, if they're doing it intentionally. The only thing wrong with this theory is that they skipped over Flight of Fear and Firehawk... hmmm.

EDIT: Well... I guess King Cobra's still technically part of Adventure Village at the time of the recordings, isn't it.

EDIT again: Ha, I just realized that there wouldn't be any POVs of those two coasters since they weren't built yet in 1995. Nothing to see here, move along...

The Vortex on-ride was recorded in 1994. Action Theater is there, the Skyflyer is not (added in early 1995.)

Shaggy

Here is The Beast video released last week:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=KlK5Znry_5U

The Beast video is from 1999.

I miss King Cobra so much! I would ride every trip to the park.

I love how at the end of The Beast POV you can see the stage and the SoB Box that were set up for the SoB announcement.

I love how at the end of The Beast POV you can see the stage and the SoB Box that were set up for the SoB announcement.

I noticed that as well.