I was actually on Beast crew when this was filmed. I believe it was filmed either the day of, or day before the SOB announce. If I recall, the SOB crate was placed there on Saturday, had the rattling tested by Sunday, and the stage was in place by Wednesday. I believe the announcement was on Thursday July 8th around noon... I was lucky enough to be there.

SOB's announcement day was chock full of iconic moments. It was the first time I ever saw Jeffrey Siebert, who didn't work at the park (just yet.) It was the day that the head of PR was fired and escorted out of the park immediately after the horrific media announce. It was momentous because a seemingly disctracted and rambling Montel Williams was the emcee... (and I am still scratching my head over THAT one) and a week later he announced he was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. It was also the first time I ever saw people take pictures of a tv screen in the blazing sun. LOL

FYI, being on The Beast crew in 1999 gave me a leg up on exactly what was going on and that they were calling the new coaster Son of Beast. I saw the crate in action prior to the announce while working the ride that weekend. However I found out they were building a giant wooden coaster the year prior when I was on the OL:FOF crew. Several times, park officials and maintenance would cut through the FOF hanger to head out to the survey area for SOB's rosebowl. One day I simply asked one of them... "What are you guys doing over there?" He said: "Prepping to build a giant wooden coaster." That's how I found out about Sonny.

In the video, there's a giveaway that it's an early morning run for The Beast. The ride was not even warmed up. You can tell by how low it is on the 2nd lift before the chain engages. On a really good day, the lead car would far surpass the maintenance access platform.

For those young-ins on here that may not know this, here's a bit of Beast trivia for you. Prior to safety cameras, The Beast had crew members that were rotationally stationed to monitor the lifts. On lift #2, you pass 2 small deck like areas on the right. One near the bottom of the lift and another about half-way up. They appear to be a stairway/maintenance access, which they are. But the 2nd one wasn't originally built just for that purpose. For years and years, that was a lift lookout position and a crew member would sit there to watch the chain climb the lift. It was such a boring spot, that crew members were sometimes allowed a book to read while stationed there. They just had to put it down when a train began the ascent. The position was jokingly called the "suntan spot." I.E. When the crew was rotated, the crew leader would say "Jane, go get a suntan..." and Jane went to that position.

When the cameras were placed on the ride, that negated the need for the position. A sign was put in it's place as well as a recording played over a still-present bullhorn loudspeaker that said. "CAUTION: Keep arms and hands inside the vehicle, remain seated at all times. CAUTION: Keep arms and hands inside the vehicle, remain seated at all times. CAUT..." well, you get the idea ;-)

Shaggy

For years and years, that was a lift lookout position and a crew member would sit there to watch the chain climb the lift. It was such a boring spot, that crew members were sometimes allowed a book to read while stationed there. They just had to put it down when a train began the ascent. The position was jokingly called the "suntan spot." I.E. When the crew was rotated, the crew leader would say "Jane, go get a suntan..." and Jane went to that position.

Thanks for sharing this...this is the type of stuff I like to read.

Yes Shaggy, love this! Thanks so much.

For years and years, that was a lift lookout position and a crew member would sit there to watch the chain climb the lift. It was such a boring spot, that crew members were sometimes allowed a book to read while stationed there. They just had to put it down when a train began the ascent. The position was jokingly called the "suntan spot." I.E. When the crew was rotated, the crew leader would say "Jane, go get a suntan..." and Jane went to that position.

Thanks for sharing this...this is the type of stuff I like to read.

That's very interesting!

Yes Shaggy, love this! Thanks so much.

LOL, I have lots of fun little tid bits like that.

Here's another:

Because of the sensitvity of the guests, crews had to use code talk to communicate things like the ride going down, an undersized child attempting to board, storm in the area etc.

For instance, "Happy Birthday."

Back in the day, when an extremely overweight person would attempt to board The Beast, it could be a very awkward and embarassing situation. Mainly because ride ops were required to have the lap bar click 2 times on all passengers before sending a train and the guest may not "fit." To try and lessen the embarassment of a looming situation involving the guest struggling to fit in the car, a code called "Happy Birthday" was used.

The person operating the panel in the drivers booth or those ops manning the unload side of Beast would say "Happy Birthday" to one of the two load side ops. They'd then signal a number with their fingers... such as 21 or 43. The load side ride op would then know to go to gate 2-1 (car two, seat 1) or 4-3 (car 4, seat 3) in between trains to break the ice with the person and explain we were required to get two "clicks" and they may not fit. This diffused what could be a bad situation and gave large guests the opportunity to avoid the public struggle with the lap bar.

The same was true of undersized kids... which the signal "Munchkin" was used.

"Voban" was a signal used from time to time. What, you may ask, is Voban? Click here... http://catalog.clean...itemno=VOBAN-01

Shaggy

^Thanks again again!

(I wonder if that website you linked to will wonder why so much traffic all of a sudden.)

I'm not sure where else to post this, without starting a whole new topic. Originally I enjoyed "Kings Island: The Fun and Only" slogan and song, but I think this just completely ruined it lol

I'll still probably like the song and the slogan, but that commercial is just horribly corny!

Why?

At least the words are understandable this time...

And besides, its no worse than "Coney Has it!" "We got the Scream Machine, and the bumper cars. So much to see and do. The price is right for your mom and dad. Coney has it, Coney Has it, Coney has it. Yeah, yeah, yeah." Dang it. Got the song stuck in my head again!

Here, let me help:

The Happiest Cruise That Has Ever Sailed!

I mean I guess it isn't that bad. It's just funny how corny it is!

The FUN & Only?

Or The Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed?

Terpy, perhaps IASWA's greatest adult (?) fan!

The Fun & Only commercial is what it corny. IASWA song just gets stuck in my head!

(Beware of happy Terpys riding coasters then...)

Nope. That didn`t help. Now I have BOTH songs stuck in my head!

I think it's corny. My aunt works for FOX... She has said again and again, Cedar Fair has some of the most pathetic comercials she has ever seen.

Which may be quite on purpose. If they get your attention and get you to remember the park and buy tickets, they work. Award winning beautiful ads that win competitions but do not generate sales may make ad people happy but they do nothing for the advertiser. Best of all is when an ad is both award winning and revenue producing...a rare feat!

There is a reason most local car dealer advertising is cheesy and annoying. It works.

^ Or they are just cheap and don't have the money.

I kinda like it....

Maybe I'm just psyced for Kings Island.

I dare anyone to find a commercial more annoying than this one:

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d7iOMTNmQg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&hd=1"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d7iOMTNmQg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d7iOMTNmQg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

I'm not sure where else to post this, without starting a whole new topic. Originally I enjoyed "Kings Island: The Fun and Only" slogan and song, but I think this just completely ruined it lol

I'll still probably like the song and the slogan, but that commercial is just horribly corny!

Is the dancing guy going to be CF's new version of Mr. Six.

As awkward as it seems, i find the ad kind of catchy, and at least it is not just a cheap compilation of footage from OTHER parks and old footage such as http://www.youtube.c.../17/6_RCcONcQYI from the past few years.

EDIT: except the snoopy shot, but that was kind of a no choice

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

I also rode it in 1984 and I agree that it was a beautiful ride at that time! The geyser in the helix was realy cool.

The commercial could be worse, here is what CF gave Clevelanders one year.

Geauga Lake: It's gonna be FUN.

Just not for long....

Now up that way Cedar Point is the FUN & Only.

But there are a few Clevelanders who follow arrows to find fun. Or even fly over a ravine.

And hopefully a few know how to find a great adventure, though I sea the worlds may have left them with a sour taste for the places that number their flags, and rightly so.

More Flags

More Fun

Why Settle for the ONE and ONLY?

It appears that CF is using that commercial chainwide.Here's one for Kings Dominion.

Has anyone been on an Intamin Stand Up? I see that there are only 2 left with one being at La Ronde and the other in England. How do they compare to the B&Ms?

I dare anyone to find a commercial more annoying than this one:

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d7iOMTNmQg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&hd=1"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d7iOMTNmQg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d7iOMTNmQg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

WOW That is so funny because she goes to my school! They joke around with her all the time because of that.

Has anyone been on an Intamin Stand Up? I see that there are only 2 left with one being at La Ronde and the other in England. How do they compare to the B&Ms?

Although I have not been to La Ronde, I have ridden the first INTAMIN standup, as Batman The Escape, at what was then Six Flags Astroworld. It was interesting and fun, but if you don't like Vortex at Carowinds, you won't like it. It's even a bit more crude...The people who ended up founding B&M were involved in the design of Batman the Escape...which started out as Shockwave at Magic Mountain, was moved to Great Adventure, then to Astroworld where it was renamed Batman The Escape. Last I heard, it still exists and is in storage at Darien Lake. Whether it belongs to Six Flags or to PARC, I have no idea...