I had good rides, and I had not such good rides on SOB, but something keep me coming back for more. I'm sad to see it go, but I also understand that it was time for it to go. Just think the ones who rode it we actually played a part in history.

A reaction too great not to post (A year late but its still great).

I wish that there would be a "Hitler rants about Boomerang Bay being taken out"

That's better than Hitler reacting to the Mustang Boss 302. If you look it up it's not child friendly this is your warning.

A reaction too great not to post (A year late but its still great).

I love that video...

Oh, wow...I have discovered something that may disturb some of you. It's a coaster in Spain at Parque Warner Madrid, a wooden one...designed by Werner Stengel...built by RCCA...prepare for it...

IT IS Son of Beast JUNIOR!!!

Actually, this is Coaster Express...but the similarity to the soon-to-be-demolished Son of Beast is eerie. It has a layout devoid of major airtime, and 2 large helixes make up over 75% of the ride- similar to Son of Beast! Only differences: Son of Beast opened 2 years earlier, is 98 feet taller, is 28.6mph faster, and this ride has Intamin trains (yes, the same trains El Toro @ SFGadv uses)...Son of Beast has had 2 sets of trains, but neither were built by Intamin...this ride also, apparently, stinks as it ranked 163rd out of 164 wooden coasters in Mitch Hawker's wood coaster poll!

Strange, but true. Who would have thought another ride so similar to SOB would exist, built AFTER SOB's epic failures?

Some people live and learn, others just live.

RCCA should have been named LGRLG (Looks Great Runs Like Garbage)

Ironically, LRGRLG is also the noise that I tended to inadvertently make when riding Son of Beast.

A splashdown is something where the train or something attached to the train comes into contact with water. Examples of true splashdowns are:

• SheiKra
  
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
  

Examples of faux "splashdowns" are:

• Shambhala
  
• Manta
  

And Italian Job Stunt Track .... :'(

I wouldn't say that I take exceptional care of my body. I've ridden numerous coasters at many parks, and I only have One complaint. Son of Beast hurts. I rode it for it's media day back when it first opened and when I was as fit as a fiddle. It hurt. I was sore for nearly a full month. When it reopened occasionally, I hopped on it again for some reason numerous times. But at some point in 2003 I rode the thing and it didn't just hurt, it HURT! A lot! I never rode it again. I couldn't even look at it without cringing. And I pick up large varying snakes on the end of a 10 ft. hook, which is a lot of weight on your arms. I have carried Eagles on my shoulder, which is a lot of weight to carry on your shoulders. I've picked up alligator snapping turtles from creekbeds, I've assisted in catching deer with my bare hands, and I've been on Alligator's backs for relocation. I've been bit, scratched, clawed, torn, and thrown. To me, that's FUN! Son of Beast hurts. I strongly support the decision to have it removed in favor of something safer.

Just wondering, does the RCCA even exist anymore?

I'd guess not given how terribly AWFUL all of their rollercoasters were. Even before Coaster Express and Son of Beast they built a ride incredibly agonizing as well. The Rattler. Just look at these pictures and you'll see the same crooked tooth pick support structures that Son of Beast and Coaster Express had.

(I own none of these pictures)

Also like Son of Beast, The Rattler has been drastically modified. One example is the drop in the last picture. It actually used to go down all the way to the water but was modified two years after it opened so that the bottom of the drop was about 45 feet above the water.

Rattler doesn't sound like a terrible coaster. I haven't heard any incidents like I have Son of Beast, but it could have had maybe one minor incident or something of the like. I think Rattler is fine and does not live up to the "non-exciting, poorly-built RCCA Standard".

I managed to Snag a few pictures of SOB but nothing too close and personal. I'll post them soon but I don't have my camera at the moment.

. I think Rattler is fine and does not live up to the "non-exciting, poorly-built RCCA Standard".

SF Fiesta Texas officials seem to disagree with you.

I know a few of you were fighting over how this move of SOB being removed stinks or others have said good riddance. For those who liked this ride, don't worry I'm sure Cedar Fair/Kings Island will build something just as great in it's spot. I would still love to see Gravity Group, GCI(not sure what that stands for), and or Intamin come in and build a good wooden roller coaster. Maybe Kings Island can institute the loop on a wooden roller coaster again.

If they implimented a look it would no longer be concidered a Wooden Loop since the only way to support a loop is a steel frame.

Rattler's also been very extensively modified since its opening in 1992--even beyond the first drop modifications. Compare an original POV:



...to the ride as it stands today yesterday:



I'd say the ride very much lived to the "poorly built RCCA standard." It just received modifications to make it do so significantly less.

I think itd be a lot cooler if we were to get a wooden coaster with a CORKSCREW!!! That would be pretty insane! I can see it now, coming over a hill and being thrown back down and into a corkscrew. Would that be possible?

I think the last thing KI wants is another inverting wooden coaster. Some things just aren't meant to be.

I have ridden SOB many times and was always a fan, more so with the loop, but after all the issues the writing has been on the wall for a long time. Surprised it took this long honestly.

For the people sad to see SoB go because it's a ride they loved, look at it this way. I LOVE Vortex. It's my favorite ride at any amusement park anywhere, except for Beast at night. But if Vortex were injuring people frequently enough that Kings Island was getting sued about it over and over again and they announced that it was being removed, I'd have to side with their decision to take it out, because I want Kings Island to stay around forever. And if they continuously get sued over one ride, that will significantly harm their finances. I would never let my love for one ride lead to my favorite place in the world going away. But then again, as much as I love Vortex, the combination of all the other rides in the park is more important to me than Vortex itself (though admittedly, if they took out Beast, I wouldn't be so sure about that). Basically what I'm saying is, unless Son of Beast was literally the ONLY thing you liked about Kings Island, you should be understanding of their decision and happy that they are making a decision that will hopefully help them stay around to see their 50 year anniversary, then 60, 70, 80, and on.

A. Rattler was the cause of a multitude of lawsuits against the park in its early years. It didn't help that the park at the time was co-owned by two insurance companies.

B. Yes, Son of Beast's loop had steel supports. It was still considered wood, not unlike Voyage, the Coney Island Cyclone, etc.

Rattler doesn't sound like a terrible coaster. I haven't heard any incidents like I have Son of Beast, but it could have had maybe one minor incident or something of the like. I think Rattler is fine and does not live up to the "non-exciting, poorly-built RCCA Standard".

I thought Rattler was far worse than SoB. The bottom of the first drop was painfully bouncy. There were many spots where the train was jack hammering and shaking. Rattler is (was) most definitely not fine.

And, as currently modified, perhaps the best thing that can be said for Rattler is that it is boring, terribly so, actually.

Oh, wow...I have discovered something that may disturb some of you. It's a coaster in Spain at Parque Warner Madrid, a wooden one...designed by Werner Stengel...built by RCCA...prepare for it...

IT IS Son of Beast JUNIOR!!!

Actually, this is Coaster Express...but the similarity to the soon-to-be-demolished Son of Beast is eerie. It has a layout devoid of major airtime, and 2 large helixes make up over 75% of the ride- similar to Son of Beast! Only differences: Son of Beast opened 2 years earlier, is 98 feet taller, is 28.6mph faster, and this ride has Intamin trains (yes, the same trains El Toro @ SFGadv uses)...Son of Beast has had 2 sets of trains, but neither were built by Intamin...this ride also, apparently, stinks as it ranked 163rd out of 164 wooden coasters in Mitch Hawker's wood coaster poll!

Strange, but true. Who would have thought another ride so similar to SOB would exist, built AFTER SOB's epic failures?

Just watch this video - same jackhammer stuff as Sonny. (almost deja vu) And it doesn't matter which of the many videos of this ride on YouTube you watch - they're all the same! RCCA strikes again!

I think itd be a lot cooler if we were to get a wooden coaster with a CORKSCREW!!! That would be pretty insane! I can see it now, coming over a hill and being thrown back down and into a corkscrew. Would that be possible?

Well then next year should be your year. Look in to the rumors for Outlaw at Silver Dollar City. Not only is their an "outside banked turn" (already completed) that really looks completely inverted IMO, there is rumored to be a "double barrel roll" (close enough to a corkscrew) at the end of the ride. This is all based on accidentally leaked info on Silver Dollar City's website, which has since been removed. The announcement is on Thursday.

Just wondering, does the RCCA even exist anymore?

Nope, it closed a few years ago I think. Son of Beast really ran it out of business.

A. Rattler was the cause of a multitude of lawsuits against the park in its early years. It didn't help that the park at the time was co-owned by two insurance companies.

B. Yes, Son of Beast's loop had steel supports. It was still considered wood, not unlike Voyage, the Coney Island Cyclone, etc.

Wait, was Son of Beast's loop made of wooden track with steel supports or steel track with steel supports?

Wood track..steel supports.

Yep Son of Beast's Tack was all wooden, so yes it truely was a wooden coaster with a wooden loop. And true story, the loop was the smoothest part of the entire ride.

Even more baffeling is the fact that there is another woody out there that also runs the Premiere wooden coaster trains.