3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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 5/8/2004 9:10:00 PM
I was dissapointed when Hershey decided to push back the opening date for Storm Runner, but when I heard that it would be operating on opening day, my dad and I decided we would head up.
Upon ariving at the gate after a 25 minute ride, we found a band playing music and DJ's from local radio stations getting the crowd excited. When the gates opened, everyone headed towards Storm Runner. The menace is visible from nearly everywhere in the park. While walking past the Claw, a test run resulted in a roll back. But within a few minutes it cleared the top hat. It barely made it over, and looked a little slow. Never-the-less, I was still excited.
We waited 20 minutes outside the entrance while those who won a contest were able to take the first public train. Any doubts of it being slow were quickly erased - with people in it, it easily went over the tophat. Finally, the entrance opened and we snaked through the queue (which is nicely shaded around the Trailblazer) and made it to the station. I decided to take a back seat.
After a two train wait, I quickly pulled the OSTR. There's plenty of room and they're very comfortable and don't obstruct from the view at all. The station is set up in the same way Lightning Racer is, and the track switches on each side so that they can enter the station and keep the line moving, very cool.
Finally, we dispatched and made our way onto the launch. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, there was a soft hiss and over the loudspeaker you heard, "Get ready to launch!" (or something like that) and within a second (well actually, two), you're traveling at 72 mph and heading straight for the tophat.
I've only ridden 3 coastes with launches (Volanco: The Blast Coaster, Batman and Robin: The Chiller, and Flight of Fear) but this launch out-does any of them. The forces on your body are incredible. The train is silent, until you reach the top of the top hat.
You creep over, and the screams of "Oh my God" come out. In the back, you don't recieve too much air. However, you get a brief look at Comet Hollow and before you know it, you're heading straight down. Incredible air in the back, and the OSTR's don't take away from it (unless you've been severely stapled in). Amazing! But it's not done yet - the next inversion is incredibly disorientating when you begin to come out of it and see Pioneer Frontier. There's a moment of hangtime and a fair amount of positive g's at the bottom. Within a flash, you're shot upward into the spiral. But, before that, there's a large doss of air. Then, it encounters the spiral which is also incredibly disorientating and has a huge amount of hangtime.
The flying snake dive is next, and it's unexpected. It happens so fast, it's hard to put it into words. Soon, you're twisting to the right sharply before going straight and recieving another doss of air before the brakes.
Storm Runner is in a class of it's own. It's intense, but not too intense, and has some serious moments of airtime and hangtime. I went on it two more times that day, each wait being about an hour (it was consistintly like that throughout the day) and you recieve even more airtime, except on the vertical drop. This is a must-ride coaster, you're given so much in such a short time. Definately not a dissapointment! It ran very, very smoothly with no breakdowns. Another winner for Hershey.
The park overall was running extremely well. There were mechanics all over Storm Runner in the morning, and secruity to make sure no one was jipping (and they caught a few people). There was only one train on each side of Lightning Racer and the ops were fairly slow, but there wasn't too much of a line. The ride was the same as always: smooth, bits of floater air, and a unique dueling aspect. A fun ride.
The cat is back - last year, the Wildcat seemed to be running horribly slow and well, smooth. One of the reason I loved it was because it tossed you around. I didn't get that, but this year I did! I
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MovieCoast
Posts: 1359
Registered: 1/1/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/8/2004 10:19:00 PM
Great TR!!! Storm Runner sounds truly amazing, and the one hour wait probably goes by really fast, and it seems worth it. Can't wait to ride it on June 7th!!!
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If life is a roller coaster, why can't it be an enjoyable one?
Coaster Count: 37
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/8/2004 11:04:00 PM
The line is constantly moving - the capacity is very high. The launch is the closest thing to sex I'll have for awhile. 
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/9/2004 10:30:00 AM
Well Im glad you liked it- because I'll be there on August 2nd. So is the back the best place to ride?
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I'm going to Hersheypark on August 2nd!!
Message updated 5/9/2004 10:34:00 AM by Swimace
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/9/2004 12:04:00 PM
I prefer the front, but if you want maximum air on the vertical drop, go for the back.
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/9/2004 4:02:00 PM
then it will be the back for me
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/9/2004 4:22:00 PM
But the cool thing about the front is the massive amount at the top of the tophat, and before ths spiral. So you're floating then suddenly being turned.
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sfo1
Posts: 5359
Registered: 7/22/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/9/2004 4:35:00 PM
Sounds like an excellent ride...and a great park. That comment about the launch was a good...comparison.
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/9/2004 4:46:00 PM
Check out some of the pictures I took:
http://img52.photobucket.com/albums/v160/ericgibble/
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/9/2004 9:08:00 PM
nice, although you should have taken a picture of the launch. I still think that the coaster looks akward, but that's Hershey for ya'
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/11/2004 6:21:00 PM
Akward, but unique. The regular inversion layout like Medusa is too predictable. This is something different and the reason I love it. 
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/11/2004 8:00:00 PM
There are two trains and the station is designed like a dueling/racing coaster.
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Akane-chan
Posts: 108
Registered: 9/15/2003
Rank: Bronze Critic
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5/11/2004 9:39:00 PM
I'm confused. So does that mean the ride is now open or not?
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MovieCoast
Posts: 1359
Registered: 1/1/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/11/2004 9:54:00 PM
WOW!!! Awesome pics!!!
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BaConBoy13
Posts: 102
Registered: 4/17/2004
Rank: Bronze Critic
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5/14/2004 5:32:00 PM
Quote:
I'm confused. So does that mean the ride is now open or not? |
yep
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Animan1
Posts: 5394
Registered: 5/14/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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5/15/2004 3:52:00 PM
Sounds like a great ride. Nice TR.
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BaConBoy13
Posts: 102
Registered: 4/17/2004
Rank: Bronze Critic
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5/15/2004 5:49:00 PM
It is. At first glance you'll think I've been on better but, once you expirence it wow
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