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 Review of Pippen/Thunderbolt @ Kennywood
3 Rating Posted by: tauren_man on 5/19/2007 4:07:00 PM
My first review of this ride was way too harsh, so when I went to Kennywood last Friday, I rode this one with an open mind. Sure enough, I was pleasantly surprised at some of mildly exciting drops. Then, I was unpleasantly surprised by being thrown against the side of the car, a problem that most definitely (despite popular belief) could have been fixed through banking that particular section. All in all, though, this rides roughness is nothing when compared to Wildcat and Steel Phantom, so its a must-ride at a historic park. Unfortunately, I could only raise its rating by one.

T-Bolt may lack in the speed and adrenaline that Phantoms Revenge and Jack Rabbit provide, but it is still a wooden rollercoaster from the past loaded with personality. Dont miss out on this one.
 

Review Comments

fergusonat on 5/19/2007 7:47:53 PM said:
You are crazy...Thunderbolt provides a heck of a lot more "out of control" feeling than Lightning Racer! Banked turns would do only one thing to T-bolt ---- make it boring as hell. Half-assed wooden coasters? You need to be shot! Kennywood has one of the most excellent collections of classic woodies in the US, let alone the world! I guess what Im getting at is...this review displays a level of ignorance that is all too common these days.
RCGenius on 5/19/2007 8:22:24 PM said:
Thunderbolts an amazing classic woody & to say that its not as out of control as Lightning Racers flat out dumb. I mean this is coming from a guy whose favorite wooden coaster hes been ons Lightning Racer. At least Thunderbolt has a lot more airtime than LR & the finale drops beyond amazing. People really need to come to appreciate classic wooden coasters because not all of them were made to be record breakers. Without woodies from the past, engineers of today wouldnt know how to revolutionize the past rides into slightly modernized wooden twisters of today. Kennywoods my favorite park in PA & Ive been to all the four major PA parks. They definitely have one of the best wooden coaster lineups in the world & Phantoms Revenges crazy fun.
fergusonat on 5/20/2007 12:10:31 AM said:
Lightning Racer is comfortable, fun, enjoyable......but tame. Period. Right from the start, Thunderbolt means business. Any ride with lateral gs so powerful that no single-riders are allowed is anything but "half-assed" or not "out of control" enough. Whatever, were not going to change his opinion, but to condemn Kennywoods unique, professional, and pain-staking preservation of these fantastic wooden coasters is absolute madness. It angers me that Thunderbolts rating continues to drop due to new-aged coaster riders who value overly-smoothed banked turns and tangled twister layouts over ingeniuously designed epic works of wooden bliss.
Got_it on 5/20/2007 7:35:23 PM said:
^Amen.
fergusonat on 5/21/2007 10:41:50 PM said:
Thanks...I always jump at the chance of defending Picksburghs amazing hometown park, nat!
tauren_man on 5/23/2007 8:26:40 PM said:
I suppose your right, but Ive ridden it so often that none of Kennywoods rollercoasters are fun anymore. Whenever I ride them, I never feel adrenaline. Ever. If I rode LR every year, twice or so, then Id probably have lower ratings for that. I like speed though, and though well thought out, Thunderbolt just does not fulfill my "need for speed"

EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot to mention, the lift hill in the middle is a little anti-climactic.
thare on 5/23/2007 8:34:55 PM said:
The Thunderbolt is an amazing coaster. To say that it is not thrilling or "out of control" is outrageous! Thunderbolt is an American classic. This ride will never get old! The T-Bolt made things the way they are today. Kennywood will always have one of the best collections of wooden coasters. The Thunderbolt is pure greatness.
tauren_man on 5/23/2007 8:38:29 PM said:
Ride Wildcat, then ride this. Theres a difference.

Maybe if your an adult, or a youngster trying to ride bigger rollercoasters, then this one is perfect. It is rideable by all ages. I just cannot see it getting more than a 6, because I am at the heights of adolescence, and require something more adrenaline-pumping, which the Thunderbolt, sadly, is not.

The Jack Rabbit is though. That, Gold Rusher, Log, and Phantom are my main reasons for going to Kennywood.
thare on 5/23/2007 8:46:14 PM said:
I understand and I respect your opinion. I like how you back up your opinion with facts.
tauren_man on 5/23/2007 8:48:15 PM said:
Thats good to know. I guess well just have to agree to disagree on this one. Oh yeah: To fergusonat: I dont condemn Kennywoods rollercoasters, just voicing my opinion on this particular rollercoaster, which does not necessarily stand out. Look at the top of the review. Its my #8 ride. And I wouldnt call slamming into the side of the car "wooden bliss" or whatever. Different people like different things, I guess. And to RCGenius: I take it offensively that you think that LR is my favorite Woodie: Big Dipper at BP Pleasure Beach is, but British coasters not on this site I just like LR more than thunderbolt.
thare on 5/23/2007 8:49:45 PM said:
Yeah, thats a good idea.
PhantomNik on 5/24/2007 12:55:11 PM said:
Tauren_man, I respect your well thought-out opinions on the Thunderbolt, even though I disagree with them. Youre providing sound discussions, which is a welcome thing on this site. I for one love the Thunderbolt, but if high speed adrenaline is your thing, then I can see where T-Bolt might fall short for you. I do have to say though that your phrase that Kennywood has "half-assed" wooden coasters is a bit ridiculous. You have to remember that these were designed back in the 20s (Racer & JR) and the 70s (T-Bolt), when much of the high speed craziness found in some of todays coaster designs was just not possible. I dont think that by any means detracts from the quality of the coasters themselves.


And Im with ya, fergusonat - I too am a "yinzer", and I always like to defend the wonderful home park of us Picksburghers!

Got_it on 5/24/2007 2:46:20 PM said:
^^^^ Hahahahaha, the Gold Rusher is adrenaline-pumping?
hrrytraver on 5/24/2007 6:15:16 PM said:
a lot of the whole "king of coasters" stuff comes from the late seventies, when robert cartmell, author of the "incredible scream machine", composed a "top ten coasters" list for the new york times - placing t-bolt as numero UNO! at that time "coaster enthusiasm" was in its infancy and ACE, with its serious bend on preservation, was just ramping up. cartmell, being a serious historian, was no doubt partial to the meticulous (hardly half-assed) upkeep of the thunderbolt and its unique design and legacy. also keep in mind that at that time few steelies could compare in ride quality to the great wood of the era - perhaps only the permanent schwarkopfs had the speed and length of say, the KI racer, the beast, paragon parks giant coaster or john allens mr. twister. imo, the NYT article started a mythology that got a little out of control. i know that during my childhood, t-bolt was a fantasy coaster for me becuase i had read so much about the ride in hollowed terms. putting all hype aside, it is a great ride and is unlike anything else out there. if you are like me, you love the way the older rides feel and youll be in heaven with the idosyncratic quality of this coaster and its ultra-rare NAD trains. if you think the ride is too mild, give it the appropriate score for your taste...but dont be haten. it is what it is...a classic that runs as good today as it has any day of its long life. ilove this coaster.
RCGenius on 5/24/2007 8:11:58 PM said:
This is to tauren_mans last comment - I meant to say that Im the guy who likes Lightning Racer the best, not you. I was just talking about myself in third person. Ever heard of that?
metssuck on 5/24/2007 8:23:21 PM said:
ill take both sides on this argument. i agree with most of you that tauren man needs to respect kennywoods wooden coaster collection since they are all ancient and helped pave the way for the coasters of today. but i agree with tauren man about them not doing anything for me anymore to cause i live by kennywood and usually go there a few times every year so just about all the rides are getting boring. on days with short lines i can be ready to go in 2 hours.
Got_it on 5/24/2007 9:53:18 PM said:
I feel that way about Boulder Dash, which is 2 mins from my house, but just because I am bored of a ride, doesnt make it any less of a great coaster.
fergusonat on 5/24/2007 11:17:52 PM said:
"Bored" of a ride...sounds like you guys need to re-evaluate your passion for roller coasters...
tauren_man on 5/25/2007 9:04:36 PM said:
Ok yinz. Seeing how controversial my review was, I think that I might try to view it with a more open mind and see if I can re-review it later. Im gonna go to Kennywood again in another month, and Ill try to be a bit easier on the poor ride. I too, am a yinzer, so I should indeed appreciate the historic value of the T-Bolt, just as I do for the Gold Rusher. BTW, thats not addrenaline-pumping as some smart-ass said farther up; thats not what I expect of a darkride. I expect it to be dark. So goldrusher owns. And come to think of it, the only really weak part is the anti-bank double curve-drop thingie. Other than that, Its a brilliant ride. Man, at this point, I wish I could delete my review...
fergusonat on 5/25/2007 11:12:08 PM said:
I just dont understand...what would banking do to enhance the ride? What thrill-factor does banking have over zero-banking? Those intense lateral-gs are one of the highlights of the ride for me and definitely make the ride extremely unique. T-bolt wouldnt be half as cool to me if it had Lightning Racer-esque banking after its drop. Im not saying you should re-review Thunderbolt...if this is your opinion, thats fine, you shouldnt change it. I mean, this is what this site is about --- discussing reviews and debating over them. I am glad that a review has gotten a rise out of people, because it seems like this site has been somewhat quiet lately...and I am in no way trying to be mean or anything. Im originally from Pittsburgh, so I definitely wouldnt try to stir up a fight with a fellow yinzer
tauren_man on 5/26/2007 9:50:53 PM said:
Now look here sir, I am re-reviewing this ride whether you like it or not! One calendar year is far too long to be making judgement on a rollercoaster. I dont think its my opinion that will change, just my memory! BTW, the only reason I bring up banked curves is because it could go faster if banked curves were included. And one last thing: my "kennywood has half-assed woodens" comment was totally untrue, childish, and uncalled for.
metssuck on 5/26/2007 10:46:32 PM said:
fergusonat i still think they are fun dont get me wrong but i dont find them as fun as they used to be because i have rode them so many times and by the way i like your bgescape website and busch gardens europe is one of my favorite parks and those coasters never get boring.
fergusonat on 5/27/2007 12:27:08 AM said:
^Thanks haha. I dunno...banked turns are fine, and they are good for twister layouts. But Thunderbolt isnt a twister...therefore banked turns would seem out of place I would say. The ride really doesnt need any more speed either. It still hauls through the remainder of the course, if you ask me...they even punch in some light skid brakes before reentering the ravine
tauren_man on 5/27/2007 5:21:53 PM said:
Ok, thats why I need to re-review this. In the meantime, is there someway I can delete this?
fergusonat on 5/27/2007 10:08:55 PM said:
Actually, you can go to the bottom of the Thunderbolt page and just rewrite it. Youll see your current review in the little white text box, and you can change the number and re-type your review. But again, dont let us pressure you into changing your review haha
tauren_man on 5/28/2007 11:22:51 AM said:
Too late, Im pressured... But the problem with just rewriting is that all these comments will still be here. Ill just make it clear in my 2nd review that it is edit. Oh yeah, did someone give me a bad review just because I dissed the T-Bolt?
thare on 5/28/2007 9:34:50 PM said:
If you cant fully remember a ride then dont review it. I rode rides and I cant remember some of the details, so I didnt review them.
tauren_man on 6/1/2007 9:47:28 PM said:
Ya know, based on some of your reviews, that would not have been my guess. You really need to stop jumping down peoples throats on this site, man. You clearly dont like me, due to the fact that I always seem to be the target of your passive-aggresiveness. I screwed up. Big deal. I plan to fix my mistake. I have showed remorse to the fact that I messed up. End of story.
tauren_man on 7/4/2007 6:41:19 PM said:
Sorry for the double-post, but just letting you know that my new review is up, in case you havent noticed.
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