Put this one off for a while, but Ill try my best to review it based on my two rides, six months ago. This ride really showed me how unique twisters are. When I think twister, I think GCI. After all, what young enthusiast wouldn’t with the way they’ve been popping out twisted wooden track lately? So, when I think wood twister, I think of banking and "fan curves," twisted drops, no straight track, no straight drops, maybe a few bunnies, etc. I think of smoothness and leg pain with Millennium Flyers, and bumpiness and body-pain with PTCs. This ride showed me that there are more to twisters than GCI-however it also showed me how "genius" GCI is. This is definitely a twister wooden, but this also has MUCH more of a logical, traditional layout compared to GCI MADNESS. I can not describe from memory any of the four GCI coasters Ive done to any stretch of the imagination. Even with a picture and an on ride POV, it would be hard. With Twister, your experience is less mind-boggling, but still "twisted" enough for any wood twister lover. After a turn around, there is a short lift-hill, followed by a few turns, and another lift hill about the same size. There are a few turns at about 100 feet in the air, before the train descends upon a large STRAIGHT drop. I am a big fan of straight first drops, and I really enjoyed this one compared to the banked sissyness (for lack of a better term!) of many GCI twisters. Theres a good headchopper at the bottom of the first big drop, followed by a second hill with a hint of airtime at the crest. Another turn-around, straight drop, and headchopper follows. After the second drop, the layout becomes a left-hand-turn of endlessness. Which is alright, there is certainly nothing wrong with left hand turns by nature I suppose. But this one was just so darn long. This is really how GCI twisters and THE Twister are so different. While GCI has all this banked madness and direction changes, the Twister proceeds in simply turning its riders in a counter-clockwise manner. The effect of this turn was alright for me. Nothing great, but okay. It was in between Millennium Flyer GCI and PTC GCI in terms of roughness, and had decent laterals, but not quite to Kennywoods Thunderbolt in terms of effective laterals. So, after the left-hand-turn-of-death, the Twister proceeds in turning its riders to the right for almost as long of an eternity. Again, decent effect, with some pseudo-airtime hops mixed in which really didnt do anything.
Overall, this ride is good. Not too rough, but definitely not too tame. Not an airtime monster, but some pops in the first half. Unique by the long turns and double lift hill. However, nothing really stood out to turn this coaster from good to great for me. Ah, well, Im probably too much of an airtime lover to give rides like this a chance. And in its defense, any ride will be heavily scrutinized sitting next to its ash-rising neighbor. But over all, I liked the ride, rode twice my first visit, and would ride again.
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