First of the so-called ".dive coasters". I'.ve been on - and it'.s really frickin'. good. Like everything at BGE, it looks terrific and is well integrated with the rides that surround it. This baby blue, floorless machine seats 30... in 3 rows of 10. odd, and not the oddest thing about it. When you reach the top of the first hill and are about to drop, there'.s a pregnant pause as the coaster leaves you hanging on the edge of the drop looking down. Straight down, over 200'. down (rivaling the hypercoasters in size). The pause is a stroke of genius, and definitely makes the front row optimal. you'.ll see over the edge from the back 2 rows, but not as scarily as from the front. Then it'.s the superb drop (you remain parallel to the ground, facing straight down for most of it), high speeds, a couple well-executed inversions, another face-down drop (smaller than #1, of course, but still cool) and on to the coaster'.s oddest feature. In fact, maybe the oddest of any coaster: towards the end you go over a small pool, close to the surface, spraying water off both sides. You yourself won'.t get wet - the water travels behind you in your wake - but it sure looks impressive when you watch others riding. The only small flaw in the Griffon is that it.s a tiny bit on the brief side. Still and all, it just might be the best of The 5 at BGE, no small feet.
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