Until my visit to Seabreeze, I had been yet to ride a Mauer Sohne spinning coaster. Previously, I had sampled Six Flags New England’s Pandemonium, a Gerstaluer model, and Disney’s Primeval Whirl, a pair of Reverchon models. Due to being an avid fan of both spinning rides and roller coasters, I was incredibly eager to try Whirlwind since I had always heard that the Mauer Sohne models were the best spinning coasters. I can safely say that this statement has some merit since Whirlwind is not only the best of spinning coasters I’ve been on, but it also is one of the most enjoyable roller coasters I’ve ever been on.
Replacing the park’s Quantum Loop, Whirlwind sits in the west most portion of the park. Sporting a royal blue and mustard yellow paint scheme, the Whirlwind definitely stands out. Personally, I was not a fan of the mustard yellow color, but despite this, the freshness of the paint scheme definitely made the ride look good. Additionally, all of the cars sported a sleek sky blue paint job, which contrasted perfectly with the royal blue track if you ask me.
As for capacity, Whirlwind did not disappoint. While each car only seats four riders, the operators really loaded the cars and dispatched them at an incredibly fast rate, as the operators would seemingly check the restraints in unison each time. Ultimately, I probably waited about 10-15 minutes each ride, which is well worth it for the park’s best attraction if you ask me. When one boards the vehicle, one has a choice to ride forwards or backwards. For reasons I will describe in a little bit, I would personally select the backwards side as often as possible since it provides a much more thrilling experience.
The ride begins with an incredibly swift lift hill. After cresting the lift, great views of Irondequoit Bay and Lake Ontario. But before I got lost in the views came my favorite part of the ride, the first drop. A steep, curved plunge, the first drop provided an extreme rush riding backwards since I would be anticipating the plunge, and each time it would catch me by surprise. Additionally, it provided an amazing stomach-dropping sensation. Riding forwards, the drop is still very thrilling thanks to the steepness of it and the speed attained at the bottom. Don’t be fooled by the ride only being 50 feet tall, as this drop is arguably one of the best I’ve experienced on any attraction.
Following that, Whirlwind zips up a curved hill and then the cars unlock and the spinning begins. Then the car navigates two quick hairpin turns that allow for the spinning to really pick up. Following that is a zippy, curved plunge and a unique horseshoe element. In this brief element, the car literally is perpendicular to the ground, as some riders are staring straight at the ground while the other two are staring straight up into the sky. Personally, this is a really unique element that I had not experienced before and thanks to the spinning, the position while at 90 degrees was different each time.
Then following a quick brake run is another quick drop and then a section of trick track. Having never before experienced trick track, I was really impressed by the rapid changes in direction. Plus, with the vehicle’s spinning, which rivaled that of a tilt-a-whirl by this point, the element was even more disorienting. Following that comes an incredibly disorienting downward and tight helix. Finally, there was yet another brake run, and following a series of small drops, the cars made it to the final brake run.
Overall, Whirlwind is not only my favorite attraction at Seabreeze, but it is also one of my favorite roller coasters anywhere. With a thrilling drop, sensational spinning, and several unique elements (highlighted by the horsehoe), the park has a real winner on their hands. Personally, I am shocked that more parks have not added these Mauer Sohne spinning coasters since they have an incredibly small footprint and jam tons of thrills into that footprint. Finally, while the ride definitely spins a ton, the spinning did not seem to bother my father, which says a lot since he refuses to ride tilt-a-whirls or tea cups anymore. Unless one is not a fan of roller coasters, this simply can not be missed in a visit to Seabreeze.
Times Ridden: 8
Favorite Seat: N/A
Best Part: First Drop
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