I was supposed to be on the road to Columbus today in preparation for covering Friday's USA-Mexico World Cup Qualifier, but I received a call from the owner of Castaway Cove asking if I would be able to come ride the GaleForce to check out the modifications they made since I was last at the park earlier this summer. So I pushed back the trip to Ohio until tomorrow and headed for the Jersey Shore.
I arrived early since rain was forecast from mid-morning through the evening and the first thing I noticed was that the Wild Waves track was finally completed.
Upon entering the park I also noticed the station paneling that was being added.
After entering the station I was greeted by Toby, S&S General Manager and senior track specialist. We spent about 30 minutes talking about the various issues they were having with the prototype that delayed the opening. There were numerous minor track issues that had to be fixed and one that couldn't be corrected through the various techniques he specializes in without damaging the track. Imperfections in the 30 foot piece of track that leads back into the station meant it was slightly off and the car wasn't lining up properly with the dual launch stators. So they're replacing that section of track and it's currently being manufactured at the plant in Italy.
After sending the car around a couple of times, he asked if I was ready to give it a go - understanding that the last bit of track wouldn't be smooth due to the notches he had made in four locations to get it to line up correctly.
I took two rides, one in the front right and one in the front left seat, so that I could see the difference between the two.
When the car first leaves the station and then rolls back through and halfway up the rear section of track, it feels just like a Premier Sky Rocket II. However, when it comes back trough the station for that third launch it's much more forceful. The dual stators really kick and it feels like the car accelerates more like a hydraulic launch than a LSM. I would say that the car hits 60+ mph in less than three seconds!
Before you know it you're 125 feet up and twisting up onto the tophat, which at first feels very much like the one on Kingda Ka or Top Thrill Dragster as you get a chance to view most of Ocean City, the inlet and the far Jersey shoreline.
But before you can look around, BAM! you're dropping. And although the drop is beyond vertical, it doesn't feel like other ones I've experienced on El Locos, EuroFighters, Fahrenheit, Maverick, etc. I don't know quite how to explain it, but on all those you can really feel the car/train as it crests the top and heads into the beyond vertical position. On this one it feels more like a freefall drop tower (for lack of a better example) and I mean that in a good way.
It's like... oh look, pretty.. Wham! You're racing toward the ground!
I do mean racing. By the time the car starts to pull out of the dive it's once again hitting 60+ mph!
Now comes the strange bit. there's this unique element at the top of the second tophat that I still can't quite get my head around. It reminds me of a Norwegian Loop, but it feels different as you twist out, up, sideways and up again as you drop down.
Both times I rode I was so mesmerized by the element I failed to look up at the view of the boardwalk and beach. It's like "What the heck is this?" as you stare down at the track twisting ahead of you and disappearing under the car.
Once again the car zooms back up to speed down and up into a dive loop. Without loosing much speed it's down into another (smaller) valley and into another dive loop which leads over the piece of track that needs to be replaced into the station, where the car comes to a quick halt.
Why S&S call this a launched El Loco is beyond me. It's nothing like an El Loco, launch or not.
What it is I can't tell you exactly, because it certainly isn't a Sky Rocket III either. What I can tell you is that it's got a fantastic launch, a great drop and pacing, as well as a fun element that is best experienced in the left seat - even though I think I enjoyed the ride overall better in the right one. Yeah, I know. That doesn't really make sense, but I need to ride it more to be sure. And it is very re-rideable, but unfortunately they don't want to run it more due the damaged section of track, so that will have to wait until it's replaced.
I should also mention that there's a slight pop of airtime on the first tophat just before the car drops and I didn't feel any hangtime during the ride. The restraints and seats are also very comfy. You don't really even notice the restraints TBH.
Obviously the ride was much too fast the last time I was here and filmed the POV. So fast that you really couldn't feel anything I just described and you came off the coaster feeling a bit ill. Now they have it dialed in perfectly, even though the park owner is concerned that it still might be a bit too fast for younger family members that might want to ride. I told him that wasn't the case and hopefully they have it running as is when it opens next spring.
I also inquired about Wild Waves (the E&F Miler family coaster surrounding GaleForce) and was told that the train was just put on the track yesterday. Testing should begin any day now.
Feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
Thanks for reading.
