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Shockwave @ SFGAm


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I was pretty upset that they took it out, but I also understand why. I liked it, but could only ride it a couple times before it brought on the headache. SUF is definitely a better choice for the park in my opinion, but I still miss the Shockwave. Easily one of the best drops I've experienced.

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Shockwave was awesome for a few years. If you rode the last couple, you came off with a splitting headache. It just had gotten way too rough. There were a few times I got off and saw stars it had gotten so bad.

 

Do I miss it, yes. But the early years when in ran nice and smooth. SUF is a decent replacement. SFGAm at least has a lot of variety in their coasters, which makes it a nice park to go too.

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I really enjoyed it, I have been on all the big SF/Arrow 7 loopers and Shockwave was easily the best IMO. Very intense, Heavy G loops, trimmed much less that the others (SW actually had no trim after the first loop, but the lift was slowed at the top) IMO it is a much better ride than the SUF's. That parking lot is huge they could have put SUF in another part of the lot.

 

JEFF

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^ No. The parking lot WAS huge. Now as of 2005, 13 acres of that once huge lot is a water park. If SUF had gone somewhere else in the lot, we'd be facing a serious parking problem. Although Hurricane Harbor wasn't built until 2005, I would imagine end of 2002 they were atleast thinking about the water park.

 

That said, I'm glad something happened to make Shock Wave come out instead of Whizzer. I really liked Shock Wave. If you rode in the back row, there was no head banging at all and the drop was awesome. But with Shock Wave gone, we still have Demon which is close enough. Whizzer is the last of its kind in North America. Also it caters to families with a top speed of only 42 mph and 36" height requirement.

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I was lucky enough to have gotten a completely smooth ride on Shockwave. As SFGAm Shock Wave said, the back row was completely smooth on Shockwave.

 

It was a great ride. Intense, crazy, smooth, and fun. The only bad part of the ride was the mid-course brake that was poorly designed. I am sad that it had to leave, but I still appreciate the fact that Superman replaced Shockwave and not Whizzer. Whizzer is a timeless classic and the only one of its kind left in the nation. There are many Arrow multiloopers still out there.

 

I miss Shockwave, but Superman is quite fun and a much better match for the park. If only Whizzer, Shockwave, and Superman could have all co-existed in the park...

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This is such a dumb argument...

 

Shockwave and GASM are the most similar. In fact, they are nearly identical expect for the fact that GASM is a tad taller and has trims after the first loop.

 

Viper is the 'refined' design of Shockwave/GASM. There are actually quite a few differences, although it is somewhat similar.

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Is it just me, or are Viper and Shockwave not clones. The turn inbetween the loops on Viper is longer than the one of Shockwave. Is GASM a clone of either Shockwave or Viper?

 

Gasm is a clone of Shockwave. Viper was a version of Shockwave but made slightly different. The turn after the first loop on Shockwave goes over the station or lift hill but Viper's doesn't.

 

Hope that cleared it up for you.

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Is it just me, or are Viper and Shockwave not clones. The turn inbetween the loops on Viper is longer than the one of Shockwave. Is GASM a clone of either Shockwave or Viper?

 

ShockWave and Great American Scream Machine are clones, with Scream Machine being just a tad bit taller and faster. Viper, though it shares the same order of inversions, has a completely different layout. The first drop is much steeper than its predecessors, and despite being much larger and faster than ShockWave and Scream Machine, Viper's footprint is not as spread out.

 

Here's a visual comparison of all three:

 

ShockWave (1988)

 

The Great American Scream Machine (1989)

Viper (1990)

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Hi guys. Its me again. Within the next few days I'm going to find a lot of info on the Shockwave.

 

Then I will try to tell you guys the story of its life. I'll try to get some new pics. I might not post it until Sunday the 26th.

 

Hope you can be here to read it.

 

Try not to disappoint you.

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I can't believe that I got all of this stuff in one day. Well here we go.

 

Shockwave was originally built in 1988. It remained at Six Flags Great America for 14 years before being dismantled to make room for Superman Ultimate Flight.

 

Through Shockwave's lifetime, the roller coaster suffered some injuries. Due to the speed going into the first vertical loop, the track fractured and needed constant attention in order for it to run smoothly and more importantly safely. Plus the wheels on the trains wore out pretty quickly and needed maintenance and would shut down during the day and be closed for twenty minute periods. The wheels were expensive too. THese reasons are probably the reason why it led to its destruction.

 

Let me take you back time when the Shockwave was still around and running.

 

THe year is 1988 and Shockwave just shattered the record book. It claimed the records of being the fastest and tallest roller coaster in the world. Shockwave also claimed the roller coaster with the most inversions. Thats seven.Ohhhhh Yaaaaaaa!!!!

 

However these records didn't last long. The very next year, Great American Scream Machine opened with an exact copied layout but three feet taller and 3 mph faster. Then the very next year Viper opened at SFMM and stole those records away.

 

After the Shockwave's removal, it sat in a field for two years waiting for another park to buy it.When the park failed to sell Shockwave, the coaster sentanced to death at the scrapyard in Zion, IL. The red train was sent to SFGAdv for spare parts for GASM. The yellow and blue trains were sent to SFMM to be used as spare parts for Viper. The sign was donated to an ACE's Museum. Several bolts were auctioned off at a coaster convention. The lift motor was installed at the Demon. Other various parts still exist in the park during Fright Fest.

 

R.I.P Shockwave.

shockwave29.jpg.adf294804aa450f5d078d18c702da234.jpg

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