Kennywood (KW) Discussion Thread

I LOVE Kennywood, and am stoked to see them adding a coaster of this size, and caliber! I've been wanting to take my kids to KW for a couple years now, so it looks like 2019 will definitely be the year! However, the only shame is that I will not be able to add this credit to my count, nor this amazing looking coaster to my experience, because I cannot in good conscience ride anything that has anything to do with the loathsome Stealers! Too bad...

 

In all seriousness though, it makes a ton of sense for it to be tied in with that team, as the city truly does worship them! Hopefully it works out great for KW, as I really do love the park, and not even a giant coaster named after the 3rd worst team in football can change that!

 

Also, as one of the site's resident Drachen Fire lovers, let me just say I immediately noticed the similar lift hill/first inverted drop, and I heartily approve of somebody FINALLY copying that amazing element!

Oh my god, I don't even know what to think right now. On one hand, the ride looks awesome... on the other hand I feel like I have to hate it because it's a Pittsburgh Steelers ride.

 

I hear you! The only thing worse would be a Green Bay Packer coaster at Mount Olympus. At least it is not a Cleveland Browns coaster. That would probably stop on the lift hill 90% of the time or be SBNO within the first year.

Only thing I dont like about it is that me and my wife are going to Kennywood this year and I don't think we can fit it into our plans next year

As a resident Kennywood local, after digesting this huge announcement I thought I'd offer up some thoughts. I think this coaster looks absolutely fantastic!! What an awesome thing to have a design and layout that is about as far from "cookie cutter" as we could get. I really dig the flow between elements, and the inversions seem to be placed just right. Watching the stream yesterday, I was initially skeptical of the notion of going with a U.S. record 9 inversions, but I love that the first several are all towering elements that really look majestic! Props to Kennywood, as this was not at all what I was expecting!! It's outside the box, which kind of fits perfectly with what the park has done with many of its coasters.

 

That first drop, as others have mentioned, has a slight nod to Drachen Fire as well (which I sadly never got to ride), and I think that is great to see. It's so messed up and bonkers.....but in the BEST possible way!! It looks to have an excellent blend of some airtime, copious hangtime, and unique inversions/elements. Also, hearing Robb say that Ride Centerline is involved in the design makes me even more excited! I'm honestly still trying to wrap my head around this thing being 40 FEET TALLER than Skycoaster back there!!! When you sit back and think about it, I love how this rounds out the park's steel coaster collection - kiddie, spinning mouse, launcher (yeah, some people love to hate on Sky Rocket, but I think it is fantastic!), an airtime machine of a hyper, and now a hyper mega-looper!

 

I'm also thrilled to see a much more optimistic/less complaining environment here on the TPR boards (which doesn't surprise me at all, since this is the BEST theme park/coaster site on the web!)......my goodness, some of the comments in various places after the announcement were ridiculous with the overreactions and complaining!! I mean, I get that S&S might not have been some folks' "manufacturer of choice", but I'm cool with Kennywood taking a chance with them here and giving them a shot at something big and unique. Perhaps they are looking to really focus in on a marquee signature coaster here in the U.S., and this could be what puts them back on the map as a bigger player. If so, all the better for Kennywood! To some of the more seasoned TPR riders, how are their coasters in China? I'm curious, because those look to be pretty fantastic.

 

As for the Steelers theme? Yep, it's cheesy, I won't deny that......but I absolutely LOVE IT anyway!! It is so "yinzer" that it is perfect, and it ties in to some of the things that help define our city. The gold support structure reminds me a lot of the copious bridges that can be found throughout the city. The whole new themed area and Steelers partnership absolutely blew me away, as I was not expecting that AT ALL! I was merely focused on the announcing of a new coaster. If this comes together the way I truly think it will, it could be spectacular for the park!

 

Also, one last note about potential smoothness and the trains. I saw a blurb that certainly sounds exciting, claiming the trains were not announced/revealed because they will be debuting at the 2018 IAAPA trade show. The rumbling is that there will be no over-the-shoulder restraints. My goodness, if they pull off this insane layout with lap bar only trains??? Then my already amped up excitement will probably go off the charts!

 

Out of curiosity, were there any winners of the contest from here? Turns out I got 8 of the 9 numbers.....that dang 9 did me in, as I was between airtime and inversions, and obviously chose wrong, haha! This will be fun to watch this coaster develop over the remainder of the summer/fall/winter....definitely looking forward to 2019 and the debut of The Steel Curtain!!!

What a bizarre-looking ride! It really does look like something that was designed in No Limits!

 

Speaking of which, I do wonder how the industry uses such software as No Limits beyond previews and representing models? I wonder if engineers do use the software at all to work up initial ideas at all?

What a bizarre-looking ride! It really does look like something that was designed in No Limits!

 

Speaking of which, I do wonder how the industry uses such software as No Limits beyond previews and representing models? I wonder if engineers do use the software at all to work up initial ideas at all?

I'm of the opinion that No Limits was born out of that idea. Someone probably created it for the purpose of modeling a concept for the industry but then decided to profit from the hard work.

The only question I really ask myself when a new coaster is announced is: Do I want to go to, or return to, this park specifically to ride this. So, once this thing is built and the discussion is hey wanna go back to Kennywood? The response will be "O! I want to ride the Steelers ride." My first thought looking at the video was some of the yellow supports look like football uprights.

 

I think many sports fans will make a point of wearing their Steelers jerseys to the park and and non-Steelers fans will make a point of wearing other team jerseys. I think the theming is pretty smart and will be well done. When you consider the Steelers franchise is valued at $2.25 Billion it is pretty safe.

 

This is not "theming" the red and yellow Intimidator 305 to Dale "The Intimidator" Earnhardt's red and black #3 which drives me nuts.

Edited July 20, 2018 by MisterBrow

They should play NFL Films features on Steelers legends on that big screen. Speaking of places that need to theme to sports teams, how about a Volunteer-themed coaster that is orange at Dollywood?

 

I'm racking my brain trying to determine any local sports team tie-ins and can't recall any in American Professional sports. The Brooklyns Cyclones and Altoona Curve use their local coasters in their logo.

 

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The Blue Streak at Cedar Point is named after the Sandusky High School Blue Streaks. Obviously not professional but that’s the only other sports tie in I can think of.

 

 

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Oh my god, I don't even know what to think right now. On one hand, the ride looks awesome... on the other hand I feel like I have to hate it because it's a Pittsburgh Steelers ride.

 

I hear you! The only thing worse would be a Green Bay Packer coaster at Mount Olympus. At least it is not a Cleveland Browns coaster. That would probably stop on the lift hill 90% of the time or be SBNO within the first year.

 

 

Wouldn't it make more sense to put the Packers coaster at Bay Beach Amusement Park? I mean, it is in Green Bay.

Wow this ride kind of looks like it was a kid's dream made in NoLimits but in a good way, with all its amazing stats and very unique support structure.

Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Now you're just being ridiculous.

 

... Dorney's never getting a new coaster

 

Ehhh, maybe. We still don't know what's happening to Lakemont's old Chance Toboggan.

 

 

Could always happen for Dorney. They do have a track record #badgeofhonor #neverforget

Poor Dorney, a fun lil park that provided many good times for me and the additions of the 2000s were good.

Sad to think I haven't been there in 10 years, and sadder that literally nothing has been added in that entire time

 

Oh, I was so distracted by the video never thought to check stats. 220 ft and 75 mph, 9 inversions?

Hell to the yes.

Btw after rewatching, what on Earth is that first drop!? I love this.

Btw after rewatching, what on Earth is that first drop!? I love this.

 

It gets more insane the more I look at it!

They should play NFL Films features on Steelers legends on that big screen.

 

I would not expect that to happen. NFL rights fees for video are exorbitant and the NFL is extremely protective of their intellectual property.

 

Along those same lines I would not be surprised if the officially recognized Steelers logo never makes it into the Steeler Country area.

I would not be surprised if the final product used the second logo featuring the word Steel (referred to as the Steelmark logo) over the first logo which is the official NFL logo of the Steelers.

Edited July 21, 2018 by larrygator

The TPR 2019 Coaster Poll Results are going to be historic. For the for the first time the Steelers have a strong chance to finish ahead of the Raven and the Patriots in the same year.

 

You think that is historic? Wait until Cedar Point reveals their 2020 project which will be an area themed to the Cleveland Browns and will have a new coaster called The Dog Pound. Who am I kidding? You know that if Cedar Point or anywhere else for that matter was to open a coaster themed to the Cleveland Browns it would wind up going down as the worst coaster ever built for the simple reason it is the Cleveland Browns we are talking about.

 

And if someone thinks I am bashing them I am not. Being a fan of the University of Tennessee I can relate to what they are going through and feel sorry for them. Haslam is a big donor at UT and has pretty much called the shots for years. Every coach that Haslam has been behind hiring at UT has been a disaster. At least since UT is a public university, fans were able to have a coup back in December. Yeah they took a beating from the media, but at least Haslam finally got put in his place.

They should play NFL Films features on Steelers legends on that big screen.

 

I would not expect that to happen. NFL rights fees for video are exorbitant and the NFL is extremely protective of their intellectual property.

 

Along those same lines I would not be surprised if the officially recognized Steelers logo never makes it into the Steeler Country area.

 

It says right in the press release on the Steelers' website that there will be "scores and highlights on Steelers Country’s giant video screen." The full logo is used in almost every concept picture, as well as the script logo, which is trademarked just the same.

Ugliest coaster... no contest needed.

Edited July 23, 2018 by Duff

It is a funky structure for sure, but I'm sure we can all get over the look if it ends up being as fun to ride as it looks.

I have a stigma about Arrow track, it's just so - Arrow. On the bright side, if they end up re-tracking it...They could call it Curtain's Revenge.

Ugliest coaster... no contest needed.

It is kind of jarring, isn't it? It looks like the kind of structure used on heavily-themes rides where the structure is covered (like Space Mountain or something).

It's possible they were going for a more industrial steel look with the trusses to play into the theming a bit more, instead of being aesthetically pleasing. Maybe not at all, and that's just what S&S came up with to make it work, but Pittsburgh has a lot of bridges with a similar look, and Heinz Field also has a lot of the same features. Either way, I like its uniqueness.

Not to mention the uprights, which are usually yellow.

I keep wanting to call it Iron Curtain but then we would have to blame Russia for its design.

 

All kidding aside I might be the only one who is not really impressed with this ride and it's not because of the tie in with the Steelers (I could care less as I'm not a sports fan). I just think the layout could have been better than what appears to be just throwing a bunch of inversions together into a tight space just to break a record. That's something Six Flags would do.