California Great America (CGA) Discussion Thread

It's wierd because the pictures above make Au13 look like it belongs on the periodic table. Gold is Au, but the 13th element is aluminium. I wonder if that means anything.

Au = Gold, 13 = 2013. I'm sure the whole design aspect of it is a play on the periodic table and chemicals.

Looks more like an isotope to me, though the notation is completely wrong. I guess you don't leave science to viral marketing experts.

I have a feeling that means they are either going through tpr or who ever comments the most on the CGA facebook. I mean its clear that they would like people who are more along the lines of general public but are still coaster knowledgeable that they can give an unbiased opinion.

What it looked like to me was that they were going to announce it on August 13 but CP's announcement stopped them and they had to reschedule it but already had the Au13 thing out on facebook.

What it looked like to me was that they were going to announce it on August 13 but CP's announcement stopped them and they had to reschedule it but already had the Au13 thing out on facebook.

To me it always looked like it was Au=gold and that it would be coming to us in 2013. But I could see the confusion as it looked like it would be told to us on August 13th. Robman invited me as his guest to the media event on the 29th, so glad I can go and I thank you again for inviting me.

To me it always looked like it was Au=gold and that it would be coming to us in 2013.

Agreed.

I've not gone to Great America since 1992 simply because they have never added anything that looks exciting or new. However, this coaster will bring me back and hopefully they will add more in the near future. Me personally, I'll like to see them take down Grizzliy and replace it with a multi launcher coaster. I know the Deamon is a favorite, but that's another coaster I don't mind being removed for another coaster.

Madvaz

^ Seeing as Grizzly and Demon still draw a decent crowd I can't see them being removed anytime soon. That's not what the park needs. Plus, putting a new coaster in it's place means lots of $$$$$ which is currently being spent on another project. Multi Launching coasters are expensive. (Manta being the cheapest one so far with a rumored price tag of 10-12 million to design and manufacture)

Maybe they'll build Rebel Rocket.

Remember the No Limits rendition of the GCI I posted yesterday, I mentioned about it being loosely based on the original 2008, and how I guessed at how the layout will fit in? Well, besides reading this thread all night I spent the evening working on the coaster. After a few Adobe Premiere hangups (did not like 1 of my AVI files crashing everything) I put this little clip together, was fun making this, still have some tweaks/smoothing to do. Enjoy!

Construction is just speeding along! I'm sure many locals are very excited to see a new coaster finally.

Well it does look like Club Blood is coming back this year, found this on the permit site. LINK

Yesterday was really fun! Had a great time hanging out with Angry_Gumball, JeffyJosephNorCal, robman, rolercstrluvr, and mewtwo007. The park was quite busy, with many lines spilling out into the midway by the afternoon, but there were many crazy moments that made up for that!

This was my first visit to the park since 2008, when I was once excited for the GCI when it was supposed to be opened in 2009. Then Prudential began to whine about noise, then the 49er's issue came about, then the near-sell to JMA Ventures...by 2011, I had lost my faith in the park and had no hope for the GCI at all. It wasn't until I saw the vertical construction pics of Au13 a few weeks back that I felt a need to visit the park again, and what better way to do that than with TPR members!

The day began as we headed over to the Star Tower to get some Au13 shots (we got on it later), but it was closed and deserted for the time being (Shiriki Utundu?). So we headed over to the SkyFlyer to drool at the Prudential turn, at which point I deeply regretted not bringing several towels with me. After a tunnel-vision inducing ride on Flight Deck, we went to take over Flying Eagles. We all flew high and dived as hard as we could, but to no avail...that is, until halfway through the cycle when *THUNK, shhhingshingshiiinnng*, and Angry_Gumball was snapping like crazy! He said it was his best Flying Eagles session yet, too bad we couldn't hit it up again due to its low capacity.

We gave Anton (Orbit) some love, and He did wonderful as always, raising us up to get our attention before pushing us back down HARD. And it was good...ohyesyesyes it was good. What's there not to love about Him? We then hit up Demon, and it ran quite well with no headbanging, just a little shaking around. I gave a quick prayer to Berserker, and then we headed over to Drop Tower to give Intamin some love. This ride on Drop Tower further confirmed to me that a 70' ARM/Larson I rode at San Mateo County Fair packed more of a punch...sometimes, size isn't everything! We then headed over to Down Under Thunder where Angry_Gumball and I got some crazy airtime going over the hump. Angry_Gumball went for a re-ride with mewtwo007, and they too got crazy airtime, but then something even crazier happened...you'll have to see my video to find out! We had our fill of lunch, gave Anton more love, rode Flight Deck again, and then the best part of the day was about to begin...

We met up with Ryan, one of the park staff (the other TPR members knew him, but I didn't), who led us into a backstage area for an extreme nerd moment. We all began to snap photos of Au13 from just outside the base of the drumstick, an unexpected and completely magical experience. A BIG thanks to Ryan for that special nerd session. I needed a cold shower after that moment, and what better way to clean myself than a Dan unfriendly clench-and-squish ride (5 people) on Logger's Run! While in line, we encountered a few line jumpers...YUCK! It wasn't a very pleasant experience, but we soon made it aboard. To say the least, that was quite an end to my day, and next time I'll sit in the back half for the true clench-and-squish experience.

To wrap this up, here are a few random photos I took, as well as the video that may be second to Robb's Twin Peaks wipeout video for overall craziness. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_doo988mS0

We'll start immediately with a NERD SHOT!

Gotta give old-school B&M some love!

More old-school B&M love.

Flight Deck doing it's thing.

"THROUGH THE TREES!!!"

Wait...are your sunglasses THAT valuable?!

The now complete drumstick from a backstage view.

I felt extremely dirty taking this photo. Now that I've posted it, I am going to have to take another cold shower.

NERDS!

To finish, we have the parrot that pees and lactates simultaneously.

I hope to get out to this park next year, as this coaster looks amazing

One question though......

Why do none of the coasters at this park have covers over the stations?.

Sweet, thanks for sharing, I'm laughing at as I'm waiting line for more waterslides... Currently at Waterworld Concord in line for some body slides

TR coming later!

One question though......

Why do none of the coasters at this park have covers over the stations?.

I ask myself that exact question every time I visit CGA. I guess they figured that they didn't need to invest in station covers because the weather isn't that bad in Northern California. All I know is that I love all of the stations at SFDK because they all have covers.

LOL! We've been discussing the lack of station covers forever at that park. I remember staring into the sun for 10+ minutes stacked every time you'd ride Stealth. It seems like something the park should really invest in.

Covering the station should be an automatic thing when it is being built, it just makes no sense that there are virtually none here.

^^I hear ya! The only one with a complete cover is Grizzly, while Demon is covered just on the queue side. But I totally agree, covers please!

Had a great time yesterday with the TPR group despite the first time going to the park on a Sat in a long time. The parking lot was completely full, All the rides had their lines spilling out of the entrance, even rides that don't have lines normally. As Blue Fire Guy said, had a little bit of a run in with those lovely line jumpers, oh the drama. Overall great day, reminded me of CGA's days in the 90s with full queues and crowds all the time.

Nice surprise when I got home, AU13 Media Announcement Invite in the mail, YAY!

Anyways, on to the pics!

Lot at 9:30AM

AU13 turnaround...

AU13 from Xtreme

Look over there, OMG, it's a.............roller coaster being built!

More drainage.....

Peeking out...

The Bobcat & the Woodie...

I see brackets!

Looking down...

Lot around 4PM

Wall shot...

Goofy pose!

Backstage tour!!

More..

Brackets everywhere!

Group shot!

Logger's Run line spilling out into the pier...

We still love B&M!

Beautiful Columbia entrance

Last ride on Star Tower...

Firefall nighttime...

Feel the heat...

Fireworks!

Thanks for a another great day CGA!

Nice surprise when I got home...

I know this is a longshot, but if anyone wants to bring me as their +1 to the AU13 media event, I would LOVE it. I don't have a season pass though, but am planning on purchasing one for next season.

Great TR Jeff! I feel that no amount of photos or videos will ever be able to do Au13 justice, it's just too sexy for words! For me, the 29th will only be just the beginning. Ohhhhh, I-I...c-can't wait t-to...r-ride it. It will be m-MARVELOUS, ohyesss it will...

...oh, excuse me, I need another shower.

Alrighty guys, I'm back with another CGA update, with a few surprises along the way! Sorry it's a bit late, I just got home from a full day at Waterworld Concord (TR coming for that too!). So let's get started! My inactive TPR member cousin and I met up with JeffyJosephNorcal and Robman, prior to just meeting up with Blue Fire Guy as well. Yesterday was AAA day, an event for AAA members so you can expect an extremely busy saturday! It was also "Bring a Friend" discount day in which I was able to get Blue Fire Guy in for $15 which seemed like a pretty decent deal. We were able to get in a few minutes early as the park was originally open just a bit before official opening time which was one of the many surprises to be had today (Thanks CGA!).

We hit up Flight Deck for the first ride of the day after marveling over that turnaround, possibly requiring some showering after seeing such standing up. Flight Deck was a walk-on (woo-hoo!) and then decided to have some Schwarzkopf fun and an insane session on the Flying Eagles ride (possibly my most intense, terrifying ride yet!). From there we headed back over to the Star Tower since that ride finally opened. Previously the ride was closed (no attendant at the tower, nobody blocking the line). We weren't aware as we started to go into the empty line and sure enough, the GP begin following like magnets! When we did get onto Star Tower, we had just met up with Rolercstrluver, increasing our group to 6 coaster nerds! Of course 4 of us bearing TPR shirts got the common question "Are you guys here to review the park?"

When we got over to Demon, the line was starting to build up but was bearable. By the time we got off, the line was spilling out of the entrance! It seemed that everybody and their brother was here yesterday. Deciding to perhaps check out Grizzly, we opted to skip on that due to certain reasons (slow loading, lack of shade, slow line). Instead we decided to ride Drop Tower which the wait was fairly short.

Starting to get warm we venture towards the Log Ride when we find it's down. Instead we decided to do some of the slides in Boomerang Bay since it was not too crowded yet. Since Blue Fire Guy hadn't ridden CGA's Boomerango, I decided to double up with him on the slide so we can have that amazing moment of airtime (in which the lifeguards at the bottom were impressed with our 'jump' over the hump. The second time around, my cousin and I did the Boomerango where we had a great moment of air over that hump, followed by a wipeout at the end. Fortunately one of the members of our party caught it on video; it should be up on Youtube soon!

Update:

From here we decided to grab lunch and watch some TPR POVs as one of the members of our party brought a tablet with them. We were all huddled around watching I305 and Leviathan as the GP looked at us strangely. They wouldn't understand anyway After lunch, we brave the line spilling out of the Flight Deck entrance. Fortunately, FD's line is never as bad as it looks and we were probably up there in about 20 minutes. After our ride, I receive a text to head towards the Au13 banner. Something amazing was about to happen for our group! We were able to go backstage after some special arrangements throughout the week, for another view of Au13 the GP would not be able to get!

From there we venture back to Logger's Run as it was finally open, with a huge line. We decide to get some drinks and get in line. About halfway through, 2 different guests attempt to do the "Excuse Me" routine. The first guest, I denied telling her that this is not going to happen, once they leave they have to go to the end, and she is cutting/line jumping. I'm then told that "This isn't cutting, its only me...I wait here long time too!" followed by "My kids were to afraid to ride!" Sure enough after denying her, she slips past. Unfortunately there were no employees nearby as much as I had just seen security just seconds before this happen. We decide to let it go as we're about to have an epic ride, a "Clench 'n Squish" ride on Logger's. Not even 5 minutes later another guest attempts the same thing, but to 'meet up with her kids' (which was really just her friend). After denying her, she shoves her way through. Other guests near us were shocked at the whole incident and were siding with us...a bit late however.

The rest of the day was spent riding more Star Tower (could not get enough of Au13) an hour wait for Flying Eagles (ouch! Made my ride well worth it though) and some of the other flats. Eventually it was just down to the 3 of us: my cousin, Jeff, and myself where we finished out the day riding Vortex, watching fireworks, and then decided that the last 10 minutes we'd get in line for Demon...as the parking lot would have been a mess anyway. We were one of the last people in line before they capped it off.

Picture time!

Something's peaking above the wall!

Bumper cars are closed for obvious reasons.

When heading back toward Star Tower, I was greeted by this view...we all stopped in awe! Such an amazing site to see, very surreal!

The crowds are pouring in!

The lot's filling up fast too! Fortunately we parked pretty close.

Ooooh! (several close moments of TPR members accidentally soiling themselves)

Looks like some strip footers are going to come in for the entrance turnaround, drumstick pad is ready for vertical construction!

Back down at ground level we get a little closer by normal means anyway.

That metal shed is now up!

You know it's going to be a busy day when various companies are here as well...Nintendo of America??

Lunch consisted of this!

And this!

The line for Flight Deck in the afternoon

Yay, coaster-huggers!

Aw...

Waiting at the Au13 banner for our surprise!

Assuming the position

Alright, here we go!

We've now entered backstage!

Some very happy coaster fanatics! Thank you CGA for doing such a kind thing for us!

A little sampling of the crowds to be had over at the park!

Metal shed anyone?

What we waited in for Logger's Run, before encountering line jumpers

Firefall decided to get stuck later in the afternoon. Someone should have done the honors and called up all the news outlets around here

Au13 at sunset

Evening getting chilly...time to stand in front of Firefall!

Yay, fireworks!

Finally, the last cycle on Demon! Note the deserted queue behind us

Good night CGA, you've been good to us today!

^Another great TR rolls in, and the onslaught of Au13 construction photos continues! Ohhhhh, this is WONDERFUL. Shower #3, commence! (In case you haven't noticed already, I easily soil myself looking at woodie construction and track work)

^Actually, it's pretty neat seeing the same visit from 3 different sets of eyes! I'm still laughing at the Down Under Thunder air...now that I'm home and watching it on the large screen. I couldn't help it share the video with some people today while in line at Waterworld. I think I'm gonna youtube rip it just so that I have a copy

Oh, I totally forgot to caption the photo of the miner in my TR...this will make up for it. I had this vision yesterday that the miner was really the "Coaster Man" and he was assuming the position of squatting, perhaps dumping his waffles...and perhaps inspecting one of his prized nuggets?

It's Coaster Man Dumping Waffle!

^

New word filters maybe?

Loose Articles = Potatoes (Thanks to the ride ops for inspiring this one.)

Au13/Gold Striker = Coaster Man Dumping Waffle (It would be really awesome if the coaster was actually named that!)