Son Of Beast at King's Island closed for now

[Joshrzmeup]

From Cincinnati.com:

Kings Island's Son of Beast roller coaster will remain closed this weekend following a complaint the park received on June 16 from a woman who claims a blood vessel burst in her brain after a May 31 ride on the wooden coaster.The ride has been closed now for 12 days.
The Amusement Ride Safety Division, an arm of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, is charged with finding out whether the ride caused this injury.
"The testing that has to take place to reopen the ride has not been scheduled this weekend," said ODA Spokeswoman Kaleigh Frazier. "The ride will remain closed until we have done the testing."
Kings Island Spokesman Don Helbig echoed the statement.
"While it's inappropriate to speculate when the ride will reopen, I do not expect it to open this weekend," Helbig said.
Details of the investigation, including the woman's identity and her health condition are sealed until the investigation is complete, Frazier said.
This is the fifth investigation opened by the ODA on the Son of Beast ride since it opened in 2000, Frazier said.
One of the previous investigations took place in 2006 after a rough ride sent 27 people to the hospital. The incident sparked lawsuits and reconstruction of the ride, including removing the wooden loop.
Kings Island learned of the woman's injury on June 16 and immediately shut down the ride and contacted ODA, Frazier said. It is unclear why it took two weeks for the injury to be reported to the park.
Ryan Suhr, co-founder of the popular Kings Island fan Web site KICentral.com, said he's sure that Kings Island is handling the situation to the best of its ability, even as users on his site and on other blog sites argue whether the Son of Beast is dangerous and should be closed for good.
"The ride is a forceful and turbulent ride. They warn you of that," Suhr said. "Some people love the experience, some don't, but you can say that for any ride. It gives thousands of very safe rides every day."

Personally, I hate the ride (jerks too much, too loud and REALLY rough to me) so it doesn't matter, but it seems this ride has had its fair share of problems since opening. The 5th time being investigated in 9 years?

[aimster]

It took 2 weeks for her to report the injury to the park? I call shenanigans.

[JL Skellington]

I went on this ride in 2004 (back when it still had its loop) and found both it and The Beast coaster (also in King's Island) to be really shaky and painful. But this was not really a head or neck thing. It was painful because the cars were small and the shaking of the cars hurt my knees against the front of the car. It was nice to go on the coasters as they hold a lot of wooden roller coaster records, but I don't have many other fond memories of either unfortunately.
However, King's Island does have a lot of other great rides, including a Tomb Raider ride that's one of the best designed rides I've been on.

[Kuzcochik]

We went to Kings Island in 2006 on a trip from Ohio to Jersey riding coasters. It was the first park we went to and we rode Son of Beast twice. The first ride was fine but on the second trip around well I still don't really know what happened, but the train hit a big bump or something and I slammed my arm into the lap bar. I had a huge bruise almost instantly. I didn't really think to much about it and when we finally got home from the trip it turned out they had closed the ride (one of apparently 5 times).
I liked the ride until it hurt me. It seems ridiculous that it's that tramatic

[sir clinksalot]

Originally Posted by aimster

It took 2 weeks for her to report the injury to the park? I call shenanigans.

I do as well.

I haven't ridden SOB (tee-hee) but I've heard nothing but bad things about it. I thought it had gotten better since they removed the loop and the much heavier trains.

[Joshrzmeup]

Originally Posted by sir clinksalot

I do as well.

I haven't ridden SOB (tee-hee) but I've heard nothing but bad things about it. I thought it had gotten better since they removed the loop and the much heavier trains.

It's not quite as loud (meaning you can't hear it going up from the gates to the parking lot anymore) but I think it's still just as rough.
As far as The Beast being rough...not if you know where to sit. Sit in the middle seat in the car, with one set in front of you and one in back and it's one smooth ride.
I haven't heard anything more about this recently, but i'll check next time I go to KI.

[sir clinksalot]

Originally Posted by Joshrzmeup

It's not quite as loud (meaning you can't hear it going up from the gates to the parking lot anymore) but I think it's still just as rough.
As far as The Beast being rough...not if you know where to sit. Sit in the middle seat in the car, with one set in front of you and one in back and it's one smooth ride.
I haven't heard anything more about this recently, but i'll check next time I go to KI.

Otherwise known as a non-wheel-seat.

My opinion is that you shouldn't have to know "how" or "where" to ride any particular coaster to make sure you don't get the crap beat out of you.

[Monkey joe]

The Beast has been tamed this year, so it is less rough.

[Joshrzmeup]

Originally Posted by Monkey joe

The Beast has been tamed this year, so it is less rough.

Not really, at least not to me but then again I haven't gone on it as much as I normally would have by now due to mom's arm surgeries.

A family friend calls the Son Of Beast (still closed) "the bone rattler" and I believe it.

Also: Nic Wallenda, the grandson of the legendary Karl Wallenda, will be doing an incredible highwire walk at Kings Island on August 16th! Only one year after Rick Wallenda did a record-breaking 2,000' walk from the Eiffel Tower past the front gate and back, and 35 years after Karl Wallenda did his famous walk at Kings Island, the family tradition continues as Nic Wallenda brings his Walk Across America Tour to Kings Island this August. Details will be released soon!

Wow, another tightrope walker...what a joy it was the first time around...

[GhostHost2]

The Beast is the greatest non-Disney coaster by far. I rode SOB once when it had the loop, and hated it.

[Yackerz]

I'm planning on going to King's Island next year. I'm definitely going to ride the beast... and maybe the son of the beast depending if I hear better reviews about it! What other rides there do you recommend?

[aimster]

Originally Posted by Joshrzmeup

A family friend calls the Son Of Beast (still closed) "the bone rattler" and I believe it.

That's what I call Gwazi over at Busch Gardens. I had a monster migraine after riding that thing a couple months ago. Fast coaster but it makes your brain rattle in your head.

[DLRP_bopazot]

Originally Posted by aimster

That's what I call Gwazi over at Busch Gardens. I had a monster migraine after riding that thing a couple months ago. Fast coaster but it makes your brain rattle in your head.

That's because of the heat and how Busch Gardens maintain their coasters . The only way to ride another new smoothly Gwazy is to add the new Millenium Flyers Trains on these tracks .



Busch Gardens maintenance are doing a great job on their coasters .

[Ride Warrior]

Son Of A Beast! How did this happen?

[mako98]

I was at Kings Island last week. Son of Beast is still closed. Spoke to some personnel and they said it will probably never open again. They are planning on taking the ride down.
I am in my 50's and the Son of Beast was probably one of the most exciting roller coaster rides ever. Yeah it's noisy, rough,and bangs you around some. But thats what makes a wooden roller coaster ride so exciting.
So I am asking all you people out there that were saying the ride was too rough for them to do one thing. Could you please take your thumb out of your mouth and say WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!?