Birthday Bash

Lots of fun birthday stuff over the past couple of weeks.

The last week in September was the perfect time to go to Elitches. Everybody thinks it’s closed because it only runs on the weekends and none of their Halloween advertising has started yet. Tickets are also extra cheap if you buy them at Safweay. A bunch of us rode roller coasters for five hours in a effort to reclaim our youth. We rode nothing but roller coasters. We rode every single one of them, and most of them twice. We never stood in line for longer than three minutes and always had our choice of carts. I prefer the back. Ride stats are after the jump. Afterwards we hit up Brothers Bar for some birthday drinks and such.

Coaster Complexity

Last weekend I was able to round up a bunch of free tickets to Comedy Works to see Dov Davidoff (youtube link) for another birthday party. He was really funny. His demeanor was a little hard to get used to. He sort of reminded me of my brother with a few cocktails in him. Very funny. And a great evening overall.

Twister II
Classification: Roller Coaster
Type: Wood – Sit Down
Status: Operating since 5/27/1995
Builder: Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
Designer: John Pierce
Length: 4640′
Height: 100′
Inversions: 0
Speed: 55 mph
G-Force: 3.1

Half Pipe
Classification: Roller Coaster
Type: Steel – Sit Down
Status: Operating since 5/27/2004
Make / Model: Intamin AG / Half Pipe Coaster (30m)
Designer: Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH
Categories: Shuttle
Length: 229′ 8″
Height: 98′ 5″
Inversions: 0
Speed: 43.5 mph
Duration: 2:00
G-Force: 4.5

Boomerang
Classification: Roller Coaster
Type: Steel – Sit Down
Status: Operating since 4/30/1999
Make / Model: Vekoma / Boomerang
Categories: Shuttle
Dimensions: 288′ 9″ x 98′ 5″
Capacity: 760 riders per hour
Length: 935′
Height: 116′ 6″
Inversions: 3
Speed: 47 mph
Duration: 1:48
G-Force: 5.2
Elements: Cobra Roll (Boomerang) / Loop

Flying Coaster
Classification: Roller Coaster
Type: Steel – Flying
Status: Operating since 5/18/2002
Make / Model: Zamperla / Volare
Designer: Ingenieur Büro Stengel GmbH
Lift / Launch System: Spiral Lift
Dimensions: 158′ 6″ x 82′
Length: 1282′ 10″
Height: 50′
Inversions: 2
Speed: 25.7 mph
Duration: 0:48
G-Force: 3.3
Elements: Heartline Roll (Spiral) / Heartline Roll (Spiral)

Mind Eraser
Classification: Roller Coaster
Type: Steel – Inverted
Status: Operating since 6/2/1997
Make / Model: Vekoma / SLC (689m Standard)
Cost: $10,000,000 USD
Capacity: 1040 riders per hour
Length: 2260′ 6″
Height: 109′ 3″
Inversions: 5
Speed: 49.7 mph
Duration: 1:36
Element: Roll Over / Sidewinder / Double In−Line Twist (Double Spin)

Sidewinder
Classification: Roller Coaster
Type: Steel – Sit Down
Status: Operating since 5/27/1995
Make / Model: Arrow / Launched Loop
Categories: Shuttle
Length: 635′
Height: 56′
Drop: 47′
Inversions: 1
Speed: 45 mph
Duration: 1:06
G-Force: 4
Elements: Loop

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