SkyRider at Canad'a Wonderland bites the dust

[ECG]

I guess this had to happen at some point, but I wish it was Shockwave at Kings Dominion instead.

After almost 23 million riders, Canada's Wonderland will be saying goodbye to the iconic stand-up looping roller coaster, SkyRider. Monday, September 1, 2014 will be the last chance for riders to experience one of the legends in the roller coaster collection at the park.

SkyRider opened for riders in May, 1985 and was instantly a hit for coaster enthusiasts across North America. It was the first stand-up coaster to be built in Canada, and second in the world with a loop.

"As the park evolves each year, we continue to focus on future park enhancements that will provide our guests with innovative entertainment and leisure experiences. To accommodate these enhancements, we need to make difficult decisions when considering redevelopment of the land for an improved guest experience in future years. After creating 29 years of memories for our guests, we wanted to make sure thrill seekers of all ages had advance notice of the SkyRider retirement, and an opportunity to enjoy one last ride before it closes at 8 p.m. on September 1," Norm Pirtovshek, General Manager at Canada's Wonderland.

Source: http://www.canadaswonderland.com/what-s-new/skyrider-1985-2014

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56SzWi2DSTE[/youtube]

 

[Youngster Joey]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

That ride is fantastic. Hopefully its replacement is something worthwhile :/

 

[TilenB]

Noooo
I've always wanted to ride a Togo Stand-up coaster. I know that there some still left in Japan, but I guess that it's far less likely for me to travel to Japan, than to Canada. And this is also the first ever coaster to be removed from Canada's Wonderland, right?

What do you think, will they try to sell it or will they scrap it?

 

[CookieCoasters]

^ There's another one at kings dominion, although according to some this one is/was better

 

[GuyWithAStick]

Not happy nor sad.

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk

 

[peep]

I'm sad because Togo stand up coasters are actually good. I really liked this one too, very smooth loop.

 

[CanobieFan]

Eh, meh.... The first time I rode it nearly 10 years ago it was rather good, as far as old-ass Togo coasters go.. But last summer it beat the crap out of me, and I was in row one!

Be gone

 

[Darren B]

If it means that they'll use the space for a better coaster in the future then fair enough.

I didn't particularly enjoy it at all in June; it's not an awful ride but doesn't particularly do anything for me and it beats you up a little too.

Still, glad I got to ride it.

 

[Jarrett]

It closes two weeks after I ride it so I'll at least get the cred before it's ripped out, but I still see no reason why it has to go. King Kobra at KI was before my time and Shockwave at KD I got spited on due to rain and my parents' bad vacation planning abilities, so it's nice to be able to get near one of these and knock it out. I'll find out whether or not I want it gone in a few weeks, I just hope it's not as rough as Manhattan Express.

That being said, I hope they put a GCI woodie or a wing coaster in its place.

 

[Intricks]

If this rode anywhere near as terrible as Shockwave (which that helix was making the entire train jutter violently), then it will be a cred I will be happy to have never ridden.

Also, my memories from the rest of shockwave are oddly blank, did Shockwave have that random left (well, right I suppose for Shockwave) bank after the airtime hill?

 

[CanobieFan]

No Shockwave doesn't have the sideways banked track, King Cobra did (SkyRider and Cobra were twins, Shockwave is 'custom')

 

[steel]

If this rode anywhere near as terrible as Shockwave (which that helix was making the entire train jutter violently), then it will be a cred I will be happy to have never ridden.

Also, my memories from the rest of shockwave are oddly blank, did Shockwave have that random left (well, right I suppose for Shockwave) bank after the airtime hill?

It's nothing like Shockwave. I was expecting a ride like Shockwave (ie. awful awful awful) when I rode SkyRider and I can't tell you how stunned I was when I loved every second of it. It's a GREAT ride and it's so sad to see it go, especially when &$#%ing Flight Deck and Time Warp are still standing.

SO I guess, looking forward... What would make the most sense there? Surely it will be a coaster, but it's a pretty small footprint, unless they decide to use up some of the land behind Windseeker? They have such a good variety as it is; only problem is many of the genre representatives, as it were, are either terrible or mediocre (flying, inverted, launched, standard looping). I'd love to see a dive machine on a proper launcher at Wonderland.

 

[BBH]

And now you've got Queen playing in my head. :lol:

Yeah, it's a TOGO, ew pain, whoo novelty, etc. Wouldn't have gotten the credit even if it was removed way into the future, so no grief from my side.

 

[Tomatron]

It wasn't that bad, but it's an old ride and not worth maintaining if it's time for it to make way for a newer attraction.

 

[VascoXTRC]

It shall be missed. Luckily i have also ridden Shockwave. CW should pull the plug on Flight Deck instead.

 

[CoasterWild]

Noooo
I've always wanted to ride a Togo Stand-up coaster. I know that there some still left in Japan, but I guess that it's far less likely for me to travel to Japan, than to Canada. And this is also the first ever coaster to be removed from Canada's Wonderland, right?

What do you think, will they try to sell it or will they scrap it?

To me, they'll officially scrap it (at the smelters!) as TOGO is out of business since the Windjammer Surf Racers lawsuit 12 years ago!
And original spare parts are no more!

 

[TilenB]

They're selling it...

http://www.italintl.com/detail_page.php?record_id=1886

 

[elephant58]

From looking at RCDB, I've noticed that this will be CW's first ever coaster to be retired.

 

[CoasterWild]

They're selling it...

http://www.italintl.com/detail_page.php?record_id=1886

Possibly to a mystery buyer as far as I know...

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

It's really crap that it's going. Of all the coasters at Wonderland, this is the one that always gives me the biggest laughs. It's a great little coaster, but it had to be this one that went and not Flight Deck because of the proximity to the water park. It's being removed for a water park expansion (which makes me slightly sick because I hate water parks), so removing anything else would be a senseless, unless they got rid of Minebuster instead.