I'm sure most of you never heard of DelGrosso's Amusement Park, but it is quite a diamonded experience for a enthuiasts that seeks danger. Because there, in a little place called Tipton, lay a jewel only to those who dare to challenge the Zyklon. Pinfari make dangerous coasters? Ohh you have no idea. I'm going to give you a mental picture of what this thing actually is. Imagine your basic Schwarzkopf Wildcat. Think of what the trains look like and imagine if you hooked three of them together to make one train. But with a twist. There are no lapbars.... Are you starting to catch on? Let me tell you my story...

Coming home from New Jersey, we stopped at Hersheypark, and after that, a drive west towards Ohio. At a hotel, we came upon a travel guide of chance that showed us that Lakemont Park and DelGrossos was on the way, so hey why not. The road to get there is very weird. It has sings everywhere saying "Deadly driving area", "Don't tailgate", and "Beware of Aggresive Drivers". Hah, the jokes on you, we were the aggresive drivers. Any crap, we arive at the park and they make you walk over a bridge, BLAH. I was walking toward the Zyklon, when a rare sight caught my eye. SUGGESTION BOX! I was too tempted and I suggested putting a Gravity Group terrain coaster on the nearby mountains. So we go buy our tickets and get in line

At first appearence this looks like a regular wildcat sorta ride, but with three cars. That's when I started thinking what any true enthuiast would think, the back car must be whipped over the first hill front theweight of the two cars infront of it. A few people in front of us went for the front, suckers. We jump in the very back. But then I reached to pull down my lapbar and it just disappeared. I looked at my hands and shook my head in confusion. Wow this is better than an ACE coaster classic. Some fat b*tch is dancing around with a chicken drumstick in her mouth and pushes the car forward. We hit the lift on any usual wildcat. I made my seatbelt as loose as possible. We hit the turn around and as the first two cars descend I put my hands up. Then I felt something I had never felt before. I was the feeling that my life laid in the hands of a seatbelt. My body rose up so suddenly, I probably could of sat on the headrest. My eyes widen as I comprehend what was happening so in panic I reached for the bar you're supposed to hang onto. I look down and my knees are fully extended and I am standing as stright up as I would be on Mantis. This drop I velieve is longer than the Wildcats at Cedar Point but I could be wrong, but it sure seemed like it. It's tall and it's VERY steep. Soon the bottom of the hill comes and I'm still standing straight up. All of a sudden, I feel these intense G's pushing down on me like some supernatural force and I'm slammed in my seat. IT HURT like a B8TCH. The rest of the ride was normal thank God. But even on Raven at SRM, my knee were slightly bent going down the hills. On this coaster, your knee are fully extended. I was in shock and the only thing I could think of was, "WHoa let's do that again".

I recommend to anyone who rides this coaster if you go in the BACK, hang on and don't unfasten your seatbelt. But if you are like me and you come to fancy the coasters that could see a lawsuit in the future, this coaster is a must. For the appealing danger, unique ride, quickdraw airtime, and being the crazyiest wildcat type coaster in the world, I give this small child fly out of coaster-9/10

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'09 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Michigan's Adventure
'08 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, SFoT; '07 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Cedar Point
'06 Ride Operator, Batman:TR, SFGAm; '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel, WDW
'04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 268

wow...........im gonna go to RIDE ZYKLON ohh wait i have before and it was wild

Wow! I can't believe that it hasn't been fitted with lapbars! Whoa. The other thing that i can't believe is that you got your parents to stop for an amusement park. Although i've never had the oppertunity i don't think it will ever happer to me... *sigh* unless i'm driving *and in a year thet could be a realality...).

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Ne- RCT to the Max- http://www.nedesigns.com
"What's so Civil about war anyway?"- Guns N' Roses

Yeah, I've been there. I was a summer camp counselor for the Johnstown, PA YMCA for a few years and we went there and Lakemont Park (in Altoona) for field trips. Too bad you didn't make it there--Leap the Dips--oldest continuous coaster and only side-friction left in the world.

Zyklon is a death trap. Anytime I rode it, I was afraid it would crumble. All in all, that park scares me, as does Lakemont. They look for old rides to bring to their park. Hey guys--suggestion--built a woodie. Lots of initial outlaying, but boy the benefits to reap.

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Man that sounds scary! Standing straight up!!!!! Gosh i would never ride that again! An unsafe coaster alreadt, then w/ no lapbars!!!

ScArY!!!!! --I have pride!!!

Anywho, heres some picture from rcdb.com

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgall....htm?Picture=2

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgall....htm?Picture=1

Yah actually I did, lucky for me the Leap the Dips had not been operating for the past fews days, and just happened to open the day I was there. I'll ride a trip report on that as well.

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'09 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Michigan's Adventure
'08 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, SFoT; '07 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Cedar Point
'06 Ride Operator, Batman:TR, SFGAm; '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel, WDW
'04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 268

Profanity was abundant as I freefalled that precipice of morbid exhuberence. DO NOT UNFASTEN THAT SEATBELT, if you do you will surely be CHAGRINED!!!! Definitely worth the time, bring your medical insurance card with you though.

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Thank you for riding Reaper! Drop Ride to Doom, and remember to desecrate a sanctuary today.

I checked out the builder's website of Zyklon and it shows some good details about the coaster.

http://www.pinfari.com/Database/pinf...nsf/fs_eng.htm

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Chris
"If you'd have a mind at peace, a heart that cannot harden, go find a door that opens wide, upon a beautiful garden. Welcome to Cypress Gardens!"

I miss that ride. When I was about nine, the big thing was to "backseat the Big Z". Big thrills on that free-fall first drop!

YOU made it dangerous. The ride was (and I say was because it's being removed for Crazy Mouse) perfectly safe. I highly doubt anything dangerous would have made it past the those stingy (good thing) PA state inspectors. There's nothing dangerous about this ride except for the fact that your own stupidity made it dangerous.

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Bryan Wood Thrillnetwork Database Admin and review writer extraordinare

Wow, I had not realized that when Crazy Mouse was going to be added to the park, that the Zyklon would be removed. This is another example of a great classic being taken away to make room for a new addition so the park can advertise. I really can't believe this. This was the best Wildcat type coaster I have ever been on. Maybe it was stupid to loosen my seatbelt, but the adrenaline that overcame me from that ride was worth risking a little of my life for. But as an enthuisast I always follow the rules and I did. That is what made this coaster so speacial. You follow the rules and still get a ride of your life. I can only hope they may be other Zyklon's of the same layout and train design, or another unique will become extinct.

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'09 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Michigan's Adventure
'08 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, SFoT; '07 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Cedar Point
'06 Ride Operator, Batman:TR, SFGAm; '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel, WDW
'04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 268

There are a million other Zyklons, a good many with seatbelts only. Don't freak out.

Hey, thats about enough out of you BryanWood. Mods are meant to help, not hate. So take your narcissistic Ohio State greed out of this thread and cry to someone else about losing to Michigan. Yes, the ride was perfectly safe, but the ride-ops were not. They did not even check the seat belts. Think about the catastrophe that could ensue if an inexperienced rider tried to ride that way.

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Thank you for riding Reaper! Drop Ride to Doom, and remember to desecrate a sanctuary today.

Did you not read the quote Bryan put in his reply? Your friend loosened his seat belt on purpose. How can you tell us the ride hosts made that dangerous when he did it purposefully?

And don't bring any flames into this thread. He said nothing of Ohio State. I suggest you think of the possible dangers in loosening your seat belt on a ride. It's not a good thing to do, especially in light of Tamar Fellner.

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ThrillNetwork editor emeritus
Voyage is the best roller coaster ever.
Raptor ride count - 1,146.

First of all, this has nothing to do with football. To say that is absurd and childish. Even if the ride-ops didn't check the belts, that is NO EXCUSE for loosening the belt and being ignorant to Pennsylvania laws. According to Pennsylvania laws, if you put yourself or other riders in danger, it is grounds for expulsion from the park. Had something happened, the park wouldn't be legally bound if the riders tampered with the safety devices. Blaming things on the park is a displacement of rider responsibility, which is just plain sad. This strikes a chord with me because I was not too far away when Tamar died at Holiday World. That was a horrible feeling, and seeing people being reckless ex post facto is sickening.

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Bryan Wood Thrillnetwork Database Admin and review writer extraordinare

One thing you failed to address, TA2KX, is how it is deemed who an experienced and unexperienced rider is. And for that, I would really like to know.

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There is no definite line. People, no matter what "experience" they have, need to be responsible and safe when riding rides. Common sense tells you that, not experience.

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Bryan Wood Thrillnetwork Database Admin and review writer extraordinare

Once again, I have to reminded you, I broke no rules. I read the signs, I listened to the opertors, and I did not willing stand-up on any part of the coaster. I did everything I was supposed to. If I feel more comfortable with a seatbelt loosen, that's my choice, unless told otherwise. If I would of flown out, it would of been not because of restraint error, but because of lack of restraint. It's like having a B&M looper with only a seatbelt, and when a person falls out saying, "well it's not B&M's fault, his seatbelt was loose." It doesn't matter, the company is failing to provide sufficent safety for it's riders. I was not putting myself at risk, I was merely legally adjusting myself for my own comfort.

I am very touchy on this subject, because not only was I near Tamar Fellner when the accident occured, but TA2kX and I actually had an interaction with her on the same day as I wrote about in my trip report back in June, 4 days after the incident. ( http://www.thrillnetwork.com/boards/...ad.php?t=24591 ). I don't believe she died in vain. I believe she died doing what all enthusiasts love to do, and that is experience a roller coaster for all it's worth. Unfortuntely, she may have loved it so much, it tempted her to break the rules and remove her seatbelt and lead to her death. But I don't think just because of this, everyone should staple their lapbars or strangle their legs. Roller coasters are how enthusiasts get away from their normal life, and if they can't live to enjoy it, then enthuisasts should give up and find something else because we are already dead inside.

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'09 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Michigan's Adventure
'08 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, SFoT; '07 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Cedar Point
'06 Ride Operator, Batman:TR, SFGAm; '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel, WDW
'04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 268

There is a law in Pennsylvania (and in most other states) that says if you put yourself and/or others at risk of danger on a ride that it is grounds for expulsion from the park and possibly prosecution. That is a law. When you rose out of your seat because of a loosened seatbelt (you said it youself "as loose as possible"), you put yourself at risk for injury and put other around you at risk.

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Bryan Wood Thrillnetwork Database Admin and review writer extraordinare

Well that's not a fair statement. If that was so, then when a rider puts his/her hands up on a coaster, that would be considered illegal by Pennsylvania law, because that person is putting themselves at a bigger risk of danger on the ride rather than if they held onto the lapbar, despite following all the rules of the park.

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'09 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Michigan's Adventure
'08 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, SFoT; '07 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Cedar Point
'06 Ride Operator, Batman:TR, SFGAm; '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel, WDW
'04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 268

Who's to say it's not a law? Riding with your hands up is against that law (and the law in Ohio) because it is not the proper riding position. They don't enforce it because people are going to do it anyway, but if you get hurt, it's your fault, and the park can't claim liability. I think it's genius.

It's a fair statement. It's just in legal terms. That might be a little hard to understand.

There's so much wrong with your first statement, I don't even know where to begin. But I'll try.

When signs tell you to keep your hands, arms, and legs inside the ride at all times, that includes not putting your arms up.
Yeah, you're right. It is like saying that. Tell you what, when a person falls off a B&M coaster because the seat belt (let me remind you, B&M "seat belts" only hold the restraints down), I'll lay off.
The company is not failing to provide sufficient safety for the riders. The seat belt is there for your safety! Why else would they put it there? It's certainly not for looks. Tamar Fellner did nearly the same thing you did, and she died because of her actions! The seat belts are there for a reason, and that reason is your safety. If you tamper with it, you're just putting yourself at risk.

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ThrillNetwork editor emeritus
Voyage is the best roller coaster ever.
Raptor ride count - 1,146.

Pennsylvania Act No. 1994-58 Amusement Rider Safety and Liability Act requires that riders must obey all warnings and directions regarding any ride and must behave in a manner that will not cause or contribute to injury to themselves or others. Failure to comply is cause for dismissal from the Park.

Notice it says "contribute to" and "in a manner". That means you don't have to injure anyone to break the law. Trust me, if I were a prosecutor, I could easily bind you on charges with just one eyewitness or your admitting of loosening the seatbelt as much as possible. I took law classes dealing with torts at Ohio State and this is a clearcut issue that you can't squeeze around. Just because you didn't get caught doesn't mean it's alright.

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Bryan Wood Thrillnetwork Database Admin and review writer extraordinare

I will take a ride on one if it has seatbelts. I won't even take a chance without it. That would really worry me about a ride like that. THink if a skinny kid goes on there and gets whip off. Humm

Alright, obviously you didn't interpret the point I was trying to get across so I'll be more detailed.

First off, let us look at this objectively. There have been no cases in the history of the amusement park industry in which a rider has fallen out of a train, and the park was capable of not claiming liability because the rider had his/her hands up. They can't enforce it because they are responsible to a certain extent the lifes of the people, or else we wouldn't need lapbars or over-the-head restraints on any coaster.

If you want to argue over how I put my hands up, you'll have to argue with every person in the history of riding roller coasters who has put their hands up. I'd take an educated guess as that you you're self have done the same while on some point on the various coaster rides you've been on.

The next statement you were disillision, as I am aware that B&M seatbelts lock onto the restaints. But the vision I was trying to provide was one where there was only a seatbelt like the one on the Zyklon. I'm using this as an example of how a coaster company could provide ineffient restraints to handle the G forces that a B&M puts upon a rider. Much like the Zyklon.

Yes, the seatbelt was there, and I did use it. As was mentioned earlier, the ride ops didn't check to ensure your seatbelt was buckled tight, or, even if there was a lapbar there, if it was pushed far enough down for your safety. I REALLY HAVE TO STRESS THIS QUESTION. WHY DO THEY HAVE PEOPLE CHECK YOUR RESTRAINTS AND SEATBELTS AT OTHER PARKS IF A PERSON IS COMPLETELY RELIABLE FOR WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM BECAUSE AFTER ALL, THEY CAN READ THE SIGNS POSTED? Because the parks are responsible that you do understand the directions and you perform them accordingly.

What about the Lightning loops story? Half way down this source document http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com...late_80s.shtml
The operators didn't check the restraints, but I'm sure there was instructions. And yet it was the PARK'S FAULT. I'm sure by not securing the restraints properly, despite the signs all around her, she was "contributing to her own injury" But guess what, it was still the park's fault even despite all the eye witnesses who could clearly have seen the instructions on the proper form to ride a coaster. I'm not talking about my own personnal achievments to validate my opinion, I'm using direct facts of the past to show that talk is cheap, but evidence is solid. How am I supposed to know how tight a seatbelt has to be for my own safety. I don't know, I could been off, because of no one aiding me, I had to base my observation on the signs. And according to the signs, I was not securing myself in a manner that would contribute to my injury, so how was I supposed to know?

__________________
'09 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Michigan's Adventure
'08 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, SFoT; '07 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Cedar Point
'06 Ride Operator, Batman:TR, SFGAm; '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel, WDW
'04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 268

I don't really see why the arguing has continued in this thread. Though they had their seatbelts loose they're not dead. And unlike Fellner they at least they had on their seatbelts. On the mods' side, people can just as easily loosen seatbelts up the lifthill so the blame shouldn't really be at fault unless it is obvious that rules are being broken. There's nothing they can do if the rules are being broken, but it's the riders responsibility to take the repercussions of their actions. However, nothing came of rules being broken in this case so they can know they were wrong or do it again until it happens again which is their choice. Parks can't force people to follow the rules, but they are not at fault if something were to happen.

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The Gravity Group: Turning "Gee what if..." into "G why not?"

This has been blown way out of proportion. I'll consider this rationally for once, and admit that I was wrong to ride Delgrosso's Zyklon in a dangerous way. By common sense alone, I should have predicted that the coaster would whip me up way off my seat. Riding back seat in a 3-car train, hitting a drop of uncommonly large size for the coaster type, I shouldn't have doubted the capabilities of the coaster. In doing that, that shows how unexperienced I am. I was seeking the motherload of all airtime, but I didn't consider the inherent risks.
While the ride hosts TECHNICALLY did not do their job to the best of their ability, the rider who has to be at least 48" tall, is likely old enough to know the difference between riding right or riding wrong. So in that respect, I can't blame the ride hosts. When it really comes down it, it is very much up to the rider how safely he or she wants to ride. Ride hosts cannot do everything to protect guests, they can only do their best to insure riders a safe trip. Whether or not a ride host is competent is not the case, that giant sign at the entrance CLEARLY tells riders how to ride in a safe manner.

And my apologies to Bryan Wood about the Ohio State bashing, I really didn't think you would take it so seriously, I didn't intend to make a mess of things. I thought some Big Ten rivalry could be brought in to the mix, though obviously it does not belong in this thread.

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Thank you for riding Reaper! Drop Ride to Doom, and remember to desecrate a sanctuary today.

I cant beleieve they are getting rid of Zyklon for the new ride., Why can't they kepe it b/c it was fun. That is stoopid. Also it is stoopid to loosen your seatbelt. That is unsafe, and you will get poeple in trouble. I have bene and the park is like totally safe, so dont mock Blands. just mock them for removing a coaster. I wonder who will be getrting it does nayone know who bought it from them?

Why mock DelGrosso's? They invested in the parks future by purchasing a more reliable and enjoyable coaster. Their investment will more than likely bump attendance, especially in the local communities. They're in direct competition with Lakemont, and putting in a brand new spinning coaster will help. I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of the people in that area have never ridden a spinning Wild Mouse, and they'll visit out of curiosity and return because of the ride quality.

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Bryan Wood Thrillnetwork Database Admin and review writer extraordinare

CeDaRPoInTzTeR writes:Roller coasters are how enthusiasts get away from their normal life.

Well anyone who rides a roller coaster is getting away from, "normal," life. Oddly enough, enthusiast aren't the only ones.

This is so full of inferences that one has to question the possibility of the validity of your statements.


CeDaRPoInTzTeR continues with:

Refer to my last statement.


And lastly, CeDaRPoInTzTeR writes:

Does the enthsuiast community want to know why more stringent standards are being implemented and proposed...observe the above quote.