As an avid viewer of shows featuring thrill rides, I have been anxiously awaiting the Memorial Day shows on Discovery. However, I managed to get a sneak peek at one of the shows, thanks to a press kit that I received from them.

The press kit included a video, containing Extreme Rides 2002. When I found the video, I anxiously put it in my VCR and pressed the play button, as I wanted to see what Discovery had up their sleeve for 2002.

The show starts by noting some of the rides that have debuted in 2000 and 2001, such as Deja Vu, V2, Rhino Rally, Talon, Titan, Nitro, Dodonpa, and Wildfire. It also features interviews from familiar faces from past coaster shows as well as new ones.

It also features the following rides complete with explanations of the new technologies behind the rides, some statistics, plus an on-ride point-of-view complete with narration by a featured ride enthusiast:

Batwing: Batwing is the first Vekoma flying coaster on the east coast. Located at Six Flags America, you ascend a 115 foot lifthill and "fly" facedown at speeds over 50 mph. It describes everything from the sensors to the restraint systems and how they work so that it can give the feeling that you are flying.

Acrophobia: While this is not a roller coaster, Discovery apparently felt that this ride had enough merit to earn a review in this show. Designed and built by Intamin for Six Flags Over Georgia, Acrophobia ascends 200 feet while rotating to give you a view of the park. When it gets close to the top, it tilts you 15 degrees forward. Suddenly, while you are waiting for that moment, it drops you into a freefall until you are stopped by its magnetic brakes.

GhostRider: The only wooden coaster of the bunch, GhostRider was built by Custom Coasters International for Knott's Berry Farm. What is unique about this woodie is that even though it is only 118 feet tall and has speeds in excess of 55 mph, it uses 2.5 million board feet of southern yellow pine, which is enough for two or three coasters the size of GhostRider. This is because of California's earthquake safety standards, as it would have to withstand them in an earthquake-prone state. It also helps in the fact that the structure also helps conserve the energy needed for the speed throughout the ride. It also contributes to its scariness factor around Halloween.

Phantom's Revenge: As most of you know, Kennywood's Phantom's Revenge is the result of renovating Steel Phantom. Originally built by Arrow Dynamics in 1991, Steel Phantom was once the fastest coaster. It stood until 2000, when Kennywood officials decided that they would take out the ride and replace it with a new coaster. Even as they received responses criticizing their move to remove the old ride, they contracted with Morgan Manufacturing to construct Phantom's Revenge, leaving only the station and the first two hills of the original ride in its place, while removing everything else, including the inversions. It features some footage of when they dismantled the old ride and constructed the new track, and features the new trains (minus the over-the-shoulder restraints). During this review, it even explains the ideas behind hyper (and giga) coasters.

X: After months of delays, X finaly premiered in early 2002 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Designed and built by Arrow Dynamics, it gives the illusion that you do not know what to expect next. This is because riders sit outside of the track in seats that rotate up or down, and this is accomplished thanks to a 3rd and 4th rail on the track, which Magic Mountain calls the "X" rails. While it really does not give a random sensation or a unique ride, it does accomplish the illusion that it does.

The show will also mention some of the rides built for 2002, including Cedar Point's Wicked Twister, Six Flags Over Georgia's Superman: Ultimate Flight, and HersheyPark's Roller Soaker. This is definately a must-see show, especially if you are a coaster enthusiast like myself. Extreme Rides 2002 premieres Memorial Day at 9:00pm EDT/PDT, with a repeat showing at Midnight EDT/PDT, so if you can't watch it the first time, you have a chance to see it again.