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Posted at 1:02 AM EDT (0502 GMT)  May. 20th, 2006 -- After the 2004 season, many Kennywood Park visitors were shocked to  learn that one of their favorite rides, the Bayern Kurve, would be taken out in order to make room for a S&S Screamin' Swing debuting in the 2006 season. When this news was released just a little over a year ago, I was shocked, to say the least, because the Bayern Kurve has always been a family favorite. When I learned the Bayern Kurve would be removed to make room for Wipeout, so that construction could begin on the new ride, I was appalled. I was appalled because many people including myself, find Wipeout to be an uncomfortable ride.
 When I later learned that the park was to invest in an S&S Screamin’ Swing, I was excited and skeptical at the same time. I heard about the smaller versions of the ride which were in parks such as Dorney Park and Knott's Berry Farm. I read many different reviews about how they had no airtime and weren't exciting. Little did I know a year later, I would be ranking this ride as one of my all-time favorite flat rides.
 Throughout the 2005 season, I patiently watched the construction of the new ride as I waited for my chance to experience the ride firsthand. As the holes for the footers grew larger and the cement began to be poured, the 2005 season drew to a close and my anticipation of the start of the 2006 season began. The anticipation stayed with me until earlier this month.
On May 2, ThrillNetwork Editor in Chief Katie and I had the privilege to attend Kennywood’s media event for the newest addition to America’s favorite traditional amusement park: SwingShot, an S&S Screamin’ Swing. We had the opportunity to ride SwingShot multiple times, including three times in a row, in the rain. The park was also kind enough to give us an all-access pass to the air compressor/tank building that stands next to the ride. We got to see what makes SwingShot work and how complicated it can really be just to swing two arms in  the air to produce the ride’s thrill. With two huge air compressors, two dryers, and two air tanks, the inside of the building was so deafening that we were required to wear earplugs. To say the least, it was fascinating. It really made me appreciate all the hard work put in to creating the thrills that we experience on rides such as SwingShot. Along with the tour, we talked with General Manger Jerome Gibas and Public Relations Director Mary Lou Rosemeyer. We also got a sneak peak of the new high dive show, but there’s no denying that SwingShot was the highlight of this media event. Ride facts
Ride Cost: $2.3 million
Structure height: 65 feet
Swing height: 75 feet
Speed: 45 mph
Ride cycle: About two minutes
Capacity: 750 people per hour
Swing Angle: 115 degrees or 230-degree arc
Total Swings: Nine
Riders must be 48 inches tall to ride Dan's and Katie's impressions of the ride and the media event On SwingShot's structure
 Katie: The ride structure is an interesting color scheme (blue and yellow). I don't think the structure is an eyesore. It looks good when you are in the parking lot ready to come in to the park.
Dan: I thought that the worst part about the structure was the color. The structure itself was a nice shade of blue, but the yellow arms threw the color scheme off a bit. However, I don't think the structure sticks out like a sore thumb in the park, actually it looks inviting from the parking lot. I think it livens up that area a lot as well. On the ride experience Katie: I thought it would be pretty tame, but I was completely caught off guard with the ride. With nine swings total for each ride cycle, I got a lot of floater air. There was so much floater air, it was hair raising!
Dan: For all those people who said that these things have no airtime, SwingShot proves you wrong. Even when the restraints on the ride had me stapled in, I still had a great deal of airtime. The ride itself is also really mind blowing; it’s amazing how quickly the ride reached full speed using the compressed air. On the ride's gondolas
 Katie: I found the seats were kind of uncomfortable. There was no padding on them. Ouch!
Dan: Although the seats had no padding and they were a little uncomfortable, you really don't notice it during the ride. It’s not a rough ride at all, so you don't have to worry about banging your head on the fiberglass headrest. On the restraints on SwingShot
Katie: The restraints were comfortable, but they did staple. And boy did we get stapled!
Dan: The restraints were pretty comfortable. Even though you can get stapled in at times, it doesn’t come near the pain you receive by King Kahuna’s restraints. The lap bars really add to the experience as well. I don't know what the ride would be like with over-the-shoulder restraints. On SwingShot's ride cycle
Katie: Each swing seemed to get a little faster. The G- forces were great! It’s the perfect time. Two minutes seems to do the trick. Just enough thrill and not too much.
Dan: When I first saw a video of a similar ride at Thorpe Park called Rush, I was really worried because  it started slowing down right when it hit full swing. However, on SwingShot, I believe you get four full swings and nine swings total, equaling a total of two minutes in ride time! I thought the ride cycle was perfect, especially considering the fact it speeds up quickly, so most of the ride time is at full swing. On how quickly staff can load the ride Katie: The ride operators were fast and efficient.
Dan: With 32 seats, I was amazed how fast the ride attendants loaded the ride. Even though they had a few problems here and there, I think overall they are pretty efficient, keeping in mind that the maximum wait time of the whole queue is only 20 minutes. On how teenagers reacted to the ride
Katie: There were two school baseball teams and they loved the ride. Although, I think the guys liked it more than the girls. They even got their coaches to ride. It was a lot of fun watching them ride first.
Dan: They loved the ride and kept trying to get more rides on it before they left. This tells me that the ride will most likely be a bigger hit to teenagers, even though it is supposed to be aimed at the whole family. On how families should think of the ride
Katie: This is a great family ride for kids about 5 and up. It’s just a big swing!
Dan: I think the families will like it, but like I said, I think it’s going to be a much bigger hit to the teenagers who visit the park. But I'm sure kids will love it as well. On how well the ride fits in with Kennywood Park
Katie: It’s a perfect fit for Kennywood. The thrill is just right! Kennywood i s right, they do cater to families. If they would have made it higher it just wouldn’t have been the same.
Dan: Like Katie, I too think the ride is a perfect fit for Kennywood. When word got out that Kennywood considered getting a Vekoma suspended looping coaster, but decided on the swing, I thought they were making a big mistake. No matter how much I think the park needs a new coaster, I think the park made a good choice to hold people over with a new thrill ride until the park can invest in its next big roller coaster. After all, I'd easily take SwingShot over a rough and uncomfortable coaster any day. On riding the ride in the rain Katie: Riding in the rain wasn't easy. Pelting rain and being cold is not fun!
Dan: Katie and I got three straight rides in the rain, I can't say it was the most comfortable ride experience to date, however, it doesn't even come close to riding Phantom’s Revenge in the rain. On being able to go in the air tank building
 Katie: I thought it was cool that they let us take an off-limits tour in the air compressor room. It was so loud that it drowned out any other sound in the room.
Dan: When Mary Lou asked us if we wanted to go into the building, we both got excited knowing very few people, outside of park employees, will have an opportunity to see how the ride really works. When we got inside, it was really loud. We couldn't hear each other, except when we shouted to each other. I guess that’s why they made us wear earplugs. On Kennywood’s staff at the media event Katie: The staff on hand for the event was extremely friendly, courteous and willing to answer any questions we had.
Dan: Very friendly. Usually you think of high executives not wanting to answer questions for the news and Web sites, but I was surprised how many of our questions were answered. On the new high-dive show
Katie: From what we saw it was a lot of fun. We just got a preview.
Dan: I'm a little bummed that they took out one of my favorite rides at the park (Swing Around) and replaced it with this show. Although it looks pretty cool, I'll probably have to see the full show before I judge it, but I don't think I'd watch it more than once. On our talk with General Manager Jerome Gibas
Katie: Getting to talk to the General Manager Jerome Gibas was extremely enlightening. He answered the burning questions that people wanted to hear about the expansion, the ride itself and just general information about the park and some of the rides.
Dan: Truly, I was amazed at how much he opened up to us and how nice he was. He filled us in on everything from possible future coasters to the moving of the picnic pavilions, for the park’s future expansion. On the park’s future expansion
Katie: With the expansion happening in the next few years, Gibas really stressed that he wanted one steel and one wooden coaster to add to the collection. He mentioned Bolliger and Mabillard and Great Coasters International, but with the B&M, don't get your hopes up for inversions. “It takes away from a lot of our ridership when you start adding inversions,” said Gibas.
Dan: When I first heard about the expansion, I was ecstatic. After talking with Gibas about it, it got my hopes up even more, especially when he brought up B&M as a possible company they would go to for their next steel coaster. It was also good to know that they are moving the picnic pavilions to a much more secluded area in order to open up that area for more rides. Miscellaneous notes from media day
Katie: One thing that I'm glad I found out was how Gibas and Kennywood go about picking their rides. They really do think about their guests. Kennywood is still taking the approach of being unique and good for the whole family. They think from the perspective of the family, and the demand for thrill, but not over-the-top thrill.
Dan: Given the fact that this was my first media day event, it was an interesting and fun experience. After speaking with Gibas and Rosemeyer, I really got a glimpse of how the park goes about getting rides like SwingShot. Even though Kennywood is in that phase where they are replacing some of their older rides, I doubt that the park will ever change from being a traditional amusement park. It amazes me that even when they add such new rides as SwingShot, Phantom’s Revenge, Aero 360 and King Kahuna, they still preserve the essence of the park that has been there for many years now.  In the age of 400-plus-foot roller coasters, Kennywood has been known to rarely disappoint anyone regarding their decisions pertaining to new rides and attractions. First it was Aero 360, then it was Phantom's Revenge and now it’s SwingShot. Even if these attractions aren't 400-foot roller coasters, they still offer enough thrills that the entire family can enjoy together and that’s something that the people at Kennywood have been able to accomplish each time they decide to add a new attraction. SwingShot might not be the biggest and baddest thrill ride around, but it’s a ride that the entire family can ride together and still get a nice little thrill out of it. One thing is for sure though, it's not your ordinary backyard swing.
 After experiencing this ride firsthand, both Katie and I agree that SwingShot is a great addition for a park that is known for aiming its attractions towards the family. That raises the question: What could the park have up its sleeve for its next new attraction? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
A special thanks goes out to Kennywood for inviting ThrillNetwork to it's media day event. For more pictures of SwingShot, visit the gallery.
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