Back in the mid 1970's, rollercoaster genius Anton Schwarzkopf created an unusual spin on the traditional gravity-obedient ride and introduced sheer force into the mix. His invention, the shuttle loop, used technology akin to that found on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier to launch riders from a standstill to shrieking speeds of 55 m.p.h. and higher. A flywheel generating big R.P.M.'s supplied the fire to send the trains racing forward without the need of a lift, into a loop and then up a tall spire. The sequence was repeated in reverse after the fallback and riders were treated to a blistering run through the station which led to a gleeful flight up a tower to experience free fall before slamming into the brakes below. Many variations on the "powered launch" have surfaced over the past couple of decades; pinch-roller tire systems and linear induction motors have cropped up on a number of breakthrough coasters. But not a single one of them has the unique punch of Superman: Ultimate Escape. Denny and I were approaching the park when a large red tower came into view. It was instantly recognizeable as some kind of thrill ride, but the design looked almost unfinished. A skyward-spiraling tower, the metal equivalent of a curlique, looked all wrong sticking high above the surrounding trees--they were obviously building something, we surmised. But au contraire--the ride was up and operating, something we discovered fairly quickly as the car pulled into the Six Flags Ohio parking lot. A suspended train of screaming riders was launched and sent streaking upwards into what closely resembles a DNA chain. Dangling legs spiraled outwards as we headed towards one of the newest Six Flags acquisitions, the park formerly known as Geauga Lake. A light day it would be, the parking lot was virtually empty. All the better to tackle some coasters--and this odd-looking creation quickly became priority as we entered the place. The new park celebrated its grand opening on May 5th and it seemed that the word hadn't caught on, because virtually no-one was to be found. Delighted, Denny and I walked up to the imposing structure of the ride and hopped right on. There was quite a lot of construction taking place, the front of the station was covered in scaffolding and throughout the park, landscaping in the process of being finalized added an unfinished aura to the scene. Nontheless, we walked the brief queue and took an immediate spot in the middle of the train--we would be on the next run. Just then, an attendant stated "clear" and the train dispatched in a squeal of tires. With feet dangling, the riders screamed down the stretch towards a huge Superman "S" emblazoned upon a shed that made up the base of the first tower. We watched as the cars sailed upwards, barely twisting into the spiral, and then slung back through the station to disappear out the back, up a severe 90 degree tower and then forward with mucho gusto to tackle the twisty terror tower again. This time, the train climbed higher into the mess, sending riders spinning around the outside like individual hula hoops. Some sick mind had to come up with this, and the folks at Intamin specialize in that sort of amusing torture. As the only ride of its kind in North America, Superman: Ultimate Escape attacks in four distinct fashions. First, the launch. It's dramatic alright--sending the trains hurtling forward with a loud screech, feet dangling below, then shooting straight upwards into the spiral. Only the first couple of cars on the 28-passenger train get up there twisting, but there's more action to come. Slinging down the tower and leveling off--there's a sudden burst of speed provided by electro-magnetic forces and the train shifts gears to 70 m.p.h. causing the wind to whip in your ears, then it's up and out of the station, straight up that rear tower. Straight up and down, no wimpy slight of degree, total freefall--especially if you're in one of the back seats. With the perpetual motion kicking in, the 14 cars then zip forward through the station once again and tear into the curlique spiral tower, this time sending a good 3/4's of the train spinning around in mid-air. Front car riders will note with some dismay that they come disturbingly close to the top of said spire. It's a strange feeling, but the ride isn't finished quite yet. With one more swoop backwards through the station (waiting riders often look like they're at a tennis match, watching the train slip back and forth), the cars rocket up the tower a second time, but with a catch--literally. A magnificent brake catches the train at the apex of its upward motion and holds it long enough to wave off that bit of transitional G-force--then it drops you like a rock for one more shoot-through of the loading area and a shorter shot into the spiral. The stomach-butterflies are better in the back. Altogether, it's delicious. The front of the train offers that wierd spiraling action on the front mode while the rear of the train delivers solidly scary negative G-forces on the back mode, some of the most intense feelings of weightlessness that you may ever feel on a ride. Superman: Ultimate Escape will freak you out whether you brave it or not, especially if you catch the front mode wagging like a dog's tail after a train has left it. It's a seriously wrong coaster and those are usually the best kind, but Six Flags Ohio has an impressive roster of white-knuckle trouble--and this was only our first stop in the park. There was plenty more to overload the senses here. Check out Batman: Knight Flight!

[Back to 2000 Tour Station]

Copyright © 2000 Cyber-Society Labs.