Ever since hearing about this amazing prototype rollercoaster, plans have been hanging in the wings for a trip out to PGA. We awoke early in the morning and sought out Breakfast Jack's before heading down to Santa Clara. The gleaming gunmetal gray and white tracks of Stealth could be seen peeking above the treeline as we slipped into the parking lot. We had reached the park during the end of its season - thankfully crowds were light and so was the heat. It appeared that just about every coaster was operating. Every coaster, that is, except for Stealth. That would simply blow chunks, but it's something that's been known to happen on coaster tours. You get there on a day when the star attraction happens to be taking a little break from any strenuous activity. As we walked towards Guest Relations, a young park employee walked over to a sign listing all of the non-operational attractions. We saw that Invertigo was among the group, which was bearable. But as the girl slipped in a placard which read "Stealth", we moaned aloud in despair. Oh, that blows! Quickly we began to re-arrange the tour itinerary. We still had yet to visit Six Flags Marine World, maybe we could switch days and hope that the new "flying" coaster would be open tomorrow. Perhaps we'd tack on an extra day in San Francisco, though the budget was starting to get a little tight. As we grouped in a circle, awaiting contact with Tim, our PGA contact, I leaned over and asked one of the Guest Services attendants if there was a chance that Stealth would resume operation. Since there wasn't a ride operator to pump for information, this would be the next best source besides a mechanic. A big-ticket thrill ride like Stealth is what draws people to the park. You certainly want potential guests to know if it's going to be running or not. Hence, the ride closure signs and I figured the person who changed those signs had a good idea of how tempermental this new addition to the PGA coaster roster was. She said it would probably be open soon and seemed relatively sure about that. Miraculously enough, the phone rang just then and after listening intently for a few seconds, the girl hung up the phone and said, "it just opened back up." To expedite matters, she let us into the park and told us to come back later as Tim was tied up with something somewhere. We thanked her profusely and then scampered off at somewhat legal in-park speed towards our prize. Stealth is a mind-blowing ride that completely re-writes the book on coasters and their effect on the human body. I had read Bob Coker's descriptions of the ride in Thrillride.com and looked at pictures, but still couldn't get a clear concept of what this scream machine actually subjected you to. One clear look at it gave me the creeps though. The layout was just wrong, tracks twisting in unholy gnarlings. It still wouldn't become clear until we got into the station. Trains enter with the passengers lying on their backs, heads pointed towards the front of 54-foot long vehicles that "seat" four abreast. When the cars stop, an ingenious system elevates the cars to a 60 degree angle, allowing for more comfortable load-in and load-out. The restraints are some of the most interesting you'll encounter, especially the "crotch bar", which the attendants gleefully lean their full body weight on. Endure the pinch, that'll be your personal body shelf in about 90 seconds. After the complicated safety harnesses are belted, clicked and bundled about your person, the trains buck backwards and lie down before dispatching and cruising up the lift. It's a little like tanning on a steel beach that happens to be slinking up a sunny mountain. Like a turtle being dragged by a jealous hare, we continue to climb, not being able to face forward and see when the top of the lift might show up, but it comes soon enough. Don't staunch the urge to cry "eeeeee!" when you slip over the crest, head angling down first as the speed bump nudges the train towards an astounding little bit of aerobatics, a 180-degree flip that suddenly has you dangling like a remora on a shark's belly. It's about now that you'll either go into denial or grasp the opportunity to make like Superman. Denial brings closed eyes and a clutching of thoughtfully designed chest restraints but acceptance affords this opportunity to tuck chin, extend both arms and face that amazing first dive with eyes wide open. It's just over 100 feet of pure magic, a drop that swoops down and up into a majestic horseshoe curve to the right. The track keels over, inverting to 110 degrees, your belly scraping wind as the cars dive down into a metal valley and then flip you over onto your back again. The 360 degree loop is coming up, you know this because you just came close to trading paint with it on the first hill and now it's sneaking up behind you as you lay on your back, hurtling head-first into the 66 foot tall ellipse, feeling the nutty sensation of slipping around a loop on your back. This must be what Sonic the Hedgehog feels like when he's spinning through one of his video games. At this point, the sleek cars are still chugging along at a rapid pace, careening to the left and making a banzai-dive towards some queue shelter that you clear by mere inches. By the time you hit the double corkscrew, the ride has completely ruined your sense of pitch and yaw and you're left to simply scream, rifling the coils of this persistent secret weapon. It's a tighter, leaner corkscrew; an uncommon variety to be sure. With speed still pushing the vehicles forward, a slight rise and climb to the right brings it all to a close. The trains engage brake fins and come to a sudden stop. I remember lying there, heart pounding and eyes closed against the bright California sun. It's a nice position to recuperate in, perhaps they could serve calming drinks here at this point. The front row delivers an unparalleled experience on a ride that is surprisingly gentle considering you get nailed with 4.3 positive G's. Stealth is one of those "I can't believe what just happened" coasters where you must immediately jump on again to capture the event in your collective conciousness. Someday, rides like this may be passe' but until then--until Vekoma begins to production-line this offering, your destiny awaits in Northern California and it's well-worth any rescheduling of plans, if need be. We enjoyed a few rides in this familiar park (used to have an season pass) before heading back to San Francisco with plenty of daylight left. The city was beckoning and we needed to get an early start before tackling a brand new park for the tour in the morning.

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