Unfortunately, change comes at the expense of history sometimes, or at least tangible histories; and theme parks weren't meant to be museums. But the classic Corkscrew was the first coaster to ever turn me upside down. The television commercials featuring the tap-dancing man in the straw hat and the Knott's Kids ("K is for kids and Kids are for Knott's, cause Knott's gots lots to doooo....") were of mythic importance to me as I strained for a glimpse of this wonderous new thrill. Later, they would do it again with Montezooma's Revenge. But a small park has not a lot of space for adding coasters, and after Wacky Soap Box Racers closed, it seemed that the park needed something new and fresh.

So, the Corkscrew went out and the Boomerang came in. Knott's is a pretty adventurous park when it comes to putting in new types of rides, and you couldn't get much newer than this Vekoma creation. An odd sort of play on the shuttle loop, this coaster features three inversions, two of them contained within a wicked looking piece of engineering called a boomerang. You enter it and exit it going the same way, sort of hard to explain, but a hell of a lot of fun to zip through.

After climbing into the train, a winch mechanism begins pulling you backwards up the launch tower. This gives you plenty of time to survey the landscape, look for your car in the parking lot, or consider the twisted blue track waiting to gobble you up. The actual boomerang element gives the appearance of a gruesome smile from this vantage point only, maybe a sick sort of visual joke from the folks who designed it.

There is no pausing at the top or a warning release of air to prepare you. At one moment you're going backwards, trying to figure out where to look and the next; you're falling towards the ground, flashing through the station and the incredulous guests who are waiting their turn.That's when you plow face-first into the first inversion, flying upwards and flipping over to meet the first curve and then twisting over again to plunge into the next inversion. At this point, you're not sure exactly where you are in the scope of things, but this manuever plants you firmly in the path of an elliptical loop that empties out into another launch tower, the lift matches your speed and assists the train to the top, and I do mean tippy-top of the structure where it is again released in a ghastly moment of air-time and wondering how this is all going to feel backwards. The people in the back get the brunt of that loop as the train gains a hefty head of steam before winding through and up into the boomerang again.If you thought that the first time through this mess was disorientating, you'll really get a tickle out of your return trip. This time, crawling even slower than before, resist the urge to grab onto something and feel like you're tumbling in mid-air. That's about the best description of a boomerang that I can muster while the memory is still fresh in this battered head. After diving through the station once again, the first tower serves as a brake-slope and the train eases back into the trims and is ready for another plate of riders.

This is a ride where the back and front seat argument is sort of put to another stringent test. Those that ride in the back will get the best negative G's, but will miss out on the groovy intensity in the boomerang that first time. Front passengers can expect a face-full of track throughout the entire first circuit and a queasy feeling of floating on the way back, but miss out on any real good negative G action. It's a trade off, and the middle isn't so bad either.

Having conquered the park once again, it was time to head out and prepare for a day of long hours, phone calls and a date with Dreams and Disney. On Day 5 of the C2C Tour, the Call of the Jacuzzi became strong as these word were typed. A steamy splash I will make before a bed tonight I'll see.

Another day of coastering; it's all part of the joy.