Great America on front page of At Play in Chicago Tribune

[twixmix0303]

If you've got a copy of the June 14, 2007 Tribune, go to the At Play section. The front page has American Eagle taking up the entire length of the front page with the title "Arms up. Prepare to scream. COASTERS! We ride'em and rate'em at Six Flags Great America."

The feature is on the back page. Scott Heck, 37, of Sheboygan, WI (Qualifications: Western Great Lakes Region representative for American Coaster Enthusiasts) and Michelle Lettenmair, 13, of Grayslake, IL (Qualifications: Kid) rate most coasters on both Fun and Intensity. There is a picture, description, and Scott's or Michelle's review for each coaster rated. Here's what each coaster was rated:

Batman: The Ride
Fun: 9
Intensity: 8

Vertical Velocity
Fun: 7.5
Intensity: 8.5

Deja Vu
Fun: 8
Intensity: 8.5

Demon
Fun: 6
Intensity: 5

Superman: Ultimate Flight
Fun: 7.5
Intensity: 8

Raging Bull
Fun: 9.5
Intensity: 8

Iron Wolf
Fun: 7
Intensity: 7

American Eagle
Fun: 7.5
Intensity: 6

Viper
Fun: 8.5
Intensity: 6

Ragin' Cajun
Fun: 7
Intensity: 6

It's nice to see the park featured in full color on the front and back pages of a section in the Tribune.

[BullInDaBack4Life]

Well, here's how I would rate them myself:

Batman: The Ride
Fun: 8
Intensity: 6 (Seriously, dude)

Vertical Velocity
Fun: 9.5
Intensity: 8

Deja Vu
Fun: 10
Intensity: 10 (Um, you are going backwards through loops and being pulled up a tower vertically facing the sky, dude?)

Demon
Fun: 1 (It hurts when you go through the corkscrews)
Intensity: 4

Superman: Ultimate Flight
Fun: 10
Intensity: 9 (Um, go through that pretzel loop again and I dare you to not reconsider your rating)

Raging Bull
Fun: 10
Intensity: 8 (10 in the Back Row)

Iron Wolf
Fun: 0 (IT HURTS WAY TOO MUCH!)
Intensity: 7

American Eagle
Fun: 8
Intensity: 5 (It's actually not that bad)

Viper
Fun: 8
Intensity: 5

Ragin' Cajun
Never rode, cannot rate.

There you have it. This is how it goes down.

[EagleFan344]

^Batman is intense. One of the most if not the most intense ride in the park.

[BullInDaBack4Life]

^Batman is intense. One of the most if not the most intense ride in the park.

What's so intense about it? I don't have much of a problem on it. I've also heard of people blacking out on it, especially the first loop. What the heck are you guys doing wrong that you are blacking out on this ride? Batman's a cool ride that goes fast, but I don't think of it as being very intense.

[EagleFan344]

I would assume more people would black out after the 2nd inversion since its the 3rd inversion in a small space.

[BullInDaBack4Life]

Well, that's just what I heard. But seriously, come on. If you black out on a ride, you are not the type of person that should be going on it. It's not safe for you. I don't black out on anything, not because I'm special, but because I am one of those people that just don't.

[EagleFan344]

^Well I have only blacked out completely on Nitro, but I sometimes start to blackout on rides such as Demon's second loop, or Deja Vu's loop going backwards. Its completely normal.

[Sedir]

I read that today. I also agree BTR should have had a higher intensity rating. It's definitely more intense than V2 and maybe a little more than Deja Vu.

[BullInDaBack4Life]

Why? How do you black out on Demon's second loop? It's not that intense. I just don't understand it.

EDIT: And Sedir, who slipped in a post in front of mine, no way Batman is more intense than V2 or Vu. Definitely not Vu. DUDE! Please define intense!

[joker]

Well, that's just what I heard. But seriously, come on. If you black out on a ride, you are not the type of person that should be going on it. It's not safe for you. I don't black out on anything, not because I'm special, but because I am one of those people that just don't.

I black out sometimes, and sometimes I don't. Don't rant on people who black-out, please. It's their choice if they choose to ride it again, and blacking out won't stop me from riding roller coasters.

[BullInDaBack4Life]

I black out sometimes, and sometimes I don't. Don't rant on people who black-out, please. It's their choice if they choose to ride it again, and blacking out won't stop me from riding roller coasters.

I'm not trying to rant on people who black out. I just think that if you do black out and keep going on the ride, something bad is going to happen to you. It doesn't seem safe, because nobody I know that goes to SFGam ever blacks out on anything.

[EagleFan344]

Why? How do you black out on Demon's second loop? It's not that intense. I just don't understand it.

I don't black out, thats when your vision goes black completely. It gets kinda cloudy thats all.

[joker]

I usually black out on Batman and Iron Wolf. If something 'bad' was going to happen to me, it would already have. And what EagleFan344 said "Its completely normal." -End of my story..

[tp41190]

in·tensely adv.
in·tenseness n.
Synonyms: intense, fierce, vehement, violent
These adjectives mean of an extreme kind: intense fear; fierce pride; vehement dislike; violent rage.
Usage Note: The meanings of intense and intensive overlap considerably, but they are often subtly distinct. When used to describe human feeling or activity, intense often suggests a strength or concentration that arises from inner dispositions and is particularly appropriate for describing emotional states: intense pleasure, intense dislike, intense loyalty, and so forth. Intensive is more frequently applied when the strength or concentration of an activity is imposed from without: intensive bombing, intensive training, intensive marketing. Thus a reference to Mark's intense study of German suggests that Mark himself was responsible for the concentrated activity, whereas Mark's intensive study of German suggests that the program in which Mark was studying was designed to cover a great deal of material in a brief period.

Black Out- when you pass out and cant see anything and you go unconscious

Grey Out- when your vision become blurry and you become disoriented.

So I would say that B:TR is one of the most intense rides in the park. But EVERY coaster enthusiast has blacked out at some point on a ride. And there is a difference of "black out" or "grey out".

[zjohn1988]

Well, that's just what I heard. But seriously, come on. If you black out on a ride, you are not the type of person that should be going on it. It's not safe for you. I don't black out on anything, not because I'm special, but because I am one of those people that just don't.

Dude, stop saying dude........ btr is definetly the most intense, as well as DJV, V2, & IW

[Mr. D.T.]

My two favorite rides in the park are the Raging Bull and American Eagle. That ride is the stuffing in the turkey! My least favorite ride is Jester's Not-So-Wild Ride. My second favorite used to be Shockwave until they took that down. Batman sits somewhere along the middle.

[BullInDaBack4Life]

Black Out- when you pass out and cant see anything and you go unconscious

Grey Out- when your vision become blurry and you become disoriented.

So I would say that B:TR is one of the most intense rides in the park. But EVERY coaster enthusiast has blacked out at some point on a ride. And there is a difference of "black out" or "grey out".

Um, not EVERY coaster enthusiast. I've ridden every coaster in GAm except Spaceley's (I'm too old and don't want to) and Cajun, which always seems to have a large wait everytime I go and doesn't look like one that's worth the wait and let me tell you, I NEVER EVER BLACKED OUT! FYI, no I haven't been to a lot of parks in my day. My family couldn't afford lots of trips to other parks when I was younger and I can't afford it either, so excuse me for not being able to go on so many roller coasters that, in actuality, I sooooooo want to go on. Like so many at Cedar Point, OT, GAd, MM and so on. The list is so long of coasters I am dying to try, yet in actuality, I probably will die before I try them. How ironic! So my point is, I am a coaster enthusiast and I never blacked out. I'm not trying to rub it in, I'm just saying that I never did and I don't personally know anyone (people on this site don't count) that has blacked out ever on a ride.

[LAFFfan4lyfe]

that's some nice press for the park...

[blueviola]

Um, not EVERY coaster enthusiast.

If the only coasters you have ridden are SFGAm's you're not much of an enthusiast, sorry to say.

[cycamps]

Yeah

[BullInDaBack4Life]

If the only coasters you have ridden are SFGAm's you're not much of an enthusiast, sorry to say.

Well, if that's the case, how can a guy with no money and no job be a coaster enthusiast if he can't afford taking trips to other parks? Nobody I know is willing to let me mooch money off of them, either right now. But seriously, I doubt I will ever black out on any roller coaster, because SFGAm runs a decent gamut of intensity from low to high, even though I'm sure the most intense coaster in the world is not at that park, but still. Batman gives me no troubles. EXPLAIN THAT! Your comments make me so mad!

EDIT: But seriously, let's stop talking about what is a coaster enthusiast and whether I'm some mutant freak because I don't black out ever and I never will and let's get back on the topic of the thread. All I was doing in my first post on this thread was commenting on what I would rate rides and the thread became full of posts about Batman being intense. What exactly is intense about Batman? Don't answer because that's off topic. Let's comment on the ratings they gave the coasters. I'll start. I disagree with a bunch of them. There, I made an on-topic statement. Follow me, dudes.

[blueviola]

^Your comments make me annoyed.

[BullInDaBack4Life]

^Your comments make me annoyed.

So do yours. Read the edit I made of my previous post and get back on topic.

[RBull4life]

I would pretty much agree with those ratings with the exception of SUF. I would have given it a 6.5 for fun. After the pretzel loop, there is not much more.

Oh and as far as Batman for intensity, ride the last row. Oh and....dude.

[joker]

Ok, BullInDaBack4Life, you don't gray/black out. Good for you.
We get the point. I don't want to hear it no more, and I'm pretty sure some other people don't really care neither.