We start with the world's first floorless coaster, Six Flags Great Adventure's Medusa, tricked out for 2009 and now known as Bizarro:
And now, my personal favorite, SeaWorld Orlando's Kraken:
Now, the newest, floorless dive coasters: Griffon:
And SheiKra:
And finally, a POV video from Kings Dominion's Dominator:
(By the way, we could use some decent shots of Scream and Medusa, if you want to help us out. Click the links to their profile pages, then hit the button to upload a photo. To my great regret, there appears to be no way to get the LA Times to either publish or send me the live-narrated POV video of me riding Scream on its media preview day.)
Update: Here is Scream:
Some parks do better with the production than others. Busch Gardens' was flawless. Magic Mountain's was pretty weak (though X2 provided a very tough environment for filming).
This year, Kings Island is not doing POV for Diamondback, though we are sending someone to the preview day nevertheless. I'm signed up for Manta, though it looks like I might not be able to make it, so I'll have to recruit a replacement.
I'm hoping that SeaWorld has enlisted as good a production team as Busch Gardens had for Griffon. We got an obscene number of YouTube views for that video.
No word yet from Universal about Rip, Ride, Rockit, but I am planning to fly out for that one. I'm on for Terminator: Salvation at Magic Mountain, and will be bringing my own audio system and in-station videographer for that one, so I can avoid the problems we had with the X2 video.
Nemesis / Inferno
Air
Hope one day they go the same way with Sheikra and make Oblivion floorless, that would be great
I just included coasters from U.S. parks on this one, but I would love to get more photos and reviews from European parks. Click the "Park Reviews" tab at the top of the page for the list of parks for which you can submit photos and reviews. (You can update listings if they are incomplete or in error, as well.)
I've found significant differences in the quality of rides between Kraken, which remains smooth and in a lovely setting, and Scream, which feels to have deteriorated somewhat from its opening. The parking lot setting (set to "broil" in summer) doesn't help, either.
Robert, you mentioned Kraken is your favorite of the lot and, judging by its performance in the TPI tournament, it continues to impress many riders.
I enjoyed Kraken, but I could not notice a significant difference between it and The Incredible Hulk. Their layouts and lift hills are obviously quite different, but the rest of the sensations feel very similar.
I still like to consider myself a coaster connoisseur, but B&M floorless rides are all starting to feel alike.
I live in SC, but am planning on going as soon as it is open, so if you need a volunteer, I'd gladly do so. You wouldn't even have to twist my arm much.
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