Berserker

[WasabiDragon]

It would seem so. I went last Saturday and it was down. And if I recall, I went previously on a Thursday and it was down. Hopefully it'll be running the next time I go because it's been a while.

 

[Irishman]

It was also down all day one day in july for me .

 

[WasabiDragon]

I wish the KD app would tell which rides will or will not be operating on a particular day. But since I live two and a half hours away, I more than likely would still not find out before leaving for the park. Oh well

 

[Caleb]

So just a random thought while riding this that I'm sure tons of people have thought this too but theoretically is it possible for this ride to get stuck upside down? Or is it mechanically impossible

 

[AIR]

So just a random thought while riding this that I'm sure tons of people have thought this too but theoretically is it possible for this ride to get stuck upside down? Or is it mechanically impossible

Actually, working at this ride, people ask me this all the time. I tell them no. But it's very easy for it to be upside down for awhile. I suppose theoretically it's possible but too many things have to be just right for that to happen. The counterweight at the top is just a little lighter than the boat itself when empty. When loaded with any riders at all, the motion of the boat in the air works as an almost perfect pendulum and will continue in its circle until the tires slow it down.

 

[Luke]

High res of past advertisement.

 

[belsaas]

I am really concerned for some of these people's spines. It looks like they broke their neck...

 

[rollercoastercoaster]

Has anyone else noticed, since 2018 all the other Intamin Looping Starships operated by CF have closed? CGA closed theirs in 2018, Valleyfair's in 2019, and Carowinds' in 2022. Berserker is actually the only one left in North America, and 1 of only 4 left in the world. It's also the oldest one left in the world. I wonder what the odds are that Berserker is still around in a few years from now. I certainly wouldn't miss it if it did close.

 

[Jonesta6]

Interesting...

My guess is that it'll still operate as long as there's parts, it remains reliable, and/or there's no plans to fully renovate and theme that area (which I hope they do but it'll be quite some time if so).

 

[Laggasaurus]

This was my first “upside down” ride. I don’t go on it anymore because I’ve graduated to coasters but it has a special place in my heart.

 

[cschnizer]

"They lock it SO tight!" was what somebody in my group said, referring to the lap bar, when I got on for the first time.

 

[warfelg]

I've never seen anyone in line for this and never have waited more than 2-3 trains for Dominator. I think the fact these two things are so 'remote' from other thrill rides like it that if Berserker were to go away Dominator would be greatly effected.

 

[rollercoastercoaster]

if Berserker were to go away Dominator would be greatly effected.

I really disagree. Doesn't Dominator have one of the highest riderships out of the coasters at the park? I'm pretty sure before TT was built it was the most ridden, and it might still be. I think Dominator could do just fine on its own. If anything, I think the fact Dominator is right next door is the only reason anyone rides Berserker.

 

[Coasternerd]

I might be in a minority that genuinely enjoys this ride. It being the only one in North America is cool on its own, but having ridden it, (and Phoenix at BGT) it’s a fantastic flatride. I imagine it’s likely gotten most of its parts from the other ones in the cedar fair chain closing.

 

[Mushroom]

Whenever I bring friends to the park for the first time, they always see Berserker and want to ride it. It’s usually a one and done, but you have to give credit to a 40 year old ride for still having a certain novelty appeal to it.

 

[Jonesta6]

I remember riding it with my parents thinking I was crazy when I was a kid, but getting crotch smashed isn't high up on my priority list when visiting these days.

But I can't see this ride closing anytime soon otherwise.

 

[OriginB]

It's always appealing to me.

 

[GoHokies87]

From the Busch Tampa Phoenix Thread:

Story time!

This ride infamously was closed for "annual maintenance" for years. I often joked to myself that to BGT annual maintenance must mean maintenance that takes years, after this ride was closed, the park never had concrete plans to reopen it. You might also note that King's Dominion is the last remaining park in the US with one of these rides and ponder why they have been disappearing in recent years. Often times, parts availability becomes a big issue when rides become old, in this case, however, it is likely that has very little to do with the demise of the inverting swinging ship. A big issue with these rides is that due to the physics involved, guests can sometimes be subjected to very uncomfortable circumstances. When the ship is inverting, guests can salivate in a particular interval leading to what many would call physical assault on other riders.

...That said I'm being cheeky. Unfortunately, as has been widely circulated among insider circles, the automatic restraints on this ride model are capable of causing serious injuries to riders, including broken bones. A serious incident did happen at one point with BGT's ship, and because there was no perceptible action to remedy the issue, the ride remained closed until the plot was allocated for a future attraction.

I don't exactly mean to double post but felt the phoenix thread wasn't the right place; If you want rides on this you should probably get them before cedar fair pulls the plug.

 

[guy305]

It’s been down for I wanna say 2 weeks at this point.

 

[Mattatee]

It’s been down for I wanna say 2 weeks at this point.

Is it still down? FoF and Berserker are no longer on the SRC list.