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Jul 10, 2011
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We had a small debate about Intimidator 305 in another thread...so I thought we should move it here.

If you have ridden it, what did you think?

Also, please post when you rode it because of the changes...
 
I rode on day one, as an auction winner. Awesome first drop, followed by a total grey out, which I snapped out of right as my neck slammed against the hard OTSR, just before I greyed out again, then got neck-chopped 496 times before the biggest chop ever just before hitting the brakes. It actually made me feel angry, which kind of makes me laugh now when I think of it.

I did not ride again until the unveiling of Intrimidator 305, which made the rest of the ride somewhat bearable, but killed the first drop and did not help at all with the greying out.

I avoided it like the plague until they put the soft shoulder straps on it. While this helped with neck chopping, it did not help with neck snapping. By now I was learning to ride it without hurting myself or greying out, but to me, if you have to learn to ride it, it's not a good ride. Fighter-pilot breathing and bracing myself into the curves is just too much work. I like to be able to relax and enjoy the ride.

Plus I hate country-rock. Plus I don't care for NASCAR. Plus I don't like red all that much. Interestingly, I was able to ignore all of those things on the Intimidator at Carowinds because that ride is beyond delightful. I even got over the fact that it is on a parking lot because it is THAT much fun.
 
I love i305. Coasters were rough and once upon a time. What i305 does is nothing compared to some of the wooden coasters I have ridden, or even the great arrow loopers. i305 is pretty forceful and if you keep your head against the headrest like they tell you to and try not to be a loosey goosey its a fun VERY intense ride. The most intense coaster I have ever been on... The turns are amazing and the speed and force... It's just great.
 
Robbie said:
Plus I hate country-rock. Plus I don't care for NASCAR. Plus I don't like red all that much. Interestingly, I was able to ignore all of those things on the Intimidator at Carowinds because that ride is beyond delightful. I even got over the fact that it is on a parking lot because it is THAT much fun.

Carowinds Intimidator > i305.
 
Youhow2 said:
I love i305. Coasters were rough and once upon a time. What i305 does is nothing compared to some of the wooden coasters I have ridden, or even the great arrow loopers. i305 is pretty forceful and if you keep your head against the headrest like they tell you to and try not to be a loosey goosey its a fun VERY intense ride. The most intense coaster I have ever been on... The turns are amazing and the speed and force... It's just great.

No. No. No. I hate this argument with a passion. The roughest ride I've every ridden is EitA (Version 2). The roughest coaster I've ever ridden is The Voyage. What's the most painful coaster I've ever ridden? i305 (Verison 1). If EitA had over the shoulder restraints, I'm pretty sure people wouldn't walk off of that ride. The good news is that it doesn't have OTSR- it has a seatbelt. Same with the Voyage. If it had OTSR, I would of hated it. Guess what, it's my number 1 coaster. I don't have a problem with rough coasters, I have a problem with bad and unconformable coasters. i305 is both.

The first time I rode it, it had the trims and the hard restraints. When I got off, I felt like I was just in a car accident. My neck was in pain for the rest of the day. Thankfully the pain went away after the next day, but the red lines down both sides of my neck stayed with me for a few days.

I heard about the new restraints and the modified first turn so I figured I'd go try it again this year. I know I'll get some hate for this, but I got off of the ride bored. The first drop, turn, and hill is fantastic. After that, it's just some turns. I don't understand the appeal of turns. If you had put those between some amazing airtime hills, the ride would probably end up in my top 3, but they didn't. Basically, I think the whole design of the coaster was a disaster and I hope it's never tired again.

tl;dr: i305 roughness = wooden coaster roughness and that's bad for a ride with OTSR. Last year's i305 was terribly painful. This year's i305 is a bore.
 
This year's i305 is amazing!!! No trims, shoulder restraints, wider first turn. It flies over the airtime hill...
 
^ And then what...? As I said, the first drop, turn, and hill are amazing but then it might as well hit the brake run. I don't understand the appeal of the rest of the rest of the coaster.

I'm turning this way. Now I'm turning this way. Now we're turning the other way...
 
I still have i305 #2 on my steel coaster list. (2011 version)

Right behind Bizarro (SFNE) and right in front of Apollo's Chariot.

You can say what you want about the restraints and the 2nd half of the ride...however the first part of the ride is simply amazing.

Quick lift, big drop, tight turn, and a decent airtime hill (now)...really makes i305 superior to most steel coasters in my book.
 
For me to enjoy a coaster, it has to have some substance to it. A drop, a turn, and an airtime hill alone just doesn't cut it in my book. Also, lets not over-hype the airtime too much. It doesn't come close to Apollo's Chariot @ BGW, The Voyage @ Holiday World, or [the?] Phoenix @ Knoebels.
 
Airtime + OTSR = :/ anyway.

At any rate, as much as I don't like McTimidator, I'm glad lots of people do. It keeps them out of the Dominator line!
 
I305 is my number one coaster, I love that thing. I actually hated it with the orange restraints, but with the straps, in my opinion it is the best coaster ever.
 
Swiftman said:
For me to enjoy a coaster, it has to have some substance to it. A drop, a turn, and an airtime hill alone just doesn't cut it in my book. Also, lets not over-hype the airtime too much. It doesn't come close to Apollo's Chariot @ BGW, The Voyage @ Holiday World, or [the?] Phoenix @ Knoebels.

I agree to a point. However, its not really just a drop and a turn. It is one of the biggest drops around...into one of the highest sustained force turns around.

Also, people tend to forget this coaster is themed after a NASCAR driver. When you feel g-forces in a stock car...they are through high speed banked turns...

Robbie said:
Airtime + OTSR = :/ anyway.

At any rate, as much as I don't like McTimidator, I'm glad lots of people do. It keeps them out of the Dominator line!

The airtime hill in 2011 trim is actually fairly respectable (not the best obviously, but still pretty nice after the aggressive first turn).

Also, it does have OTSR...but depending on your size the restraints may act just like any other lap bar.
 
shb5007 said:
Also, people tend to forget this coaster is themed after a NASCAR driver. When you feel g-forces in a stock car...they are through high speed banked turns…

And it comes nowhere close to feeling like banked turns in a stock car. Keep in mind the majority of banked turn coasters have nowhere near the amount of banking as only three of the tracks. The majority are under 15*
 
ScoutN said:
And it comes nowhere close to feeling like banked turns in a stock car. Keep in mind the majority of banked turn coasters have nowhere near the amount of banking as only three of the tracks. The majority are under 15*

I would have to respectively disagree to both statements as a stock car driver myself.

Also would like to bring up i305 is rumored to be running up to 98mph this year (when functioning properly)...
 
I will say that despite being an okay coaster (especially when compared to Flight of Fear next door), I hate the theme. I guess they were trying to pander to the rednecks in Richmond.
 
studiopzp said:
I will say that despite being an okay coaster (especially when compared to Flight of Fear next door), I hate the theme. I guess they were trying to pander to the rednecks in Richmond.

Rednecks in Richmond? Really?
 
shb5007 said:
I would have to respectively disagree to both statements as a stock car driver myself.

Also would like to bring up i305 is rumored to be running up to 98mph this year (when functioning properly)...

Playstation does not count. I spot for two very prominent teams. You sir are beyond wrong. Only three tracks have major banking and the rest are very moderate to flat. Coasters near sideways recreate nothing in comparison to a race car.
 
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