The Big Bad Wolf
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
The "soles" of the BBW still exist in the footers at the bottom of the last drop lol. The "soul" still lives on in all the cool little tributes the park added to Bolt.
- Grammar nazi just sayin'
I just read through the entire thread for probably the tenth time and every time it kills me reading it. It's hard to describe with words how much I miss this coaster. The wolf was just such a magical coaster that for some reason everybody loved it. But, it's gone and I need to stop thinking about it because sadly the park can't bring it back. On the bright side of things I found the layout of the wolf that the park put out in 83'.
Maybe someday when Verbolten's old and deserves it's rest, a new wolf will come out on the prowl...
Maybe someday when Verbolten's old and deserves it's rest, a new wolf will come out on the prowl...
- Feb 17, 2014
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Conner,
I hate to disappoint you but not EVERYONE loved it. I am an Arrow Fanboy (apologist some might say... I'm looking at you Zach) and I for one, was somewhat underwhelmed by her after the first couple of years. There is no hard evidence, but at some point she slowed down, or at least she felt like she did.
She was a brilliant innovation, and a first, but hardly unique. She had grand theming, if you were in the front seat, but the ride was crap up there. To me the visuals are a waste and I am only going to be in a back car unless completely necessary, but I know many other people have a penchant for such things.
The tour through the town was a nice swing ride but that was about it. In my mind the drop was killed by the curve as many are, and was frankly at the wrong end and what was with the random mist at the end? What purpose did that surve?
Was it imaginative and creative? YOU BET, on a scale no coaster company today is capable of. That unfortunately is the problem. B&M would never build something that reckless out of their swim lane. Intamin is too busy trying to see how far they can push a human body before is squishes to try that kind of imaginative stuff. Those two companies are more interesting in solving engineering problems then creating a beautiful ride. (please do not misunderstand, their is room for both) Zier might have the imagination, but if Verbolten is any indication, anything that becomes a creative romp also becomes very "family friendly" I could go on, but frankly I would be talking out of my ass, because I am really not an expert.
That having been said, I think only Arrow, at that time, could have built her. Also today they would not let a company put down those concrete supports.
You may begin throwing things at me now.
I hate to disappoint you but not EVERYONE loved it. I am an Arrow Fanboy (apologist some might say... I'm looking at you Zach) and I for one, was somewhat underwhelmed by her after the first couple of years. There is no hard evidence, but at some point she slowed down, or at least she felt like she did.
She was a brilliant innovation, and a first, but hardly unique. She had grand theming, if you were in the front seat, but the ride was crap up there. To me the visuals are a waste and I am only going to be in a back car unless completely necessary, but I know many other people have a penchant for such things.
The tour through the town was a nice swing ride but that was about it. In my mind the drop was killed by the curve as many are, and was frankly at the wrong end and what was with the random mist at the end? What purpose did that surve?
Was it imaginative and creative? YOU BET, on a scale no coaster company today is capable of. That unfortunately is the problem. B&M would never build something that reckless out of their swim lane. Intamin is too busy trying to see how far they can push a human body before is squishes to try that kind of imaginative stuff. Those two companies are more interesting in solving engineering problems then creating a beautiful ride. (please do not misunderstand, their is room for both) Zier might have the imagination, but if Verbolten is any indication, anything that becomes a creative romp also becomes very "family friendly" I could go on, but frankly I would be talking out of my ass, because I am really not an expert.
That having been said, I think only Arrow, at that time, could have built her. Also today they would not let a company put down those concrete supports.
You may begin throwing things at me now.
Well I truly do belive it was innovative because the final drop and final turns was designed by Anton Schwarzkopf and the beginning by Ron Toomer. The fact that two legends in coaster enginnering actually made a ride together is incredible. One can only imagine how different the ride would be if Anton finished it or the park in general! The Big Bad Wolf was a legend, but know it's just a tall tale everybody knows...
I do not dispute that the original was a legend, and as far as coaster design go Toomer and Schwarzkopf are certain the stand outs. As I said, I do not think any coaster company today has the creative capacity to produce such a ride without engineering it to death.
Tools are tools. Anyone with raw creativity (my creativity is rare, not raw, but that's beside the point) would rather have more and better tools at their disposal. Technology is the vehicle, not the enemy, of creativity.
There is no disputing this. Corporate culture more often than not is the enemy or benefator of creatvity.
Apple is a perfect example. Gods know I think the man was a prick but under Jobs the company had hugely creative focus. I belive that focus has shifted and that is partially why they have had so many misteps of lately.
Google fosters a culture of creativity and beifits from it. Howerver they also have a no go zone. The list of projects that have been canned by Google is impressive.
Apple is a perfect example. Gods know I think the man was a prick but under Jobs the company had hugely creative focus. I belive that focus has shifted and that is partially why they have had so many misteps of lately.
Google fosters a culture of creativity and beifits from it. Howerver they also have a no go zone. The list of projects that have been canned by Google is impressive.
Regardless, please don't say "everyone" loves the Wolf, as that is pure hyperbole. I pretty much stopped riding it altogether, after a while. I really don't miss it either.
How dare you ruin my joke by fixing that image, Joe.
TPR just posted an amazing video from 1999 of BBW. I think this is the best POV I've ever seen for this ride. It makes me miss the Bavarian village even more.
I only rode the Big Bad Wolf once in 1994. It was an interesting experience, but the Vortex at Canada's Wonderland I rode the next year made more of an impression Suspended Coaster wise. I had the chance to ride Eagle Fortress in 2010 and that thing still sit on top of my favorite steel coasters. The swinging was so intense it felt like you were doing barrel rolls! For something close to the Big Bad Wolf, I'd say the Chessington Vampire is quite close. I really enjoyed that curving drop and that short trip above the village is a lot of fun.
I later saw a video where a coaster club got a backstage tour of the Vampire and it is easy to see why BGW did not go the same route with Big Bad Wolf. In 2001, when Vekoma renovated the Vampire, they had to do a lot of modifications. For example, the 12 cars floorless swinging cars are longer than the 7 cars Arrow cars. So, they had to weld the transfer table in place and add a new rotating track switch behind the station. New track leading from there to the reconfigured service tracks was fabricated to connect the two.
The vertical clearance with the new cars also require more height, so they had to dig up the tunnel and all close to the ground segments, requiring them to reinforce all the exposed foundations. I can imagine that the village and close trees on BBW would not have survived that process.
I later saw a video where a coaster club got a backstage tour of the Vampire and it is easy to see why BGW did not go the same route with Big Bad Wolf. In 2001, when Vekoma renovated the Vampire, they had to do a lot of modifications. For example, the 12 cars floorless swinging cars are longer than the 7 cars Arrow cars. So, they had to weld the transfer table in place and add a new rotating track switch behind the station. New track leading from there to the reconfigured service tracks was fabricated to connect the two.
The vertical clearance with the new cars also require more height, so they had to dig up the tunnel and all close to the ground segments, requiring them to reinforce all the exposed foundations. I can imagine that the village and close trees on BBW would not have survived that process.
There was a video of that posted by CoasterForce. It's pretty interesting. I can see how that would have been really difficult to pull of with Big Bad Wolf. I will always miss BBW, but thanks for the tip, Spacemtfan! I will put that on my list of parks to visit whenever I go to England.
Here is the walkthrough tour.
Here is the walkthrough tour.