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Shane

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UPDATE: 08/31/2017 - SixFlags has announced that Georgia Cyclone will become Twisted Cyclone after undergoing a makeover by Rocky Mountain Construction.

NewsPlusNotes.com said:
Six Flags Over Georgia has announced that their wooden roller coaster, Georgia Cyclone, will close forever July 30th, 2017.  No immediate plans for a replacement for the ride have been announced.

This gives fans of the coaster about two weeks to get in their final rides.  The coaster was one of many that were originally built to mimic the layout of the famous Coney Island Cyclone.  It opened in 1990 and has given nearly 9 million rides since, according to this story.

Built by the Dinn Corporation, Georgia Cyclone stands 95 feet tall and features a 79 foot first drop.  The maximum speed the trains hit over the 2,970 foot long course is 50 miles per hour.

Although the park isn't saying what will be coming in 2018, we have seen Six Flags close several wooden roller coasters mid-season to prepare them for transformations.  All of these past examples have then been turned into modern scream machines from Rocky Mountain Construction, and I doubt anyone would be upset if that happened in this case.  Stay tuned!
Source



It looks like this will definitely become an RMC coaster, especially after reading this article which states that RMC is currently working on 7 new projects. That leaves 3 unknown projects for 2018:

  • Japanese Coaster
  • Hurler
  • Mean Streak
  • Georgia Cyclone
  • ¿Kenneywood?
  • ¿Raptor Track?
  • ¿California's Great America?
 
RE: Project 2018: RMC Georgia Cyclone?

Shane said:
It looks like this will definitely become an RMC coaster, especially after reading this article which states that RMC is currently working on 7 new projects. That leaves 3 unknown projects for 2018:

And people are complaining that Mean Streak and Hurler construction is moving at a snail's pace! LOL
 
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RE: Project 2018: RMC Georgia Cyclone?

Six Flags Over Georgia to Debut Twisted Cyclone Hybrid Roller Coaster
Wood and Steel Thrill Coming in 2018​







August 31, 2017 04:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

AUSTELL, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Six Flags Over Georgia—the Thrill Capital of the South—today announced the all-new Twisted Cyclone hybrid roller coaster will arrive in 2018. Twisted Cyclone will offer guests the best of both worlds—a classic wooden structure combined with a modern, steel track for multiple inversions and a smoother, more thrilling riding experience.

“Six Flags was the first in the industry to introduce this hybrid technology, and Twisted Cyclone is a shining example of Six Flags innovation at its very best. Year after year, our park keeps delivering unique thrills for all ages, and this state-of-the-art hybrid coaster is an absolute game-changer,” said Park President Dale Kaetzel. “Our guests are going to be blown away by the unbelievable features of this coaster.”

Twisted Cyclone highlights include:

• An insanely steep 75-degree initial drop from nearly 100 feet into a jaw-dropping reverse cobra roll sending riders perpendicular to the ground;

• Three hair-raising upside down inversions and 10 airtime moments along approximately 2,400 feet of track at speeds of 50 miles per hour;

• The feeling of weightlessness through a 360-degree zero gravity roll;

• One-of-a-kind custom coaster trains modeled after a classic 1960’s sports convertible; and a smoother, sleeker, more intense ride than ever before.

Construction on Twisted Cyclone is underway and the ride is expected to debut in the spring of 2018.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170831005158/en/Flags-Georgia-Debut-Twisted-Cyclone-Hybrid-Roller
 
OMG! That cobra roll!!

Seriously, RMC is really dominating the industry in a relatively short amount of time. The amount, and scale, of their projects flooding the market in 2018 is somewhere between breathtaking and insane, and I love it.
 
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Or possibly RMC is just trendy.

I'm not saying that I haven't enjoyed the RMCs I've ridden, but the current RMC craze feels suspiciously like the B&M craze that dominated a lot of enthusiast thinking just a few years ago.  They feel a bit like the Flavor of the Month to me.  

Obviously, some of that is driven by who is innovating, but it seems to me that the excitement for a newer, better approach/technology can turn into cheerleading groupthink.
 
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I tend to agree, and I was thinking exactly the same thing of RMC being the "new B&M." The sudden boom in RMC coasters reminds me of B&M's initial boom as a young company in the 90's.

Of course, that B&M boom left us with several quality coasters that are still celebrated today, so hopefully this age of RMC lends a similar result.

That said, I fear that over-jockeying for RMC will lead to an oversaturation of RMCs throughout the country. If every park starts throwing in an RMC to replace an aging wooden coaster, they will lose their uniqueness, and thus their marketing edge.

There is also a legitimate fear that parks will now stop taking care of their older wooden coasters with the knowledge that they can always RMC them if needed. That worries me.
 
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I know we are WAY off-topic, but along those lines, there have been rumors of Roar being RMCed. I think that would be a huge loss. Newer is not always better.

But to get back to Cyclone. I think it is a perfect candidate for a conversion. It was one of the most painful woodies I have ever endured.
 
I can't agree with you more Nicole. SFoG's two wood coasters are two of the roughest I've ridden and Georgia Cyclone was a perfect candidate. I think this will become a problem if parks start to "RMC" coasters that don't need it. ROAR at SFA is probably my favorite wood coaster in the Mid-Atlantic, its worlds better than Grizzly, its much longer than Invadr (which I still haven't ridden) and rides fantastic even with it's original PTC trains. It would be a mistake for SF to convert ROAR for the sake of remarketing it. So I am totally in favor or reworking Georgia Cyclone and any other wood coaster that can't be "fixed" with proper maintenance and track work.
 
Nicole said:
Or possibly RMC is just trendy.

Not just trendy, but more economical for a park. The cost of rehabbing these wood coasters is a lot cheaper than tearing down the ride and building a brand new one. They also fabricate everything at their plant which keeps costs down. This is why you see Six Flags constantly hiring them - they're getting more bang for their buck in a major way.
 
SixFlags is going to start running out of potential coaster candidates in the next couple of seasons. I imagine that is why RMC is starting to diversify it's offerings since there are less candidates for their headlining product offering.
 
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