Son of Beast Closed Again. Will it Join Big Bad Wolf in Coaster Heaven?
The wooden monstrosity that is Son of Beast has once again been closed. This time Kings Island (near Cinncinnati, OH) has announced that the ride will be closed for the rest of the season. Son of Beast opened in 2001 as the world’s only looping wooden coaster. The mere idea of a looping woodie, rubbed wooden coaster purists the wrong way. Others thought it was a neat hybrid of the coaster world. I am in the latter camp, but I can’t speak to how good or bad the Son’s ride is as I’ve never ridden it. The looping woodie debate ended in the winter of 2006-07 when the newly Cedar Fair-owned Kings Island removed the loop.
I was 0 – 2 in my attempts to ride Son of Beast. In April 2006, the entire park was closed due to snow (!) and then when I returned in the summer of 2007 for a twilight visit, Son of Beast was down for repairs by the time I reached the park. Reports have been that it’s super rough and the accident didn’t help this reputation. In July 2006, an accident injured 12 riders sending them to the hospital. I’d love to see Son of Beast reprofiled, but I have no idea how expensive or implausible that might be. Besides, what if Kings Island reprofiled it and it was still as rough as ever.
So is the Son of Beast about to be sent of to the scrap heap, reprofiled, or will it live on to abuse riders for another year?
What’s Your Take?
What do you think will happen to Son of Beast? What do you hope Kings Island does with Son of Beast? Leave a comment below.
August 21, 2009 at 08:45
It's just too big. Obviously if it was a pre-fab it would be better, but El Toro doesn't really feel like a woodie. I think they could replace it with a launch coaster or such. Something like Stealth or Xcellerator.
August 21, 2009 at 12:52
If it goes, I hope another (better) coaster goes in its place.
August 21, 2009 at 17:51
C.C., remember Park Sleuth? They have a pretty good vid of the best coaster ever in action… even better than KUMBA!
August 21, 2009 at 19:36
Great find JaMeS. I love the video they did, but unfortunately it's not on their YouTube page so I can't repost it. But, I'll link to it in my upcoming post on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit's opening.
I'll just pretend that you didn't say it was better than Kumba.
August 21, 2009 at 22:00
I only rode SOB when it had the loop. Honestly beyond the loop the ride sucked. It was 2 rose bowls (deep helix's). and a couple hills. It really didn't live up to it's father who is a long terrain coaster full of adventure. When SOB goes Cedar Fair should put a pre-fab in it's place!
August 22, 2009 at 05:16
im sorry, but it is
August 22, 2009 at 11:05
Imagine the bonfire we could have … Son of Beast and Mean Streak!
August 22, 2009 at 11:14
The loop was fantastic but the rest of the ride was so poorly planned (aside from the engineering flaws that leave it rough). The helicies are boring and have none of the flair of its papa. It is like they thought that everyone loves the helix on The Beast so they just added two of them to Sonny without contemplating that the pacing, the slow ramp into the tunnel and the tunnel itself is what makes that one of the best endings in all of costerdom.
August 22, 2009 at 17:47
Ha ha! Comment of the season, Judy!
Mark, I wonder what Cedar Fair would have built if they owned Kings Island when Son of Beast was built. Something tells me they wouldn't have built a woodie with a loop and an uneventful course.
August 24, 2009 at 06:48
I have rode the SOB one time and one time only. I didnt like it. Dont get me wrong but it was alright its just not something that I cared to much to ride again and again. And honestly with all the times that it has been closed 7 times in 9 seasons. They need to take it down completely and save themselves. Build another RollerCoaster and make sure that its one that people can feel safe and not think they could get hurt on.
April 20, 2010 at 04:15
Rode it with my sons once, in 2007. Exhilirating and intense, and liked more than CP's Mean Streak- but once wore us out. I agree, the layout is too basic. If they do tear it down, they should copy Michigan Adventure's "shivering timbers", owned by CedarFair. That is my single favorite wooden coaster. It's like KI's Racer, but thrill & near size of "The Beast". Steep hills, lots of great ups & downs, and fun banked curve out yonder, and a great high-speed banked helix finish. Shivering Timbers is only 125 ft tall on 1st hill. KI should try 160 tall with same layout, and add a tunnel.
April 20, 2010 at 18:11
Wait… good review, but that's me.
August 26, 2009 at 13:36
Tear the thing down. If the idiots couldn't build it the right way and it is hurting it's riders, which many could have pernament injuries which will cause them never to ride again, perhaps, due to sore backs and stuff, tear this baby down. I never rode it and wouldn't it it's that rough. BONFIRE IT!
August 26, 2009 at 13:38
By the way, I'm still upset that Big Bad Wolf is being torn down. I loved it!!!!!!!!!
August 28, 2009 at 17:24
The son of beas t is like the best ride there and i think that they should just leave it up. yeah its had some problems but they fixed them. the first hill is the best thing that has ever been invented on a rollercoaster!!!
August 28, 2009 at 19:53
ive seen some pictures of the son of beast and it looks like the drop is similar to the drop on roar. roars drop was good but the rest of it was horrible by the end of it i felt like id just gotten a conncussion. i also read a report on SOB that said it felt like you were riding a car down a road filled with potholes. people seem to like the loop it offers and seeing that it only has a lapbar it must be real cool. but then again the two helixes Sob has to offer arent like the spiraly devistation owned by the beast. i hope that if they take down SOB theyll replace it whith a similar, smoother, taller, faster and better copy keeping the name and the loop. though theyed probly not bon fire it but use its pieces to build the second better SOB
PS. i cant tellyou my opinion beacause i havent riden it
August 30, 2009 at 18:56
i heard they closed it down due to a lawsuit filed by a rider who allegedly popped a bloodvessel while riding. now, you can do that walking, goin to the bathroom, or just sitting in a chair.
August 31, 2009 at 17:39
Son of Beast was amazing to me (never even have ridden it with the loop.) This year was quite a bit rougher than last year, but still very fun to me. I'm a speed lover when it comes to coasters, and SOB delivers.
I don't know if SOB will survive. I can see it being totally demolished since it's been a maintenence nightmare from the beginning. But, I could also see it getting 100% overhauled like they've done with some past coasters at parks (Phantoms revenge, Thunderbolt, etc…) hopefully adding more to the ride and making it much smoother. Could be very costly though, so who knows.
September 15, 2009 at 20:10
I'd sure hate to see it go. Yeah, injuries are definitely not a good thing, but with this monster already in place surely a little more fine tuning could tame this beast into a survivor. What do you think?
September 16, 2009 at 14:25
no
September 30, 2009 at 16:54
I know this has never been done, but if it is at all possible, if I was in control of Cedar Fair, I'd get rid of SOB (whose ride made me SOB), and build a LAUNCHED WOODIE by Intamin or B&M. I'd go with B&M because of the frequent disasters lately by Intamin rides, like Xcelerator. I have no idea if this idea would even work, but if it did, that's what I would do.
September 30, 2009 at 19:14
Ok, Let us look at this with a realistic point of view.
SoB is the Tallest, Fastest wooden coaster on the planet. BUT, due to its roughness, gimmicks, incidents, and bad press, no one in the GP considers it a world-class coaster. And it is the GP that makes the decisions for these theme parks. Frankly, SoB isn't truely a relevent coaster nowadays. A coaster at my home park has suffered a similar problem (without the harmful incidents) and now it sits in pieces waiting for the scrap heap. We all have to look at what CF thinks is the next step foward for the coaster, basing off of popularity and costs. Costs are what matters. Personaly, does anyone thing an overhaul like what the smaller Texas Giant is recieving a relevent investment?