Mind Bender: A Classic Steel Roller Coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia
For some reason I think I’ve overlooked just how much fun Mind Bender
is. Many die-hard coaster enthusiasts praise Anton Schwarzkopf-designed steel loopers, but here it really is more than just nostalgia for rides that are no longer made. In 2011, the 33 year old Mind Bender easily delivered some of the most fun rides I’d had all year.
Schwarzkopf Roller Coasters: Oldies But Goodies
One of the most notable things about Schwarzkopf coasters are the absence of over-the-shoulder restraints. These coasters have only lap bars even though they do invert. Other well-known coasters include Hersheypark’s Sooper Dooper Looper, Six Flags Over Texas’ Shock Wave (which was closed when I was there!), Scorpion at Busch Gardens Tampa, and the insanely intense MindBender at Galaxyland Amusement Park in Canada. They have an old-school feel that delivers an imperfect and more organic ride than say the modern B&M loopers. While they’re decades old, somehow they’re not only ride-able, they’re actually still fun.
Mind Bender sits in a partially wooded area in the Gotham City section of Six Flags Over Georgia. We boarded the small train cars, our lap bars went down, and we were off. The train was dispatched and up the lift hill we went. The train sounded like an antique car as it made odd sounds and slowly pushed us over the top. After literally creeping over the crest of the lift, the ride took a wide right turn and then dropped the train down the first drop. We found out that the old jalopy still had some life in her after all. The train screamed down the hill and right into a fun vertical loop. Unlike some of the slightly newer Arrow loopers I’ve ridden, the loops weren’t so intense. And, you could easily raise your hands without the should harnesses getting in the way.
Mind Bender: Terrain, Loops, & Airtime
The lift and first loop are in plain sight of the riders getting ready to board in the station. The rest of the ride is hidden pretty well by the park’s terrain. After the loop, the train flew through some trees and then rose up for a moment. Then we took a swooping 45-degree turn (marketed back in the day as another loop). It was banked pretty heavily and sent the train plummeting into a low lying area and right past a small waterfall. The element provided some surpising speed and the use of the terrain was awesome! The train climbed another hill and took a straight drop. Then it charged back up and provided some fun airtime as it crested.
Not done yet, Mind Bender took another right turn, and then dropped us down, even lower than before. We rocketed into the second vertical loop and immediately whizzed through a short tunnel. The train flew up and back into the Batman-themed corner of the park. The track flattened out and we entered the station brakes. It was amazing how much energy it had. It never felt like it might really run out of gas. Overall, Mind Bender’s pacing and layout is near perfect.
I’m glad that it made my Top 3 Old School Looping Roller Coasters, but I’ve still been sleeping on this ride. It’s got about everything you could ask for. Fun inversions, drops, at least one solid moment of airtime, cool use of the terrain, and surprises. What more could you ask for? Mind Bender’s been one of the toughest 
roller coasters for me to rate. I wavered between an 8.0 and an 8.5. Since I can’t identify any real negatives and also because I consider it a better overall roller coaster than most of the ride’s that I’ve given 8.0′s to, I’m going to go with an 8.5 for Mind Bender. Final Rating – 8.5 (Great Approaching Excellent)
Here’s an on-ride POV video of Mind Bender at Six Flags Over Georgia:
Mind Bender is rated ‘TH’ for Thrilling. It’s a 3 out of 5 on my Thrill Scale. It has 1 thrill factor, it’s vertical loops. Mind Bender would probably be a great first looper for novice riders. Even though it’s an older roller coaster, it’s relatively smooth and not very intense.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of Mind Bender at Six Flags Over Georgia? Do you agree with my rating? Leave a comment below. Images courtesy of Coaster Image.
November 15, 2011 at 18:49
My oldest son and I both really liked this old-school looper. After riding Shock Wave at SFOT just a few days before, we had to go on this one to compare the two. I really like how Mind Bender darts in and out of the trees. The only complaint I had was the intense raw sewage smell after the last inversion, right before the tunnel. All that water there was obviously stagnant and the summer heat wasn't helping, but the coaster itself was great.
November 16, 2011 at 11:46
This looks good. I love anton's loopers, sooperdooperlooper at hershey park is very fun and smooth. I can't wait to ride this when I go to SFOG this summer. This, dare devil dive, acrophobia, and especially Goliath are the main attractions I am looking forward to.
November 16, 2011 at 12:31
My first looping coaster was actually The Sooper Dooper Looper at Hershey. I rode it about 7 years ago, when I was just tall enough to ride it. The Mindbender looks like a more intense version of the Sooper Dooper Looper, but still not as intense as B&M loopers, which is great. These Schwarzkopf coasters are perfect, not too intense, but a lot of fun!
November 16, 2011 at 18:07
I rode SDL back in '06, with most of my rides at night. Night rides are awesome. Hades at Night in Mt. O. Would anyone else agree that, due to the name and location of this ride, this coaster has a Riddler theme?
November 16, 2011 at 18:09
I also recently booked at trip to Cedar Point next July. I'm spending 4 days on the edge of North America. I'm going to ride Jr. Gemini even if i have to jack a kid to go. Hopefully some kid will consent to ride with me. I must ride Intamin's first coaster.
November 17, 2011 at 11:55
Yeah night rides are awesome on sooperdooperlooper. And yeah I think mindbender does have a riddler theme. The question mark, name, and location kind of give that away, although there is no riddler logo for the ride of the riddler himself.
November 16, 2011 at 18:32
While this ride is extremly fun, and it has better terrain usage than Shockwave, Shockwave has air all over it.
November 18, 2011 at 08:38
Mindbender is easily my second favorite ride at SFOG behind Goliath. Gives a wild enough ride while not being to rough or intense. Plus it really doesn't show it's age at all and is great for novices. classic
November 23, 2011 at 04:01
It does look a lot like the sooperdooperLooper with an extra loop (and a slightly later track design).
For me, the sooperdooperLooper used to loom large as a coaster I was tempted to ride when I was a kid, but didn't purely due to being chicken. I finally rode it this summer, and wasn't disappointed. By modern standards it's not an extreme ride, but it's great fun (and, having ridden Fahrenheit earlier that day, I was ready for something slightly less intense). Riding an inverting coaster with just a lapbar is a great experience.
The Mind Bender looks like it'd be even better, with its additional loop.
November 23, 2011 at 04:06
Speaking of the sooperdooperLooper, I've been hearing rumors that next season it's getting new trains. Of course, there's some fear that they might have over-the-shoulder restraints, but most people seem to think they won't.
November 24, 2011 at 13:20
This was actually my first BIG coaster years back! Scared the crap outa me at first but this is truly an amazing nostalgic looper! I love the roaring sound of the loop and the dips through the forest. I agree with your rating. Its a really great ride! Can you do a review on the Georgia Scorcher?
November 27, 2011 at 03:46
hey cc i cant believe you said this ride isnt very intense! those loops and the inclined loop diving into the ravine always cause me to black out, did you not when you rode it?
December 3, 2011 at 10:52
Nope. No blacking out at all. That's kind of surprising that you did. How do you generally fair on loopers? I bet Superman's pretzel loop does a number on you.
February 8, 2012 at 11:02
superman's pretzel loop really isnt that bad actually, neither is manta's loop, I think its because the forces on the pretzel loops are applied to the chest as apposed to the g's on mindbender forcing the blood in your head down lower in your body. also i think i have inherited low blood pressure, that might have something to do with it, very fun ride though, regardless of blacking out
August 6, 2012 at 11:40
Mind Bender is super fun and is right up there with Goliath and Georgia Scorcher ( i love it atleast). The ride is like the most addictive coaster ive been on with a low height requirement for kids. Good scenery, smooth ride, under rated to the general people in the park.