9/2/2008 Why Prowler will not be Timberwolf and other stories from Worlds of Fun

Yesterday, in what could only be considered a historic day in the annals of Worlds of Fun history the cat was literally let out of the bag. Worlds of Fun along with the fine folks at Great Coasters International announced their newest baby, Prowler.

It would be the park's second wooden coaster in its thirty five years of existence, and even before the stroke of noon the comparisons were already flying. Will it be rough like Timberwolf, why is the park adding another ride like Timberwolf, when is the park going to do more track work on Timberwolf?

Before we go take a look more closely there I think a retrospect is in order. Since Cedar Fair has purchased the park in 1995 they have added five new coasters to the park's lineup (Mamba, Boomerang, Spinning Dragons, Patriot and now Prowler makes five), and removed two,(Zambezi Zinger and Orient Express). Five out of two ain't bad odds at all. Two of the new coasters were directly intended to replace the two that were removed, Patriot for Orient Express and Spinning Dragons for Zinger. Yet, ten years later people are still bemoaning the loss of those last two. So why? and why is this so important?

In the last ten years I have done my own mourning. Losing large chunks of a park that has always been so close to my heart has been as painful to me as anyone else. Yet, I still came and dealt with the pain and loss of it all over the last ten years. As sad as it is mourning the loss of even a roller coaster or ride is not far off from the grieving process of a person. You still feel the same emotions. Yet, it is so important to get past the grieving process before being able to accept something brand new. This is the process the park must accept and go through. People are past the shock and denial stage, now they are angry and looking for a resolution.

Worlds of Fun on the other hand is doing exactly what it should be doing at this point. Not heading forward situation normal, but trying to heal the rift in its patrons hearts. In the last few years we have seen a drastic 180 degree turn in the way the park was being managed. We now have a good General Manager, one who knows what it is that people miss as he was there himself. We have a great Public Relations staff, one who has infused fun back into this Worlds of Fun, and has welcomed back its fan base with open arms. Still they have a fairly significant hill to climb now.

People look at Timberwolf as a still existing sign of what went wrong. It is still rough and painful, and while the park has put significant time and effort lately into starting the recovery of this once great ride, it still has a long way to go. People ride it, and then see they are adding another wooden coaster just like Timberwolf and think the park is going to do the same thing again.

People have been hurt, they are angry and with good reason they have their doubts. Think about when you have had a good friend or relative hurt you multiple times over, wasn't it hard to trust them again?

So here we are.

It's not enough to say Prowler will prove them wrong. Prowler has to show that the park is doing what's right. I have no doubt in my mind that it will. It will be a long hard fight to win the rest of the crowds back though. Case in point look at Patriot. Patriot did not attract throngs of crowds over night. In fact you could say its first season was pretty apathetic. People weren't sure. However, over time people decided to try it out and found out that they liked it, they were willing to accept this new ride, and now it's well loved.

Prowler I believe will have the same experience. People will be wary of it, and for good reason. It is absolutely necessary that the park not shrink WHY they are concerned. Apathy is the easiest road to follow but the worst friend in the long end. It is necessary that they answer questions about Timberwolf. That yes, the park is working to improve on Timberwolf (which they have) and that they are continuing that trend. This is the most important step, as improving what is already existing can be just as important as adding new things.

This is especially true at Worlds of Fun now. I firmly believe the park is headed this direction, that they already know all of this, but it always bears repeating. The second part of the Prowler equation is already done, or will be done in eight months. The park is adding a coaster that once people experience it, will realize it is not Timberwolf. I guarantee the moment a guest rides Prowler the second they ride it, the comparisons will be gone faster then the train drops 85 feet down.

So it begets the question why is Prowler not Timberwolf? I could always use the standard parents reply, because I say it's not, and leave it at that, but that wouldn't be any fun and after all you have read this far, you have to know right?

The plain truth is technology. In 1980 Orient Express opened, and 26 years later Patriot opened. Its a hard truth that Patriot is smoother then Orient Express ever was, period. Other parks and the past fourteen years have shown that coasters like Patriot stay just as smooth. The first inverted coaster, like Patriot, was Batman at Six Flags Great America (in Chicago, IL) added in 1992, today it is just as smooth an experience as it was 14 years previous. Because just like the cars we all drive, like the cell phones we now all use, like the televisions we all watch, technology gets better and better with time.

After all who still drives a car with no fuel injection?

The same is true with wooden coasters. Truth be told the structure of a wooden coaster hasn't really changed a whole lot in the one hundred or so years that they have been built. They are still built of wood laminated together to form track. This is in much the same way that tubular steel coasters are still giant tubes of steel that trains rumble over. What has changed is the most important aspect of a rider's experience, one that I am willing to bet you as a reader haven't even guessed yet. The train.

B&M the manufacturer of Patriot revolutionized the steel coaster world with their trains back in 1992. Articulating chassis, no more solid axle, equaled more give and flexibility to the inflexible steel track. In the end, no more bumps. Our friends at GCI or Great Coasters International had a similar epiphany of their own. The Millennium Flyer Train came into being in 1999, and the whole wooden coaster experience changed. Previously wooden coasters had to be re-tracked almost every few years to retain their smooth experience. Now, even 10 years after its debut with the first ever set of Millennium Flyer trains Roar at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom still offers an enjoyable and smooth experience. Prowler is just the next step in what is shaping to be a long lineage of great coasters, from Great Coasters International.

So, you might ask if it's all an issue with trains why don't they put the Millennium Flyer trains on Timberwolf and set it loose. Would it fix the problem? Most likely. With the Flyer trains unlike previous train designs they don't bang around the turns (yep, everyone nod their head) they roll or glide around them. The problem being GCI will only let their trains run on their coasters. So we may never know.

It seems so amazing that a set of articulating wheels can make such a big difference to a ride experience. I guess you could say its similar to the experience of thread barren tires versus brand new tires on a car, It makes a huge difference in the overall smoothness of the ride. Same thing.

So, Prowler will not be Timberwolf, it will never be Timberwolf thanks in part to the technological minds of the amusement industry. What will it be then?

Without experiencing it I have no way of telling you without a doubt what it will be. I have some theories though. Already we know Prowler will be a terrain coaster, after the initial drop it will never stray more then 20 feet off the ground. In that respect it shares a kindred relationship with some of the greatest coasters ever built including the granddaddy of them all... The Beast.

Often revered as the greatest coaster ever built, The Beast and its first use of the terrain style, has not only firmly established its place in history but also inspired many of the coasters that have held the place as #1 in the world in many cases for years on end. In fact the short list of terrain coasters includes not only The Beast which at 30+ years is still ranked as the #1 wooden coaster in the world in numerous polls, but also The Raven (ranked #1 for four years straight 2000-2003).

What establishes a terrain coaster, as a terrain coaster is what also makes them very rare. The track literally hugs the ground. While instead of being built on a flat piece of land, the layout uses the natural curves, valleys and relative forests of trees as it's design instead. Having to deal with trees, instead of knocking them down, and having to deal with a rough terrain has deterred most parks from every trying to build a terrain coaster, as with anything more work adds greatly to the overall cost.

So while Timberwolf goes down, up down, Prowler goes down, and never has to go back up, it instead follows the lay of the land, never having a chance to lose its speed, yet darting through forests of trees, creeks and valleys. In that end I believe after one ride the comparisons with Timberwolf will stop, but a new comparison may begin, and much more positive one with another great coaster, this time more close to home, The Zambezi Zinger.

This might be Prowler's legacy, in creating a timeless wholesome family experience. One that does not break your neck at every bend, but is enjoyable enough to ride over and over again. Like you, the reader I am not certain of anything at this point. However I know from experience that there has yet to be a dud of a terrain coaster, the whole concept is one that has proved its merit with every new offspring, it's a heritage that Worlds of Fun and its loyal base of fans is banking on to continue.

See you next April for the return of the Opening Day Review!