One of the most if not THE most Beautiful roller coasters ever built! Too bad it rode like hell 1:13 damn just even watching it jerk around like that brings back memories, thing beat the hell outa me most of the time I rode it but it was still kinda fun to ride.
Fantastic footage! Thanks for posting this. I visited the park in either '04 or '05 but didn't ride this while I was there, which is one of my biggest regrets in life. Everything I've read has made it sound like it wasn't a very enjoyable experience (even here in 2000 it looks as though it's shaking riders quite a bit), but it kills me that I never got the credit. Plus, at the time I visited, I was probably 8 or 9 years old and seeing that massive wall of wood absolutely blew me away. It made a huge impression on me and I'll never forget looking up at the top of the lift hill and hearing the anti-rollbacks screaming as the train crested the top. For better or worse, it sure was an incredible piece of engineering!
It really was a great ride to look at. While I have had some decent rides on the thing, overall the ride wasn't all that great in my opinion. Once they took out the loop and got different trains I rode it maybe three times before deciding it was no longer worth my time to give it a chance. The anti-rollbacks were so loud that they could be heard in the lobby of the (now former) movie theater across the road from the park.
You are welcome. That turn used to have a section even rougher that was named "the jolt" as soon as the ride opened. When the ride was closed a day or so after it originally opened, that section was rebuilt. While the ride was smoother in that section, it wasn't exactly pleasant.
This was my favorite ride at kings island! Once they tore that down Vortex became my favorite. I like going upside down more than how high it goes and how fast it goes.
I can't believe Vortex has been gone for two years now. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ride in it's later years, but I did take one last ride on its closing day.
Hey Sean! I'm working on an in-depth video on Son of Beast. Would it be ok for me to use portions of your various videos of the ride? I will provide full credit to your channel of course!
When I was younger we would go every summer. I remember we would always eat lunch where you could see the big lift hill. To me it looked so tall it didn't look real. Unfortunately i'm a small girl and I was never tall enough till I was around 16 to ride anything so roller coasters and I have a love hate relationship but I will never forget watching this monster coaster as a kid thinking that it was impossible to go that high up.
It was quite the sight to see. I am glad Kings Island decided to put in a more reliable wooden coaster with Mystic Timbers as it's an incredible ride. Rode it several times for the media preview yesterday morning.
@@SeanFlaharty man remember 2017/18 where you could go to theme parks or concerts or sports games and not worry about being one of the nearly 350k people dead? Good times
@@RMsteelerfan7 Thanks. If you want to share any links or notifications about videos, could you please e-mail them to me? UA-cam has been very strict about what is shared in comments and I don't want you to get flagged for sharing in comments. My email is is in the about tab of my main channel page.
Hi again, I found your email address. I am on mobile and using the mobile app of UA-cam which it does not show that in people’s about sections and that’s only for desktop users… I went on safari and hit the button request desktop site when I went to your channel, and it showed up.
This was the greatest wooden coaster I’ve ever experienced. I feel like both mean streak and beast is pre retrack we’re tougher than this. After the rose bowl part it’s slowed down so much that’s just a normal wooden coaster
I've seen several off ride videos of this ride. I can tell after the first drop it's pure hell, especially through the banking. It's just too large and carries too much speed for a woodie that uses no steel
Could I please use this footage for an upcoming review on Coaster Express? I will give you credit in the video and description. I want to give some background on some of RCCA's other creations.
Aww fun times! I remember riding it in 2000 and 2001. Yeah it was rough, but I still liked it. It was amazing to look at! Biggest wooden coaster ever built! Wish it was still up and they built it right.
@@SeanFlaharty yeah, after writing that, I kinda noticed it was incorrect. I was just there yesterday trying to figure out where the Son actually was. If you look around on Banshee you can still see the clear empty space.
It did have some significant downtown. It took me several visits to finally get my first ride on it in July of 2000. After the loop was removed I only rode it a couple of times as i was no longer willing to attempt to get a good ride on the thing.
Oh yes. The "jolt". That was always a problematic section of the ride. On opening day, it was so bad that the ride was shut down and the section was re-profiled. What you see in this video is after the re-profile.
You would enter the queue as soon as you walk through the tunnel heading to The Bat. You can still see the queue railings if you look the right as soon as you exit that tunnel on the way back.
With how many roller coasters are getting better and giving insane boosts of airtime, they somewhat look just like structures with no substance to them. Taron, Zadra, Volcano The Blast Coaster (rip) F.L.Y, Iron Rattler, Velocicoaster, and Steel Vengeance are works of art and are beautifully crafted. Son Of Beast on the other hand was a curse of art, but I cannot doubt that it was beautiful to look at, and to this day still holds records that still haven’t been broken since. To be honest I don’t really want an RMC SOB, rather a better structure built by GCI and the same topper-track used on Ghostrider. Unlikely of course, but something that could have had potential like how Incredible Hulk was resurrected.
Curse of art. I like that and it honestly describes Son of Beast fairly well. It was a marvel to stare at but the ride itself was not forgiving. It was possible to have "decent" rides on it but those were very rare. Cedar Fair, at one point, did converse with RMC about doing something with the ride but RMC wasn't a big company back then with not a lot of reputation, so the park passed. It would have been incredible to see what they would have done, and any other company that knows what they are doing, when it comes to engineering and construction.
Sonny was definitely one of the roughest rides I have ever ridden. The strange thing is I have actually had a few decent rides on it. However, most were horrible. It came down to me only riding it for video shoots and if someone from out of town wanted to ride it.
I disagree...SOB was a terrible idea., as is the vast majority of wood coasters built to be huge. Mean Streak, Hercules, TX Giant, Rattler, SOB...nearly every giant woodie in modern history has been a colossal failure. Some have been really great rides (Rattler & TX Giant when they were new, for instance), but the complexity and expense of properly maintaining so much wood was the sticking point. Even Voyage and Shivering Timbers are both wrought with issues due, in part, to their size. Plus, Six Flags and Cedar Fair have very poor track records of even knowing HOW to care for ANY wood coaster of any size, much less something as huge as SOB. Intamin has created a wood coaster (such as El Toro) that has much less maintenance requirements due to a new, low stress track design, but these coasters feel more like steel to me. Wood coasters should be of modest size, and should deliver their thrill through the very fact that they are uniquely a traditional wooden roller coaster.
Ahead of its time. RMC would make this thing run smooth as silk if it were still standing...or maybe not, seeing as though they not only used bad wood but two different companies did a pathetic job constructing the monster, still miss it though was a ride clearly like no other
Crooked Halo I agree completely- you make a very valid statement there, and the maintenance record was (and maybe still is?) really poor. The fact they could twist screws off by hand is terrifying when you think about the possibilities of what could and most likely inevitably would happen. Still was an insane ride and I'm glad I can say I got to ride it with the loop in its original ridiculous form 😂
michael touse yea I know, that's why I stated "RMC would make it run smooth as silk if it were still standing", did you get a chance to ride it with the loop? I did one time and it was great! Not incredibly sad it's gone though because I love Banshee alot
"Sonny" was considerably more rough than its father. It was a different type of rough. Its roughness was much different than any other wooden coaster I had ridden.
I wonder why a wooden hyper coaster hasn't been done since. Of all the developments in the industry, a wooden hyper is something that has been done before, shouldn't be too difficult, and would definitely be a crowd puller.
Tommy Carr It might be easier to do, but it comes with its drawbacks when you go for a company besides Intamin. This thing had a bunch of problems, whereas the Intamin prefabs are completely fine and require minimal maintenance. For the first time ever, a prefab is being retracked - Colossos at Heide Park. It took sixteen years for a prefab to become rough enough to close down for retracking. Tells you something, doesn't it?
This maintenance cost on this coaster was incredibly high from what I was told. The park did try a few things on SOB that tried to prevent the dreaded "tall wood = horrible ride" syndrome but those things failed to really change much. While it isn't the same, we will see a 200+foot hybrid coaster in 2018.....allegedly. :)
Honestly speaking, I rode Colssoos in 2002 and it was incredibly smooth. I went back to the park in 2007 and took just one ride on it as it was incredibly rough in the bottoms of all the hills. I was actually really bummed about that as I was so excited to give it another ride as it was one of my favorites. I have only ridden El Toro a few times on one visit after it opened. It was amazing. I hope the park keeps up with the maintenance on it to provide riders with smooth rides for years to come.
My back hurt for 3 days, after riding this, I will never forget. The most jarring part was the helix. I remember screaming in pain, as we went around it. This coaster sounded like an excellent idea, at the time, but everything from the execution, all the way down to the trains, was just wrong. Rode Banshee, the other day, for the first time, and lets just say that SOB will not be missed.
SoB will not be missed. I don't know what it was with that ride. The majority of rides I had gotten on it were pretty bad, although I went back for more. I have had a few pretty decent rides on it though. Very odd. Once they removed the loop, I think I only rode it three times as it had gotten extremely rough in my opinion.
@@seankaufman588 Yes, to every question that you asked. It was an absolute horror movie. I never felt so much pain, in my life. It was very nice, to look at, though.
Always went to KI at least twice a year. I rode SOB on opening day and I sear later opening year it was a rougher ride. Call me crazy, but on my fourth trip riding it, I was done. It was a rough ride from the first, but I swear it got worse and it happened quick. My wife wouldn't ride it after the first time, and she loves Coasters. I don't know what it was, but she knew it was cursed. I actually think it was cursed. I can't do wood Coasters any more because of a neck/back injury. Glad I at least got my four visits on it, but if it was there now, no way.
I am glad you got to ride it as well. My first ride was in July of that year and I couldn't believe how rough it was on my first time around. Sometimes it was unbearable, sometimes it was actually decent. After the loop was removed I took a couple of rides on it then swore it off.
Actually nice to see video of it, brings back memories. I'd love to go to KI one more time before I'm gone. Most likely won't happen. I'm in a wheelchair now and it's just not affordable on a fixed income. I grew up going to Kings Island, started going with my grandpa just a couple years after it was built. He talked me into riding The Beast the last year he took me, it was its opening year. He promised a T-Shirt if I'd ride it with him. We rode it in the dark and it started raining. Memories...
I am sorry you have injuries to prevent you from riding. I didn't start riding coasters until I was a teenager. I used to have just as much fun watching them as my family would be screaming while riding the rails. Hopefully things will work out for you and you can get to the park more than once and watch those riding. I know plenty of folks that enjoy just spending a day at the park and people watch.
Actually, in the early 2000's I'd deliver Audio Gear and Stage Instruments to the guy in charge of Timberwolf Shows at KI. I worked in the music industry and when I wasn't on a Tour, I worked for Jonas Productions and I'd haul over whatever he needed for the Act that was playing. Jonas Productions rents out all kinds of pro gear to some very major acts. I was also an Audio Engineer for a lot of well known Bands. I've got some great stories. haha
I bet you have some great stories! That's awesome. I have never seen a show at Timberwolf but have heard bands playing as I was walking through the park.
You know what I’ve never seen with many rough wooden coasters and other amusement park attractions? Memes being made especially using scenes from classic Spongebob episodes I actually made a few and posted them on Instagram I might make a compilation using them
I was never able to ride it because I live all the way in california and I would have been too short to ride it at the time anyways. And I would have chickened out because I didn't grow to like coasters until a couple years ago. And even if I did go it would have been without the loop because I was born in 2005 :(
Suddenly I feel very old. Ha ha. The loop on Sonny was the highlight of the ride for many people, including myself. Once they removed it, I didn't ride it more than a few times.
this was one of the best coasters ever built wish they could have done something to have fixed this was a sight to see the beast revenge should make a comeback
Visually speaking it was a marvel to look at. Riding it was a whole other story in my opinion. I actually had some genuine great rides on the thing. Most of my rides were pretty tame though. The loop was easily my favorite part of the ride layout.
I feel so bad for Kings Island and Son of Beast manufactures because It doesn't even look that bumpy. People said that it wasn't any difference in the roughness of the Beast and Son of Beast. the woman probably lied about her injury. If I rode Son of Beast I don't care about roughness so I would probably love it! R.I.P. Son of Beast and Hello Banshee! Also the people sound like thay are having fun!
There was definitely a difference in the roughness between SoB and The Beast. Sonny had a much different, more powerful roughness and sometimes questionably dangerous. I stopped riding it well before they decided to close it for good.
It has that classic clothoid loop shape although the loop on Son of Beast was over twice the height of the entire structure of Screaming Demon. It was massive.
Steal Vengence 2018 Honestly think kings island I love banchee but every time I ride top gun I remember what once was.Rmc Meanstreak was the roughest white knuckle coaster of them all but son of beast was sent to death row and was executed without a chancelook at the worst wooden coaster become the greatest Son of beast coulda been turned into a very reliable coaster in my opinion within 9 years I'm very thankful that I was so scarred to ride son of beast I was just so scarred because it was the biggest cluster of wood I've ever seenBanshee is a really great coaster but I'm so glad SOB Eternal Flaim will stay
I can't say I was sad to see it go. I hated it. The loop was fun and it was interesting to look at but I just wish I could of enjoyed it more. It hurt terribly.
My last ride on the coaster was rough enough that I swore off riding it again. It takes a lot for me to not want to want to ride a coaster again. I don't miss the ride in the least.
I don't think a roller coaster enthusiast would even ride this. Obviously the ride was constructed in a poorly manner. If it was built correctly, it would not have been so rough. I've rode wooden roller coasters from the 1970s that are smoother than the Son of Beast.
There have been many enthusiasts that actually loved this ride. I can't say I am one of them but there was a time when Sonny wasn't running horrible. It didn't last long but it wasn't as rough as other years.
Looks can be deceiving. :) My favorite part of Son of Beast was having the chance to walk around it and watch it operate. I didn't care for the ride experience on most days but I do know it was capable of giving somewhat decent rides. Most of my rides weren't all that great if I am being honest.
Not too many people realize this but GCI did work on the ride after they removed the loop. As far as GCI doing the entire original layout, it wouldn't have happened as they wouldn't build much over 100-feet back in the day. As of note, CCI had another idea for SoB's location which was a near clone of Stampida in Spain.
She was the largest wooden structure on the planet ,my wife and I favorite ride to this day backseat night ride , the last of what a rollercoaster was to be ,ride it and go do something else after ,but how times have changed , a coaster has to be smooth as not to cause a hang nail , if it does it's not good .
SoB was a strange ride for me. While I did have some actual decent rides on the coaster, I also had a few super rough ones. To me though, the roughness wasn't what turned me off on the ride, it was the layout to be honest. The pacing wasn't the best in my opinion and the loop was the main reason I loved the ride. Once it was removed, it just wasn't nearly as exciting for me. I always wonder if the ride would have survived had they built the smaller original layout that never saw the light of day, or gone with the proposed idea of building a near clone of Stampida, a wooden twisted racing coaster that operates in Spain.
I remember the announcement day for this ride. May 11th, 1999. When we heard the name for the first time, several folks were calling it SoB that day. After they rode it in 2000, many called it "One Mean SoB."
In my opinion, the ride needed a lot of improvements to make it not only better for the riders, but for the park itself. In reality, it didn't pan out the way the park had hoped. With five steel coasters opening elsewhere in Ohio that same year, the park thought they had to do something very different, which they did. It just backfired on them. Even after the park made some improvements, I never saw the ride with more than a ten-minute wait, tops. While the ride was rough, I have ridden MUCH worse.
what a breathtaking structure. One of the most beautiful coasters ever. If only a manufacture that knew what they were doing built it.
One of the most if not THE most Beautiful roller coasters ever built! Too bad it rode like hell 1:13 damn just even watching it jerk around like that brings back memories, thing beat the hell outa me most of the time I rode it but it was still kinda fun to ride.
I did not notice that until your mention! Wow!
I'll never forget that ride, it was so intense, so fun, so painful. I had so many bruises the day after.
Fantastic footage! Thanks for posting this. I visited the park in either '04 or '05 but didn't ride this while I was there, which is one of my biggest regrets in life. Everything I've read has made it sound like it wasn't a very enjoyable experience (even here in 2000 it looks as though it's shaking riders quite a bit), but it kills me that I never got the credit. Plus, at the time I visited, I was probably 8 or 9 years old and seeing that massive wall of wood absolutely blew me away. It made a huge impression on me and I'll never forget looking up at the top of the lift hill and hearing the anti-rollbacks screaming as the train crested the top. For better or worse, it sure was an incredible piece of engineering!
It really was a great ride to look at. While I have had some decent rides on the thing, overall the ride wasn't all that great in my opinion. Once they took out the loop and got different trains I rode it maybe three times before deciding it was no longer worth my time to give it a chance. The anti-rollbacks were so loud that they could be heard in the lobby of the (now former) movie theater across the road from the park.
Great footage, thanks for sharing!
That turn after the big drop really looks like it threw you to the side. Especially at 1:12
You are welcome. That turn used to have a section even rougher that was named "the jolt" as soon as the ride opened. When the ride was closed a day or so after it originally opened, that section was rebuilt. While the ride was smoother in that section, it wasn't exactly pleasant.
Sean Flaharty Dang, I didn't even know that happened
This was my favorite ride at kings island! Once they tore that down Vortex became my favorite. I like going upside down more than how high it goes and how fast it goes.
I can't believe Vortex has been gone for two years now. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ride in it's later years, but I did take one last ride on its closing day.
an RMC version of that would have the shit
i wish they never tore it down yes this would have been a record breaking Rmc to date if they kept it
1:17 ouch.
Definitely the most terrifying ride ever built IMO. Wish I could have ridden it.
Other than the roughness, the ride was fairly tame in my opinion. It didn't offer a lot of forces but was fast in some sections.
Man this coaster had a roar that made me reconsider riding
Hey Sean, mind if I use a few of your SOB shots in an upcoming video I am making about the 2006 accident? I will be sure to credit you!
Of course! Thanks for asking.
Hey Sean! I'm working on an in-depth video on Son of Beast. Would it be ok for me to use portions of your various videos of the ride? I will provide full credit to your channel of course!
When I was younger we would go every summer. I remember we would always eat lunch where you could see the big lift hill. To me it looked so tall it didn't look real. Unfortunately i'm a small girl and I was never tall enough till I was around 16 to ride anything so roller coasters and I have a love hate relationship but I will never forget watching this monster coaster as a kid thinking that it was impossible to go that high up.
It was quite the sight to see. I am glad Kings Island decided to put in a more reliable wooden coaster with Mystic Timbers as it's an incredible ride. Rode it several times for the media preview yesterday morning.
Did you ever get to ride it or was it already closed?
@@SeanFlaharty man remember 2017/18 where you could go to theme parks or concerts or sports games and not worry about being one of the nearly 350k people dead? Good times
@@SuperNuclearUnicorn Having recently been really sick from COVID, I still believe amusement parks are safer than going to the grocery store.
all that wood - ooooh baby!!! - listen to all them cryin' giant timbers!
Yeah, they were cryin' alright
Great off ride video! Easily my favorite defunct coaster!
Thanks Bryce! Not sure what my favorite defunct coaster is.
Sean Flaharty fury
BryceFourn 2001 mine is the blackpool pleasure beach wild mouse
Me too, Christian. Irreplaceable :(
Hey Sean, I’m going to use this footage for my upcoming video about Son of Beast. I will give credit in the description of the video. Thank you
You are welcome. Thanks for the credit. Feel free to use any of my coaster content. I know you will be good for the credit.
@@SeanFlaharty 👍 I’ll let you know when it’s up, and you can check it out.
@@RMsteelerfan7 Thanks. If you want to share any links or notifications about videos, could you please e-mail them to me? UA-cam has been very strict about what is shared in comments and I don't want you to get flagged for sharing in comments. My email is is in the about tab of my main channel page.
@@SeanFlaharty 👍
Hi again, I found your email address. I am on mobile and using the mobile app of UA-cam which it does not show that in people’s about sections and that’s only for desktop users… I went on safari and hit the button request desktop site when I went to your channel, and it showed up.
This was the greatest wooden coaster I’ve ever experienced. I feel like both mean streak and beast is pre retrack we’re tougher than this. After the rose bowl part it’s slowed down so much that’s just a normal wooden coaster
I've seen several off ride videos of this ride. I can tell after the first drop it's pure hell, especially through the banking. It's just too large and carries too much speed for a woodie that uses no steel
I agree with you on the most part. I had only had a few decent rides on the thing. Most of them were brutal.
Was lucky enough to ride it with the loop as a kid when getting beat up by a ride didn't hurt as bad as it does now lol.
Did it feel like you were in car crash? Roughest and shakiest coaster ever? Was it painful?
Could I use this in one of my videos? I’ll give you full credit!
Yes. Thanks for the cred!
Could I please use this footage for an upcoming review on Coaster Express? I will give you credit in the video and description. I want to give some background on some of RCCA's other creations.
Yes, feel free. All I ask if for a credit somewhere, which I know you are good for. Thanks for asking.
Aww fun times! I remember riding it in 2000 and 2001. Yeah it was rough, but I still liked it. It was amazing to look at! Biggest wooden coaster ever built! Wish it was still up and they built it right.
It really was something to look at.
Did it feel like you were in car crash? Roughest and shakiest coaster ever? Was it painful?
1:13 that is when your ribs broke but the coaster was so fun it was okay lol
Oh yes! That "jolt" was notorious.
can you plz upload an onride pov of the son of beast?!
Sorry. No onride at this time.
At the beginning. It looks like the person recording is standing RIGHT where Banshees queue line is
Actually, I recorded this a little bit further down the hill than where the queue is now. It's close though.
@@SeanFlaharty yeah, after writing that, I kinda noticed it was incorrect. I was just there yesterday trying to figure out where the Son actually was. If you look around on Banshee you can still see the clear empty space.
I'm from St Louis, so it was very interesting to me
Hi Sean, you have some amazing clips that I would love to use in an upcoming video if that's okay? I will definitely be sure to leave credit. Thanks.
Yes, you may use it. Thanks in advance for the credit.
Man! I was there for 3 years and every time I went? The ride was down! Such a shame!
It did have some significant downtown. It took me several visits to finally get my first ride on it in July of 2000. After the loop was removed I only rode it a couple of times as i was no longer willing to attempt to get a good ride on the thing.
my mom rode it on opening year and she hated it
what the hell happened at 1:13?
Oh yes. The "jolt". That was always a problematic section of the ride. On opening day, it was so bad that the ride was shut down and the section was re-profiled. What you see in this video is after the re-profile.
@@SeanFlaharty Oh wow, thanks!
Where in the park would you enter this ride? Over by where Banshee is now? or walk down the road that leads to The Bat now?
You would enter the queue as soon as you walk through the tunnel heading to The Bat. You can still see the queue railings if you look the right as soon as you exit that tunnel on the way back.
@@SeanFlaharty Yes! I always see those railings and wondered why they seemed out of place. Makes total sense. Thanks for the response
You are welcome.
I think this coaster would be fun to go on.
I actually thought it looked a lot more impressive than what it was to ride it. It was a very rough ride most of the time unfortunately.
With how many roller coasters are getting better and giving insane boosts of airtime, they somewhat look just like structures with no substance to them.
Taron, Zadra, Volcano The Blast Coaster (rip) F.L.Y, Iron Rattler, Velocicoaster, and Steel Vengeance are works of art and are beautifully crafted.
Son Of Beast on the other hand was a curse of art, but I cannot doubt that it was beautiful to look at, and to this day still holds records that still haven’t been broken since.
To be honest I don’t really want an RMC SOB, rather a better structure built by GCI and the same topper-track used on Ghostrider.
Unlikely of course, but something that could have had potential like how Incredible Hulk was resurrected.
Curse of art. I like that and it honestly describes Son of Beast fairly well. It was a marvel to stare at but the ride itself was not forgiving. It was possible to have "decent" rides on it but those were very rare. Cedar Fair, at one point, did converse with RMC about doing something with the ride but RMC wasn't a big company back then with not a lot of reputation, so the park passed. It would have been incredible to see what they would have done, and any other company that knows what they are doing, when it comes to engineering and construction.
been a kings islnd person my whole life, even though I live in Michigan . Son ob Beast is probably the roughest coaster I have ever been on.
Sonny was definitely one of the roughest rides I have ever ridden. The strange thing is I have actually had a few decent rides on it. However, most were horrible. It came down to me only riding it for video shoots and if someone from out of town wanted to ride it.
Did it feel like you were in car crash? Roughest and shakiest coaster ever? Was it painful?
Great Idea but Bad Execution
I disagree...SOB was a terrible idea., as is the vast majority of wood coasters built to be huge. Mean Streak, Hercules, TX Giant, Rattler, SOB...nearly every giant woodie in modern history has been a colossal failure. Some have been really great rides (Rattler & TX Giant when they were new, for instance), but the complexity and expense of properly maintaining so much wood was the sticking point. Even Voyage and Shivering Timbers are both wrought with issues due, in part, to their size. Plus, Six Flags and Cedar Fair have very poor track records of even knowing HOW to care for ANY wood coaster of any size, much less something as huge as SOB. Intamin has created a wood coaster (such as El Toro) that has much less maintenance requirements due to a new, low stress track design, but these coasters feel more like steel to me. Wood coasters should be of modest size, and should deliver their thrill through the very fact that they are uniquely a traditional wooden roller coaster.
Ahead of its time. RMC would make this thing run smooth as silk if it were still standing...or maybe not, seeing as though they not only used bad wood but two different companies did a pathetic job constructing the monster, still miss it though was a ride clearly like no other
Crooked Halo I agree completely- you make a very valid statement there, and the maintenance record was (and maybe still is?) really poor. The fact they could twist screws off by hand is terrifying when you think about the possibilities of what could and most likely inevitably would happen. Still was an insane ride and I'm glad I can say I got to ride it with the loop in its original ridiculous form 😂
DuecePiece Its long gone now they removed it in 2013 so they could build banshee which opened in 2014
michael touse yea I know, that's why I stated "RMC would make it run smooth as silk if it were still standing", did you get a chance to ride it with the loop? I did one time and it was great! Not incredibly sad it's gone though because I love Banshee alot
I want that in my backyard
Somehow 60 fps better captures the speed than 30 fps does.
Because 60 frames per second is greater than 30...
And here I thought the beast was rough
"Sonny" was considerably more rough than its father. It was a different type of rough. Its roughness was much different than any other wooden coaster I had ridden.
I wonder why a wooden hyper coaster hasn't been done since. Of all the developments in the industry, a wooden hyper is something that has been done before, shouldn't be too difficult, and would definitely be a crowd puller.
Tommy Carr It might be easier to do, but it comes with its drawbacks when you go for a company besides Intamin. This thing had a bunch of problems, whereas the Intamin prefabs are completely fine and require minimal maintenance. For the first time ever, a prefab is being retracked - Colossos at Heide Park. It took sixteen years for a prefab to become rough enough to close down for retracking. Tells you something, doesn't it?
This maintenance cost on this coaster was incredibly high from what I was told. The park did try a few things on SOB that tried to prevent the dreaded "tall wood = horrible ride" syndrome but those things failed to really change much. While it isn't the same, we will see a 200+foot hybrid coaster in 2018.....allegedly. :)
Honestly speaking, I rode Colssoos in 2002 and it was incredibly smooth. I went back to the park in 2007 and took just one ride on it as it was incredibly rough in the bottoms of all the hills. I was actually really bummed about that as I was so excited to give it another ride as it was one of my favorites. I have only ridden El Toro a few times on one visit after it opened. It was amazing. I hope the park keeps up with the maintenance on it to provide riders with smooth rides for years to come.
Sadly, I've heard the turnaround after the first two big airtime hills has gotten really rough. But who cares? There's still the Rolling Thunder hill.
The Rolling Thunder hill is easily my favorite part of the ride. Let's hope it remains smooth.
1:12 yoinks that one's gotta hurt
Oh yes, "The Jolt" as it was known by many.
My back hurt for 3 days, after riding this, I will never forget. The most jarring part was the helix. I remember screaming in pain, as we went around it. This coaster sounded like an excellent idea, at the time, but everything from the execution, all the way down to the trains, was just wrong. Rode Banshee, the other day, for the first time, and lets just say that SOB will not be missed.
SoB will not be missed. I don't know what it was with that ride. The majority of rides I had gotten on it were pretty bad, although I went back for more. I have had a few pretty decent rides on it though. Very odd. Once they removed the loop, I think I only rode it three times as it had gotten extremely rough in my opinion.
Did it feel like you were in car crash? Roughest and shakiest coaster ever? Was it painful?
@@seankaufman588 Yes, to every question that you asked. It was an absolute horror movie. I never felt so much pain, in my life. It was very nice, to look at, though.
Always went to KI at least twice a year. I rode SOB on opening day and I sear later opening year it was a rougher ride. Call me crazy, but on my fourth trip riding it, I was done. It was a rough ride from the first, but I swear it got worse and it happened quick. My wife wouldn't ride it after the first time, and she loves Coasters. I don't know what it was, but she knew it was cursed. I actually think it was cursed. I can't do wood Coasters any more because of a neck/back injury. Glad I at least got my four visits on it, but if it was there now, no way.
I am glad you got to ride it as well. My first ride was in July of that year and I couldn't believe how rough it was on my first time around. Sometimes it was unbearable, sometimes it was actually decent. After the loop was removed I took a couple of rides on it then swore it off.
Actually nice to see video of it, brings back memories. I'd love to go to KI one more time before I'm gone. Most likely won't happen. I'm in a wheelchair now and it's just not affordable on a fixed income. I grew up going to Kings Island, started going with my grandpa just a couple years after it was built. He talked me into riding The Beast the last year he took me, it was its opening year. He promised a T-Shirt if I'd ride it with him. We rode it in the dark and it started raining. Memories...
I am sorry you have injuries to prevent you from riding. I didn't start riding coasters until I was a teenager. I used to have just as much fun watching them as my family would be screaming while riding the rails. Hopefully things will work out for you and you can get to the park more than once and watch those riding. I know plenty of folks that enjoy just spending a day at the park and people watch.
Actually, in the early 2000's I'd deliver Audio Gear and Stage Instruments to the guy in charge of Timberwolf Shows at KI. I worked in the music industry and when I wasn't on a Tour, I worked for Jonas Productions and I'd haul over whatever he needed for the Act that was playing. Jonas Productions rents out all kinds of pro gear to some very major acts. I was also an Audio Engineer for a lot of well known Bands. I've got some great stories. haha
I bet you have some great stories! That's awesome. I have never seen a show at Timberwolf but have heard bands playing as I was walking through the park.
You know what I’ve never seen with many rough wooden coasters and other amusement park attractions? Memes being made especially using scenes from classic Spongebob episodes I actually made a few and posted them on Instagram I might make a compilation using them
I have never seen an episode of Spongebob so I am not familiar with the memes that I have seen. Same with The Simpsons. Lol.
@@SeanFlaharty they are very funny
I was never able to ride it because I live all the way in california and I would have been too short to ride it at the time anyways. And I would have chickened out because I didn't grow to like coasters until a couple years ago. And even if I did go it would have been without the loop because I was born in 2005 :(
Suddenly I feel very old. Ha ha. The loop on Sonny was the highlight of the ride for many people, including myself. Once they removed it, I didn't ride it more than a few times.
this was one of the best coasters ever built wish they could have done something to have fixed this was a sight to see the beast revenge should make a comeback
this is the momma talking
Visually speaking it was a marvel to look at. Riding it was a whole other story in my opinion. I actually had some genuine great rides on the thing. Most of my rides were pretty tame though. The loop was easily my favorite part of the ride layout.
I feel so bad for Kings Island and Son of Beast manufactures because It doesn't even look that bumpy. People said that it wasn't any difference in the roughness of the Beast and Son of Beast. the woman probably lied about her injury. If I rode Son of Beast I don't care about roughness so I would probably love it! R.I.P. Son of Beast and Hello Banshee! Also the people sound like thay are having fun!
There was definitely a difference in the roughness between SoB and The Beast. Sonny had a much different, more powerful roughness and sometimes questionably dangerous. I stopped riding it well before they decided to close it for good.
Everyone that said Mean Streak was the roughest ride never rode SOB pre 2006
SoB was a different type of roughness. Personally speaking, SoB shook my head more than the my lower body, like Mean Streak did.
Did it feel like you were in car crash? Roughest and shakiest coaster ever? Was it painful?
That looks like they repurposed The Screamin Demon loop
It has that classic clothoid loop shape although the loop on Son of Beast was over twice the height of the entire structure of Screaming Demon. It was massive.
Steal Vengence 2018 Honestly think kings island I love banchee but every time I ride top gun I remember what once was.Rmc Meanstreak was the roughest white knuckle coaster of them all but son of beast was sent to death row and was executed without a chancelook at the worst wooden coaster become the greatest Son of beast coulda been turned into a very reliable coaster in my opinion within 9 years I'm very thankful that I was so scarred to ride son of beast I was just so scarred because it was the biggest cluster of wood I've ever seenBanshee is a really great coaster but I'm so glad SOB Eternal Flaim will stay
Adam Savia It would not be possible because the structure was poorly built. If they RMCed it the ride would be just as unsafe
Incredible structure to look at. Massive. Then comes the worst jack hammering of any ride I have ever ridden. Gross
I would have threw up
Nothing about this ride looks pleasant
The loop was the most pleasant part of the ride in my opinion.
I can't say I was sad to see it go. I hated it. The loop was fun and it was interesting to look at but I just wish I could of enjoyed it more. It hurt terribly.
My last ride on the coaster was rough enough that I swore off riding it again. It takes a lot for me to not want to want to ride a coaster again. I don't miss the ride in the least.
I don't think a roller coaster enthusiast would even ride this. Obviously the ride was constructed in a poorly manner. If it was built correctly, it would not have been so rough. I've rode wooden roller coasters from the 1970s that are smoother than the Son of Beast.
There have been many enthusiasts that actually loved this ride. I can't say I am one of them but there was a time when Sonny wasn't running horrible. It didn't last long but it wasn't as rough as other years.
@@SeanFlaharty oh wow. Would you ride this coaster for $10000
@@beautyandbrains1695 I rode it literally hundreds of times. I stopped riding a couple months after they took out the loop.
@@SeanFlaharty oh
Shame that the ride was built like shit, this ride looks FANTASTIC
Looks can be deceiving. :) My favorite part of Son of Beast was having the chance to walk around it and watch it operate. I didn't care for the ride experience on most days but I do know it was capable of giving somewhat decent rides. Most of my rides weren't all that great if I am being honest.
Had it been made by gci it would have been better but rcca (excuse my language but) fucked it up
Not too many people realize this but GCI did work on the ride after they removed the loop. As far as GCI doing the entire original layout, it wouldn't have happened as they wouldn't build much over 100-feet back in the day. As of note, CCI had another idea for SoB's location which was a near clone of Stampida in Spain.
Mejor que el toro
She was the largest wooden structure on the planet ,my wife and I favorite ride to this day backseat night ride , the last of what a rollercoaster was to be ,ride it and go do something else after ,but how times have changed , a coaster has to be smooth as not to cause a hang nail , if it does it's not good .
SoB was a strange ride for me. While I did have some actual decent rides on the coaster, I also had a few super rough ones. To me though, the roughness wasn't what turned me off on the ride, it was the layout to be honest. The pacing wasn't the best in my opinion and the loop was the main reason I loved the ride. Once it was removed, it just wasn't nearly as exciting for me. I always wonder if the ride would have survived had they built the smaller original layout that never saw the light of day, or gone with the proposed idea of building a near clone of Stampida, a wooden twisted racing coaster that operates in Spain.
Did it feel like you were in car crash? Roughest and shakiest coaster ever? Was it painful?
Son of beast... Sob.... Son of a bitch lol
I remember the announcement day for this ride. May 11th, 1999. When we heard the name for the first time, several folks were calling it SoB that day. After they rode it in 2000, many called it "One Mean SoB."
bunch of crybabies if it hurt then dont ride it great ride should still be up just need some improvements and would still be a beast
In my opinion, the ride needed a lot of improvements to make it not only better for the riders, but for the park itself. In reality, it didn't pan out the way the park had hoped. With five steel coasters opening elsewhere in Ohio that same year, the park thought they had to do something very different, which they did. It just backfired on them. Even after the park made some improvements, I never saw the ride with more than a ten-minute wait, tops. While the ride was rough, I have ridden MUCH worse.
@@smooth_concrete probably son of beast because it injured people.