Friday, Aug. 06, 2010

Take a Ride in the sky in Myrtle Beach area

The Pavilion may be closed and the former Freestyle Music Park not in operation, but don't go calling B.B. King to sing the blues on behalf of the Myrtle Beach amusement scene. The thrill is not gone when it comes to finding fun and exciting ways to get your adrenaline pumping.

In an effort to separate the simply exciting choices from those bound to make grown men scream like little girls, Kicks! sent its creative director, Chris Mowder, out to test six rides and his intestinal fortitude. Here's what he had to say:

SOAR + EXPLORE ZIPLINE AND ROPES COURSE

Zipline adventure

Where | 1313 Celebrity Circle, Broadway at the Beach

Cost | $19.99 gets you a ride on the zipline. If you're feeling really adventurous, get a combo ticket for both the zipline and ropes challenge course for $26.99.

Hours | Opens daily at 1 p.m.

448-SOAR or soarandexplore.com

How it works | Riders strap on a set of harnesses - a double shoulder holster and a belt with some snug and somewhat unflattering leg straps - and head up a 100-foot-tall tower before being zipped 1,000 feet across Lake Broadway and back. While the ride itself takes less than a minute, getting strapped in, climbing up and waiting to go occupies 20-30 minutes during which time you get some nice views of Broadway at the Beach and likely some interesting conversation with fellow riders.

Fear factor | Watching a string of young riders glide gently through the sky to their desired destination helped allay any worries about how frightening the ride would be. The only real moments of terror came in climbing the stairs to the top of the zipline tower. Despite being safely secured within this structure, looking down through the open stairs and over the side of the last few floors was enough to spark a fear of heights. Luckily, maneuvering the support line through a grid of cables to the top of the tower took enough concentration to keep my mind occupied.

The thrill | The ride began with a thrill as the anticipation of looking down the sloped runway into the lake below was uniquely exciting. Once the ride operator pushes you down the line and the ride gets under way, it's a fairly calm yet freeing flight. With no need to hold onto your support line, riders can flail about and send themselves into a gentle twirl or just relax their bodies and enjoy the sensation of moving through the sky like a bird.

According to operators, the speed of your ride will vary greatly based on your weight, their push and the wind direction. Even though you may not seem to be moving quickly, watching from the ground generally proves otherwise. There were a few lighter riders, mostly younger kids, who did not quite make it and had to be roped in by operators, but my 200-plus-pound frame had no problem whizzing across to the opposing platform. Possibly the ride's most thrilling point comes in its abrupt finish, where operators tug on a rope that quickly brings you from speeding along to swinging high into the air before landing in a padded area while trying to hold your balance and stay upright.

Sickness quotient | There are really no stomach-turning moments. The only real shot at any sort of disorientation is if you spin yourself rapidly as you whiz down the line. That's not going to happen unless you really make an effort to do so.

Rider's reaction | "I was struck with fear a little bit right as I'm going on to it. But really it was nice and easy," said Angela Holmes of Sanford, N.C. "It's exciting not having earth beneath my feet. That's pretty thrilling."

NATIONAL AMUSEMENT RIDES

Slingshot Thrill Ride

Where | 12th Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard

Cost | $25 per person. DVD recordings of your ride are $10. For $50, you can purchase a combo pass that also includes a ride the Slingshot's sister attraction, the Skyscraper, and a souvenir T-shirt or DVD.

Hours | Opens at noon every day.

444-8255 or visit myrtlebeachthrillrides.com

How it works | Riders hop into this two-seat ride and strap themselves into roller-coaster-like chairs with over-the-shoulder harnesses. Two reinforced steel cables are attached to each side of the vessel and anchored on enormous, multicolored steel towers that extend more than 200 feet into the air. With a series of springs and some powerful hydraulics, riders are shot about 300 feet into the sky at speeds faster than 120 mph - experiencing a force of 5Gs at takeoff. With its steel cables to guide it, the ride then bounces up and down, rocking forward and backward five to six times before coming to rest and being slowly pulled back down to earth.

Fear factor | Anyone who has walked by this oceanfront ride or seen it shoot up from a distance is either excited or terrified by this ride. Heading into my trip, I was a bit of both. Upon entering the ride, my initial fears of "Won't this thing tip over?" were quickly squelched as a ride operator hopped into the adjoining seat and explained that two riders are needed to keep it balanced.

From there, the fear kicked in as we went from sitting upright to tilting back with our bodies facing the sky and a blinding sun in our eyes. The next 15-20 seconds were a mental mess of thoughts such as "Will there be any indication of when they're going to launch us?" "Why aren't we moving yet?" and "Oh my god, this is gonna be scary!"

The thrill | Despite how cluttered your brain might be with anticipation before takeoff, the actual launch of this ride clears it just as quickly. As you rocket into the sky, your brain seems to go blank and your body fills with the desire to scream or call out as you rush upward very quickly. By the time this subsides and you begin to realize what a great view of the beach this is, you are sent plummeting again.

Through the next few ups and downs, you begin to realize the true beauty of this ride, which lies in the way your vessel rocks back and forth. While you never really go flipping rapidly, there are various ways to bounce up and fall down, including going head over heels, looking straight down at the pavement and falling with your back toward the ground. All of these offer different yet equally thrilling takes on this breathtaking sensation.

When you add in the oceanfront perspectives - what ride operator Jonathan Young calls "the best view on the beach" - this ride offers a little bit of everything.

Sickness quotient | According to ride operators, no one has gotten sick riding the Slingshot. As someone who is pretty queasy - I don't do spinning rides or boats for this reason - my equilibrium was off for a good 30 seconds after hopping out of the chair. And even as that effect wore off, the adrenaline rush of the ride had my hand visibly shaking before the jitters eventually turned into a euphoric feeling that had me smiling long after I had walked away.

Rider's reaction | "Thrill is when you are going up and then you begin to flip. Plus, it's a nice view," said Martin Caubel, who was visiting from Montreal. "It's amazing. It's very fun. Almost like your heart stops for a moment," added his co-rider, daughter Alexie.

NATIONAL AMUSEMENT RIDES

Skyscraper Thrill Ride

Where | Third Avenue South and Ocean Boulevard, next to Family Kingdom

Cost | $22 per person

Hours | Noon to midnight every day

444-8244 or myrtlebeachthrillrides.com

How it works | Riders hop up into a two-seat chair, which looks and rocks like a modern version of an old-timey Ferris wheel chair. Ride operators strap you in with two criss-crossing, heavy-duty seat belts that they ratchet down until just before you can't breathe. The ride, which consists of two tall steel arms, then takes off, rotating around a center axis at speeds up to 60 mph and carrying riders up to 170 feet in the air. The ride rotates five times, stops for 20-30 seconds to let riders "enjoy" the view from the top and then begins its trek backwards, taking five trips in the opposite direction before coming back to earth.

Fear factor | Originally I was quite excited about this ride. However, watching some folks ride it on TV during "Jersey Shore" reruns and then viewing a YouTube clip of a woman screaming bloody murder while riding the Myrtle Beach version gave me cold feet. By the time I actually made it to the Boulevard and watched it go, the fear had fully set in and I basically had to drag myself onto the ride.

The thrill | This was honestly one of the most frightening experiences of my entire life. I have ridden many rides, but none that made me doubt my ability to survive as much as the Skyscraper did. Not that there was any reason to be truly concerned for my well-being, but it's really hard to be reasonable when you are repeatedly flung forward in circles.

What makes the ride so thrilling is the lack of restraint. Though you are safely strapped in, the sensation is that of careering through the sky with nothing to hold you back. As the ride swoops around, your cart often flips quickly or otherwise jerks to adjust to gravity, giving the distinct feeling that you will end up flying into the ocean or onto the pavement.

During the ride's halfway point - a stop that leaves you sitting nearly 200 feet above the earth - thoughts of flying off the ride subsided a bit as I discovered a metal bar and a portion of a seat to hold onto. However, the moderate rocking of the cart made sure my thoughts stayed firmly on survival instead of the tremendous ocean view in front of me.

As the ride began to shift back and rotate counter-clockwise, the feeling was less terrifying. Still, a few more G-force-driven flips of the cart made sure I remained focused on counting down the revolutions instead of fully letting go and enjoying the experience.

Sickness quotient | Operators say they've only had one rider get sick in nearly six months of operation. I had no real nausea, but once again the adrenaline rush had me visibly shaky for a good 5-10 minutes afterward.

Rider's reaction | "It flips your stomach over every once in a while. As soon as you get to the top, that's when it really starts to freak you out, because you're just spinning and shaking. But it's really fun," said Chelsea Looney and Elaina Tyree of Virginia.

SLICK TRACK FAMILY FUN PARK

Super Swing

Note: We tested the ride at Slick Track Family Fun Park, 108 Atlantic Ave., Garden City Beach, but the park did not have a listed phone number or available information on park hours. There is also a version of the Super Swing, called the Screamin' Swing, at The Slingshot Thrill Ride on 12th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach. Call 444-8255 or visit myrtlebeachthrillrides.com for details.

How it works | A plastic lap restraint harnesses you into a high-backed coaster-like chair that features a metal floor with places to brace your legs. This four-seat vessel, where folks sit back-to-back with two other riders, is attached by a large arm that extends high above to and is anchored to a central axle resting between two large steel towers. As the ride begins, a combination of air-powered hydraulics and pulleys shoots riders swinging forward and backward, moving higher in a path that mimics a traditional swing.

Fear factor | Never a fan of the old Pirate Ship carnival rides or the playground version of the swing, my fear here was not based on height or speed, but rather on a tendency toward seasickness.

The thrill | As the ride took its initial few pushes upward, I was surprised at how much impact it was having. Turns out, it was just getting under way.

After three or four trips back and forth, the motion really begins to kick in, drawing riders higher and higher until they are parallel to the ground. During this time, you get a mixed bag of negative G-force during the downswing - which gives a great feeling of falling similar to a coaster - and being thrust forward during the upswing.

The upswing gave the same feeling of flying out of your seat that the Skyscraper provided, while the drop backward made you feel as though you were going to stay 100 feet above the ground while the ride drifted out from under you. Both sides of the equation were somewhat terrifying, thus I followed suit with the ride operator next to me and planted my feet with my hands behind my head holding onto the headrest as my only brace.

Sickness quotient | As soon as the thrill began to subside in my mind, the sickness came upon me like a wave. Luckily, the ride was short, but by the time it began to slow down and rock back and forth to a stop, I could already tell the aftermath would not be pretty. As the ride operator asked "Want to go again?" I managed a laugh and a shake of the head but was really thinking, "Get me the heck off of this thing!"

It may have been the previous three rides catching up to me, but it took an entire drive home from Garden City Beach and a few minutes' rest on the couch to fully rid myself of the effects of the Super Swing.

FAMILY KINGDOM AMUSEMENT PARK

Sling Shot Drop Zone

Where | 300 S. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach

Cost | An all-day unlimited ride wristband costs $23.50. Individual ride tickets are also available for $1.05 plus tax each. The ride costs three tickets.

Hours | 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Friday, 1 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays.

843-626-3447 or familykingdomfun.com

How it works | Not to be confused with the Slingshot Thrill Ride, this drop-based ride places riders into one of 12 seats that circle around the outside of a steel tower. From there they are strapped in with an over-the-shoulder harness and belted in. Using hydraulics, the ride shoots them up nearly 100 feet in the air and rests there for a while before plummeting back to earth as quickly as it ascended.

Fear factor | Having ridden a similar, yet much taller ride called the Power Tower at Cedar Point in Ohio many years ago, I assumed there would be nothing to fear here - and for the most part I was right. Still, once I was strapped in with my feet no longer touching the ground, I began to become very tense, taking full advantage of the handgrips on my shoulder harness. Maybe it was the added adrenaline from the three other rides that day, but there was something about the little jerk of hydraulic action before the actual launch that had me eagerly awaiting its start.

The thrill | Though not as prolonged, the sensation of rising quickly is similar to that of the Slingshot and is by far the most thrilling part of the ride. Sitting upright and without the most tightly fastened harness had me entertaining thoughts of flying out of my chair into the sky, but only momentarily.

Once your rise is completed, you get a good 10-20 seconds to admire the view from the top of the tower, which I used to quickly glance at the beach, before admiring the amazing feat of classic construction that was my next conquest, the Swamp Fox roller coaster. While the park below was scorching hot and packed with visitors, the breezy, cool air and eerie quiet at 100 feet were relaxing enough to make me wish we could remain at that altitude all day long.

The trip back down was a bit disappointing. Though the sudden drop is fast-paced, there's something about the way the hydraulics cushion your trip that keeps it from feeling like a true free fall.

Sickness quotient | Though you do get a brief stomach flip on the way up and down, this ride will leave most riders feeling completely unscathed.

Riders' reaction | "We've been on others like this, so I pretty much knew what to expect," said Latasha Coleman of Pittsburgh. "But it was still surprising the way it shot up."

Swamp Fox roller coaster

Where | 300 S. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach

Cost | An all-day unlimited ride wristband costs $23.50. Individual ride tickets are also available for $1.05 plus tax each. The Swamp Fox roller coaster costs five tickets.

Hours | 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Friday, 1 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays.

843-626-3447 or familykingdomfun.com

How it works | The only wooden roller coaster currently operating in Myrtle Beach, this ride has been in operation since 1966. Riders strap into the coaster cabin with a lap belt and basic pull-down restraint and hold on tight for a ride along 2,800 feet of all-wooden track and experience multiple ups and downs and sharp turns during the 90-second ride.

Fear factor | As a veteran coaster rider who has tackled beasts two or three times its size, the classic design of this well-seasoned ride did little to intimidate me. Surveying the crowd of enthusiastic park patrons lined up to ride, I didn't sense much trepidation among even the most-timid looking riders or those barely tall enough to pass the ride's height requirement.

The thrill | Heading into the ride with low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of thrills it provided. One of my favorite parts of a coaster is always the anticipation up the first hill, listening to the clicking and clacking of the chain that pulls the car up the hill and taking in the sights from high above the park. Here, the ocean view drew me in and the conversation - a father teasing his daughter and trying to get her scared to no avail - made me smile.

I was slightly disappointed at not being sent right back tumbling down a steep incline, but pleased as the car swooped quickly around an initial turn and flowed smoothly down a nice first drop. It carried enough height to give that great stomach-in-your-throat sensation coaster lovers thirst for but without any real time for a true "holy crap!" moment.

As the car shuddered back up out of its first drop, it was hard to ignore the sensation of flying upward out of your seat. From there the ride got a bit bumpier, banging through another corner and up and down a series of drops before swooping around more track in what was a bit of a blur before coming to a relatively smooth stop just short of where you boarded.

While it's hard to say this was the most thrilling ride, as a lifelong coaster lover, it gave me a great, familiar feeling that made it one of the most enjoyable rides of the day.

Sickness quotient | Like many a wooden roller coaster, the Swamp Fox is a bit of a rough ride. It's a rumbling, shuddering and vibrating force of nature that can really throw you around if you don't brace yourself properly. However, with only a moment to sit and take notes on the ride I had just taken, I felt right as rain.

Rider's reaction | "It throws you around a bit, but it has a nice first dip and some good turns in there. As long as you got your seat belt on, you're in for a good ride," said Pennsylvania native Jerry Wylie.