Kings island showdown Continue Dates: Friday, May 14 – Sunday, May 16, 2021, games begin Friday at 6:00 p.m. Location: West Chester Baseball Complex, Blue Ash Sports Center. Minimum Game: 3 Age groups: 9u, 11u, 14u Cost: Super Saver 100 ( 9u, 11u), Trainers pay referees on the field. $495 (14u), we pay referees (2 per game), all games on the turf. Format: Three (3) Minimum Game, Pool Play then two (2) brackets are created based on pool performance; (Gold, Silver, etc.). Additional benefits for teams: Preferred rates/schedule for travel teams at local hotels. Register Now Overview What these two have in common is that they are double-launch coasters manufactured by Intamin. Both reach a top speed of 70 mph. What they don't have in common is that one (Volcano) is an inverted coaster – officially a suspended catapult coaster coaster – and the other is a blitz coaster riding on the track. Volcano, located in Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA, opened in 1998 and Maverick, located in Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH, opened in 2007. Layout, Elements and Theming Volcano, whose theme is evident from its name, consists of 2,757 feet of track wrapped around an artificial mountain and volcano. It features four inversions: a rollout and three rolls of heart. Maverick, with a Western theme, boasts 4,450 feet of track in a more or less out and rear layout. It is equipped with two inversions in the form of a twisted horseshoe roll. Vulcano operates three trains containing four cars with drivers seated two in two rows for a total capacity of 16 drivers. Maverick operates six trains consisting of four cars with two seats in two rows for a total capacity of 12 drivers. Both coasters operate with restraint systems beyond the shoulder. (Maverick had hard constraints, but these had moved to softer, more comfortable constraints.) In this category I would be tempted to give Vulcano the edge for its unique theme, higher height (155 feet as opposed to 105 feet) multiplicity of reversals and element of surprise (more on than in the section on the driving experience). However, Maverick's steep descent, longer track, over-the-counter curves, and momentum make up for more of the fewer thrilling elements, while setting, on the water, makes it more scenic than Vulcan. In addition, Maverick makes the distinction of being one of only 7 operational coasters to include a twisted horseshoe roll; it is the only coaster in the United States to incorporate this element. In this category there is no clear winner. Photo Bobbie Butterfield Photo by Bobbie Butterfield Ride Experience A run on Volcano begins with a left turn outside the loading station in a tunnel and on the first launch track. Then boom! Train accelerates to 70mph before a 200 degrees behind the mountain and enter the second launch tunnel. The second throw literally comes out of nowhere, totally unexpected, and that's what makes it so good. Cyclists are blown up by the volcano at a launch during which the train is completely reversed. And I have to say that being flat on my back 155 feet in the air, looking at the sky, was one of the most memorable and unique experiences I've ever had. The launch at that height was in fact the highest reversal on any coaster until the record was broken by Gatekeeper in 2013. The rest of the course consists of three rolls of heart at the top above the ground interspersed with wider curves. An 80-foot drop in the brake race brings the race to a conclusion. Photo Bobbie Butterfield A run on Maverick begins with a dispatch on the first launch track. The train takes off and once it reaches the top of the launch hill it descends 100 feet at a daunting angle of 95 degrees, reaching a top speed of 57 mph. It then makes several turns – right, left, right – before crossing a hill of transmission time. Another turn leads into the twisted horseshoe roll. This is a wonderful element, nothing short of impressive. The twisted horseshoe is followed by a turn in a tunnel containing the second launch track. The difference between Maverick and Vulcan here is that Vulcano's trains are launched simultaneously at the entrance to the second tunnel, while Maverick enter the launch tunnel before being launched so that the launch is fully expected. In any case, the train is launched at 70 mph and after exiting the tunnel, climbs a hill, then negotiates an overbanked turn. It follows a further turn that leads to a canyon – a nice scenic touch – with an S-curve. Before the train enters the canyon, plumes of water fire along the track. The rest of the course consists of two additional overbanked curves and a hill of transmission time. It should be noted that a run on Maverick is a bit on the rough side; the same goes for Vulcan. Photo by Bobbie Butterfield The Winner Photo by Bobbie Butterfield And the winner is... Maverick. If you were to judge by the theme and the shivering elements Vulcano would have come forward, but in terms of overall running experience Maverick prevails. Vulcan is an explosion, both literally and figuratively, while Maverick is out of the wild wall. Maverick's slogan is The Old West Was Never This Wild and that sums it all up. It has more zips than Vulcano and the pace is perfect. What's your question? You rode Vulcan and Maverick, and if so, how do you think they match? Wikipedia list article This article requires additional citations for verification. Please help improve article with the addition of citations to reliable sources. Non-sourced material can be disputed and removed. Find Find of kings island's former attractions – newspaper news. JSTOR scholar books (January 2012) (Find out how and when to remove this template message) This is a list of rides, attractions, and themes from Kings Island that no longer exist in the park. This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. Former Ride Year Opened Year Closed Manufacturer(Model) Description Ref(s) The Bat 1981 1983 Arrow Development(Suspended) Prototype Suspended Coasters. Although intense, the race had a good deal of downtime due to non-bank track designers as they did with later suspended coasters. This concept was reintroduced with Top Gun (later renamed Flight Deck) in 1993, which was significantly more reliable. Bat closed in 1983, remained standing but did not operate in 1984, and was scrapped in the spring of 1985. It was replaced with Vortex, the world's first six-cycle roller coaster, which opened in 1987. The Bat's name would later be reused, as Flight Deck was renamed The Bat for the 2014 season. [1] [2] Bavarian beetle 1972 1978 SDC (Galaxi) A steel roller coaster. It originally operated on Coney Island, Cincinnati, Ohio, as Galaxi (1970– 1971). [3] Firehawk 2007 2018 Vekoma A Vekoma Flying Dutchman coaster. Originally known as the X-Flight at Lake Geauga from 2001 to 2006, the ride was transferred to Kings Island in an attempt to scale back Lake Geauga. The race reopened on Kings Island the following year under the new name Firehawk. On September 27, 2018, Kings Island announced that it would remove the ride from the park after the 2018 season due to an increase in downtime and the manufacturer, Vekoma, had stopped supporting the model, causing parts for the race to become scarce. In August 2019, Kings Island announced that Firehawk would be replaced by Orion in 2020. King Cobra 1984 2001 TOGO Prototype Stand-up roller coaster. It was the first stand up coaster with a cycle in the United States. It was removed in 2002 due to TOGO which brought out of the market and finding parts became increasingly difficult. The track and supports were kept on the property until it was demolished in December 2006. Parts of the ride were sent to Kings Dominion to be used as parts for its sister installation, Shockwave. Screamin' Demon 1977 1987 Arrow Development also known as The Demon. First loop roller coaster on Kings Island and one of the first in the country to run back and forth through a cycle. The ride was sold and transferred to Camden Park, West Virginia, where it was renamed the Thunderbolt Express. It was last operated on there in 1999 and was demolished in November 2004. Scooby's Ghoster Coaster 1998 2005 Caripo (Batflyer) Prototype Suspended (billed as the first suspended coaster for children). The ride had poor capacity and complaints of roughness. Removed before the 2006 season as part of the change from Land at nickelodeon. Son of Beast 2000 2009 Werner Stengel/Roller Coaster Corporation of America Son of Beast was the first wooden roller coaster with a vertical ring and at the time the only wooden hypercoaster. In response to 27 injuries on July 9, 2006, Cedar Fair installed lighter trains acquired by the hurricane: the Category 5 roller coaster at the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion and removed the loop so that the new trains complete the circuit. It reopened on 4 July 2007, but closed indefinitely on 23 June 2009, following another accident report. On March 15, 2010, park officials confirmed that they had no plans to reopen the ride. It was removed from the Kings Island park map and the list of rides on the official website in early 2010. [11] After reviewing all options, Kings Island officials announced on July 27, 2012 that Son of Beast would be shot down to allow for greater expansion of the park.