While writing the first installment of the Influential Coasters of My Childhood series, I began to insert a “modern take” section at the conclusion of the blog. The more I thought about it, the more I decided I wanted that portion to be its own blog as well. So here you have my modern takes on those coasters I once loved as a child. Have my views changed? Find out…
Related Article: “Influential Coasters of My Childhood – Anaconda” – December 12, 2020
In 30 years I have gone from loving Anaconda, to it slowly becoming just another coaster at Kings Dominion. Jump ahead a few years and it became a coasters I started to dread. Its roughness and headbanging saw me skipping it entirely during visits. Thinking about it now, it saddens me to no end.
During several recent visits to Kings Dominion, however, I made sure to ride it once each time. Maybe it was out of pity, it being a slow day, or just because someone in my group had never rode it. There is a part of me, however, who also knows that it might not be around too much longer. I don’t want to look back and think, “I wish I would have rode it one last time.”
So, what changed to make this coaster to go from my favorite coaster back in 1991, to how I view it today? Well, newer, more comfortable coasters have come along. Better restraints, more spacious trains, and advancements in technology make old Arrow Loopers seem almost archaic. But there are still other coasters out there of a similar model that aren’t as rough. All you have to do is look an hour south to Busch Garden Williamsburg’s (BGW) Loch Ness Monster. That coaster, while not as smooth as newer, modern coasters, has been kept in tip-top condition. It’s also 12 years older than Anaconda. Let’s face it though, Loch Ness is the exception, not the rule.
Would Anaconda Benefit From New Trains?
Exhibit A - Hersheypark's Sidewinder
If I could have things my way, which is probably a far-flung fantasy, I’d love to see Anaconda get new trains – especially for 2021, the ride’s 30th birthday. If the Vekoma trains used on Boomerangs such as Hersheypark’s Sidewinder are compatible, by all means, please?
Sidewinder was a coaster I hadn’t bothered with in many years either. I mean, it’s a Boomerang, but I’m known to still get on some of the “less fun” coasters from time to time. Sidewinder was just not one of them. Then, this year, I decided to finally give it a go. I have Six Flags Over Georgia’s (SFOG) Blue Hawk (formerly Ninja) to thank for that.
Exhibit B - Six Flags Over Georgia's Blue Hawk
For years I had heard nothing but horror stories about how rough Blue Hawk was and how the park should scrap it. While I did ride this very same coaster in its former home of Dinosaur Beach, on the Wildwood, N.J. boardwalk in 1990, I don’t remember too much about the roughness or restraints. Even if I did, I was much smaller then and might not have had the same experience someone my size now would have. With that said, I felt like I was going in blind and was going to let Blue Streak do its thing.
So, how was it? Well, it was actually fun. Not getting side tracked with the ride elements, I’ll just say the trains were comfortable and didn’t give me a bad experience. So yeah, Blue Hawk is why I decided to give Sidewinder a go again.
Ultimately, I had a blast on Sidewinder in 2020, riding it numerous times. Okay, it’s still a Boomerang, but it’s now a comfortable Boomerang. I can’t wait to get back up to Wildwood and try Sea Serpent at Morey’s Piers since they just gave it new trains this year. I’m also going to keep my fingers crossed that Trimper Rides in Ocean City, Md. also follows suit on Tidal Wave.
If Blue Hawk and Sidewinder can benefit from these trains, I’d love to see them, or something like them (if they’re not compatible), placed on Anaconda. It’s wishful thinking, but I’d love to take those corkscrews again and have my head free from any hard restraints nearby.
If the Day Comes
If Anaconda must go, which would be a sad day for me even though it’s no longer among my favorite coasters, I hope it’s able to get a proper send off. Kings Dominion’s sister park, Kings Island, was able to do it with its Arrow Custom Looper, Vortex. Make a date, sell off pieces of the ride, make shirts, pins, and anything else you want to do, Kings Dominion. It might not seem like it now, but Anaconda was certainly an important addition to a growing Kings Dominion in the early 90’s. People will miss it.
One last thing, if Anaconda does meet its demise, please Kings Dominion, build its successor over Lake George. I know modern environmental laws sometimes make that hard, but if it can be done, do it! Anaconda’s location has always been unmatched in the park. It would be sad to see it barren, especially since we also lost iconic mountain/volcano in the park’s skyline two years ago too. Both are/were part of the park’s character. I’d hate to lose both.
