Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
Hi guys. In 2003, the beyond-vertical drop coaster battle began when Gerstlauer opened their first Euro-Fighter model in the form of Vild-Svinet at Bon-Bon Land, which had a 97 degree (I think?) drop.
The model began flying off the shelves, and Gerstlauer began to make the models steeper and more ambitious with time; the company held the drop angle record for a number of years following Vild-Svinet’s creation, and it seemed as though their Euro-Fighter model was virtually unrivalled within the sphere of beyond-vertical drop coasters.
However, in 2008, a new contender in the beyond-vertical drop battle was unveiled, a contender that gave Gerstlauer their first serious competition in the drop angle race. 2008 was the year that S&S opened Steel Hawg at Indiana Beach, their first ever El Loco model. This ride had a 111 degree drop, which was at the time substantially steeper than anything Gerstlauer had conjured up.
As with the Euro-Fighter, El Locos began flying off the shelves following Steel Hawg’s successful debut. Each El Loco sold was seemingly even steeper than the last, and even though the record transferred from ride to ride fairly quickly, S&S clung onto the record until 2011, eventually reaching 113 degrees on Timber Drop at Fraispertuis City.
Gerstlauer did eventually reclaim the drop angle record, with the opening of Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland in 2011 taking it to 121 degrees, and they are also the current record holders, with TMNT Shellraiser at Nickelodeon Universe boasting a 121.5 degree drop (which I’ll admit still seems marginally pedantic to me…). S&S has in the past threatened to reclaim the record (the Orlando polercoaster is/was said to have a 123 degree drop), but Gerst are still the current holders.
But I didn’t make this thread to give you a history lesson on the drop angle record (one of the few records that still seems to be being actively fought for, might I add!). I made this thread to ask; which of the two beyond-vertical drop coaster types do you prefer? I know that there are other coaster types out there that have included beyond-vertical drops, but these are the main two that really focus on them as the key element, so I thought they’d make for an interesting comparison.
I can’t really contribute, as I haven’t ridden an S&S El Loco, but I’ll admit I’m not personally a huge fan of Gerstlauer’s Euro-Fighters myself; I find them a bit too rough for my liking, and I sometimes feel like they prioritise intensity over fun, which isn’t really for me, personally. Some of them do have good layouts, however, and it’s a very versatile ride type!
But which of the beyond-vertical drop coaster types do you prefer?
The model began flying off the shelves, and Gerstlauer began to make the models steeper and more ambitious with time; the company held the drop angle record for a number of years following Vild-Svinet’s creation, and it seemed as though their Euro-Fighter model was virtually unrivalled within the sphere of beyond-vertical drop coasters.
However, in 2008, a new contender in the beyond-vertical drop battle was unveiled, a contender that gave Gerstlauer their first serious competition in the drop angle race. 2008 was the year that S&S opened Steel Hawg at Indiana Beach, their first ever El Loco model. This ride had a 111 degree drop, which was at the time substantially steeper than anything Gerstlauer had conjured up.
As with the Euro-Fighter, El Locos began flying off the shelves following Steel Hawg’s successful debut. Each El Loco sold was seemingly even steeper than the last, and even though the record transferred from ride to ride fairly quickly, S&S clung onto the record until 2011, eventually reaching 113 degrees on Timber Drop at Fraispertuis City.
Gerstlauer did eventually reclaim the drop angle record, with the opening of Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland in 2011 taking it to 121 degrees, and they are also the current record holders, with TMNT Shellraiser at Nickelodeon Universe boasting a 121.5 degree drop (which I’ll admit still seems marginally pedantic to me…). S&S has in the past threatened to reclaim the record (the Orlando polercoaster is/was said to have a 123 degree drop), but Gerst are still the current holders.
But I didn’t make this thread to give you a history lesson on the drop angle record (one of the few records that still seems to be being actively fought for, might I add!). I made this thread to ask; which of the two beyond-vertical drop coaster types do you prefer? I know that there are other coaster types out there that have included beyond-vertical drops, but these are the main two that really focus on them as the key element, so I thought they’d make for an interesting comparison.
I can’t really contribute, as I haven’t ridden an S&S El Loco, but I’ll admit I’m not personally a huge fan of Gerstlauer’s Euro-Fighters myself; I find them a bit too rough for my liking, and I sometimes feel like they prioritise intensity over fun, which isn’t really for me, personally. Some of them do have good layouts, however, and it’s a very versatile ride type!
But which of the beyond-vertical drop coaster types do you prefer?