Backwards Gemini

Any thoughts on backwards BS, Gemini, or Raptor? Gimmicky or awesome fun. My only coaster was KI racer which was sweet. Shutouts to Maelstrom (RIP).

There was a discussion about this a while back:

https://pointbuzz.com/Forums/Topic/backwards-gemini

I don't think it's a terrible idea, but Gemini may not be the coaster for that. Blue Streak would likely be more conducive to riding backwards, or a roller coaster built from the ground up meant to run backwards.

I've ridden a number of backward coasters.

The last one was Batman at Six Flags Great Adventure.

The one thing I've found,especially with Batman,is that the backward rides are much tougher on my my head and stomach then the same rides going forward.

Most of the people I know have the same reaction.

I think I would prefer a flat to run backwards instead of a coaster. The county fair used to run their Matterhorn equivalent backwards and it was cool. Actually anything that resulted in Matterhorn having a longer cycle would be appreciated because I swear it takes as long for the op to do the walk around as it does for the ride.

Paisley said:

I think I would prefer a flat to run backwards instead of a coaster. The county fair used to run their Matterhorn equivalent backwards and it was cool. Actually anything that resulted in Matterhorn having a longer cycle would be appreciated because I swear it takes as long for the op to do the walk around as it does for the ride.

I know that "back in the day",when you had to pay for each ride,the parks out here in New Jersey always used to run rides like the Matterhorn , Himalaya and Olympic Bobsleds frontwards and backwards on each cycle.

I know some places down the Jersey Shore still do,as do the privately owned rides at Coney island.

Racer, backwards, at Kings Island was great.

Batman at Great America made me extremely nauseous.

Invertigo at Kings Island isn't good for me either.

I avoid backwards looping coasters now.

Cedar Point already has a backwards-running coaster...well, sort of:

^^This is what i dream of.

Some day...

Lets ask the Magic Conch if this will happen:

I agree with the comment that backwards is harder on the body and stomach. I just rode Cobra's Curse at Busch gardens Tampa and at one point it turns around and goes backward, my body did not like that at all. It's funny because I was worried about the spinning but was fine with that but not the backwards, yuck, but still a great coaster.

^ Not to get totally off topic but is Cobra's Curse free spinning (Maurer Sohne like Laff Trak at Hersheypark or Whirlwind at SeaBreeze) or is it a controlled spin (kinda like X but obviously rotate on a different axis)?

Shane, no it's not free spinning. The beginning you go up a vertical elevator lift and the first part of the ride including the first drop do not spin. When it turns backwards it doesn't spin, it in the last quarter of the ride that it starts spinning. Very cool ride and the queue line is amazing.

Would love to do it! But, knowing CF, it will never happen. Just look what happened at KI. After years of running Racer backward, they switched it forward due to PTC does not recommend running their trains backward.

As for Batman, the chassis for those trains were specifically built by B&M to run backwards.I got to try it couple of times at Great America. It was so intense! Loved it! I can only imagine what Raptor would be like!

Well, I'm not going to argue with Tom Rebbie about how his trains should be used. :-)

I've ridden a few backwards trains and ... meh. I like to see where I'm going.

Although it will never happen, Valravn backwards would be super cool. Leaning and the falling backwards over 200ft would be amazing, or at least I would love it!

That actually would be kinda freaky... and it would work with the big, swooping inversions.

I have a feeling the lift hill would be quite uncomfortable

^No worse than Vekoma's Giant Boomerangs, and they have vertical lifts! :)

I love going backwards! Whenever I had the option of riding forwards/backwards on Racer or American Eagle, I chose backwards. Seeing where I was going is so lame!