Quick Gemini Question

I've never understood the whole "arms up" thing. I never do it. People are always telling me to do it, like it's a requirement of some sort. I'm not a chicken. I've tried it. I don't like it.

Arms up enhances the sensation of airtime. Of course, this means that the coaster has to have airtime, which Gemini does not have much of. The only good arms up coaster at Cedar Point is Millennium Force (only over the air time hills). Although Magnum is a hyper coaster and has a lot of airtime, my back thanks me whenever I hold on.

I used to have bad back problems. Now I just have minor problems from time to time. I've never had back surgery but a surgeon once told me to ride a coaster, keep your butt all the way back, use one leg to brace yourself and keep the lower body back in the seat and the arms to hold on and keep the upper body against the back of the seat. He said to do this, enjoy the ride and I wouldn't have to see him again. It has worked for 14 years. And I've haven't seen him since. And yes, you still get airtime.

If you are riding a wood coaster with hard seats like Mean Streak, you want to sit forward in the seat and keep your back and head away from the seatback. The other comfort issue is that you should never get your lap bar too tight. Snug up the seat belt if you like, but leave a gap under the bar. You do not want to be pinned to the seat.

I don't understand the arms up thing. Never have. My arms get sore when I do too much of that. I usually make exceptions for the first and....ummm...fourth, I think...drops on Gemini. That's the two drops that go under That Beam.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

When I tried arms up it didn't enhance airtime for me. It made every ride I tried it on feel rougher and my arms got tired. I feel that when I hold on I can control what kind of ride I get out of the coaster.

That's mostly what I've found also. Sometimes I let my arms raise up at the apex of the hill, sort of like doing the wave. That maybe enhances a sense of free floating a little, but keeping arms up in general makes little sense.

I think keeping your arms up shows how brave you are -- you don't have to hold on! LOL

I read, years ago, that holding your feet up off the floor really enhanced the feeling like you were "floating".

Mostly I just hang on, laugh maniacally and enjoy myself.

This may sound stupid, but lifting up your feet on the first drop on Iron Dragon feels awesome! I promise it makes the ride worth riding. Try it!

Could new trains improve the smoothness of the ride?

^^ I have done that on Iron Dragon. I actually think ID has a great first drop and it gets better the closer you sit to the rear of the train.

Of the hundred and some odd unique coasters I have ridden, only ten of them have a great benefit to riding with arms up, namely B&M and Morgan hyper type coasters (over the hills, not so much around the helix elements). The best arms up coaster in my opinion is Wild Thing at Valleyfair! particularly over the second hill. (If I am not mistaken, it is still the longest continuous negative g element in the world.)

I get very annoyed seeing people put up their arms on classic wooden coasters. I must say it is funny when these people think the supports are too far away to touch, and the look on their faces when they realize they better bring their hands down very quickly.

Even more annoying is when an operator is trying to get everyone to scream with hands in the air, on mine train type coasters.

^On the Beast at KI, my brother was riding on the left side, he put his hands up after the second lift right before the helix, he claims to have hit his hand at the beginning of the tunnel

Lifting your feet and raising your arms are two very different actions with very different effects. One has the effect of changing the way your body is stabilized, the other has the effect of making you look foolish.

At the GOCC/ACE event recently at Holiday World and Kentucky Kingdom, I noticed how much quieter coasters are when the trains are filled with coaster nuts compared with "normal" people. In general, fewer arms in the air and a whole lot less screaming.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

How does raising your arms make someone look foolish?

Because all the "cool kid" coaster nuts don't need to raise their hands to enjoy a coaster. Anyone raising their hands obviously has no idea how to enjoy a coaster and therefore are foolish...

Isn't the idea behind raising your arms to give you a sense of freedom and trust that the restraints alone won't let you die? You're literally "letting go," which gives you a sense of increased risk euphoria.

Anyone raising their hands is enjoying the coaster in the way they want to, which makes them happy, not foolish.

For me, putting my hands in the air doesn't enhance the experience; not doing so makes me happy, not a "cool kid".

RideMan: you reminded me of an ERT session years ago at Kings Dominion, on Rebel Yell. I sat in a middle car (so that I could re-ride repeatedly without getting out of the seat) and as the session went on was struck by how quiet the riders were. Some folks seated near me were having conversations as we rode on non-coaster related topics.

My comment was directed at RideMan's opinion that anyone who raises their hands looks foolish. There is a big difference between thinking you are better (less foolish) than someone else for not raising your hands, as opposed to not raising your hands because that is how you choose to enjoy riding a coaster.

I have never once formed an opinion of someone else based upon whether or not they raise their hands on a roller coaster...

I'm trying to think of any situation outside of certain sports where waving your arms over your head doesn't look foolish.. Come to think of it, it looks foolish when basketball players do it, too.

Don't take it so personally. I didn't say it makes you look like a fool. I said it makes you look foolish. There is a difference. The fact that it is, in fact, a social norm does not change the fact that it looks ridiculous.

Of course, that is hyperbolic. But so was the original statement. The point was, there is a ride-altering physical and mechanical effect to lifting your feet. There is no such effect when you raise your arms.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.