Got back from the park about an hour ago, and here is my review:
Copperhead Strike is extremely fun. It’s not a balls-to-the-wall intense experience like Maverick, but honestly, I would liken it to an adult version of Firechaser Express. The way it traverses elements feels euro-fighter-y, in that it has some kick to it, but not to the point where it’s overbearing.
Now I only got one ride at night in the 7th row, right side, at 9:20 PM, so bear with me:
-The Jojo roll is a lot snappier than it appears, while still having enough hangtime to keep you in suspense.
-The barn is really well themed, but I couldn’t really see or hear anything due to where I was positioned. Still, it’s an amazing second impression for the ride.
-The first launch feels like it’s split in two segments. It feels like a gentle acceleration when you leave the barn, but when you hit the slight incline, it really picks up. I would liken the first launch to Verbolten’s. I think CS’s might be the “weaker” of the two, but it still feels strong enough to feel like a real launch.
-The first loop provides some pretty good hangtime
-This is probably gonna be the most controversial part of my review, but while the first airtime hill is good, it feels like it’s really strong floater a la Fury’s last two hills, more than Intamin-style ejector. But I sat in the back row, so I’m sure it’s stronger towards the front.
-The corkscrew and succeeding helices are pretty forceful, but again, I would still liken the forces more to a eurofighter. There’s not a lot of laterals, but it still pins you to your seat and you feel the positive G’s.
-The hill leading into the second launch was a pleasant surprise. Again, not full on ejector, but it’s still really good.
-The second launch, while not providing as much airtime as I hoped, is still incredibly fun and the acceleration is still noticeable, albeit not as strong as the first launch.
-THE TOPHAT. Oh my god, this thing is ridiculous! The hangtime is amazing here, and so often on coasters, you move through inversions to fast to take them in. Not here. Here, you hang for what feels like a short eternity, full cognizant of the fact that you are upside down 82 feet above the ground, and it’s emphasized even more with the lapbar restraints.
-I can’t really remember the short turn or loop following the tophat, as it was kind of a blur.
-The turn through the first loop is pretty fun, but the real highlight of the ride is the following S-turn that goes under the first airtime hill. It’s extremely forceful and whippy, and probably the most intense part of the ride.
-The twister section at the end is really fun.
-The airtime hill into the brake run is probably the strongest moment, and it’s really good, but again, from the backseat, it doesn’t really feel like full-on-ejector. Again, I will have to ride closer to the front next time.
Overall, it’s a really enjoyable coaster. I’d probably put it above Intimidator, but for me, Afterburn just slightly edges it out as my second favorite ride at the park. However, Copperhead Strike is far more rerideable than Afterburn, so while it may not edge it out, I can see myself marathoning this more than Afterburn on an empty day.
I’m just incredibly happy that Carowinds now has four world-class coasters in this, Intimidator, Afterburn, and Fury, with each offering different ride experiences. 2019 is going to be the best season yet, and I can’t wait to ride Copperhead Strike a million more times once the lines have died down.
37ED8721-EC80-448E-AC24-00B5D229D6D4.jpeg (611.29KiB)Viewed 4137 times
This was the line around 6:30. 
