[bgwfreak]

The Son of Beast crate is gone, and the ride has been removed from the park map.

If they were going to bring it back in 2011, I doubt they'd bother with removing the whole sign and rather just cover it up for now.

Guess I'm going to be one of the few to ride it looped and loopless.

And I know some of you can't get onto TPR, but here's a link to KIC too.

The Kings Island (KI) Discussion Thread - Page 169 - Theme Park Review
http://www.kicentral.com/forums/index.p ... t&p=374415
http://www.visitkingsisland.com/public/ ... /index.cfm

[carowinds4ever]

Screamscape posted something about this, said cf was contemplating fixing it or tearing it down. Basically said it would be torn down would not be cost effective to fix it.

[CoasterDad]

It would be sad to see this giant scrapped, however, we were never impressed when riding it - about shook me to death 2 years ago. Being the tallest wood coaster, it seems that GCI or Intimin would have some ideas on what could be done to salvage part of it... as always, the cost issues must be considered first and it may just be better to start from the ground up with something else in the next couple of years...

[Jay]

I imagine they are looking long and hard at the Texas Giant. I'm hoping for demolition myself.

[Edwardo]

I wouldn't mind if they gave it the Giant treatment. I wouldn't count it as a wooden coaster anymore, but it could be ridable.

[mark40511]

I never understood the problem with this ride........I rode it SEVERAL times when it first came out and thought it was a blast. The lines were always pretty long.....I didn't hear any complaints.....Of course, I never did get back to ride it when it went loopless....

[Top Gun68]

When it first opened it was good. After that it just got rough.

[carowinds4ever]

I myself wish they would tear it down. That is a lot of real estate it takes up, and could leave room for something new and huge (yes i know they just got DB).

[griffondor]

Son of Beast should be taken out. I never got the chance to ride it, but heard far too many bad stories. Also, getting Intamin's hybrid treatment would simply be too expensive for the park because it's such a big ride.

[cgreene]

I wouldn't mind if they gave it the Giant treatment. I wouldn't count it as a wooden coaster anymore, but it could be ridable.

The Texas Giant is being treated. The park completly tore it down and ae rebuilding it now it'll be reopened next year.

[swampfox43]

and from the looks of this photo, it might not be so bad.

http://www.johnnyupsidedown.com/new/new11/gt4a.jpg

[carowinds4ever]

I am curious if they are gonna leave it like that or build the rest of the wood around it?

[cwgator]

http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/last-son-of-beast-accident-case-going-to-trial-1109729.html

Last Son of Beast accident case going to trial

Man was injured and had to have surgery after riding the coaster in 2006.

MASON — The last case involving an accident on the Son of Beast roller coaster at Kings Island will go to trial next week in a Warren County courtroom.

Jonathan Yanik of Ashland, Ky., is the last person involved in many lawsuits launched against Kings Island’s owner, amusement park giant Cedar Fair, over an accident on the wooden roller coaster that sent 27 people to the hospital in June 2006.

A faulty support on the roller coaster was blamed for the jolting ride, which caused Kings Island officials to close the ride for a short amount of time. Son of Beast was closed in 2009 following a complaint and has not been opened since.

The civil lawsuit is scheduled to go before a jury Monday in Warren County Common Pleas Court.

Colleen Hegge, who has represented a half-dozen Son of Beast riders in court, said a settlement isn’t out of the question in Yanik’s case.

“Talks have continued, and they have gotten better,” she said.

Yanik suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery following the ride. He has spent $22,521 in medical bills to date, according to court documents and has suffered $22,000 in lost wages.

The lawsuit is asking for $500,000 in compensatory damages and more than $350,000 in punitive damages. All the other lawsuits but one were settled prior to trial. Jennifer Wright of Defiance took her case to a jury in October 2009 and was awarded $76,364 in compensatory damages and an undisclosed amount in punitive damages.

Wright suffered hip and lower back injuries after the car in which she was riding hit a span of track that had separated, where timbers splintered on the giant wooden roller coaster.

Kings Island offered to settle on punitive damages after the verdict was reached and before jurors could hear a taped deposition by a forensic engineer who inspected the ride and said Kings Island’s owners were “negligent” and “put passengers at risk.”

In a video interview, Rick Schmizze, who investigated the 2006 accident for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said owners of the amusement park have known since 2000 there were problems with the ride.

“They would fix them in a Band-Aid style and then wait and see what happened,” he testified. “They never really stopped and said ‘we’ve got a problem with this ride as a whole.’ ”

Wright said she would love to help Yanik win his case.

“All I ever wanted was the truth to come out and no one to ever be hurt again,” she said. “I am still fighting and I would love to offer any help or evidence. I feel their pain and suffering.”

Schmizze also will be a witness in the Yanik case. Kings Island’s attorneys tried to keep the deposition out of the trial, but removed their objection on Monday, according to Cedar Fair attorney Chip Finke. He would not comment further on the case.

[bgwfreak]

we’ve got a problem with this ride as a whole

Pretty much.

[Jarsh]

I must've picked a good seat/day/life... something.

I rode it back when the loop was in it and didn't find it anymore "abusive" than Voyage. Your mileage may vary.