The Thrill Seeker's Guide for the Easily Terrified
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Are you an adrenaline junkie?
I'm not. I'm smiling through a cheesy hack-n-slash flick, unfazed even by the scariest of good old fashioned scare-your-pants-off ghost stories, and love a creepy Halloween haunted house (college students do these best - they're young enough to still be warped and twisted!). But, get me more than ten feet off the ground and everything changes.
My only "extreme" is an extreme fear of heights - I literally get dizzy on ladders, but I do like roller coasters - the wussy ones, that is (even try to get me near a friggin Ferris Wheel and you just might get slugged... very sorry, it's a defensive reaction). A few loops and such here and there and I'm good - pushin' the envelope, brah! But, for those of you who aren't cream puffs, and for those who think they might want to push it to the edge, check out these Ultimate Thrill Rides..
Enjoy! And remember, you have to be "at least this crazy..."
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Stratosphere Tower: Insanity
Insanity atop Stratosphere Tower
If you are crazy enough to get on this ride, then you deserve whatever terror befalls you - and much braver than I.
The aptly named Insanity is atop the Stratosphere Tower, over 900-feet high above the Las Vegas strip. The ride takes you 64-feet out over the edge of the tower and then spins you -and 9 other idiots- at 40 miles per hour, as you're looking straight down!
I can't imagine even going up to the top of this tower, much less getting into this ride. But, if you're not afraid of heights, this might be for you.
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Superman: Ultimate Flight
Superman: Ultimate Flight
This roller coaster thrill ride is in Six Flags Over Georgia. It's unique in that riders are suspended in a "flying" position. Pretty cool concept, actually.
You speed through 2,759 feet of track, hurtling into dives, high-banked curves, spirals and a one-of-a-kind, 78-foot "pretzel" loop, at a top speed of 60 miles per hour. It's 11.5 stories tall, and the first of it's kind to feature dual loading stations.
At only 3 minutes long, the ride seems kind of brief, but maybe -after experiencing it- that would be plenty!
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Six Flags Catapult
Catapult: Six Flags, New England
This medieval contraption is down right scary looking - reminiscent of a trebuchet. It propels its victims 100 feet into the air, first forward then backward, 360 degrees.
It also reminds me of a giant fly swatter ...made of humans.
If I ever were to ride this thing you would get to hear me scream like a pig-tails-wearing, pink bows sporting, little girl.
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Kissimmee Skyscraper
Kissimmee Skyscraper
This is reported to be the closest you'll get to skydiving without actually, well, skydiving. And many adrenaline junkie thrill seekers will confess that this is the scariest ride on Earth. Even experienced daredevils have been reported to be "unnerved."
A lot of hype for the simple-looking A-frame. This thrill ride stands 300-feet - supposedly the tallest ride of its kind in the world. 1-to-3 people are strapped into the harness and slowly (the suspense is everything!) lifted to the top, where they are then dropped.
Simple. What's the big deal?
Duh! You are dropped from three hundred feet in the air.
Tickets for this ride run about $32.00 apiece.
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Kings Island Drop Zone
Kings Island Drop Zone
Another drop-you-till-you-think-you're-going-die thrill ride. I'd maybe, possiblyconsider riding this one sooner than the above Skyscraper - only because if I die there's a lot more people to take with me... and possibly more padding to cushion my fall!
This ride takes about a minute to bring you up to the upper levels, over 26 stories, where it then stops, leaving it's victims poised and awaiting the inevitable. Just as riders may be thinking the ride is broken, they hear a click, and it drops. It plummets straight down, reaching 76 miles per hour, before the magnetic braking system takes over, bringing the circle screaming sissies to a gentle stop.
Be sure to watch the video to the right. The commentary is priceless.
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Michael Jackson - Thriller - when he was still awesome!
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Historic Amusement Park Film Collection DVD - Roller Coasters, Ferris Wheels, Cotton Candy, Boardwalks, Rides and Amusements and More
Price: $14.95
List Price: $14.97 |
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Thrill Ride - The Science of Fun (Large Format)
Price: $6.08
List Price: $14.94 |
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The Biggest Thrill Rides (Megastructures)
Price: $26.00
List Price: $26.00 |
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Ripley's Believe It or Not! Amusement Park Oddities & Trivia
Price: $5.96
List Price: $10.88 |
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Comments
Like I said above, my most extreme rides are the tamest roller coasters, maybe a few other mild thrill rides. But, nothing like in this hub.
Thanks for reading, Mulder.
thats kool I enjoy reading your hubs .
Thanks, man. Back atcha!
I never have been a fan of rollercoasters and thrill rides. I don't scream, I just freeze up. I do not enjoy surprises and that may be a lot of the reason I don't go to amusement parks. when I do I usually go to the arcade and spend most of my time there.
However, put me in a train locomotive, and I am a happy camper! My big dream is to one day drive a steam engine, and that's about as thrilling an adventure as I seek.
I promise not to laugh, even though I've now got this picture of you on the kiddie train in a conducters hat... blowing the horn and smiling gleefully, and bellowing, "ALL ABOARD!"
Wow, Constant Walker, that is something for me! I am able to spend a few hours in using these machines per day. I simply like them. Higher the tower, the better. Higher the pressure of acceleration, even better. The only thing I need to control is eating no food and drinking no beer before using these machines. Thank you for this excellent hub!
You're welcome. Thanks for reading. So, you're an adrenaline junkie, or just a "social-user"?
Not a social user, I would say. My past work and life have changed me a lot considering addressing life threatening situations. Breaking ice, freezing cold water, little unexpected storms, which come from 'nowhere' and are just asking to help and rescue other people's lives...or just walking across the thin ice on the lake on a magic, silver coloured full moon night. These machines show me the boundaries of how very vulnerable we people are, considering the impact of a bit higher forces to our body. And I love that very feeling at the edge of impossible.
Well, that's why I included videos (don't you love that last one?), so we enjoy the thrill without the danger! ;)
DIZZY DIZZY DIZZY, I'm going to throw up -- good hub tho, but in amusement parks, i head for the science building and take the virtual rides if there are any....loved the videos, well written again, constant. You da' Bomb!!!
I also be Da Man, too, and a bag o' M&Ms! Word-up, frashizzle-Marizzle! ...and shit.
Interesting hub, but SO not for me. I don't ride anything more extreme than a merry-go-round! :P
But, it's fun to watch the videos of the ones who do, isn't it?
Thanks for reading.
I too hate heights! The best I can do is space mountain in Disneyland! Does that still exist? I been on a ferris wheel but was terrified as it stopped and swung, as each new group was loaded on. Dodgems and the Ghost train are about right for me! Oh and I did the wall of death once. You know the one that uses centrifugal force to stick you to the walls as they drop the floor! I wonder who cleaned up the puke after that ride?
Great hub!
Thanks for reading, Sixty. I remember that ride. Fun! The last time I was on a Ferris Wheel, my late uncle took me on it. I was about 4 or 5. I remember being terrified and sat frozen so the free-swinging bench wouldn't move.
The Drop Zone rocks. I love it more and more each time I ride it.
Good to hear from someone who's ridden one of the featured rides. It DOES look fun, if you've got no issues with heights.
Thanks for reading.
Yes, CW, I DID have one of those engineer's hats when I was young!
I knew it!!
This caught my eye as I work on a hub about Thrill Seeking Children :o) Parenting's my game for sure. I'm with you ~not~ on the crazy roller coasters... Swinging really high at a playground gives me enough of a thrill! I used to l-o-v-e Michael in the Thriller days :o)
The commentary on the drop vid was great! I love the, "I'm not ready for this." Ha - you better be because you're up there and you're about to drop!
Thanks for a great hub!
Thanks, Rainbow, for nice comments. I tried to get the actual "Thriller" video (with the werewolf, big dance, all that) - of which several are available to watch at YouTube, but none would let me transport them here.
It seems I'm a bit behind on your hubs. This one is a great subject - one wonders how your brain works to come up withit. Lots of fun.
I wonder that myself sometimes. Some of my subject matter comes from the news, or History Channel, or from magazines like Discover, or my own life, but some of it, like this one, just pops into my head. I've learned that I can't go searching for something to write about. It has to come to me, or be inspired BY something. You know?
Thanks for reading.
I'm no punk, but I'm also just the guy that would check out most of these rides from the ground while I stare in disbelief at anyone who would ride them. Ferris wheels really suck to me jsut because I don't want to ride something that can be put up and taken down in a matter of hours.
Talented, I'm pretty much in agreement. Thanks for reading.
I'm scared of heights too. The last time I went on one of those rides it was cos my son made me do it. He was about 7 at the time (he's 27 now) and he just insisted. Funny thing was, though i was sh****** myself, as soon as I got off I wanted to go on again. Strange.
I'm exactly the same way with roller-coasters. They scare the shit (I'll say it for you) outta me, but what a blast!!
Thanks for reading.
Oh man, this is so my hub! I love these kinds of rides, and yes they do terrify me! I won't watch scary movies that often (they just don't entertain me like they used to) but I will ride scary rides any day!
I would have guessed this was your thing.
You might like Van Helsing...
mulder says:
2 years ago
I love this Hub Constant Walker but the problem is these rides would scare the crap out of me Yes Im a coward and ok I admit it I wont even on the merry go round with my kids Ha Ha . What rides do you go on ?