Negative-G - Six Flags Magic Mountain 2019 - American Coaster Enthusiasts Coaster Con 42

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The Viper Rollercoaster - American Coaster Enthusiasts Coaster Con 42 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California

Viper was the last of the triplets to be built and it is the last one left as Shockwave closed in 2002 and the Great American Scream Machine went to the coaster graveyard in the sky in 2010. It was a little sad seeing the pinnacle of Ron Toomer's Arrow Dynamics overshadowed by all of the newer coasters and almost forgotten with little to no line during my time at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Despite that it was great to get to have a little flashback to the Shockwave of my youth; that along with the help of a really pretty girl who wanted to ride it over and over, that made me stop being terrified of coasters. Shockwave may be gone, but spiraling down that first drop in an empty train with nothing accompanying me but my memories it was easy to go back thirty-one years for all of those rides and that girl. The memories have faded enough where I can't remember her name but I will never forget those rides.

The Viper Rollercoaster - The American Coaster Enthusiasts Coaster Con 42 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California

For the Con Six Flags Magic Mountain brought out a few goodies from the closet. Models like this used to be how ride manufacturers would show what a design was going to look like. There were no 3d computer generated renderings of a new coaster. They released hand drawn sketches of rides or there would be photos of models like this one. My guess is that this model of the Great American Scream Machine was sent to Six Flags Magic Mountain in order to promote Viper as they had a similar layout.

The X2 Rollercoaster - The American Coaster Enthusiasts Coaster Con 42 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California

Viper was Arrow Dynamics crowning achievement and high water mark. Next to it sits Arrow Dynamics swan song: X2.

With companies like Intamin and Bolliger & Mabillard using computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing to change the coaster world in a tidal shift in the early 1990's. It like going from propeller engines to jets in air flight and Arrow Dynamics was left behind.

Being more of a job shop that was focused on what they were working on right then Arrow didn't do the research and development to improve and develop the new rides that parks wanted. Eventually parks didn't want another cookie cutter looping coaster with the same standard sized loops and corkscrews. Parks wanted rides that were custom and unique as well as super smooth. Moving later into the 1990's no one was buying what Arrow had to sell.