My first job in high school was as a ride operator on Mind Eraser at Elitch Gardens. The amount of times people came back from the ride with bloody noses or complaining of head pain made daily calls to the medics a guarantee. Also had to test ride it every morning several times so you learned how to hold your head just right real quick otherwise you’d be suffering a headache the rest of the day.
Luckily Nopuko is getting some brand-new track in 2025. I guess between Ratanga Junction and Lost Island, the ride was sent back to Vekoma for refurbishment, where they accidentally damaged some of the sections of track during its transit to the US. The park has been asking Vekoma for new track for the past couple years, but Vekoma has only been doing small fixes to avoid having to pay for the new track. Now they’ve finally given up the small fixes and are retracking portions of the ride.
YMMV on merch. I went looking for a Michigan’s Adventure shirt when I visited this year. The only decent one they had HAD CEDAR POINT’S SKYLINE ON IT!!! WTF, Michigan’s Adventure?!?
For Kentucky Kingdom regulars, hating on that thing is like a tradition. Now we gotta find a new coaster to talk crap about. I nominate Lightning Run, not because it's bad...but because those mid day lines are god awful.
I hope that wasn't me lol, I had a habit of saying it sucked but if I re-rode it I had to get more creative! I was a regular and a worker there for 4 years so if that clip was between there it may have been me 😅
Just want to say that you have inspired me to be an enthusiast and I want to thank you for making these amazing videos and inspiring me. You also helped me get over my fear of coasters so thank you for that as well. Thank you airtime thrills for inspiring me and helping me.
I'm amused when you say "well when these SLCs first opened maybe they were good" (I'm paraphrasing) - no they were not lol! Your favorite coaster, The Great Nor'Easter at Morey's Piers may be great now, and it sounds great now - but I rode it in 1997 and 2001 and I was 16 and 20 at both times - and my body and head especially took such a beating. It was so unpleasant, I just kept going back to the Sea Serpent boomerang and the woodie Great White on those Wildwood trips. I didn't get on another until our SF New England trip in 2016, but I think that's before they got the new vest restraints, and it gave us both another massive headache. I can't even imagine how terrible these other SLCs are in that your favorite two basically ripped my head apart before they had better restraints and trains. Good video!
Asked myself if I was geeky enough to watch someone rank one coaster model. Y E S Video didn't disappoint. Glad every time Canada makes an appearance, maybe SF will take some notes.
Every last one is my number one. But the winner is Kong at Discovery Kingdom. The imperfections and roughness makes the experience more chaotic. The headbanging gives me a brain massage.
@@LChineze Kong obviously is the # 1 worst in my opinion on this list, it's the most poorly maintained and in the worst of shape, along the the chipped paint.
Thunderhawk at Geauga Lake in 2006 and 2007 was a headbanging nightmare from what I remember. I never rode any other SLC after that. No reason to give myself a headache for no reason.
My only SLC is Kong at SFDK. It looked so cool but at the brake run I yelled out " Is there a chiropractor on duty?" Half the train laughed, the other half were in pain like me.
We got away quite lightly here in the UK when it came to SLC's Kumali and The Odyssey are good custom layout models. Infusion at Blackpool Pleasure Beach is terrible however, and after it beats you up has the audacity to have a model of the coaster as a B&M invert at the exit.
Your ability to continue to make fresh content and be creative with your topics is why you’re the best in the community. That’s a lie! We’re all really here for Sophie’s controversial hot takes and she never disappoints!
I rode that one in 2015 before the new trains. The last 3 rows were permanently closed off (possibly because of the unbearable headbanging) but it doesn't matter because it's not like the other rows were much better. Yeah, I had a headache for the rest of the day. I don't even remember the ride itself all that much, just being thrown from side to side into those horribly designed restraints.
I got to ride Great Noreaster this summer, and of the four SLCs I've ridden it is by far the best. But just imagine having ridden one of these (in my case Mind Eraser at SFA back in the mid-90;s) as your first inverted coaster. Worse yet, you have a terrible fear of any ride/coaster that goes upside down and then a "friend" drags you onto it! I wasn't crazy about any coasters before that time, but somehow I became an enthusiast after that SLC "trial by fire". Actually, the Mind Eraser really wasn't that bad when it was new. The only place you had to watch out for was on the brake run as the train rounded a sharp corner into the station. I learned pretty quick which way to lean my head to avoid getting smacked in the ear. If it had been as bad as it was later on before it got new trains and a re-theme I might have been permanently turned off of coasters!
Love seeing the Nor’Eastern get the love it deserves. It was ROUGH before that retrack, so it’s nice seeing it get appreciated. Plus waiving to people at the waterpark while on the ascent is always fun.
Gardaland is my home park, so Blue Tornado is my so far only SLC. Nothing but a torture device. I rode it for the first time in 2021 and I can remember it being painful, but still enjoyable if you're prepared. This year, I could only ride once bc it was way too painful, so I'm glad I rode it last, bc I probably wouldn't have been able to ride anything else after it
Serial Thriller at GL ran so smoothe when it opened at GL in 2000. I remember marathoning it that summer with my aunt. One of my favorite coaster memories
The Riddler Revenge is my #3 at SFNE. I love the creative layout, it's far more intense than the Batman floorless, and dare I say it, the vest trains have some of the most comfortable restraints I've ever experienced. It definitely has a bit of a shuffle in the back row, but nothing that ruins my ride experience.
My very first and only SLC was Mind Eraser at Six Flags America. I remember feeling disoriented for a good 20 minutes after riding. It certainly lived up to it's name.
Just moved to Colorado and got to experience my first SLC this summer, at Elitch Gardens. It was painful, but most of that pain came from me fighting to keep my head pinned, after hearing all the great stories of SLC headbanging. Can't say it was a terrible ride, but also can't say I'll ever get in that line again.
The longest line I have ever experienced for a roller coaster was the opening year for Top Gun, now called Flight Deck, at Canada's Wonderland. I enjoyed it in the late 90s, but less so now that both the ride and I have aged.
2:37 From the handful of SLCs I rode in their early years, I'd say these were not, once upon a time, awesome. They can be fun rides with reprofiling and track work, though.
So far, I've only ridden The Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags New England and Thunderhawk at Michigan's Adventure. The Riddler's Revenge was easily the better version, but Thunderhawk was surprisingly not that bad with the old restraints. They should still get the new ones, though, because otherwise, you may have to ride it defensively.
I'm glad I rode T3 for the credit while it was still around but it felt like I was going to slip and fall out of the seat the whole time. Very unnerving.
Rode Thunderhawk in Michigan's Adventure in August of 2023. I was dreading it, but we actually had fun and ended up doing something I'd never done with an SLC: maybe it was the lack of other compelling coaster options or maybe the fact that it sat at a dead end with a hike back to the entrance, but we actually circled around and rode it a second time. It wasn't a love affair for me and the Wild Mouse in the park was more interesting, but I found it to be a fun, intense ride.
I remember Chris thought that the Michigan's Adventure Wild Mouse was the best Wild Mouse he'd ever been on (at least at the time), so it seems you're in agreement there.
I've ridden one once and let's just say I'll take your word for the rest of the rankings. 🤣I would ride Nor' Easter and maybe Riddler but haven't been the area. Why not rank Boomerangs while you're at it? 😂
It's so crazy you rank Thunderhawk so well. When I rode it shot up easily into the top of the list of worst for me, having ridden all the previous US Six Flags ones the previous year, It was absolutely shaky and painful, gave me a headache in fact. I didn't find either of the Mind Erasers or Kong that bad at all. Of course Mind Eraser at Elitch....hoo boy, I agree that one just almost made me fall over from dizziness. As for Gauntlet, that one is easily the best that I've ridden. Rode it three times including once with my eyes closed. Arkansas Twister was closed, but Gauntlet was easily the best coaster of the others by a long shot.
Arkansas Twister isn't very good. Gauntlet is the best at the park, edging out X Coaster. Gauntlet is very smooth. I agree that Thunderhawk is quite shaky, at least it was on both of my visits. It's not my least favorite or the roughest, but it wasn't smooth like others say it is. Elitch's Mind Eraser did give me a good ride on the only ride I've ever gotten.
10:59 Fun fact, the only coaster KumbaK ever made was de Vliegende Hollander at Efteling. But Intamin jumped in later on to fix an issue with the lift hill. I believe they’ve only made trains after that.
I haven't ridden one of these. I had a chance to ride t3 in 2020 and I liked myself too much to do it. I think they are worth it for parks to refurbish them rather than take them out, so long as the park sticks with Vekoma trains. It always makes sense to save money when you can do that without sacrificing quality and manufacturer support.
I’ve been mostly spared from the Vekoma SLC, having only ridden one. That was Riddler Revenge at SFNE. It rode like death when I was there in 2022 and didn’t really enjoy it. I probably got a bad ride, but it was a one and done for me.
Hey, thanks for ranking most of North America's SLCs. I've been curious about where all these coasters would be ordered in discomfort or pain. Especially when I got my only SLC credit back in July with Mind Eraser at Elitch Gardens and thus could find a comparison. I honestly found my experience to not really be affected by the fabrication or restraints of the ride, with the roughness while frequent and semi-aggressive with the shakiness, it didn't really cause pain, while the restraints were not only mostly past the padding, but I didn't really move much while on ride, probably based on my body preparing for the SLC based on my rides on the other coasters there beforehand, not including Sidewinder, as that was closed. I'll say that the roughness is more frequent and aggressive in the back, plus the fact that at least on my rides, the forces felt more frequent and stronger upfront compared to the back, so I felt like I had different emotions when talking about the front (positively) and back (negatively), based on if the forces made up for the roughness. I'm now curious and excited to see what my limit is for roughness since that Mind Eraser at Elitch was a little bit distant from where my roughness tolerance reaches, so hope the future wishes me luck.
Nopuko (or "No-Puke-O" as I like to call it 🤣) was my first ride on a Vekoma SLC and it was RUFFF!!! If this is in the top five, then I'm in no hurry to ride another SLC anytime soon lool
I’ve so far only ridden one SLC (Mind Eraser at Elitches) and I remember being very nervous after hearing many say SLCs were terrible. I road in the middle for some reason and had a lot of fun. I did get some headbanging but I didn’t feel any pain unlike most people. Somehow I enjoyed a terrible coaster.
It's actually not a terrible coaster. It has a reputation that others latch onto, but it's actually not bad. It's not spectacular, but it's passable as a decent coaster that you can have fun on, as long as you weren't influenced by youtubers before riding it. I enjoyed my ride, knowing how to defend against headbanging, and the shakiness wasn't too bad.
'Celebrate' the suspended looping coaster. Erm ok. Interestingly Vekoma are refering to the new ones as 'Suspended Thrilll Coasters'. Which given new Vekoma are long past the dark days (other then disney would pay them big bucks) and do good work for everyone look very interesting as a model to replace the old SLC's in an easy way which won't be as janky.
2:56 actually mind eraser got the new trains in 2017 and then were repainted one year later to fit the new name and theme. It might be my favorite but my least is definitely flightdeck.
The original prototype SLC is at one of my home parks, Walibi Holland. Basically the same as T3. Imagine what the SLC was like _before_ they ironed out the flaws. Do not think for a moment, as Chris seems to imply here, that it was ever smooth. It is the kind of apparatus the Spanish Inquisition might have used. The flipside is: having grown up with that ride, I've developed good coaster roughness tolerance. El Condor did get new Vekoma trains, but I've yet to try them. It was orignially going to get Kumbak trains similar to T3, so the park dodged a bullet there! Of course, SLCs do have a great layout. Find yourself a reasonably smooth one (Mayan at Energylandia isn't bad) and you've got a great, intense, well paced ride.
We had Arkham Asylum - Shock therapy at Warner Bros. Movie World. The Australian sun wasn't kind to it either. I rode it just before they demolished it and was brutal. They had the VR experience for a while and that was painfull. You couldn't see to brace and the head banging with goggles isn't fun.
I've only ridden one of these, but I'm happy that it's the best one on this list. I wonder if Moreys Piers has the most underrated collection of coasters. Maybe an idea for a future list?
Buy or Sell: Vekoma figures out how to rebuild SLC's as STC's (same layout, footers, maybe even supports - but with gloriously smooth track and trains instead)
We have an SLC in Brazil - Beto Carrero World (the same park that bought Batman and Robin but lost the plans). Since most of our parks are subpar and our roller coasters are second-hand, our relocated SLC is considered the best coaster in the country. Can you imagine being a theme park fan in Brazil?
I find it kinda funny that the one SLC I’ve ridden is the worst on the list. During my trip there in 2022, I got the credit, then an hour later, it closed for the rest of the day.
I’m currently doing a trip through Japan going to a bunch of parks.The second week, I went to Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido and rode their SLC “Hurricane”. I can say, without a doubt, it’s the worst and most painful ride I’ve ever ridden. The only SLC I’d done before this was Riddlers Revenge, which I didn’t enjoy but wasn’t awful. But after Hurricane, my back hurt for a week. I couldn’t ride any coasters with too much positives cause they caused a sharp pain in my back. Luckily it healed before I went to Fuji Q Highland, so I was able to enjoy Fujiyama and Eejanaika 😄
As a Vekoma SLC, I highly approve of this video
SLC”s are so satisfying to watch, but once you get on them it ruins the experience
Very true theyre very photogenic but getting on them yea
Most true thing ever
My first job in high school was as a ride operator on Mind Eraser at Elitch Gardens. The amount of times people came back from the ride with bloody noses or complaining of head pain made daily calls to the medics a guarantee. Also had to test ride it every morning several times so you learned how to hold your head just right real quick otherwise you’d be suffering a headache the rest of the day.
The guy hugging T3's pillar for whatever reason: lucky to be alive after it, or aftaid to go on it 😂
Are you kidding me?! This is premium content!
Morey's Piers takes amazing care of their rides..I knew that would be the best one..plus the view you can't beat. This was a fun list
Luckily Nopuko is getting some brand-new track in 2025. I guess between Ratanga Junction and Lost Island, the ride was sent back to Vekoma for refurbishment, where they accidentally damaged some of the sections of track during its transit to the US. The park has been asking Vekoma for new track for the past couple years, but Vekoma has only been doing small fixes to avoid having to pay for the new track. Now they’ve finally given up the small fixes and are retracking portions of the ride.
Thats awesome to hear
The person who came up with this video idea deserves a huge award lol.
Apparently it was me. I vaguely remember doing that but not sure I was serious at the time lol.
Proud of Michigan's Adventure for being able to keep Thunderhawk smooth. needs new trains. it has good merch too.
YMMV on merch. I went looking for a Michigan’s Adventure shirt when I visited this year. The only decent one they had HAD CEDAR POINT’S SKYLINE ON IT!!!
WTF, Michigan’s Adventure?!?
lol that guy screaming "T3 sucks" at the end was hilarious
The moment I saw that title I knew that clip would be somewhere in the video. I was not disappointed.
For Kentucky Kingdom regulars, hating on that thing is like a tradition. Now we gotta find a new coaster to talk crap about. I nominate Lightning Run, not because it's bad...but because those mid day lines are god awful.
I hope that wasn't me lol, I had a habit of saying it sucked but if I re-rode it I had to get more creative! I was a regular and a worker there for 4 years so if that clip was between there it may have been me 😅
That guy is my spirit animal.
12:24 "T3 SUCKS!"
Proud to say that Australia is now the SLC-free continent
@@AussieCoasterReviewer i know i just missed arkham asylum
Wait, are you saying there's an SLC in Antarctica?!
Ah yes, my favorite kind of coaster
Just want to say that you have inspired me to be an enthusiast and I want to thank you for making these amazing videos and inspiring me. You also helped me get over my fear of coasters so thank you for that as well. Thank you airtime thrills for inspiring me and helping me.
@@Loki_The_Cat well thank YOU for watching and sticking with me this long
@ you’re welcome! Don’t think I’ll be leaving anytime soon! Have a good day
It’s amazing how an SLC can be decently enjoyable when it’s not actively trying to concuss you
Great video! I dont know which is worse, these or Zamperla Volaires 😂. I really enjoyed watching this!
@@michael7054 volares with ear pads are the devil
So, I looked up a pov on T3 and this guy filming is absolutely in love with the coaster! 😂
@@jasbas459 probably rode it too many times and is now deranged
@@AirtimeThrills T3 syndrome is unfortunately incurable.
I'm amused when you say "well when these SLCs first opened maybe they were good" (I'm paraphrasing) - no they were not lol! Your favorite coaster, The Great Nor'Easter at Morey's Piers may be great now, and it sounds great now - but I rode it in 1997 and 2001 and I was 16 and 20 at both times - and my body and head especially took such a beating. It was so unpleasant, I just kept going back to the Sea Serpent boomerang and the woodie Great White on those Wildwood trips. I didn't get on another until our SF New England trip in 2016, but I think that's before they got the new vest restraints, and it gave us both another massive headache. I can't even imagine how terrible these other SLCs are in that your favorite two basically ripped my head apart before they had better restraints and trains. Good video!
Asked myself if I was geeky enough to watch someone rank one coaster model.
Y E S
Video didn't disappoint. Glad every time Canada makes an appearance, maybe SF will take some notes.
Every last one is my number one. But the winner is Kong at Discovery Kingdom. The imperfections and roughness makes the experience more chaotic. The headbanging gives me a brain massage.
Kong feels like riding in a manual car driven by a new driver while on a roller coaster
@@LChineze Kong obviously is the # 1 worst in my opinion on this list, it's the most poorly maintained and in the worst of shape, along the the chipped paint.
@@zacharyyamashita8554 dont forget the screeching noise when the platform lowers before the ride begins lol
never thought i'd ever here "elite slc" till today
I think Mind Eraser at DL is gonna be close
Thunderhawk at Geauga Lake in 2006 and 2007 was a headbanging nightmare from what I remember. I never rode any other SLC after that. No reason to give myself a headache for no reason.
This is the highest an Elitch gardens ride would ever be in an airtime thrills list.
My only SLC is Kong at SFDK. It looked so cool but at the brake run I yelled out " Is there a chiropractor on duty?" Half the train laughed, the other half were in pain like me.
@@briansanchez5758 thats one great shared experience
We got away quite lightly here in the UK when it came to SLC's Kumali and The Odyssey are good custom layout models.
Infusion at Blackpool Pleasure Beach is terrible however, and after it beats you up has the audacity to have a model of the coaster as a B&M invert at the exit.
Your ability to continue to make fresh content and be creative with your topics is why you’re the best in the community. That’s a lie! We’re all really here for Sophie’s controversial hot takes and she never disappoints!
@@theheardtheorem her "idgaf whats popular opinion" picks are quite funny
Conda at Walibi World before new trains was a once in a life time experience.
I rode that one in 2015 before the new trains. The last 3 rows were permanently closed off (possibly because of the unbearable headbanging) but it doesn't matter because it's not like the other rows were much better. Yeah, I had a headache for the rest of the day. I don't even remember the ride itself all that much, just being thrown from side to side into those horribly designed restraints.
Next Rank all of the zamperla volare Coasters.
I got to ride Great Noreaster this summer, and of the four SLCs I've ridden it is by far the best. But just imagine having ridden one of these (in my case Mind Eraser at SFA back in the mid-90;s) as your first inverted coaster. Worse yet, you have a terrible fear of any ride/coaster that goes upside down and then a "friend" drags you onto it! I wasn't crazy about any coasters before that time, but somehow I became an enthusiast after that SLC "trial by fire". Actually, the Mind Eraser really wasn't that bad when it was new. The only place you had to watch out for was on the brake run as the train rounded a sharp corner into the station. I learned pretty quick which way to lean my head to avoid getting smacked in the ear. If it had been as bad as it was later on before it got new trains and a re-theme I might have been permanently turned off of coasters!
This earns a like just on the title alone 😂
Love seeing the Nor’Eastern get the love it deserves.
It was ROUGH before that retrack, so it’s nice seeing it get appreciated.
Plus waiving to people at the waterpark while on the ascent is always fun.
From 12 to 1 it's time for "RATE THE PAIN!"
(i've rode mind eraser and flight deck before and i know your pain pal, one and done with those rides)
Gardaland is my home park, so Blue Tornado is my so far only SLC. Nothing but a torture device. I rode it for the first time in 2021 and I can remember it being painful, but still enjoyable if you're prepared. This year, I could only ride once bc it was way too painful, so I'm glad I rode it last, bc I probably wouldn't have been able to ride anything else after it
"I rode in the back row 'cause of course. you have to." Yup.
Serial Thriller at GL ran so smoothe when it opened at GL in 2000. I remember marathoning it that summer with my aunt. One of my favorite coaster memories
I have not ridden a vekoma slc yet. Your content is top notch i've been subscribed for a while now i love me some roller coasters.
Finally my favorite coaster t3 is being appriciated
My favorite Vekoma SLC is Silver Bullet at Knott's because it's made by B&M.
@@riparianlife97701 thats......accurate
Wow, back to back airtime thrills vids. CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY🥳🥳🥳
The Riddler Revenge is my #3 at SFNE. I love the creative layout, it's far more intense than the Batman floorless, and dare I say it, the vest trains have some of the most comfortable restraints I've ever experienced. It definitely has a bit of a shuffle in the back row, but nothing that ruins my ride experience.
Now do a video ranking all the Boomerangs you’ve ridden (including the Giant Inverted Boomerangs and Invertigos), from least painful to most painful.
@@sebasllaura7254 i dont think the boomerangs have as much of a unique identity as the SLCs. Almost all of them are like, ehh
My very first and only SLC was Mind Eraser at Six Flags America. I remember feeling disoriented for a good 20 minutes after riding. It certainly lived up to it's name.
I rode one SLC and vowed to never ride one again. Screw the credit.
My only SLC was thunderhawk last year. Pleasantly surprised and was my number 2 in the park behind the obvious
Just moved to Colorado and got to experience my first SLC this summer, at Elitch Gardens. It was painful, but most of that pain came from me fighting to keep my head pinned, after hearing all the great stories of SLC headbanging. Can't say it was a terrible ride, but also can't say I'll ever get in that line again.
The ending was gold man, lmao 🤣
BABE, GET THE POPCORN!!! AIRTIME THRILLS JUST POSTED ON A TUESDAY!!! I love it!
4:09 As someone who’s home park has Infusion, yes definitely a curse.
As a Gauntlet survivor, I can confirm that you have likely done yourself a favor by not riding it.
Geez Katherine Zimmerman, we have another air time thrills video because if you 😂
You’re welcome, fam. 😊
The longest line I have ever experienced for a roller coaster was the opening year for Top Gun, now called Flight Deck, at Canada's Wonderland.
I enjoyed it in the late 90s, but less so now that both the ride and I have aged.
Batman at Six Flags Mexico is a one and done. It's rough as hell. Their shuttle coaster is an instant headache.
Compact Inverted Coaster 1 is really good value!
Extra Tuesday video drop?!? Sign me up.
Here’s a video idea, you should definitely do a ranking of all of the Vekoma boomerangs you’ve ridden
Before video watched I know the smoothest slc is great nor’easter
2:37 From the handful of SLCs I rode in their early years, I'd say these were not, once upon a time, awesome. They can be fun rides with reprofiling and track work, though.
So far, I've only ridden The Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags New England and Thunderhawk at Michigan's Adventure. The Riddler's Revenge was easily the better version, but Thunderhawk was surprisingly not that bad with the old restraints. They should still get the new ones, though, because otherwise, you may have to ride it defensively.
I'm glad I rode T3 for the credit while it was still around but it felt like I was going to slip and fall out of the seat the whole time. Very unnerving.
Its last year of operation was when I got like 7 zen rides. I felt that after maintenance stopped by one evening, it was crazy
Rode Thunderhawk in Michigan's Adventure in August of 2023. I was dreading it, but we actually had fun and ended up doing something I'd never done with an SLC: maybe it was the lack of other compelling coaster options or maybe the fact that it sat at a dead end with a hike back to the entrance, but we actually circled around and rode it a second time. It wasn't a love affair for me and the Wild Mouse in the park was more interesting, but I found it to be a fun, intense ride.
I remember Chris thought that the Michigan's Adventure Wild Mouse was the best Wild Mouse he'd ever been on (at least at the time), so it seems you're in agreement there.
Love this! I would love to see you rank the Woodies in the US like this too. And Aarows
I've been waiting for this!!!
I've ridden one once and let's just say I'll take your word for the rest of the rankings. 🤣I would ride Nor' Easter and maybe Riddler but haven't been the area. Why not rank Boomerangs while you're at it? 😂
It's so crazy you rank Thunderhawk so well. When I rode it shot up easily into the top of the list of worst for me, having ridden all the previous US Six Flags ones the previous year, It was absolutely shaky and painful, gave me a headache in fact. I didn't find either of the Mind Erasers or Kong that bad at all. Of course Mind Eraser at Elitch....hoo boy, I agree that one just almost made me fall over from dizziness.
As for Gauntlet, that one is easily the best that I've ridden. Rode it three times including once with my eyes closed. Arkansas Twister was closed, but Gauntlet was easily the best coaster of the others by a long shot.
Arkansas Twister isn't very good. Gauntlet is the best at the park, edging out X Coaster. Gauntlet is very smooth. I agree that Thunderhawk is quite shaky, at least it was on both of my visits. It's not my least favorite or the roughest, but it wasn't smooth like others say it is. Elitch's Mind Eraser did give me a good ride on the only ride I've ever gotten.
@@TerraEpon it seems like most people have a good experience on thunderhawk
10:59
Fun fact, the only coaster KumbaK ever made was de Vliegende Hollander at Efteling. But Intamin jumped in later on to fix an issue with the lift hill. I believe they’ve only made trains after that.
That T3 sucks at the end LOL 😆
I'm going to say the one at MA is the best in terms of the original trains with how smooth it is
Ooo this is great! Good guide to go off of!
I haven't ridden one of these. I had a chance to ride t3 in 2020 and I liked myself too much to do it. I think they are worth it for parks to refurbish them rather than take them out, so long as the park sticks with Vekoma trains. It always makes sense to save money when you can do that without sacrificing quality and manufacturer support.
T3 is the only coaster I’ve been on that actually injured me. Walked away from it with a ruptured eardrum
Kumali at Flamingo Land has to be one of the better ones I've ridden
W video idea
if you want to sink even lower, you should rank every wild mouse youve done
@@CowsiinCoasters this is actually more doable than boomerangs
I’ve been mostly spared from the Vekoma SLC, having only ridden one. That was Riddler Revenge at SFNE. It rode like death when I was there in 2022 and didn’t really enjoy it. I probably got a bad ride, but it was a one and done for me.
If Katherine Zimmerman goes to Six Flags Great Adventure, she should be careful. The name Zimmerman isn't being taken too kindly there right now...
I am in no way shape or form related to the person you’re mad at, I promise. No one in my family is interesting enough to draw enthusiast ire. 😂
Hey, thanks for ranking most of North America's SLCs. I've been curious about where all these coasters would be ordered in discomfort or pain. Especially when I got my only SLC credit back in July with Mind Eraser at Elitch Gardens and thus could find a comparison.
I honestly found my experience to not really be affected by the fabrication or restraints of the ride, with the roughness while frequent and semi-aggressive with the shakiness, it didn't really cause pain, while the restraints were not only mostly past the padding, but I didn't really move much while on ride, probably based on my body preparing for the SLC based on my rides on the other coasters there beforehand, not including Sidewinder, as that was closed. I'll say that the roughness is more frequent and aggressive in the back, plus the fact that at least on my rides, the forces felt more frequent and stronger upfront compared to the back, so I felt like I had different emotions when talking about the front (positively) and back (negatively), based on if the forces made up for the roughness.
I'm now curious and excited to see what my limit is for roughness since that Mind Eraser at Elitch was a little bit distant from where my roughness tolerance reaches, so hope the future wishes me luck.
I’m pretty sure SLC’s were one of the methods of torture used in MKUltra
I’m getting back to New England next year looking forward to riding Riddler Revenge. I last went in 2015 so yes it’s been a while
Nopuko (or "No-Puke-O" as I like to call it 🤣) was my first ride on a Vekoma SLC and it was RUFFF!!! If this is in the top five, then I'm in no hurry to ride another SLC anytime soon lool
I rode a Vekoma SLC in Japan at Greenland (in the rain even) that was surprisingly enjoyable.
Boomerangs are next
I’ve so far only ridden one SLC (Mind Eraser at Elitches) and I remember being very nervous after hearing many say SLCs were terrible. I road in the middle for some reason and had a lot of fun. I did get some headbanging but I didn’t feel any pain unlike most people. Somehow I enjoyed a terrible coaster.
It's actually not a terrible coaster. It has a reputation that others latch onto, but it's actually not bad. It's not spectacular, but it's passable as a decent coaster that you can have fun on, as long as you weren't influenced by youtubers before riding it. I enjoyed my ride, knowing how to defend against headbanging, and the shakiness wasn't too bad.
For April Fools you should make a video called “Best SLCs in North Korea” or something like that
Fun fact: There is actually a Zamperla Volaire in North Korea.
@katherinezimmerman6997 Wow I want to ride it 😎
'Celebrate' the suspended looping coaster. Erm ok. Interestingly Vekoma are refering to the new ones as 'Suspended Thrilll Coasters'. Which given new Vekoma are long past the dark days (other then disney would pay them big bucks) and do good work for everyone look very interesting as a model to replace the old SLC's in an easy way which won't be as janky.
2:56 actually mind eraser got the new trains in 2017 and then were repainted one year later to fit the new name and theme. It might be my favorite but my least is definitely flightdeck.
@@TheCoasterSpot right, i did know that. All this happened between my rides in 2015 and 2018
AHH YES IVE BEEN WAITING FOR A VIDEO LIKE THIS
Good list. Great nor’easter is definitely the best. But I thought riddlers revenge was unridable
The original prototype SLC is at one of my home parks, Walibi Holland. Basically the same as T3. Imagine what the SLC was like _before_ they ironed out the flaws. Do not think for a moment, as Chris seems to imply here, that it was ever smooth. It is the kind of apparatus the Spanish Inquisition might have used. The flipside is: having grown up with that ride, I've developed good coaster roughness tolerance. El Condor did get new Vekoma trains, but I've yet to try them. It was orignially going to get Kumbak trains similar to T3, so the park dodged a bullet there!
Of course, SLCs do have a great layout. Find yourself a reasonably smooth one (Mayan at Energylandia isn't bad) and you've got a great, intense, well paced ride.
We had Arkham Asylum - Shock therapy at Warner Bros. Movie World. The Australian sun wasn't kind to it either. I rode it just before they demolished it and was brutal. They had the VR experience for a while and that was painfull. You couldn't see to brace and the head banging with goggles isn't fun.
I've only ridden one of these, but I'm happy that it's the best one on this list.
I wonder if Moreys Piers has the most underrated collection of coasters. Maybe an idea for a future list?
@@Coyotek4 they certainly take care of the rides they have. This, their boomerang, and great white are all super smooth
Infusion at Blackpool is rough but the roughest we have been on is professor scremore at six flags America, that bounces your spine in half lol!
Buy or Sell: Vekoma figures out how to rebuild SLC's as STC's (same layout, footers, maybe even supports - but with gloriously smooth track and trains instead)
@@AG7-MTM that would be a hell of a product to offer parks
We have an SLC in Brazil - Beto Carrero World (the same park that bought Batman and Robin but lost the plans). Since most of our parks are subpar and our roller coasters are second-hand, our relocated SLC is considered the best coaster in the country. Can you imagine being a theme park fan in Brazil?
I can safely say that Infusion at Blackpool Pleasure Beach is the single worst roller coaster I’ve ever been on.
Kong has gotten better. It’s not good but it’s bearable
Mayan at Energylandia is pretty good, but then again i didnt mind Infusion at BPPB so maybe i just have a high tolerance for SLCs
I find it kinda funny that the one SLC I’ve ridden is the worst on the list. During my trip there in 2022, I got the credit, then an hour later, it closed for the rest of the day.
Mind Eraser at Elitch Gardens is pretty good now. Rode it last year and it felt like a B&M!!!!
I’m currently doing a trip through Japan going to a bunch of parks.The second week, I went to Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido and rode their SLC “Hurricane”. I can say, without a doubt, it’s the worst and most painful ride I’ve ever ridden. The only SLC I’d done before this was Riddlers Revenge, which I didn’t enjoy but wasn’t awful. But after Hurricane, my back hurt for a week. I couldn’t ride any coasters with too much positives cause they caused a sharp pain in my back. Luckily it healed before I went to Fuji Q Highland, so I was able to enjoy Fujiyama and Eejanaika 😄
Rode Gauntlet a couple years ago, definitely one of the smoother ones
The only slc that I have rode was the Great Nor’Easter and that was my first coaster with an inversion