Ride Review 1: Vortex at Kings Island

In October 2019, I took advantage of a free day between two busy spells of work to sneak down to Kings Island in response to the announced closure of Vortex. It breaks my heart that this review will be written in the past tense.

The ride generally yielded strong opinions from riders, both positive and negative, and the negative seemed to outweigh the positive. So it goes with Arrow loopers: daring, innovative rides that have not always aged with grace. Cincinnati is generally not a reasonable day trip destination for me, and so I am surprised as I am pleased to declare that my journey was worth it for this retired masterpiece.

One opinion that most enthusiasts shared was that, love it or hate it, Vortex was an aesthetic treat. Its placement above the trees was imposing and sprawling, and the sharp color scheme felt at once classic and modern. The station offered a stellar view of the ride while allowing good air circulation and a decent sense of personal space. The sound of that Arrow chain lift, inextricably linked to my amusement park memories, rang beautifully through the platform. Kings Island's walkways also maximized views and photo opportunities. I experienced Vortex on a crisp, cloudy fall afternoon, and I can only imagine what it must have looked like on a hot summer day with a shining sun and a fresh coat of paint.

I have a high tolerance for Arrow trains and over-the-shoulder restraints, and I will not attempt to evangelize this opinion. If you feel cramped or awkwardly positioned on standard Corkscrew models, rest assured that you would not sorely miss Vortex. I am just under six feet tall, with relatively short legs for my height, and I found that the restraints sat well against my shoulders. This made it easy both to relax and, if necessary, to ride defensively.

Out of the station, Vortex made a right-hand turn to its chain lift. Slowly ascending above the trees helped Vortex feel substantial, and even though it has been long surpassed since its debut as the world's tallest full-circuit roller coaster, 148 feet is a long way to be off the ground. Vortex retained an imposing presence all the way to the end.

The pre-drop led into a partial turnaround, just long enough to allow the full train to pick up some steam heading into the drop. Vortex's initial drop, 55 degrees steep and 138 feet tall, felt giant and immensely satisfying. From the back, the crest also offered the strongest airtime on the ride, sustained through most of the descent. The lightly wooded setting also added to the thrills.

The track then climbed a hill into a strange scooped turnaround to set up Vortex's iconic twin loops. Being high above the ground was the main draw for this section, which taken on its own was probably the weakest part of a truly stellar layout. Vortex approached its loops with a shallow drop that allowed the whole train to straighten out into the valley.

Those 80s vertical loops, though they share the teardrop shape of modern loops, held a completely different set of sensations. I have not yet boarded a Schwarzkopf looper, but I cannot imagine how I will handle them if they sustain more vertical G's than the two on Vortex. The first loop was a gentle rush, startling for its absence of hangtime and its general whip, but then on exit, the track continued sloping downward. The second loop was downright mean - in the best possible way. I got four laps in October, and I grayed out on six of eight possible loops (the second one got me all four times).

The climb into the mid-course brake run allowed a welcome breath, before Vortex tumbled into its double corkscrew. Viewed from off-ride, it seemed unfathomable that the drop allows enough speed to clear the corkscrews, and yet their pacing and execution were flawless. They offered substantial hangtime and a pleasing sense of disorientation.

Vortex endured a reputation as a headbanger in its later years (or perhaps decades). I experienced virtually none of this, but the exit from the corkscrews was one moment that often jolted me uncomfortably. It offered only a split-second to recover and get ready for the batwing, which remains the best inversion I have ever experienced. The apex all but crunched riders into their seats, and the change in feeling from "corkscrew entrance" to "loop exit" produced an odd freefall sensation, sculpted beautifully by the hill it was built into.  The second half of the batwing, though not nearly as thrilling as the first, provided a graceful close to the ride's mess of inversions.

From there, riders were spun through a helix and thrown into the brake run - another spot often criticized for its tendency to throw riders around. Here again, while I did experience a "slam" on the brakes on one of my rides, the jolt to a stop was not forceful enough to cause me any discomfort.

I loved this ride. I am a sucker for nostalgia, no matter how much I try to resist it, and now I have a beastly coaster in my arsenal for wistfully reminiscing about the rose-tinted "good old days" in my weaker moments. Forgive me, but also go out and show your local Arrow looper some love while there is still time.

Scores

• Appearance - Utterly gorgeous, and demanding attention. 10
• View - A terrific look around Kings Island's midway, until the inversions dominated. 8
• Comfort - Reports of its headbanging were exaggerated in my experience. 7
• Layout - An absolute masterpiece. Thank you, Ron Toomer. 10
• Intensity - Able to bring the heat, but the corkscrews were satisfyingly gentle. 9
• "Wow" Factor - A quintessential roller coaster experience, start to finish. 9

Overall Score: 88.5