Ending a fantastic summer of travelling through Europe with a couple bucket list parks-Liseberg and Linnanmaki. I'll just review the big creds as all the other rides that I did were 'fine but nothing remarkable' and I don't feel the need to write extensively about them...
Liseberg
Balder-Really, really solid woodie imho. Fun, fast, and super smooth despite hearing one or two reports to the contrary. The airtime was cool but wasn't quite as strong as I was hoping for which definitely holds this back a little, but unquestionably a really fun ride and I don't really think you can go far wrong with this one.
Helix-Fantastic ride, rightly regarded as one of the best in all of Europe. In particular I love how this ride saves it's best for last, with the launch into the top hat followed by the final, and best, inversion being particularly spectacular. The airtime is also underrated. Launches are not too fantastic and there's a very minor rattle, but nonetheless a great ride overall and very well deserving of the praise that it gets.
Valkyria-Don't get me wrong this ride ain't cracking any top tens but it's very, very good for what it is. In fact, I'd say that, for what it's actually intended to be, which is really nothing more than a fun little dive coaster, I would say this ride is objectively perfect.
Linnanmaki
Taiga-Well worth the two year wait to not get almost spited again.
Oh....my.....gosh. This ride is absolutely breathtaking and features just about every element one could enjoy on a coaster. The inversions, the airtime, the launches, that DANG hang time!!! This is the only rollercoaster I've been on as an adult that I actually found to be a little bit 'scary', because at points it really does feel like it's doing it's very best to literally eject you from the ride. The dang thing warms up later on in the day making late afternoon and evening rides even more intense. Addressing two main possible criticisms.
#1 The theming-I'd argue that the fact that this doesn't have the world class theming of Taron (or indeed any theming of much note at all outside of the cool trains and some queue line) means the ride has to rely solely on how good it actually is, and the fact that this is ranked #8 on Captain Coaster just shows even more how solid the actual ride experience is. I honestly wonder if it wouldn't be even higher if this wasn't in such an obscure park.
#2 Launches could be a little faster, and there are one or two points where it slows down a little, particularly noticeable around the top hat-this is definitely true, however, I personally find this coaster to be so intense that I actually welcomed any breather I could get. Even after many, many rides I found myself bracing for the next just a little, and breathless at the end, man this ride is so so good.
So fun, so smooth, so re-ridable, Just a fantastic, fantastic ride!!!
Tips for Taiga-I would say this is best in the front row. I did this ride in many different seats and I'd say the odd numbered rows are better (read: (EVEN) smoother). The back is great too though and that's an even. I'd also say the ride is slightly better on the right side, though it's so good on both sides it doesn't overly matter. It's absolutely great in every seat and at every time though but for the very best experience, I'd say front row, right seat, late as possible. Side note only the orange train (Fiona?) was running and I've heard the red train (Felix?) is a little rougher, though obviously I can't comment on this.....
Really liked both of these parks, but for some reason despite the obvious discrepancy in ride line-up I did slightly prefer Linanmaki slightly. Just really liked the vibe. I think I prefer Helsinki to Gothenburg, and as a random side note I actually liked the drop tower, Kingi, more than AtmosFear, in spite of the height difference I actually found Kingi to be far more enjoyable and frightening overall. No real fear of coasters at all but drop towers always get me just a little for some reason and I'm yet to put my hands up on one of these. One for next year maybe....when I will definitely be revisiting this park (purely for Taiga)...
An awesome (if very expensive) trip overall.......
Liseberg
Balder-Really, really solid woodie imho. Fun, fast, and super smooth despite hearing one or two reports to the contrary. The airtime was cool but wasn't quite as strong as I was hoping for which definitely holds this back a little, but unquestionably a really fun ride and I don't really think you can go far wrong with this one.
Helix-Fantastic ride, rightly regarded as one of the best in all of Europe. In particular I love how this ride saves it's best for last, with the launch into the top hat followed by the final, and best, inversion being particularly spectacular. The airtime is also underrated. Launches are not too fantastic and there's a very minor rattle, but nonetheless a great ride overall and very well deserving of the praise that it gets.
Valkyria-Don't get me wrong this ride ain't cracking any top tens but it's very, very good for what it is. In fact, I'd say that, for what it's actually intended to be, which is really nothing more than a fun little dive coaster, I would say this ride is objectively perfect.
Linnanmaki
Taiga-Well worth the two year wait to not get almost spited again.
Oh....my.....gosh. This ride is absolutely breathtaking and features just about every element one could enjoy on a coaster. The inversions, the airtime, the launches, that DANG hang time!!! This is the only rollercoaster I've been on as an adult that I actually found to be a little bit 'scary', because at points it really does feel like it's doing it's very best to literally eject you from the ride. The dang thing warms up later on in the day making late afternoon and evening rides even more intense. Addressing two main possible criticisms.
#1 The theming-I'd argue that the fact that this doesn't have the world class theming of Taron (or indeed any theming of much note at all outside of the cool trains and some queue line) means the ride has to rely solely on how good it actually is, and the fact that this is ranked #8 on Captain Coaster just shows even more how solid the actual ride experience is. I honestly wonder if it wouldn't be even higher if this wasn't in such an obscure park.
#2 Launches could be a little faster, and there are one or two points where it slows down a little, particularly noticeable around the top hat-this is definitely true, however, I personally find this coaster to be so intense that I actually welcomed any breather I could get. Even after many, many rides I found myself bracing for the next just a little, and breathless at the end, man this ride is so so good.
So fun, so smooth, so re-ridable, Just a fantastic, fantastic ride!!!
Tips for Taiga-I would say this is best in the front row. I did this ride in many different seats and I'd say the odd numbered rows are better (read: (EVEN) smoother). The back is great too though and that's an even. I'd also say the ride is slightly better on the right side, though it's so good on both sides it doesn't overly matter. It's absolutely great in every seat and at every time though but for the very best experience, I'd say front row, right seat, late as possible. Side note only the orange train (Fiona?) was running and I've heard the red train (Felix?) is a little rougher, though obviously I can't comment on this.....
Really liked both of these parks, but for some reason despite the obvious discrepancy in ride line-up I did slightly prefer Linanmaki slightly. Just really liked the vibe. I think I prefer Helsinki to Gothenburg, and as a random side note I actually liked the drop tower, Kingi, more than AtmosFear, in spite of the height difference I actually found Kingi to be far more enjoyable and frightening overall. No real fear of coasters at all but drop towers always get me just a little for some reason and I'm yet to put my hands up on one of these. One for next year maybe....when I will definitely be revisiting this park (purely for Taiga)...
An awesome (if very expensive) trip overall.......
