So, I’ve decided to start a new mini-series of blogs, in which I will compare two parks to one another to determine a winner. In this first edition, I will be comparing two parks which have very similar collections of rides and coasters, and share many other similarities with their “corporate” ownerships—Carowinds and Six Flags Over Georgia. Because both parks have a large collection of similar coasters, we will look at each comparison in greater detail for Part 1 of this blog (Carowinds/SFOG):

Afterburn/Batman: The Ride – Both of these inverted coasters by B&M offer fast-paced, intense layouts which will put some very intense forces on riders with little in the way of providing any time to catch your breath. Batman: The Ride is definitely a bit more intense overall, but it can at times be almost too intense for some riders. That said, Afterburn’s pacing is much better, as is the variety of its elements, and the flow in between. It’s like Montu’s little brother.
EDGE: Afterburn by a good margin.

Carolina Cyclone/Ninja – Time to now look at both parks old-fashioned looping coasters. Before the age of Intamin and B&M, there was Arrow and Vekoma. Both were known for their awkward transitions, wheel-gaps, and head-banging restraints, but were pioneers for their day. Carolina Cyclone was the first four-inversion coaster, with a double-loop and double-corkscrew, along with a helix, while Ninja has…a butterfly element? …along with some other weird and twisted trackage. Despite often being considered unbearably rough, and while it certainly was at times, it’s inversions were at least unique and not repetitive, providing a much more interesting layout and ride compared to Cyclone.
EDGE: Ninja for uniqueness.

Carolina Goldrusher/Dahlonega Mine Train – A battle of the old arrow mine trains is always going to be interesting, especially these two. Goldrusher is very smooth as far as Arrow mine trains are concerned, with a great underground helix and a fun tunnel finale, but the ride has lost some of its luster with the loss of much of the surrounding trees, water, and lake that were cleared for Nighthawk. Dahlonega is a much longer ride though than Dahlonega, but most of its runs between lifts are pretty short, and some of the transitions are painfully rough.
EDGE: Carolina Goldrusher by a hair for its smoothness (by a mile with its old environment).

Hurler/Georgia Cyclone – It’s tough to compare two coasters which are known for jack-hammering and beating riders silly, but it’s got to be done. Comparable in size and height, Hurler offers (or did before the trim was added at the bottom of the first hill) some excellent ejector airtime in between its unbearably flat, rough turns. Georgia Cyclone on the other hand, offers a much more interesting and unique layout, with solid airtime and great head-choppers, in between rough, shuffling turns and plenty of jack-hammering of its own.
EDGE: Cyclone for its more interesting layout and potential to be a great coaster (if only it were smoother)

Intimidator/Goliath – This is perhaps the closest battle you can find between any two coasters at the parks, and opinions will likely be split nearly down the middle depending on who you ask. On the one hand, Carowind’s Intimidator is the more modern hypercoaster, featuring B&M’s fantastic new V-shaped seating arrangement, along with solid airtime hills, and exhilarating S-curve drop, and hammerhead turnaround. On the other hand, the slightly older, certainly bumpier B&M hyper, but one that offers a plethora of floater and ejector air in EVERY hill, along with an intense helix turnaround, whipping overbanked turn, and no MCBR. It’s tough, but in the end...
EDGE: Goliath for its immense amount of airtime and lack of MCBR, and Intimidator’s rather poor finish.

Lucy’s Crabby Cabbie & Flying Ace Aerial Chase /Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster – Even the kid’s steel coasters can comparably battle here, at least sort of. Given how much bigger Canyon Blaster is than the Crabbie Cabbie, we’ve added the Aerial Chase coaster at Carowinds (Vekoma Jr. Suspended coaster) to the mix. Even still, it’s little competition. LCC is small, slow, boring, and whiplash inducing; FAAC is a headache on par with the older versions of the Vekoma SLC; and WECCB is surprisingly zippy, fast, and fun.
EDGE: Landslide to the Coyote Canyon Blaster for actually being fun.

Nighthawk/Superman: Ultimate Flight – Here’s an interesting comparison for sure. Nighthawk, originally Stealth at California’s Great America, was Vekmoa’s first “flying coaster,” and was slightly upgraded upon its arrival at Carowinds. Superman on the other hand, was only B&M’s second “flying coaster” design, and is often seem as tame and boring compared to its newer brethren. Still, it’s no competition. Nighthawk is rough, awkward, uncomfortable, and faces at the sun up the lift-hill and on the brake run (not to mention the blood rush that can make you pass out when you slam the breaks with your head “downhill”), where Superman is at least smooth, fun, and has some interesting “fly-bys.”
EDGE: Landslide to Superman.

Thunder Road/Great American Scream Machine – Now it’s up to the old Out & Back woodies to have their duel. On one side, Thunder Road has recently undergone much re-tracking, making for a much smoother ride, with decent airtime, and is added fun on the rare occasion the trains actually race. GASM doesn’t offer a racing aspect, and can be rough in the wrong seat, but a second row ride provides a smooth, airtime filled adventure that can catch you off guard.
EDGE: GASM because TR doesn’t race, and it features a bit more airtime start to finish.

Vortex/Georgia Scorcher – Both built by B&M, both stand-ups, but vastly different. Vortex at Carowinds is part of the “first-generation” of B&M stand-ups, while GS is more along the lines of the “second-generation” but much smaller. Both compare in size and speed, and both in intensity, but while Vortex has uncomfortable transitions, intensity, a short course (thankfully) and tough-to-adjust seats, GS is smooth, long, transitions perfectly, and has seats much easier to adjust for a more comfortable ride.
EDGE: Georgia Scorcher without a doubt.

Other Coasters (Carowinds: Carolina Cobra, , Ricochet, Woodstock Express; SFOG: Dare Devil Dive, MindBender) – Here’s where things get a bit tougher, as the remaining coasters at each park really have no counter-part. Carowinds Carolina Cobra is definitely among the best of the boomerang clones out there, thanks to its new trains and restraints, but it’s still just a boomerang; Ricochet is a standard little mouse coaster, but mouse coasters are still fun for everyone; Woodstock Express is a great little family wooden coaster for the youngsters to enjoy, but obviously it’s not the most thrilling coaster. For Six Flags Over Georgia, Dare Devil Dive is a new euro-fighter, it’s fast, zippy, and pretty unique in the US; MindBender on the other hand is a classic “triple”-looping Schwarzkopf coaster, which is a bit odd at times, but relatively smooth and fun (and scenic), and the lap-bars on a looping coaster are a huge plus. Coaster count here may favor Carowinds, and if you’re looking for family coasters it’s the better choice, but in the end…
EDGE: SFOG’s duo of old and new in DDD and MindBender just can’t be beat by a few kiddie coasters and boomerang.

OVERAL COASTER EDGE: Six Flags Over Georgia. Looking back, we see Carowinds has a couple of victories in the coaster comparison, but overall, SFOG wins in the coaster department by a landslide. While the battle is close at times, with rides only edging out one another, SFOG’s greater quality of coasters beats out Carowinds greater quantity (which are mostly extra kiddie coasters).

PART 2: For Part 2 of this blog, I will be comparing other aspects of the parks, including matching up their non-coaster rides, food, cleanliness, management, landscaping, and a number of other aspects to come up with an overall winner of this first Park Showdown. Stay Tuned!