Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom has been operating since 2016, designed and Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) using their I-BOX track. This steel coaster was to replace the older racing coaster Twisted Twins. Like Lightning Run, this coaster isn’t the tallest or fastest, but it makes up for it with intensity and airtime.
Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom Experience
You will have to trek to the back of Kentucky Kingdom to get to Storm Chaser. Head past Thunder Run and Mile High Falls. However, there is a benefit to this coaster being so far back into the park. You can marathon this coaster for a while before a decent line will form.
The chain lift hill isn’t that tall at just 100 feet. But this isn’t a standard drop to get the ride’s momentum going. Instead, it does a barrel roll into the course. Like a corkscrew as it is going down the first hill. It is the perfect table setting for the craziness that is about to happen! From here, you will have three inversions, more airtime than you will believe, and one of the best-paced coasters that never lets up. Once the ride comes to a complete stop, you can pull up on your restraints and exit the ride safely.
You will need to be at least 48 inches tall to ride. The trains will keep you safe with the standard RMC restraints, which have a seatbelt, lap bar, and shin guard. They aren’t the most comfortable restraints, but it allows the trains to have inversions without over-the-shoulder headbangers. Once the ride attendants have checked everyone’s restraints, the Storm chasing can begin!
Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom: The Good
Every park needs a masterpiece to drive people to travel all around to experience it. Storm Chaser is that masterpiece for Kentucky Kingdom. So before going down that first barrel roll drop, you better catch your breath. Because once it begins, there is no break in the action. Each element flows naturally to the next.
No midcourse brake run or straight track to ruin the pacing. This adrenaline machine is just a no-holds-barred, out-of-control experience. Each airtime hill feels like it is trying to launch you to the moon. The inversions are taking at such a pace as to perfectly give you that balance of hangtime to G-Force that the best inversions do. Towards the end of the ride, there is a series of small bunny hills that bank to one side and then to the other. This element is more intense than most coasters have in their entire course!
The entire experience is just so masterfully done. The rides designer is the genius, Alan Schilke. It is staggering how much intensity he crammed into this smaller coaster. The trip to Kentucky Kingdom is worth it to ride Storm Chaser. Then it is worth riding over and over again.
The Bad
While we consider this a masterpiece, there are a couple of valid criticisms. Firstly this sits at the absolute end of the park. Rides that sit in the back will never get the ridership of those at the front. That is good for the line never getting long, but it also means that whole groups of people will not even find this coaster.
Secondly, there is another reason this coaster doesn’t get huge lines. It is so intense that many people are just scared to ride it. Or if they do, they won’t ride it again. Most roller coasters need the majority to be thrilled but not so frightened, never to ride again. Coasters are massive investments for the park. Because of their cost, they need to be popular to make money spent worth it. For better or worse, Storm Chaser was built with Roller Coaster enthusiasts in mind. We love it for that fact since rarely will you find a coaster that is built with us in mind. However, if you don’t love the intensity on this scale, then be warned this coaster brings it.
Lastly, there isn’t much to the plot of land that Storm Chaser sits. It is pretty barren. Some Storm theming around the course would help, or at least some beautiful greenery. Anything to make the land this coaster sits on to be visually appealing. As it is, there is nothing. However, it sits next to a major road with a Pepsi factory as its neighbor, which is undoubtedly unique.
Final Verdict
Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom is the masterpiece of the collection of roller coasters at this park. While we love the others, there really isn’t even a contest here. This ride is about as close to perfection for our taste. Your enjoyment will be based on how much you like the feeling of intensity. If you are looking for airtime of the ejector variety, then you have met your soulmate. Because of these reasons, Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom easily gets a top score of ten out of ten!
Thanks for Reading
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