^Thanks for posting the videos guys. I can't believe I totally forgot to post anything here about media day.
Here's the video of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. It wasn't the best I've seen, but not the worst either.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDPId9eSk4U[/youtube]
I got to speak with Rob Decker quite a few times throughout the day and here's the interview he gave me:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fem29eXJzg[/youtube]
And here's the video the park filmed of my ride:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N0ZasNh9Uc[/youtube]
Due to the way the event was organized, I didn't have much time to ride the coaster. The ridercam video was of my first ride and I rode the last train of the day in the back left seat. So only two rides but that was enough to boost the coaster into my Top Ten (replacing Leviathan).
What separates this giga from its counterpart at Canada's Wonderland is the incredible amount of airtime Fury 325 has. Both coasters are all about height and speed obviously and Leviathan does have a couple of pops of airtime, which is why it was the only giga in my top 10 (Intimidator 305 also had some, but those have been trimmed away), however Fury 325 has similar airtime as Bizarro at SFNE.
What really blew me away was the treble clef turnaround - as you can tell from my reaction in the video. B&M designed the element perfectly. So many positive Gs pushing you into the banked turn and then BAM! That quick transition to negative Gs pushing you out of your seat as you dive under the bridge is such a rush! I've never felt anything like it before.
I did notice that the forces at the top of the treble clef turnaround are much stronger in the front seats than the back row, but the rest of the airtime (especially the last two hills) is better in the back of the train.
