Steelhawk and Verrückt. Currently, these two rides are taking Kansan's by storm.
If you haven't heard of them, look them up immediately. The Steelhawk at Worlds of Fun is like the swings you rode as a kid - you climb into the seat, the ride takes you up some feet, and then swings you around. However, the this swing takes you up 301 feet, and you ride around at a 45 degree angle for one minute (which is about 8 spins around). The Verrückt at Schlitterbahn is a 168 foot and 7 inch tall waterside. You practically go straight down those feet, then to shoot back up and go down another 50 foot drop.
These rides have been anticipated all year long by all those claim Kansas as their home. Verrückt was first intended to open during opening weekend of Schlitterbahn , however it still didn't meet the quality standards. Then after weekends of testing, it was finally open to the public on July 11. There is of course requirements in order to be able to ride: it must be a group of two to three, they all must be at least 54" tall, and they must weigh together 400-550 pounds. They also must be at the park when it opens in order to go to the ride to make a reservation. Once the reservation is made, the group must come back 30 minutes before in order to be briefed on the ride.
Steelhawk too has had it's fair share of problems. It did not open on it's original date which was May 24, and while since then it has opened, it has had many mechanical problems. Just recently, the ride left riders stranded 301 feet up in the air for several hours.
Verrückt means "insane" in German. And the ride definitely looks insane, however all those who have ridden it so far have loved it. I personally haven't had the chance yet to find out how awesome it is, but I do know that the Steelhawk is a swing of the most exciting fun. I had the pleasure of riding with my brother.
At first, it was no big deal - I was excited and as was he. Then the ride started, we began to lift up slowly and by the time we got to 301 feet, I was freaking out. It was super scary being up so high! Then of course, we started to spin. It seemed like we were rotating extremely quickly, which did not feel safe at all. But then when I looked out and saw the amazing view, everything else fell away. It was beautiful, you could see all the park and area all around.
The Verrückt is still on my list of things to do, but I would definitely recommend making the trip to Schlitterbahn and Worlds of Fun here in Kansas. Not only are these rides so worth it, but all the other rides these parks hold are fantastic.
