Kings Dominion’s “Dominator” delivers thrills

By REED WILLIAMS
RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
Published: May 21, 2008

Even for a dedicated roller-coaster enthusiast, there’s a limit to how many high-speed loops a man can take.

Sam Marks, founder of the Arlington County-based Coaster Zombies, said he’s ridden more than 500 coasters in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Yesterday he tried out Kings Dominion’s latest one, the Dominator. More than once.

“I was a little queasy after the 15th ride, so I stopped,“ Marks said.

Kings Dominion revealed its 14th roller coaster yesterday for members of the news media and scores of coaster enthusiasts at the theme park in Hanover County. The park, which has been open on weekends since late March, will open weekdays starting Monday.

At 4,210 feet long, the sprawling steel coaster is billed as the longest floorless coaster in the world with the longest loop. The orange, gold and purple Dominator starts with a short, twisted U-turn and a 161-foot climb. Then comes a 157-foot drop and a 135-foot-high vertical loop, followed by several more twists and turns. It seats 32.

It’s over in 2 minutes 6 seconds with a top speed of 65 mph. It left a reporter dizzy with a shoe untied.

Though the coaster is new to Kings Dominion, it was called the Batman Knight Flight when it began operating in 2000 at Geauga Lake, a park near Aurora, Ohio, bought by Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. in 2004.

Sandusky, Ohio-based Cedar Fair decided to move the coaster to Kings Dominion after it bought the Doswell park and four other Paramount parks in June 2006.

Marks compared the Dominator to the Anaconda, another ride at Kings Dominion.

“The corkscrews are slow and methodical,“ he said of the Anaconda, “and on this one, they’re very aggressive.“

Other coaster connoisseurs praised the Dominator for giving riders a different experience each time, depending on where they sit.

Ken Moore, an assistant regional representative for American Coaster Enthusiasts of the Mid-Atlantic Region, said the ride is relatively smooth.

“There are some [coasters] that shake the fillings out of my mouth,“ the coaster veteran said.

Judy Watkins, a publications manager for the Virginia Tourism Corp., showed some hesitation as tourism interns Jennifer Brinson and Danielle Emerson coaxed her up the stairs to takeoff.

“I don’t like this. You don’t have places to put your feet,“ Watkins said, pretending to be on the verge of running away. “I’m old—I shouldn’t be doing this.“

In the end, she made it through the ride all right and didn’t make much noise. She had closed her eyes.
Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or .

Pictures below by Alexa Edlund/Richmond Times-Dispatch