Aftershock... Ride It If You Dare!

The arrival of every roller coaster at Silverwood Theme Park offers ride fans something new, whether it is the upside down loops of the Corkscrew, the fun thrills and intricate wooden construction of Timber Terror, or the sheer speed of Tremors, which, at 65 mph and four trips underground, certainly gave it the title of the fastest coaster in the park.

This summer, be sure to buckle up for Aftershock, which will promise even more fun and frantic times.

Think a top speed of 65.5 mph. Think a drop of 177 feet and three inversions. Think a G-force of 4.5, and you'll do it all with your legs dangling over the park.

"It's going to be a great ride," said Denny Higdon, maintenance director. "It will get some attention."

Aftershock has been described as "two thrills in one" because it will take riders quickly up to the top of the 191-foot structure, then drop them through a cobra roll and inverted loop, then head backwards up to the starting tower until gravity takes over and starts it all over again. Riders will have lots of twists and turns forward and backwards on the 1,204 feet of track until everything comes to a stop.

"At first you'll be at the top, able to look straight down into the park, and then later on you'll be looking straight up," Higdon said. "We're all pretty excited about this."

As impressive as Aftershock will be to coaster fans, it's nothing as impressive as the mechanics of getting the ride up to North Idaho from its previous home in Chicago, and putting together the thousands of structural and electronic pieces.

"We went down there in January and started pulling out all the wiring to get it removed," he said. "We have banks of machines and several PCs to monitor this ride for safety."

Crews made six trips to Chicago to bring back Aftershock on 70 truckloads. In addition to the actual Aftershock structure, crews from Silverwood and other area contractors have had to extend Coaster Alley, add new walkways, trees and even a fountain.

"Most people think you just have to build a ride, but adding the landscaping and other things can take as long," Higdon said. "But we're all pretty excited about this - it's going to be the best thrill ride in the Northwest. Nothing else will come close."

Aftershock will be open in the latter part of July 2008.

Please check online at www.silverwoodthemepark.com for the exact opening date.