Pull the cord and fly…

Pull the cord and fly…

Sunday Me and Carolyn went out to Six Flags, and had a blast. She goes on a ride called, “The Dragon’s Wing” once a year. It’s a Bungee/Freefall type of ride, not your typical coaster. You’re basically suited up in a harness, hooked up, and then winched up. You then pull a ripcord and you freefall 50 feet, and at the full extent you start swinging in this HUGE parabolic arc.

For a description of the ride.

Now, you wouldn’t expect me to leave of with such a bland description of this ride now, did you?

Of course not.

So here goes my retelling of the experience of this totally butt-kicking ride.

We had just gotten off of Thunder River, and were in the process of drying out and waiting for the little Q-bot reservation system to queue us into the line for Mr. Freeze. Now, we had already talked about doing this ride a couple days prior. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the balls to do it before now. So while we’re awaiting our appointed time for Freeze, we head on over and get in line and pay the money for the ride.

Getting prepared for the ride is pretty basic. You take off everything that could possibly fly, fall, break, or lose, excepting your clothes that is, and toss it to someone else you’re with, that’s not crazy enough to try this ride, or, in our case, we tossed it all in a small locker.You’re then put into a special harness and checked and double checked, and then you go out to the line to the ride.

We then get on a platform that lifts you off the ground and they start hooking you up on the cords. Once you’re hooked up, they drop the platform a bit and you go from standing to a prone laying down on your stomach position Now, Mind you, this doesn’t happen slowly. One moment you’re standing, and the next you’re in the laying down position. It’s enough to freak you out if you’re not prepared.

Anyhow, as we’re sitting there in the ready position, while they’re checking the harnesses and stuff one last time, I see a friend of mine working the ride on the other side. So, being myself, I just had to state, out loud, that we were doomed, because Jeffrey was working the ride. Needless to say, I think he was getting some great enjoyment out of the looks on my face as the winch started us up, because he was grinning like a fool and laughing like a madman. To make matters worse, he’s the joker that’s gonna tell us when to pull the ripcord. Thankfully, he’s working, so I know he’s not gonna go …3….2……2… ..3…. .2…4… or something of that nature to mess with my mind.

Now I will state here for the record, that I was having NO problems with the ride so far, and was actually looking forward to this. I mean, hey, it’s a flat out gorgeous day out, and I’m with a great friend who’s company I thoroughly enjoy, and I’m about to do something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now.

Then they start the winch up.

At this point, I swear the following happened within my mind;

Common Sense: “Uh, just what the HELL are we doing? I’m reading that the feet aren’t touching the ground here!”
Adrenaline Junkie side of my Mind: “We’re gonna FREEFALL BABY! YEE! FRIGGIN! HAW! HOT DAMN!”
Curiosity: “Hmm, so this is what it feels like to be weightless.”
Common Sense: “Freefall? Did you just friggin say FREEFALL?”
Adrenaline: HECK YA! WHOOHOO! THEY’RE STARYING THE WINCH!
Common Sense: oh sheesh! Uh..hey, things are starting to get …small…
Curiosity: “Hey, look at how small the people down there are, and look over there, you can see-“
Common Sense: “WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP! WE’RE GONNA FRIGGIN DIE!”
Adrenaline: “WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER YEE-HAAAWWWWW!
Common Sense: shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit mommy!
Adrenaline: BANZAI !!!

At this point, I hear through the mental argument in the deep recesses of mind, the call to pull the ripcord, so like a good lemming, I dutifully pull it!Carolyn starts laughing, because the very first words out of my mouth as I pull the cord and start the freefall, is quite literally, “Oh F*** me!”

My Stomach and the rest of my internal organs are hurriedly trying to find a safe spot inside me somewhere, and it feels like they’re rushing up near the ribcages, hoping that they may afford some protection upon impact with the ground. Either that, or they were trying to evacuate and just leave on their own accord though my mouth and get the hell out like a bunch of parachuters exiting a plane that’s going down. Meanwhile, my Common Sense part of my mind has finally shut up, because it was too busy curled up in a fetal position sucking it’s thumb waiting for the end to come.

Which is good, because I was able to enjoy the ride because he had finally shut up.

The freefall was exhilarating, and then it ended, and gently went into the huge parabolic arc. Now, me and Carolyn aren’t small people. She’s 5’10”, and I’m 6’1”, so we got some good mass going into this arc. I swear we were hitting 90 Degrees plus the first 2-4 arcs, and we were still going at a pretty good clip when the other side of the ride had already stopped (they pulled their cords at the same time I pulled ours.) It was wild and it was great! Sadly, it came to an end, and soon we were on the ground walking away from the ride and getting our things, and heading off to Mr. Freeze.
Common Sense: weregonnadieweregonnadieweregonna…..huh? We’re alive?
Adrenaline: WUSSY! MUHAWHAWHAW!

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