Coasting with Culture: Adrenaline Peak at Oaks Park

Over the weekend our partner in crime Gary from Coasting with Culture headed out to Oaks Park to check out their newest addition, Adrenaline Peak.

Gary got over 50 rides on this new beast throughout his visit, so you know that has to be a good sign. Check out his report below.

Written by Gary Taylor

We'll start off with a POV of the ride that our friends at Ride Entertainment sent us a few weeks ago.

It was a cold, rainy day in the City of Roses, and while it may not have been an ideal day to visit an amusement park, the weather did provide for some breaks in the precipitation to enjoy a visit to Oaks Amusement Park in Portland.

The main reason for this visit was to go and check out the brand-new Adrenaline Peak, a Gerstlauer Eurofighter that had opened about two weeks prior. The addition of this coaster is pretty big for the Pacific Northwest, because while we are never short on rain from the fall through the spring, new coasters tend to be further apart than in other areas of the country, as this was the first new coaster in Oregon since the addition of Zoooooom (a Miler junior coaster) at the same park in 1999, and the first brand-new major coaster of the Cascadia region (British Columbia, Oregon and Washington) since Timberhawk opened in 2003 at Wild Waves. So when a coaster like this gets built around here, it’s a welcomed addition.

Upon arrival to Oaks, pieces of Looping Thunder were still in piles in the parking lot of Oaks. This Pinfari Looping Zyklon coaster had previously operated in the spot that is now home to Adrenaline Peak. Having ridden this coaster in the past, it was nice to see Oaks go for the upgrade in equipment as it could be a bit on the rougher side.

Because of the weather today, the crowds would be fairly light for much of this visit. This made for the ability to enjoy several laps on Adrenaline Peak without having to wait in much of a line (or none at all for several of them).

Adrenaline Peak starts for the signature vertical lift that Eurofighters are known for, climbing to the top of the 72-foot lift hill. Upon reaching the top, you descend down the 97-degree drop and into the first vertical loop. From the loop, you go into the cutback to the left. Then you head up the hill into a right-hand turn, which then goes into the heartline roll going into the final drop, which then ends with one last airtime hill before the brake run.

While the ride after the lift only last about 30 seconds, this ride really makes the most of it. The first drop has you out of your seat with some great airtime. Upon reaching the top of the loop, the car goes through it at such a speed that provides for some fantastic hangtime. The other great moment of alternative forces comes from the heartline roll, especially if you sit on the right hand outside seat as it provides excellent hangtime from the rotation of the car. The final airtime hill also gives a great pop if you sit on the left-hand outside seat. The intensity of the coaster is at an intensity level that makes it a thrilling yet very re-rideable.

Another highlight of this coaster is that it features a lap-bar style restraint that has become more common on the newer Eurofighters. This adds to the thrill of the ride as you experience a more-free feeling while enjoying the airtime and hangtime.

After several laps on this ride, I can safely say that this was a great new addition to Oaks Amusement Park. While this coaster may not seem like much to those who frequent the larger parks of Cedar Fair, Six Flags or Disney, it is a real game changer for this classic local park. You could tell that the park had a different feel to it from the ride operators working that day, as even they had smiles on their faces seeing the reactions from riders upon return to the loading platform, and they would share their experiences from having ridden since its opening with riders who came to challenge it. Throughout my day at the park, all of the reactions to it were all positive.

One thing to note if you visit Oaks to ride Adrenaline Peak is to be aware of their pricing tiers for their bracelets. All bracelets at the park include a session at the park’s roller skating rink with conventional skate rental. While the offer both the Limited (excludes a few of the larger rides) and Deluxe Bracelets, these two bands do not include Adrenaline Peak. For that, you need to get the Premier Bracelet. This bracelet is almost twice the price of the Deluxe, but it does allow for unlimited rides on Adrenaline Peak, and also includes unlimited rides on the parks go-karts, and if you go on a slower day, you can easily get your money’s worth of rides on the brand-new ride.

Oaks has made a great choice in their new coaster, and I feel that for any coaster fan, this is easily a must ride at the park. As a resident of the Pacific Northwest, this is easily one of the top coasters of the region. If you have the opportunity to visit Portland, make sure you make a stop at Oaks Amusement Park to check out Adrenaline Peak!

-Gary

Check out some additional pictures of Adrenaline Peak below and be sure to follow all of Gary's Adventures on Coasting with Culture.

Gary has a Bay Area Tour coming up on May 24-29 and we highly recommend it.

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Coasting with Culture: Adrenaline Peak at Oaks Park

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