The first time I rode it at around 8 or 9 years old, with my mother behind me, I remember turning to her and saying "duck!" as we went down the hill from the 2nd spiral lift hill... thinking we'd hit the crossing track.
Wow! As a kid, I got to go to Six Flags Over Texas once a year. I remember seeing Big Bend. I remember the year I finally decided I was going to ride it. That's the year we got to the park and found it gone. Judge Roy Scream was the new coaster that year. It took me a few more years to gather the courage to ride the Judge Roy Scream. And a few years after that, Shock Wave. I never dreamed I'd get to see POV footage of Big Bend. It's a crime that this coaster was removed.
I never got the chance to ride this because I was too little, butI remember having to stand next to my mom and watch my older brother and sister go on it though 😡..
That was fun, thx for sharing! One summer day, in 1989, my bf and I played hooky from our job at the keychain photo booth at Six Flags by...taking a ride at Six Flags! Someone who worked with us was working that day at the freeze-frame booth at the bobsled ride and... caught us 📸 😛😛. We were in trouble, but no way did they fire $2.00-ish-an-hour-earning, otherwise hard workers (aged 16 & 19). 😂
Big Bend is was located in the USA section where the Cliffhanger and Splashwater was at. You can still find some it’s footers in near the railroad tracks near looney tunes land. Bobsled is at the opposite end of the park in Spain
@@catfishaggie Yes! Ive see the footings, I was too young to ride the Big Bend but when they took it down I would always find the footing still left behind
That old coaster was probably one of the most fun ones I ever rode. Of course I have ridden faster, fancier, but this one still remains at the top for pure fun.
La Salle's Riverboats was a great ride. I miss the Spee Lunkers too. Remember the original layout of the Mini Mine Train from before Mr. Freeze was built?
Loved the Big bend as a teenager in the 1970s. I recall someone had placed a red slat on one of the vertical posts along the way as if something horrendous happened.
Thank you! This was my first "real" rollercoaster I ever rode, and the one that made me love coasters... I was probably 8 or 9 years old. I rode it a few times over the years it was there. I had never seen a full POV video before!
This was pretty long...I bet it was lots of fun..I didn't have the pleasure of riding this but my older sisters did..they said it was so sad when they arrived at the park one year and no big ben. (Remember no social media back then)
thanks so much for posting...been waiting a very long time to see footage of big bend. the layout is exactly what i remembered. it sure had a short life span but gave so many great memories!
Big Bend was before my time so thank you for posting this. I always wondered what it was like. I love rollercoasters but I got queasy just watching this video.
I wonder if St. Louis ever had plans to set this coaster up or if it was just sent there for storage. If it were to be installed, where in the heck would they have set this monster up ! Back in the 1980's I remember seeing it from the first hill of Screamin' Eagle and thinking "Maybe next year ?" but, if I remember right, the ride was gone about the same time Jet Scream left. Great video !
Thank you so much for publishing this. I've longed to ride this old coaster again! Due to it's mechanical problems, my parents' fear of letting me ride it, and the fact we'd only get to go maybe once a year, I think I only got to actually *ride* the Big Bend 3 or 4 times. I've already watched this video more than that. But I was still able to point out the footings that used to hold the Big Bend's track, at least until they started building the new Aquaman ride. I haven't tried since then. They may be gone now. Still... I loved that coaster.
Mechanical problems, like when it killed someone? My mom got me riding roller coasters and knew it was a freak accident for a train to push another off the top of the lift and that they had put in safeguards to keep it from happening again, so she'd let me ride with my sister.. I was just tall enough to ride.
We loved this ride and also Runaway Mine Train. Such fun memories of this park. I was SO disappointed when I found out they took it down. I'm gald I got to ride it though.😊
Excellent POV! Looks really fast and fun. I’m a little surprised, though, some of the transitions look a little jarring on this one. I guess Whizzer at Great America is a little more gentle.
This was a guy actually riding in the front seat and holding a big film camera… probably with both hands. No image stabilizer, no camera mount, no wearable tech.
It WAS in storage at Six Flags Over Mid-America. But when they went to install it, they found the components were rusted so they scrapped it. That was many years ago.
No. The defunct German rollercoaster company Schwarzkopf built many coasters with this type of lift hill, but only nine operate in the world currently.
It was unique at the time it was built. This was the first coaster which had motors built in to the cars, so there was no chain needed to pull the cars uphill. Instead, these motors, combined with a third rail, supplied the power. This allowed for the spiral to be included. Source: Davis G. McCown, "Six Flag Over Texas: The First Fifty Years," Lavaca Publications and Media, LLC., 2016
I absolutely hated this coaster. I was 8 years old and had never been on any coaster. I could not wait for the day to arrive. Finally, my Mom and I made it through the l o n g line and got into our car. The first thing I noticed was that there were NO restraints, no seatbelts, no bar to hold on to, and no doors to keep you in the car. If my Mom had not ridden the coaster with me, I would have been flung out. She held onto me with one arm and she held herself in with her other arm. Her sunglasses flew off of her face, lost forever, and by the time the ride had finished, we were both white in the face and I almost passed out. It was the most terrifying 2 minutes of my life. A week or two after that, several people were killed and they closed the ride down. I did not ride another coaster until I was 16, and now I love coasters, but "Big Ben" was a death trap that I will never forget.
The drive between Dallas and Fort Worth was miserable and dead , for decades, until they built Six Flags and it gave that drive some, albeit artificial, character.
Great to finally see POV of this classic. We still have Whizzer in Chicago for those that miss this type of coaster.
But so far away from Texas though and I can only build these Spiral Coasters in Roller Coaster Tycoon 2!
Rode Big Bend many times as child - great memories & times
thanks for preserving this otherwise this will be lost media
It's amazing how much I remember this! Those turns and hills are so familiar! This is wonderful. What great memories!
The first time I rode it at around 8 or 9 years old, with my mother behind me, I remember turning to her and saying "duck!" as we went down the hill from the 2nd spiral lift hill... thinking we'd hit the crossing track.
Wow! As a kid, I got to go to Six Flags Over Texas once a year. I remember seeing Big Bend. I remember the year I finally decided I was going to ride it. That's the year we got to the park and found it gone. Judge Roy Scream was the new coaster that year. It took me a few more years to gather the courage to ride the Judge Roy Scream. And a few years after that, Shock Wave. I never dreamed I'd get to see POV footage of Big Bend. It's a crime that this coaster was removed.
judge roy is better faster and has better thru put meaning is better for teh consumer and company alike
Looking from the outside, it’s hard to tell what was better but I’m leaning towards this
Actually, it was Shock Wave that was the new one when they took out Ben. Judge was installed about 2 years after Shock Wave.
I never got the chance to ride this because I was too little, butI remember having to stand next to my mom and watch my older brother and sister go on it though 😡..
Judge Roy scream was a joke compared to Big bend.
That was fun, thx for sharing! One summer day, in 1989, my bf and I played hooky from our job at the keychain photo booth at Six Flags by...taking a ride at Six Flags! Someone who worked with us was working that day at the freeze-frame booth at the bobsled ride and... caught us 📸 😛😛. We were in trouble, but no way did they fire $2.00-ish-an-hour-earning, otherwise hard workers (aged 16 & 19). 😂
Big Bend is was located in the USA section where the Cliffhanger and Splashwater was at. You can still find some it’s footers in near the railroad tracks near looney tunes land.
Bobsled is at the opposite end of the park in Spain
@@catfishaggie Yes! Ive see the footings, I was too young to ride the Big Bend but when they took it down I would always find the footing still left behind
Was about 5 years old at this time and wanted to ride it.
Dad always said 'when you get older'
I wish I could’ve experienced it, looks like a lot more fun than the old Aquaman full of dirty water.
Probably more fun than the Texas Cliffhanger too. And more fun than Tony Hawk's Big Spin.
@@gregorymoore2877 Yes to all of them. IMO, more fun than anything there now.
That old coaster was probably one of the most fun ones I ever rode. Of course I have ridden faster, fancier, but this one still remains at the top for pure fun.
This legendary coaster was gone LONG before my visit. So was La Salle's. Spee Lunkers Cave was still there though.
La Salle's Riverboats was a great ride. I miss the Spee Lunkers too. Remember the original layout of the Mini Mine Train from before Mr. Freeze was built?
Such great memories .
Loved the Big bend as a teenager in the 1970s. I recall someone had placed a red slat on one of the vertical posts along the way as if something horrendous happened.
This was my very first coaster! I was 7 and it was terrifying!!!
Thank you! This was my first "real" rollercoaster I ever rode, and the one that made me love coasters... I was probably 8 or 9 years old. I rode it a few times over the years it was there. I had never seen a full POV video before!
This was pretty long...I bet it was lots of fun..I didn't have the pleasure of riding this but my older sisters did..they said it was so sad when they arrived at the park one year and no big ben. (Remember no social media back then)
Such a great childhood memory revived by this video! Thank you for posting it.
Thank you for posting this! It sure brings back a lot of fun memories.
thanks so much for posting...been waiting a very long time to see footage of big bend. the layout is exactly what i remembered. it sure had a short life span but gave so many great memories!
Dang, I miss this coaster. Thanks for video.
thanks for sharing this video clip, for some reason I don't remember the ride, but it looked exciting
Big Bend was before my time so thank you for posting this. I always wondered what it was like. I love rollercoasters but I got queasy just watching this video.
This is awesome. Thanks for sharing
Cool. I never got to ride this. I was too small and then they took it out. Thanks for the ride.
Was always a primary reason to go to Six Flags back then. But it was always a coin flip if it would be down for maintenance. Thus, why it didn't last.
I wonder if St. Louis ever had plans to set this coaster up or if it was just sent there for storage. If it were to be installed, where in the heck would they have set this monster up ! Back in the 1980's I remember seeing it from the first hill of Screamin' Eagle and thinking "Maybe next year ?" but, if I remember right, the ride was gone about the same time Jet Scream left. Great video !
Thank you so much for publishing this. I've longed to ride this old coaster again! Due to it's mechanical problems, my parents' fear of letting me ride it, and the fact we'd only get to go maybe once a year, I think I only got to actually *ride* the Big Bend 3 or 4 times. I've already watched this video more than that. But I was still able to point out the footings that used to hold the Big Bend's track, at least until they started building the new Aquaman ride. I haven't tried since then. They may be gone now. Still... I loved that coaster.
Mechanical problems, like when it killed someone?
My mom got me riding roller coasters and knew it was a freak accident for a train to push another off the top of the lift and that they had put in safeguards to keep it from happening again, so she'd let me ride with my sister.. I was just tall enough to ride.
We loved this ride and also Runaway Mine Train. Such fun memories of this park. I was SO disappointed when I found out they took it down. I'm gald I got to ride it though.😊
My first "real" roller coaster.
I've never seen this and am so happy to!
i dont know how but i can SMELL this video
and i smells like grilled cheese and rust
This is the one where a car flew off the rails and people died.
BS
They should bring this coaster back.
Excellent POV! Looks really fast and fun. I’m a little surprised, though, some of the transitions look a little jarring on this one. I guess Whizzer at Great America is a little more gentle.
yes is a later model
This was a guy actually riding in the front seat and holding a big film camera… probably with both hands. No image stabilizer, no camera mount, no wearable tech.
Wow I remember riding this with my mom
This is my first time to ride it. Terrifying !
This ride is actually in storage for anyone wondering it’s in storage at SixFlags St. Louis
It WAS in storage at Six Flags Over Mid-America. But when they went to install it, they found the components were rusted so they scrapped it. That was many years ago.
Can I use a few clips for an upcoming video of mine? I'll give credit at the end of the video & description.
Did this ever happen?
Jesus that looked rough
It wasn't... I remember it being quite smooth. It looks rough in the video due to the hand-held camera with no image stabilization.
A then modern day Traver coaster
If this comes back it gonna be a rmc raptor
An RMC raptor is cool, don't get me wrong... but if Big Bend comes back as a RMC raptor, then Big Bend hasn't really come back.
@@gregorymoore2877 true
Is that spiral lift hill unique among roller coasters?
No. The defunct German rollercoaster company Schwarzkopf built many coasters with this type of lift hill, but only nine operate in the world currently.
It was unique at the time it was built. This was the first coaster which had motors built in to the cars, so there was no chain needed to pull the cars uphill. Instead, these motors, combined with a third rail, supplied the power. This allowed for the spiral to be included. Source: Davis G. McCown, "Six Flag Over Texas: The First Fifty Years," Lavaca Publications and Media, LLC., 2016
The Whizzer at Six Flags Great Am Gurnee IL.is very similar pretty smooth. Also made by Schwarzkopf built in 76 when the park opened.
@@Anonymous-uno And there was one at Kanas City's Worlds of Fun, too, the Zambezi Zinger.
@@Anonymous-uno If I ever get to go there, I'll certainly ride it! I've seen the video of it and it's really got me wanting to go!
I absolutely hated this coaster. I was 8 years old and had never been on any coaster. I could not wait for the day to arrive. Finally, my Mom and I made it through the l o n g line and got into our car. The first thing I noticed was that there were NO restraints, no seatbelts, no bar to hold on to, and no doors to keep you in the car. If my Mom had not ridden the coaster with me, I would have been flung out. She held onto me with one arm and she held herself in with her other arm. Her sunglasses flew off of her face, lost forever, and by the time the ride had finished, we were both white in the face and I almost passed out. It was the most terrifying 2 minutes of my life. A week or two after that, several people were killed and they closed the ride down. I did not ride another coaster until I was 16, and now I love coasters, but "Big Ben" was a death trap that I will never forget.
...and the first time I rode it was with my mom, and I was about 8 too. And it terrified me as well, but I loved it!
The drive between Dallas and Fort Worth was miserable and dead , for decades, until they built Six Flags and it gave that drive some, albeit artificial, character.