Does a spike count for the new tallest indoor coaster? Let me know! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram twitter.com/expthemepark instagram.com/expeditionthemepark See you soon!
No, I believe that structural height would need to be separated from operational height if a coaster utilizes a spike. The highest point that a coaster train/car travels completely in a single direction should be used in determining the coaster’s height/drop length. If traveling a spike, the highest point at which the front or back of a train/car on average reaches should be used for its height/drop length
I used to love going on the Mindbender and was so sad to find out it's been officially shut down, but I'm so happy to see one of my favourite channels make a video covering it. That coaster will always have a special place in my heart.
I was born and raised in Edmonton and never got the chance to ride the Mindbender. I was always too afraid, but once I actually got the courage to do it, the pandemic hit and everything shut down. I promised myself that once everything reopened again, I would finally ride it like I had wanted to all this time. But now it’s being taken down and I genuinely regret never taking the chance to ride it. You never expect something as iconic as the Mindbender to be gone and so I didn’t even consider it happening. Do the things you’re too afraid to do because you never know when that chance will be gone. It’s going to be weird going to Galaxyland and not hearing the roar of it anymore
🤝 EXACT same experience here, I even said that I was going to ride it the last time I had the chance but ended up not riding it as it was larger than I (mis)remembered it to be and I felt greatly intimidated. And then mid pandemic I started to really get into amusement rides and coasters through videos and felt like I was ready. I was literally going on about how I would go to galaxyland as soon as I could once they reopened it before the news came out.
@@kirbysuperstaruhh3769 our experiences are so similar! During the peak of the pandemic I was really interested in roller coaster videos and watching them constantly made me SO hyped to finally ride the Mindbender 😭 But now we can’t. I still have the urge to ride it in me, but I don’t know of any other roller coasters nearby that are that intense so it wouldn’t be the same
The same thing happened with me too. I never did got to ride Mindbender either. I live in Alberta near Edmonton, but I never built up the courage to ride Mindbender, due to it's intimidating size and height. If it wasn't for the pandemic, the maintenance issues, and it's eventual closure, then I would've at least enjoyed just one ride on this iconic behemoth of a coaster! I sure hope it gets refurbished, and relocated just so I and so many others who hadn't tried it could experience it properly
Hi, edmontonian here. One theory as to the accident can be seen in your videos. The old grainy videos had 4 cars, it apparently was never made for 4. That's why it had 3 later. Every 2 hours the mind bender would be cleared of passengers and have a "dry run" for 20 minutes. I will say my husband says the seats are uncomfortable for him (he's 6'4). I will say that an indoor theme park makes sense when you live in -20C 6 months of the year :3
It *was* designed for 4-car trains. However, if you look closely, the old trains had the lead car with two axles, and the remaining three trailer cars with one axle each. The new train is made from three lead cars, which all have the "nose" and thus are longer. Making the trains a longer total length would have required more modifications, as station, brake runs, and the entire block system are designed with a certain length of the train in mind. A train of four lead cars would have been too long, therefore they had to go down to three.
...it was made for 5 cars actually. A front and rest articulated cars, not 3 front cars. it has a 95% clone also with this config. the model infos are somewhere on the web.
What many people don't know, is that before the accident the only safety restraint the Mindbender had was a skinny lap bar. No shoulder restraints, no seatbelts. It was a lot more scary before the added safety features. That first drop with just the lap bar holding you in was crazy.
I live in Edmonton and rode mindbender many times. It’s truly one of the most physically intense coaster in the world, due the the restricted sized loops and 97km/h top speed. A lot of my friends blacked out on the second of the double loops due to the G’s. I’m sad to see it go as it was my first big roller coaster, but I feel for the maintenance techs who have spent there lives keeping it running. I’ve spoken to many of them over the years and they do enjoy working on it.
have you talked to them recently? If so, let me guess. Even now after shutting down they cant say why exactly?... Though there are Many Good understandable reasons 😅🤬🤣😂
That's a lie obviously, you have never been on a roller-coaster before. This is the lamest out of ,16 roller-coaster rides I've been on ..riding a goat is scarier than this.try the leviathan at ," canadas wonderland..that's scary!!
One Correction: The Mind Bender did run again after the 2020 closure: it reopened briefly in mid-2021 for a few weeks. This was the last time it was open. I must say, this is a very well put together and detailed video. Well done.
Hmm. I'm not sure if you know anything about the West Edmonton Mall based on your channel. It's hard to tell if you've ever been there. Everyone should probably watch all his videos to see for themselves if they want to make their own decision.
I’m from Edmonton and this is my home park and the coaster that made me fall in love with coasters. I’m so sad it is closed for good and I didn’t get a last ride. Thanks for the great video and for thinking of us way up here in Canada. From a loyal follower and Canadian coaster enthusiast.
You still can ride it. Hop on a motorcycle, get up to 60mph while heading towards a wall, and abruptly jerk the bars to one side about 15 ft from the wall.
@@citisoccer ..................... Nahhhh just go Hi-jack a REAL train and get her up to 60 and smash through the wall off Galaxy Land like the Kool-Aid Man! OHHH YEAAAAAAAA!!!!🤣🤣🤣
I’d love to see the Disney Parks and Resorts create a “Disney’s Fantasyland” indoor theme park that’s similar to the Nickelodeon Universe theme parks, but themed to various Disney movies such as Frozen! List of Featured Rides and Attractions for Disney’s Fantasyland: - Magical Storybook Castle - Fantasyland Carousel - Dumbo the Flying Elephant - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - Mad Tea Party - The Nightmare Before Christmas Halloweentown Carnival - Elsa’s Ice Palace - Ariel’s Under the Sea Adventure - Be Our Guest - Tiana’s Bayou Splash Mountain - Maleficent Dragon Coaster
Well done, I've ridden this Schwarzkopf beauty 37 times and never had a bad ride. It rides a lot like Olympia Looping which I've ridden 29 times. I do wish someone would buy this ride and give it a home
I rode Mindbender on its opening weekend, nearly blacked out on the third loop. Immediately got on it again (I was a kid). Years later I went scuba diving in the sub tank. And of course there was skating, water slides, mini golf, driving range on the roof, three movieplexes.... what a mall.
Man, West Edmonton Mall in general is just wild. Giant indoor waterpark, ice rink, aquarium, formerly a submarine ride, sea lion show, Galaxy Land, and a full scale replica of the Santa Maria. All of this inside one of the worlds largest shopping malls, and for some reason its in Edmonton Alberta of all places.
There's also a hotel. Strange experience wandering around the mall in the middle of the night, while everything is closed and empty. Even have an ok reason to be there when you eventually get questions from security. Oh, I'm a guest here. Couldn't sleep, and thought I'd go for a stroll. The weather's nicer in here. How's your shift going?
I was fortunate enough to visit the WEM on a business trip the winter after the Mindbender had reopened. What a ride. The lift hill took you to the ceiling, (where the air was warmer) and the first drop felt vertical. Maybe it was me, but about halfway through the second loop, I would begin to black out. Kind of scary, yet still a smooth and enjoyable ride. Back then, the mall was at full attractions, nothing had been removed. The submarines, the Spanish Galleon, the dolphins, the miniature golf, all still there. It was a magical place. Upscale and classy, whimsical and enchanting. I loved that mall.
@@gothtarrare less whimsical I'd say. luckily one of the coolest features they can't remove, since it's a bigass indoor lake with a massive pirate ship in it. But galaxyland definitely. It's sponsored by hasbro board games now and just feels so corporate. In one area there was a beautiful merry-go-round and one of those pirate ship rides that go up and down, but it had some theming with it being on top of a water feature with a little waterfall. Now they're both moved to random corners and were replaced by a Sorry board game spinning ride. it kind of hurts but I understand that things cost money to operate and repair and a sponsorship provides good money, but... ouch. There's more, too.
Mindbender was definitely one of the many roller coasters I wish I could have ridden. That, and I would have loved to have ridden in the mall's submarines.
Largests submarine fleet in Canada for a time. I rode it back in 1995 when most of the old rides and shows were still there. 95 wasn’t a great time for the mall and there were numerous empty stores. Quietest IKEA I had ever been in. Was pretty cool tho. They do now a fantastic indoor multilevel go kart track in there. Crazy expensive but worth at least one go. Near galaxy land
I've been going to the mall since the mid-90s so getting to see the footage of how I remember it back when I was a kid was incredibly nostalgic. I never rode on the Mindbender itself but have many memories of standing on the walkway underneath the loops and watching the ride in action, so it was sad when they announced it was closed for good. Thanks for the video!
I've never really thought about all those rides that closed during covid and then never re-opened until this video, but it makes me sad to think about it. So many people loved the coaster and were probably like "Oh, I'll go on it again next time I'm here" only for it to never return, for there to be no last ride. It's different than a ride that closes before you have a chance to get on it again because you can't travel in in time because at least then you know you tried. With this, it's just like it never came back. It's tragic.
NAILED IT!!!!!!!!!!!! please check my "goodbye inspection" of Mindbender if you are interested 🙂 (condition of the tracks as of 12-13 days ago of this comment) shout outs to good folks like you in my comments as clearly too much for description box 🤣
This is by far the best video I have ever seen on Mindbender's history. I'd like to add some details to it that I found in a German book about Werner Stengel: When they learned about the accident, both Werner Stengel and Anton Schwarzkopf flew to Edmonton to support the investigation (and likely to check for themselves if they did anything wrong). One thing they found was that the pieces of track that had been fabricated after Anton Schwarzkopf was fired and denied access to the production facility (if you ask me, you must be pretty stupid when you have no experience in manufacturing a roller coaster, need to finish a half-built one and then turn down the offer of someone who undoubtedly was one of the most experienced steel coaster manufacturers at that time). Mindbender's trains used different wheel assemblies than Schwarzkopf coasters used before. Before, the left and right wheel assemblies were mounted on a sub frame which had a central pivot point with the car's frames. Therefore, the distance between the guide wheels remained constant. Mindbender's trains were to use a new design, where each the left and right wheel assembly would have their own pivot points - much like you car's front wheels, they only pivot but you don't have one wheel move forward while the other one moves backwards when turning your steering wheel. However, that means that curved sections of track must be slightly narrower than straight sections, as the distance between the guide wheels changes with the curve radius. Schwarzkopf hat even built a test jig to inspect each section of track that it is built correctly. The people who took over didn't want to listen to him, built a constant-width track and didn't use the test jig. While the difference was not enough to get the train stuck, this put extra stress on the wheel assemblies, causing the bolts to start cracking. Now, proper maintenance should have caught this - but that didn't happen, leading to the accident.
I am glad I had my first and last right a few years ago. My Dad and I were in the mall for thanks giving and we were wondering why they took it down. RIP Mindbender. You will forever be appart of Canada's history
The mall was a hang out back then and leaving your kids at a place like this while you shopped was perfectly normal. When you got bored you would have to find something to do as well rather than go straight to the opium - internet.
I remember being in that same mall that had this traction when I was on a school trip to Edmonton back in 2017, and I was scared to go to rollercoasters. I knew about the dangers of this ride but thank you for making this video for adding information I did not know too!! You're the best
This was the first roller coaster I ever went on, and at a very young age. It was a long time before I learnt that it was not a beginner roller coaster. Definitely set high standards for any future roller coasters I got the chance to ride. I always went in expecting to be terrified.
Such a legend this ride is. I remember travelling from Saskatchewan every summer break to come to the park. Then moving to edmonton for awhile and working there. Had so much fun. Anyone who never got to ride this surely missed out. That steep climb to the top, you think your gonna touch the ceiling then you drop face down. Anytime you heard the famous horn everyone would gather as it’s about to start a run. This rollercoaster will definitely be missed. Glad I got to go on it! Especially backwards.
What I've always found to be weird is that, despite living in Edmonton and spending a lot of time at WEM as a kid and teen, I've only seen the ride operate a few times. Almost every time I went to or passed through Galaxyland, the ride wasn't in operation. This is also long past the incident, so it's almost like the ride was cursed or something.
I'm from Calgary (about 300 kms south of Edmonton) and used to go up there all the time. I rode it shortly after it re-opened in 1987, and was a fun ride. As I got older, and it got older, its actually started to become uncomfortable. Last time I rode it was in 2019, and the wear and tear on ot made it very jarring and the push down holders hurt my shoulders. I ended up with a really sore back, and I know people who have blacked out on it. In a way I'm sad to see it go, and I'm also glad, since 30 years is a long time for a metal roller coaster.
Mindbender was one of my foundational coasters to get me into coasters. I'm so sad the mall closed it but I will never forget the impact the ride had on me.
I never expected I'd have the opportunity to ride Mindbender because of how far away it is from me, but I was still sad to see it go. Also, I have to say that you always pick great music for the videos.
I have to be honest, im still really not over this news, as a Canadian coaster enthusiast this coaster was on my bucket list for about 10 years now. knowing that I will never be able to ride it is even more heartbreaking and im still not pleased about it
An absolute local legend, really sad that it never got to have a proper send-off :( Walking near galaxyland became oddly quiet without the roar of the mindbender going around a loop.
Galaxyland is probably not going to live to see 2030. It's not doing financially well from what I've heard and is slowly moving away from the amusement industry.
I'm canadian and we only have one good theme park I became a thoosie durning covid and would ask my mom to go to the mall and she said "someday" I heard it closed and was sad because I could never ride it, I'm going out to Canada's wonderland this summer and I hope thats amazing! I love your content and Alton towers is now my number one bucket list park.
I’d love to see the Disney Parks and Resorts create a “Disney’s Fantasyland” indoor theme park that’s similar to the Nickelodeon Universe theme parks, but themed to various Disney movies such as Frozen!
Been to Edmonton a few times, and on one occasion, rode Mindbender 6 times _(NOT_ in a row!). Blacked out a bit on the sixth ride, so that was it for the day. A guy I worked with for a while went there with some friends for a weekend, and had trouble riding, simply because they couldn't find any ride operators! Turns out, one guy was running the Mindbender, Looping Starship, and Freefall rides. (Obviously, it wasn't very busy at that time.) So this gang just went from one ride to the next, taking their operator with them. Now, if you know the park, you know the Freefall (Drop of Doom?) is all but completely hidden from sight from the walkways, and the Starship was just sitting there with no-one else riding it, so they never saw either ride in operation before they got on. Imagine riding a Looping Starship, having only seen swings like a Pirate ride before? Or riding a Freefall having absolutely no idea what it looks like, even when you're already on it? Gotta admit, I was kind of envious.
My dad rode the mindbender two days before the accident. I have since ridden it and it is a good ride. However, the headbanging is very real. The building was actually built around the coaster. I go to the mall about once a year, except for the pandemic years. Its really sad to see it close but it is an older coaster so I am not surprised. I hope they replace it with another one.
Funny enough, Galaxyland still exists as of today, but themed around the toys and characters of Hasbro, so now you'll get to see the likes of Mr. Potato Head, the Monopoly guy, and the My Little Pony ponies when around in West Edmonton Mall's indoor theme park.
I learn a lot on CZcams, but I learn about things and places on Your channel that I didn’t even know had existed. Thank you for your work preserving history.
Hi Sam. I was at WEM the day of the accident, but left before it happened. I would watch the Mindbender anytime I went to the Mall. I am not a coaster person, so I never had the chance to ride the Mindbender. Keep up the Great Job on the stuff that you do.
Who knows - maybe now Gene Staples will buy it (he bought both the very sad looking Dreier Looping and the Shuttle Loop from Mexico, as if he's a Schwarzkopf coaster collector) and maybe he sets it up at his park near Niagara Falls. (Just speculation and hope here, no confirmed information)
Nice to see a video on the mindbender. I used to get a super summers attraction pass when I was 11 or 12 and would ride the mindbender all day long open to close. Probably ridden it 200 times, Personally I love that starting to black out sensation you get during the second loop.
I’d love to see the Disney Parks and Resorts create a “Disney’s Fantasyland” indoor theme park that’s similar to the Nickelodeon Universe theme parks, but themed to various Disney movies such as Frozen! List of Featured Rides and Attractions for Disney’s Fantasyland: - Magical Storybook Castle - Fantasyland Carousel - Dumbo the Flying Elephant - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - Mad Tea Party - The Nightmare Before Christmas Halloweentown Carnival - Olaf’s Frozen Sleigh Ride - Elsa’s Ice Palace - Ariel’s Under the Sea Adventure - Be Our Guest (a Beauty and the Beast themed spinner ride) - Tiana’s Bayou Splash Mountain - Maleficent Dragon Coaster
I rode it once, didn't ride it again. It was thrilling but suuuper rough and bumpy, my neck was sore for days. Most people I know sadly got the same experience, I wonder if it had something to do with which car was ridden? I got to ride one of the backwards ones
no.... no it has everything to do with individual Muscle Mass of the rider.... nobody built well enough ever had such complaints... no offense please understand, just trying to clarify a common misconception that's all 🤣😇
Driar Looping is now at Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana. Should open this season after a deadly derailment it had in Mexico. It's new name is American Driar Looping.
I've lived in Edmonton my whole life and never knew about the Galaxyland Disney dispute! What a fun tidbit :D WEM is such a weird beast, but even as other malls are dying around North America it is still super busy. I often wonder how much the cold winters affect the success of indoor attractions like this 🤔
I went on this before they pulled the third train, in 86 and when the mall was built it wasn't the largest in Canada, it was the largest in the world! even still bigger then mall of America.
Great upload as always Sam! I would like to give you some suggestions for future expeditions, so here you go! Haunted House/Duel/Curse At Alton Manor (Alton Towers) Colossus (Thorpe Park) The Flying Dutchman (Efteling) Incredible Hulk (IOA) Skyride (Alton Towers) Revenge Of The Mummy (Universal Orlando)
Oh I love the story on this ride as horrible as it may be. Already knew everything about this one before I even liked coasters, so glad you made a video covering its history.
Oh darn, pretty upsetting to learn that it's been shut down. I've only been to Galaxyland once, but I was a child and was too afraid to ride Mindbender then. I'd always hoped to ride it when I was in Edmonton again. I guess that'll never happen now.
I like the spinning onethats beside where the mind bender was. It's now the best coaster there cause it's the only other coaster made not for kids by Hasbro. The other rides are pretty fun tho.
Great video, Sam! There's something bittersweet seeing how popular malls used to be in the 80s, considering they are pretty much a dying breed nowadays. Speaking of Schwarzkopf and galaxy-named theme parks, I'd love to see a video on the rise and sad fall of Six Flags Astroworld! Though I'd like to see a bit more info on Marvel Mcfey and his Enchanted Animals, as they were the park's OG mascots before the Looney Tunes. Maybe you could even make a video on the Pre-Looney Tunes mascots of the Six Flags parks in general, it's such an interesting topic!
I’m from Edmonton and I always felt weird about this coster, mainly because the mall has refused to have any kind of memorial placed in either the mall or in the theme park for the victims
Another Edmontonian here, it's sad the Mindbender is eventually going to disappear entirely but not surprising. I hope we get a real, honest, and official response from the mall why. In the meantime, their actions speak volumes and why I strongly believe their intentions in removing high intensity attractions such as the Mindbender is to once again follow in Disneyland's footsteps by creating a park that has a new these kids can relate to (Hasbro) and targeted at family's, in turn cutting off real/extreme ride and coaster enthusiast from having a place to go and feel belonging 😢 Just like Disneyland EXPECT to pay astronomical prices for you and your family to have fun at West Edmonton Mall!
Great Video! Got to visit Galaxyland summer of 2022 and only got to ride the parks two other coasters. The staff said they were waiting on a part for Mindbender because of the pandemic. Was shocked when the news came about this ride. Too bad :(
I don't know if it's possible with the structure, but I'd love to see Gene Staples save this ride using all the expertise they've gained from saving Drier Looping
Thanks for the wonderful video! I've ridden this on 2 trips to Edmonton and loved it. Funny enough, neither of those were in the decade-plus of living here (and working at the mall for 2 long stretches). Yet I miss it already. ✌️🍍
I went on this coaster around 10 years ago now and it was so intense. I can see why people were getting neck injuries. I recall my head getting slammed into the headrest sides many times and also blacking out during the loops. It was like getting beat up lol. But it's extremely iconic and I was bummed to see that it was shut down for good.
Does a spike count for the new tallest indoor coaster? Let me know!
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Can you do pleasure wood hills next? Thanks
Can you do Dreamworld Australia wipeout the world's first vekoma waikiki wave super flip
I'm going to have to say no. It's not a continuous roller coaster.
No, I believe that structural height would need to be separated from operational height if a coaster utilizes a spike. The highest point that a coaster train/car travels completely in a single direction should be used in determining the coaster’s height/drop length. If traveling a spike, the highest point at which the front or back of a train/car on average reaches should be used for its height/drop length
Nope, a launch method whist technically part the ride is a cheat.
I used to love going on the Mindbender and was so sad to find out it's been officially shut down, but I'm so happy to see one of my favourite channels make a video covering it. That coaster will always have a special place in my heart.
Is it still operating elsewhere? 🤔
couldn't agree more! she will be sadly missed!
Gene Staples could save this ride. Although it would get moved outdoors though
@@Amusementnational No.
@Amusementnational , no, it's at the end of it's operating life.
I was born and raised in Edmonton and never got the chance to ride the Mindbender. I was always too afraid, but once I actually got the courage to do it, the pandemic hit and everything shut down. I promised myself that once everything reopened again, I would finally ride it like I had wanted to all this time. But now it’s being taken down and I genuinely regret never taking the chance to ride it. You never expect something as iconic as the Mindbender to be gone and so I didn’t even consider it happening. Do the things you’re too afraid to do because you never know when that chance will be gone. It’s going to be weird going to Galaxyland and not hearing the roar of it anymore
🤝
EXACT same experience here, I even said that I was going to ride it the last time I had the chance but ended up not riding it as it was larger than I (mis)remembered it to be and I felt greatly intimidated. And then mid pandemic I started to really get into amusement rides and coasters through videos and felt like I was ready.
I was literally going on about how I would go to galaxyland as soon as I could once they reopened it before the news came out.
@@kirbysuperstaruhh3769 our experiences are so similar! During the peak of the pandemic I was really interested in roller coaster videos and watching them constantly made me SO hyped to finally ride the Mindbender 😭 But now we can’t. I still have the urge to ride it in me, but I don’t know of any other roller coasters nearby that are that intense so it wouldn’t be the same
Your profile picture of Zenitsu is so cute!!!!
The same thing happened with me too. I never did got to ride Mindbender either. I live in Alberta near Edmonton, but I never built up the courage to ride Mindbender, due to it's intimidating size and height. If it wasn't for the pandemic, the maintenance issues, and it's eventual closure, then I would've at least enjoyed just one ride on this iconic behemoth of a coaster!
I sure hope it gets refurbished, and relocated just so I and so many others who hadn't tried it could experience it properly
I had this with my local Schwarzkopf looping star. By the time I wasn't afraid of riding big coasters anymore, it was already moved to Cyprus.
Hi, edmontonian here.
One theory as to the accident can be seen in your videos. The old grainy videos had 4 cars, it apparently was never made for 4. That's why it had 3 later.
Every 2 hours the mind bender would be cleared of passengers and have a "dry run" for 20 minutes.
I will say my husband says the seats are uncomfortable for him (he's 6'4). I will say that an indoor theme park makes sense when you live in -20C 6 months of the year :3
It *was* designed for 4-car trains. However, if you look closely, the old trains had the lead car with two axles, and the remaining three trailer cars with one axle each. The new train is made from three lead cars, which all have the "nose" and thus are longer.
Making the trains a longer total length would have required more modifications, as station, brake runs, and the entire block system are designed with a certain length of the train in mind. A train of four lead cars would have been too long, therefore they had to go down to three.
> Hi, edmontonian here
Sorry
Or maybe the wheels just needed more oil
Ba dum chhhhh
...it was made for 5 cars actually. A front and rest articulated cars, not 3 front cars. it has a 95% clone also with this config. the model infos are somewhere on the web.
What many people don't know, is that before the accident the only safety restraint the Mindbender had was a skinny lap bar. No shoulder restraints, no seatbelts. It was a lot more scary before the added safety features. That first drop with just the lap bar holding you in was crazy.
I live in Edmonton and rode mindbender many times. It’s truly one of the most physically intense coaster in the world, due the the restricted sized loops and 97km/h top speed. A lot of my friends blacked out on the second of the double loops due to the G’s.
I’m sad to see it go as it was my first big roller coaster, but I feel for the maintenance techs who have spent there lives keeping it running. I’ve spoken to many of them over the years and they do enjoy working on it.
have you talked to them recently? If so, let me guess. Even now after shutting down they cant say why exactly?... Though there are Many Good understandable reasons 😅🤬🤣😂
That's a lie obviously, you have never been on a roller-coaster before. This is the lamest out of ,16 roller-coaster rides I've been on ..riding a goat is scarier than this.try the leviathan at ," canadas wonderland..that's scary!!
One Correction: The Mind Bender did run again after the 2020 closure: it reopened briefly in mid-2021 for a few weeks. This was the last time it was open.
I must say, this is a very well put together and detailed video. Well done.
Hmm. I'm not sure if you know anything about the West Edmonton Mall based on your channel. It's hard to tell if you've ever been there. Everyone should probably watch all his videos to see for themselves if they want to make their own decision.
@@kyleolson8977 😂😂
@@kyleolson8977 @Kyle Olson LoL, there are extremely subtle hints throughout. See if you can find them!
Almost seemed like this guy was taking part of your job!! Giving a detailed video of the mall!!
@@stephenbate933 it's a quality production, there's no ownership regarding WEM enthusiasm!
I’m from Edmonton and this is my home park and the coaster that made me fall in love with coasters. I’m so sad it is closed for good and I didn’t get a last ride.
Thanks for the great video and for thinking of us way up here in Canada.
From a loyal follower and Canadian coaster enthusiast.
It's so unfair that there was never a proper sendoff
i know right, it's always been here in the back yard but folks like us neglected her!
*smasck forhead
OOF! now it's too late
To Mindbender!!!
🍻🥂
> I’m from Edmonton
Sorry
Well, strictly speaking, you did get a last ride. You just didn't know it at the time.
I actually got legitimately upset when I heard this was going away. This was one of the coasters I was really hoping to ride one day.
im sorry you will be missing out on one of the legends of the rollercoaster world. it's sad to see her go indeed...
Same with me the killer part is I will be going to the mall in March
You still can ride it. Hop on a motorcycle, get up to 60mph while heading towards a wall, and abruptly jerk the bars to one side about 15 ft from the wall.
@@citisoccer ..................... Nahhhh just go Hi-jack a REAL train and get her up to 60 and smash through the wall off Galaxy Land like the Kool-Aid Man! OHHH YEAAAAAAAA!!!!🤣🤣🤣
I wanted to ride this coaster too. Such a shame.
"Something about this roller-coaster is wrong."
Yes. Very reassuring.
The dispute with Disney is gives me real “why take the family to Disney, we have Disney at home” vibes😂
Pfff, when I was a kid we built our own carts and flew down the biggest hill in town
“That sound awesome, let’s go!”
No way, far too dangerous
“...”
I’d love to see the Disney Parks and Resorts create a “Disney’s Fantasyland” indoor theme park that’s similar to the Nickelodeon Universe theme parks, but themed to various Disney movies such as Frozen!
List of Featured Rides and Attractions for Disney’s Fantasyland:
- Magical Storybook Castle
- Fantasyland Carousel
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Mad Tea Party
- The Nightmare Before Christmas Halloweentown Carnival
- Elsa’s Ice Palace
- Ariel’s Under the Sea Adventure
- Be Our Guest
- Tiana’s Bayou Splash Mountain
- Maleficent Dragon Coaster
Well done, I've ridden this Schwarzkopf beauty 37 times and never had a bad ride. It rides a lot like Olympia Looping which I've ridden 29 times. I do wish someone would buy this ride and give it a home
This guy is literally the best story teller!
Sam is amazing! Putting a face to the voice made it even better!
I love hearing him talk about different attractions
I rode Mindbender on its opening weekend, nearly blacked out on the third loop. Immediately got on it again (I was a kid). Years later I went scuba diving in the sub tank. And of course there was skating, water slides, mini golf, driving range on the roof, three movieplexes.... what a mall.
And the massive underground strip club after you drop the kids off, wait no, that’s was a different mall, i mean different dad
@cweaver4080, driving range on a rooftop? That can't be good. That's an accident waiting to happen 😢.
actually there were 5 movieplexes
Apparently they never actually got rid of the old trains and kept them in storage. Also the impact on the concrete pillar is still visible.
Man, West Edmonton Mall in general is just wild. Giant indoor waterpark, ice rink, aquarium, formerly a submarine ride, sea lion show, Galaxy Land, and a full scale replica of the Santa Maria. All of this inside one of the worlds largest shopping malls, and for some reason its in Edmonton Alberta of all places.
There's also a hotel. Strange experience wandering around the mall in the middle of the night, while everything is closed and empty. Even have an ok reason to be there when you eventually get questions from security. Oh, I'm a guest here. Couldn't sleep, and thought I'd go for a stroll. The weather's nicer in here. How's your shift going?
There was also a full bowling alley, concert venue, and two arcades!
Lmao, I’d just say i’m walking... Iy you’re bored and you want something to do there’s some women out the front asking about the mall cop.
Actually smaller town makes sense. The biggest Walmart’s with the best prices are in the middle of nowhere, because it has the monopoly.
I was fortunate enough to visit the WEM on a business trip the winter after the Mindbender had reopened. What a ride. The lift hill took you to the ceiling, (where the air was warmer) and the first drop felt vertical. Maybe it was me, but about halfway through the second loop, I would begin to black out. Kind of scary, yet still a smooth and enjoyable ride.
Back then, the mall was at full attractions, nothing had been removed. The submarines, the Spanish Galleon, the dolphins, the miniature golf, all still there. It was a magical place. Upscale and classy, whimsical and enchanting. I loved that mall.
I always wanted to visit one day. Is WEM not as whimsical now? Just another mall?
Don't feel bad exact same spot for me. That was the last ride of the day for me.
@@gothtarrare less whimsical I'd say. luckily one of the coolest features they can't remove, since it's a bigass indoor lake with a massive pirate ship in it. But galaxyland definitely. It's sponsored by hasbro board games now and just feels so corporate. In one area there was a beautiful merry-go-round and one of those pirate ship rides that go up and down, but it had some theming with it being on top of a water feature with a little waterfall. Now they're both moved to random corners and were replaced by a Sorry board game spinning ride. it kind of hurts but I understand that things cost money to operate and repair and a sponsorship provides good money, but... ouch. There's more, too.
Mindbender was definitely one of the many roller coasters I wish I could have ridden. That, and I would have loved to have ridden in the mall's submarines.
Largests submarine fleet in Canada for a time. I rode it back in 1995 when most of the old rides and shows were still there. 95 wasn’t a great time for the mall and there were numerous empty stores. Quietest IKEA I had ever been in. Was pretty cool tho. They do now a fantastic indoor multilevel go kart track in there. Crazy expensive but worth at least one go. Near galaxy land
My first time I rode backwards lmao
I've been going to the mall since the mid-90s so getting to see the footage of how I remember it back when I was a kid was incredibly nostalgic. I never rode on the Mindbender itself but have many memories of standing on the walkway underneath the loops and watching the ride in action, so it was sad when they announced it was closed for good.
Thanks for the video!
I've never really thought about all those rides that closed during covid and then never re-opened until this video, but it makes me sad to think about it. So many people loved the coaster and were probably like "Oh, I'll go on it again next time I'm here" only for it to never return, for there to be no last ride. It's different than a ride that closes before you have a chance to get on it again because you can't travel in in time because at least then you know you tried. With this, it's just like it never came back. It's tragic.
NAILED IT!!!!!!!!!!!! please check my "goodbye inspection" of Mindbender if you are interested 🙂 (condition of the tracks as of 12-13 days ago of this comment)
shout outs to good folks like you in my comments as clearly too much for description box 🤣
Yes! Favorite CZcams content creator uploading a video about one of the coolest rides ever built!
This is by far the best video I have ever seen on Mindbender's history.
I'd like to add some details to it that I found in a German book about Werner Stengel:
When they learned about the accident, both Werner Stengel and Anton Schwarzkopf flew to Edmonton to support the investigation (and likely to check for themselves if they did anything wrong).
One thing they found was that the pieces of track that had been fabricated after Anton Schwarzkopf was fired and denied access to the production facility (if you ask me, you must be pretty stupid when you have no experience in manufacturing a roller coaster, need to finish a half-built one and then turn down the offer of someone who undoubtedly was one of the most experienced steel coaster manufacturers at that time). Mindbender's trains used different wheel assemblies than Schwarzkopf coasters used before. Before, the left and right wheel assemblies were mounted on a sub frame which had a central pivot point with the car's frames. Therefore, the distance between the guide wheels remained constant. Mindbender's trains were to use a new design, where each the left and right wheel assembly would have their own pivot points - much like you car's front wheels, they only pivot but you don't have one wheel move forward while the other one moves backwards when turning your steering wheel. However, that means that curved sections of track must be slightly narrower than straight sections, as the distance between the guide wheels changes with the curve radius. Schwarzkopf hat even built a test jig to inspect each section of track that it is built correctly. The people who took over didn't want to listen to him, built a constant-width track and didn't use the test jig.
While the difference was not enough to get the train stuck, this put extra stress on the wheel assemblies, causing the bolts to start cracking. Now, proper maintenance should have caught this - but that didn't happen, leading to the accident.
I was so lucky to ride The Mindbender right before the pandemic. It was most definitely one of the best coasters ever made. I loved it
I am glad I had my first and last right a few years ago. My Dad and I were in the mall for thanks giving and we were wondering why they took it down. RIP Mindbender. You will forever be appart of Canada's history
This is why we need to support our smaller parks and make our coaster trips. You never know when your going to lose something forever.
The mall was a hang out back then and leaving your kids at a place like this while you shopped was perfectly normal. When you got bored you would have to find something to do as well rather than go straight to the opium - internet.
like your life
I remember being in that same mall that had this traction when I was on a school trip to Edmonton back in 2017, and I was scared to go to rollercoasters. I knew about the dangers of this ride but thank you for making this video for adding information I did not know too!! You're the best
This was the first roller coaster I ever went on, and at a very young age. It was a long time before I learnt that it was not a beginner roller coaster. Definitely set high standards for any future roller coasters I got the chance to ride. I always went in expecting to be terrified.
Such a legend this ride is. I remember travelling from Saskatchewan every summer break to come to the park. Then moving to edmonton for awhile and working there. Had so much fun. Anyone who never got to ride this surely missed out. That steep climb to the top, you think your gonna touch the ceiling then you drop face down. Anytime you heard the famous horn everyone would gather as it’s about to start a run. This rollercoaster will definitely be missed. Glad I got to go on it! Especially backwards.
thank you for sharing your little story about your involvement with the history of the Mindbender! 😇
What I've always found to be weird is that, despite living in Edmonton and spending a lot of time at WEM as a kid and teen, I've only seen the ride operate a few times. Almost every time I went to or passed through Galaxyland, the ride wasn't in operation. This is also long past the incident, so it's almost like the ride was cursed or something.
I'm from Calgary (about 300 kms south of Edmonton) and used to go up there all the time. I rode it shortly after it re-opened in 1987, and was a fun ride. As I got older, and it got older, its actually started to become uncomfortable. Last time I rode it was in 2019, and the wear and tear on ot made it very jarring and the push down holders hurt my shoulders. I ended up with a really sore back, and I know people who have blacked out on it.
In a way I'm sad to see it go, and I'm also glad, since 30 years is a long time for a metal roller coaster.
I went there to ride this back in 1987 was the only time I went on it but breaks my heart see it shut down. National treasure now gone forever.
Mindbender was one of my foundational coasters to get me into coasters. I'm so sad the mall closed it but I will never forget the impact the ride had on me.
This ride always makes me think of the show 6teen
I loved going on this rollercoaster as someone from Calgary on my weekend trips to West Edmonton Mall. Though it makes sense why it closed.
I've lived in Edmonton my entire life and never rode the Mindbender. And now I never will. RIP.
I never expected I'd have the opportunity to ride Mindbender because of how far away it is from me, but I was still sad to see it go. Also, I have to say that you always pick great music for the videos.
Only ride I've been on to make my vision go out a bit on those loops lol.. Thing was intense
I have to be honest, im still really not over this news, as a Canadian coaster enthusiast this coaster was on my bucket list for about 10 years now. knowing that I will never be able to ride it is even more heartbreaking and im still not pleased about it
i'll have you know it's been in my back yard for those same 10 years + and i neglected her and never did get my last ride in...😞
I never even realised it was closed already. Thanks for another brilliant video Sam, fabulous as always.
As someone born and raised in Edmonton, I was very upset about the news of it's closing. Gonna definitely miss it.
An absolute local legend, really sad that it never got to have a proper send-off :(
Walking near galaxyland became oddly quiet without the roar of the mindbender going around a loop.
Galaxyland is probably not going to live to see 2030. It's not doing financially well from what I've heard and is slowly moving away from the amusement industry.
It's always a good day when there's a new expedition to go on!
Such an under rated channel!!! I appreciate all the uploads. You should have millions of followers. Keep up the great work.
Love that West Edmonton Mall jingle! Catchy as hell!
I'm canadian and we only have one good theme park I became a thoosie durning covid and would ask my mom to go to the mall and she said "someday" I heard it closed and was sad because I could never ride it, I'm going out to Canada's wonderland this summer and I hope thats amazing! I love your content and Alton towers is now my number one bucket list park.
Best theme song on youtube! Always a good day when I hear the trumpets !
I’d love to see the Disney Parks and Resorts create a “Disney’s Fantasyland” indoor theme park that’s similar to the Nickelodeon Universe theme parks, but themed to various Disney movies such as Frozen!
Disney knows they have to keep the parents happy as well if they want more money from them, it’s worked well and kids don’t have any money.
@@rmac3217 Jeez.
The origin of this coaster has more twists and turns than the ride itself
I love the German twist.
“But Hans, I don’t think they will understand the german instruction manual”
ZILENCE HANS! Then zey will learn German!
😂😂😂😂
Yes! Someone's finally covering this!
i was lucky enough to ride this once, it was legit the most intense rollercoaster ive ever been on. I'm so sad and mad that this is closed....
Best roller coaster I have ever ridden, hands down.
Been to Edmonton a few times, and on one occasion, rode Mindbender 6 times _(NOT_ in a row!). Blacked out a bit on the sixth ride, so that was it for the day.
A guy I worked with for a while went there with some friends for a weekend, and had trouble riding, simply because they couldn't find any ride operators! Turns out, one guy was running the Mindbender, Looping Starship, and Freefall rides. (Obviously, it wasn't very busy at that time.) So this gang just went from one ride to the next, taking their operator with them. Now, if you know the park, you know the Freefall (Drop of Doom?) is all but completely hidden from sight from the walkways, and the Starship was just sitting there with no-one else riding it, so they never saw either ride in operation before they got on. Imagine riding a Looping Starship, having only seen swings like a Pirate ride before? Or riding a Freefall having absolutely no idea what it looks like, even when you're already on it? Gotta admit, I was kind of envious.
My dad rode the mindbender two days before the accident. I have since ridden it and it is a good ride. However, the headbanging is very real. The building was actually built around the coaster. I go to the mall about once a year, except for the pandemic years. Its really sad to see it close but it is an older coaster so I am not surprised. I hope they replace it with another one.
Funny enough, Galaxyland still exists as of today, but themed around the toys and characters of Hasbro, so now you'll get to see the likes of Mr. Potato Head, the Monopoly guy, and the My Little Pony ponies when around in West Edmonton Mall's indoor theme park.
I absolutely love these videos, they're so interesting!
I learn a lot on CZcams, but I learn about things and places on Your channel that I didn’t even know had existed. Thank you for your work preserving history.
Hi Sam. I was at WEM the day of the accident, but left before it happened. I would watch the Mindbender anytime I went to the Mall. I am not a coaster person, so I never had the chance to ride the Mindbender. Keep up the Great Job on the stuff that you do.
Yes! A new video to start my morning off right
Are you sure you want to completely demolish Looping Coaster 1?
🔥 🔥🔥 glad you did more, thank you
I grew up in the Edmonton area and it took me until my teens to work up the courage to ride it.
This channel gets better and better!
Interesting how Mindbender's trains are now being used for the Dreier Looping clone at Indiana Beach.
Niagara Falls NY was considered a place for one of these massive indoor mall / amusement parks by the Triple 5 group, but it never came to fruition
Who knows - maybe now Gene Staples will buy it (he bought both the very sad looking Dreier Looping and the Shuttle Loop from Mexico, as if he's a Schwarzkopf coaster collector) and maybe he sets it up at his park near Niagara Falls. (Just speculation and hope here, no confirmed information)
THESE COASTERS ARE SO GIANT!
Awesome Sam! My first big coaster before getting to go to the USA
What no this makes me sad they are going to tare it down. I have so many great memories with that coaster.
Nice to see a video on the mindbender. I used to get a super summers attraction pass when I was 11 or 12 and would ride the mindbender all day long open to close. Probably ridden it 200 times, Personally I love that starting to black out sensation you get during the second loop.
I’d love to see the Disney Parks and Resorts create a “Disney’s Fantasyland” indoor theme park that’s similar to the Nickelodeon Universe theme parks, but themed to various Disney movies such as Frozen!
List of Featured Rides and Attractions for Disney’s Fantasyland:
- Magical Storybook Castle
- Fantasyland Carousel
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Mad Tea Party
- The Nightmare Before Christmas Halloweentown Carnival
- Olaf’s Frozen Sleigh Ride
- Elsa’s Ice Palace
- Ariel’s Under the Sea Adventure
- Be Our Guest (a Beauty and the Beast themed spinner ride)
- Tiana’s Bayou Splash Mountain
- Maleficent Dragon Coaster
Your vids are always awesome fella, great stuff right here 👍🙏
Glad I got to spend some quality time with The old bender. Extra rush riding it, when you know what happened in it's past.
3:45 that commercial was glorious
Another great video! This ride gives me Adventure Dome vibes, one day you will be doing a video about one of the rides there.
I rode it once, didn't ride it again. It was thrilling but suuuper rough and bumpy, my neck was sore for days. Most people I know sadly got the same experience, I wonder if it had something to do with which car was ridden? I got to ride one of the backwards ones
no.... no it has everything to do with individual Muscle Mass of the rider.... nobody built well enough ever had such complaints... no offense please understand, just trying to clarify a common misconception that's all 🤣😇
Driar Looping is now at Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana. Should open this season after a deadly derailment it had in Mexico. It's new name is American Driar Looping.
I've lived in Edmonton my whole life and never knew about the Galaxyland Disney dispute! What a fun tidbit :D
WEM is such a weird beast, but even as other malls are dying around North America it is still super busy. I often wonder how much the cold winters affect the success of indoor attractions like this 🤔
> I’ve lived in Edmonton my whole life
Sorry
@@billybollockhead5628 sorry I was able to become a homeowner in my twenties? No worries :)
@@brittany1382 A home owner in Edmonton? You poor poor person. Can I help?
I went on this before they pulled the third train, in 86 and when the mall was built it wasn't the largest in Canada, it was the largest in the world! even still bigger then mall of America.
Great upload as always Sam! I would like to give you some suggestions for future expeditions, so here you go!
Haunted House/Duel/Curse At Alton Manor (Alton Towers)
Colossus (Thorpe Park)
The Flying Dutchman (Efteling)
Incredible Hulk (IOA)
Skyride (Alton Towers)
Revenge Of The Mummy (Universal Orlando)
one of the great canadian coasters i missed out on. RIP mind bender
i'm sorry you missed out my friend! she was an intense Savage BEAST indeed! 🥲
It will likely be at a theme park somewhere with some copyrighted characters all over it from multiple different studios.
Yay Sam! Always love to see you post videos. 🥰
Oh I love the story on this ride as horrible as it may be. Already knew everything about this one before I even liked coasters, so glad you made a video covering its history.
Glad you’re back regularly with new videos!
Nice that you're getting your great content out again - used to love your videos, and then they suddenly stopped for a long time
Oh darn, pretty upsetting to learn that it's been shut down. I've only been to Galaxyland once, but I was a child and was too afraid to ride Mindbender then. I'd always hoped to ride it when I was in Edmonton again. I guess that'll never happen now.
Love watching these. Ty!
This coaster was featured in episode 6 of 2016's 'The White Rabbit Project'. G-forces were the topic of the episode.
I hope they get a new coaster
I like the spinning onethats beside where the mind bender was. It's now the best coaster there cause it's the only other coaster made not for kids by Hasbro. The other rides are pretty fun tho.
Great video, Sam! There's something bittersweet seeing how popular malls used to be in the 80s, considering they are pretty much a dying breed nowadays. Speaking of Schwarzkopf and galaxy-named theme parks, I'd love to see a video on the rise and sad fall of Six Flags Astroworld! Though I'd like to see a bit more info on Marvel Mcfey and his Enchanted Animals, as they were the park's OG mascots before the Looney Tunes. Maybe you could even make a video on the Pre-Looney Tunes mascots of the Six Flags parks in general, it's such an interesting topic!
I’m from Edmonton and I always felt weird about this coster, mainly because the mall has refused to have any kind of memorial placed in either the mall or in the theme park for the victims
Another Edmontonian here, it's sad the Mindbender is eventually going to disappear entirely but not surprising. I hope we get a real, honest, and official response from the mall why. In the meantime, their actions speak volumes and why I strongly believe their intentions in removing high intensity attractions such as the Mindbender is to once again follow in Disneyland's footsteps by creating a park that has a new these kids can relate to (Hasbro) and targeted at family's, in turn cutting off real/extreme ride and coaster enthusiast from having a place to go and feel belonging 😢
Just like Disneyland EXPECT to pay astronomical prices for you and your family to have fun at West Edmonton Mall!
Sam! So very glad to see something new from you!
@3:27 this song is Amazing 😍
Great Video! Got to visit Galaxyland summer of 2022 and only got to ride the parks two other coasters. The staff said they were waiting on a part for Mindbender because of the pandemic. Was shocked when the news came about this ride. Too bad :(
Haven't ridden it since just before the accident, and I still remember how that ride felt today
I can’t believe it lasted as long as it did… and in a MALL.
Another awesome video Sam!! Thank you!
I don't know if it's possible with the structure, but I'd love to see Gene Staples save this ride using all the expertise they've gained from saving Drier Looping
it's ether him or the only other people i can think of who could save it are Mr Musk or Mr Beast perhaps! 🤣
I figured you'd do a video, since the coaster's story has ended.
Thanks for the wonderful video!
I've ridden this on 2 trips to Edmonton and loved it. Funny enough, neither of those were in the decade-plus of living here (and working at the mall for 2 long stretches). Yet I miss it already. ✌️🍍
I went on this coaster around 10 years ago now and it was so intense. I can see why people were getting neck injuries. I recall my head getting slammed into the headrest sides many times and also blacking out during the loops. It was like getting beat up lol. But it's extremely iconic and I was bummed to see that it was shut down for good.