Monday, October 12, 2009

I Take Too Much Time Between These Things...

Looks like the Black Hat has taken over a season to reopen its news and information, but better late than never, I suppose.

Glad to see that Haunt is going well, despite Mother Nature not playing along. It's always great to see the Showplace packed to the rafters for Haunt to see a great show like Hot Blooded. I think they should do pyros in more shows. Any takers?

Odd how Kings Island does a display of skeletons depicting dead celebrities and it's in such bad taste yet South Park has an episode about almost all of the same exact celebrities and not a word. Makes you wonder if they drew their inspiration from the news stories.

It's disappointing that there wasn't an interest in the get-together idea that Tom had for the Dent Schoolhouse. I guess all's well that ends well since Tom ended up being quarantined with H1N1 that evening. I've always heard wonderful things about Dent and I'm sure that if it hadn't been going head-t0-head with Haunt it would have gone a lot better.

Everyone seems to have their own solution to the Son of Beast drama, but that comes down to everyone thinking they're an expert. All credible accounts have stated that they haven't made a decision yet and that we can expect an announcement later than sooner.

I got to check out Land of Illusion the other day. I had fun, but I think the $40 price tag is a little much. You could tell that the folks responsible for it put a lot of heart, soul and capital into getting it in order.

Counting down the weeks and days until I'm on a six day pilgrimage in Orlando...

Until next time,
-Ryan "BoddaH1994" Suhr
From Under the Black Hat

Monday, April 20, 2009

Who Signs My Paycheck?

Running KIC, especially now, has its ups and downs. Enough ups and downs to make Diamondback look like the Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad. One thing in particular that seems to be a burden that will never go away is the mentality that we have some sort of special relationship with the park.

I wasn't too surprising when someone sent me a link to a web site in which someone on their forums claimed to have inside information about KICentral and how we're actually associates of the park, sit in on board meetings and violate Cedar Fair's "fairness act" by getting more attention than other web sites.

All of the claims above are in fact NOT true. I've never been an associate of the park. Some of my staff members have or are, but never to the extent of being any type of decision makers. We're talking rides associates and Haunt SCAREactors exclusively. If that was some sort of violation of Cedar Fair's policies then I was never made aware of them, and neither have they.

We sit in on board meetings? Not true at all. In fact, due to the structure of the company if I was some sort of board member and I claimed otherwise it would be a crime.

Cedar Fair's "Fairness Act"? Oh please. That doesn't even constitute a response if you ask me.

This whole cencept isn't new. People have made claims about KIC and its origins for many years... since back in the Paramount days. I remember getting a PM when we were only about a year into the project with someone claiming that they knew the "secret of KIC" in which Dane and I were actually Jeff Siebert and Maureen Kaiser... I'm not joking about that one.

One time I was leaving the park after the nightly fireworks and I overheard a group of people discussing different elements of the park. Someone brought up KIC. One person said that the reason why KIC is so successful is because Dane and I played for the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks when Don was their PR guy in 1997-2004. I kept my mouth shut. Hearing that was one of the funniest things I had ever heard. The ironic part is, I used to be at all of the Ducks games... as a fan. I didn't even meet Dane until 2003, a year before the Ducks disbanded.

I guess you want to know the truth. The truth is actually very anticlimactic. Sorry to disappoint, but here to goes:

We do this for fun. That's it! We do have a signed contract with Cox publishing in which they link to us from all of their local papers, and we do generate a little revenue from that but all of that money goes directly back into the site. It's how we fund things like sponsoring a kid from A Kid Again for the First Rider Auction, or supplementing the cost of the Offseason Blues Party in order to make it only $6 so anyone could afford it in the midst of a recession, or paying top dollar for a server that will run quickly even when there are thousands of people exploring KIC, or even hiring graphic designers to make the graphics that make KIC what it is.

Every day I'm a little more blown away by the success of KIC. You guys have no idea, really.

Back in February, the park contacted me and asked how the KICentral Universe would respond to the First Rider Auction. I didn't have an answer for them at the time. The truth is I had no idea. The morning of the actual first rides, I was blown away by how many faces I recognized. It was absolutely moving to see that we put something in front of the KIC community to the tune of, "Hey guys -- the park really wants you to be associated with this, so we're calling on you." and the reaction was tremendous.

The key to success in this community (or 'fan site' as it is so commonly inappropriately categorized) is the contribution of each and every one of you. I know, I know... I've said that a million times before and it's almost a cliche' now, but it's true. I am very proud of the accomplishments of myself and my staff, but the thing that sets KIC apart from a 'nice to know' web site to a captivating trend-setting empire is the total commitment and activism of so many members.

So what now? KIC members have nothing but excitement in the future. As the community grows, so does our ability to do more. One thing that you'll notice about KIC is that there's always something 'going on' -- big or small. Sometimes it's easy - everyone was made happy with Diamondback updates all offseason, but now the dust has settled and most people have ridden it. That's when we kicked in the t-shirt contest. That's something that will be a lot of fun for the community and a great way to represent the site and shake a few hands during Ride Warriors Coaster Weekend -- and I PROMISE, the details are coming soon!!!

Until Next Time,
Ryan "BoddaH1994" Suhr
From Under the Black Hat

Friday, February 27, 2009

FANGtastic Day Today!

You know, spending 50 days in the park during the season and visiting regularly during the offseason does have an affect on you. Any day I can be at Kings Island, I'm thrilled to be there but it doesn't render the level of excitement that I once had when seeing the park in the offseason was a rarity.

Then there are days like today...

I was given the opportunity to see Diamondback during its testing phases. I can't really tell you how excited I was. I felt like how I felt when I was 7 or 8 years old heading to the park for my annual trip with the family.

It totally lived up to my expectations. That thing ROARS! Flying through the turns at 80mph and safely returning to the station as planned, it was probably the first time I'd ever been envious of a test dummy before! I suppose seeing an inanimate polyurethane human silhouette filled with water ride the thing was a big step in the road to opening day. I had heard rumors of this ride dating back to the Paramount Parks acquisition by Cedar Fair and have been closely monitoring the construction since it began way back during October of 2007. Now she stands there... waiting for us.

Until Next Time,
Ryan "BoddaH1994" Suhr
From Under the Black Hat

Sunday, February 22, 2009

KIC Tour and Winter SOAR

What a day it was at Kings Island today!

I'm probably the only person who isn't on their payroll that spends 11 hours in the park during the offseason, but it's certainly a chosen lifestyle and something that I haven't regretted for a second.

I was absolutely devastated that the Diamondback tour at the Offseason Blues Party on the 31st was snowed out. Of course, the KICentral Universe (who never ceases to amaze me) pulled through and had a wonderful time... with or without the tour. The makeup tour was today and even that had the ironic possibility of being snowed out again. Fortunately the Lord, Mother Nature and the theme park gods smiled upon us and gave us a light enough drizzle that a tour was possible.

Seeing the faces of KICentral is one of the things that I look forward to the most, doing what I do. I'm always flattered that people are so accepting of our ideas. Sometimes we go out on a limb - trying to be innovative and we feel comfortable taking the risks with such an upstanding group that we call the KICentral Universe. So much fun has been had over the past 6 years, yet so much more fun is awaiting us in this coming year alone!

A very very heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to everyone who made the 2nd trip to Kings Island for the Diamondback tour! I know that people came from hours away to see this and words can not express how rewarding it is to see people use their hard earned money to spend an evening with us.

Following the KIC tour, I attended ACE's Winter SOAR. Members of the staff of KICentral stuck around to help with the setup and tear down of the evening event. I'm sure glad I decided to attend this one.

Their speaker lineup was nothing short of incredible, including three people that I have always enjoyed hearing from: Tony Clark, Bill Mefford and Don Helbig.

I know many people are Kings Island-heads and don't look too much into other Cedar Fair parks, but Tony Clark is certainly an icon at Cedar Point. Formerly part of the PR team, he is now in charge of their web site, CedarPoint.com. Cedar Point is getting nothing this year... well, "nothing" kind of like how Kings Island got "nothing" last year... obviously we need to redefine the word "nothing" in this industry because Kings Island was certainly the place to be. He didn't have a whole lot to talk about except for small park capital expenditures but he had the crowd on their feet the who time he spoke. I've had an ongoing "rivalry" with Tony Clark since I met him several years back and he's always been good for a lot of laughs as we throw friendly jabs at eachother.

If you think you know a lot about this industry and don't know the name Bill Mefford than you don't know as much as you'd like to think you do. Talk about a theme park industry god. His short resume' includes (Paramount's) Kings Island, Paramount Parks Corporate, Universal Studios, Hard Rock Park, EnterTRAINment Junction and much much much much more. I rarely throw around the word 'respect' but Bill Mefford certainly has mine. You couldn't fine a more knowledgeable, experienced or nice guy in the industry. Did I mention he wrote a mystery novel too?

I think having Don around so much makes people forget just how accomplished he is as well. Being the spokesperson for a park like Kings Island can't be easy but he makes it seem that way. This is a guy that I hear from every day be it an e-mail, call, or random text message (usually some sort of KI teaser) at any time of the day (or night in some cases). He of course spoke about what we all wanted to hear about -- Diamondback.

I helped clean up after the event, which is what attributed to such a long night. Spending the evening with the ACErs was a fun experience. There are a lot of great in that club.

When it all sums up it was a LOOOOONG day, but a very rewarding day as well.

Can't wait for April!

Until next time,
Ryan "BoddaH1994" Suhr
From Under the Black Hat

Friday, January 23, 2009

Crazy Day of Diamondback

I went to the park today to shoot Diamondback. That thing is so big. I can't wait for everyone to see it on the 31st for themselves. You'll get your first glimpse Diamondback as you come down Kings Island Drive. It dominates the landscape.

I'm so glad that the event is finally taking shape. The Great Wolf Lodge thing was an idea pitched to me by the park. I love working with the Great Wolf Lodge people. They're always very curious and very helpful. I wish there was more I could do for them.

I'm hearing little tidbits about some of the new shows in 2009. I'm really excited. KIC members will get to hear a lot more at the KIC event. Some stuff is (rightfully) returning and some shows will be new. Either way it'll be quite a bill for 2009!

Until Next Time,
Ryan "BoddaH1994" Suhr
From Under the Black Hat

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Enthusiast Event May 9-10

Word from under the Black Hat is that Kings Island will be hosting an enthusiast event starring Diamondback on May 9 through the 10th. You have to be a card carrying coaster club member to participate. Gotta gets me some of that Diamondback ERT!!!

The question being, is KIC a coaster enthusiast group? No. Can KIC people come to the event? We're working on it.

A lot of people ask me how many coaster clubs have the noble honor of having me as a member. The answer is none. I have a lot of friends in these groups and do have the utmost respect for many of these groups. Let's put it this way -- I'm a hockey fan. I love hockey. I love watching hockey. I love (trying) to play hockey. I love every aspect of the game. Would I join a high sticking enthusiast group? No. As much as I respect the rule, it's only part of the big picture. Same reigns true for roller coasters. I love coasters but roller coasters as a whole don't hold a candle to the overall experience. I think a lot of that is reflected heavily in my work on KIC.

I'm going to KI tomorrow to get some Diamondback shots. I hope it's not terribly cold out. Historically I've always had good luck. Never been rained on during the offseason. I hope my luck carries over to everyone else at the Blues Party.

New developments on the Offseason Blues Party. Can't say anything until things are finalized, but it'll be a blast. I promise.

Until next time,
Ryan "BoddaH1994" Suhr
From Under the Black Hat

Sunday, June 15, 2008

June 15th, 2008

Working on the new computer has become a pain in the butt to say the least. It seems as soon as we make progress, something else needs to be purchased for it. That's ok... it should be finished tomorrow and will be an unstoppable video editing maching. Yeah, I'm a dork.

I'm absolutely dying for the KIC community to find out what's happening on the 4th of July at Kings Island. I get to hear more info than the average person, and I can easily see this being one of the most talked about things in the history of our community. It's something that a lot of people have asked about, but I personally thought that it would never be delivered. I was shocked when I heard this. Let's hope it pans out.

I've heard from some trustworthy people that Flashback: Totally 80s will be one of the best shows that the International Showplace has seen in over 20 years. I saw them practice a few steps on Friday, but didn't want to disrespect Kevin Brunck by shooting photos before the show is ready.

Until next time,
Ryan "BoddaH1994" Suhr
From Under the Black Hat