One last look at Windstorm

Well, that's it... pack it up and ship it out!
With the closing of Old Town's amusement area, Windstorm, Kissimmee's oldest coaster is going going gone. (in fact, soon after I took these photos it was completely removed!) While not confirmed yet, Adventure Park USA has posted a photo showing the Old Town ride as their new coaster, but it could just be a place holder photo as there are more than one for sale at the moment. While not a big loss now... a few years ago the ride was still running rather good and I always gave it a ride when friends were in town and wanted to head down to Old Town. Sadly, in it's last few years on 192, it rarely ran and the rides quality greatly suffered due to neglect by the owners. The park couldn't have even bothered finishing the repainting of the coaster. While changing from green and purple to a red and blue look.. the park just kinda gave up and left the ride is various states of painting, leaving it four colors at once.

In its last few years, this was the only train the coaster had. Its believed the second train was used for parts to maintain a single usable train.

The first drop and also the final helix.

All four colors can be seen in this photo. 

The newer red and blue... 

as well as some left over purple and green.

(when the ride first opened it was blue and white)

:( the biggest loss of the ride is this, the infamous mid-ride diving-turn element.

While the rest of the coaster may not have been anything special, its big mid-ride trick was absolutely fantastic, almost like a reversed inclined loop.

Windstorm is a production model, this was Zamperla's only go at it, although identical models were made by both S&MC and the original model by S.D.C.

(and I've ridden at least one made by each!)

*Premier also made an almost clone of the same layout as well, but its mirrored and slightly modified*

And... one last photo of Windstorms final ground hugging helix.
While not a massive loss for the Central Florida coaster community.. I'll still miss it, someday
(but I too, became guilty of overlooking the ride, especially as Fun Spot next door grew and grew)

On-Ride video from CoasterForce via YouTube

Woo
(uh, RIP?)

edit - since this was an auto-post update Adventure Park hadn't announced the ride yet, but now have -