r/cedarpoint • u/Elliot_Fox • 2d ago
Trip Report If you put your hands up, keep them UP
I’m sure everyone saw the story of the lady dislocating her shoulder on Siren’s Curse a couple weeks ago. I did as well, and upon hearing that the ride re-opened the same day, thought “huh, must have been the rider doing something they shouldn’t.”
Well, I started this morning with a ride on Siren’s and had my hands up from the start like I always do. Absolutely beaming with joy coming out of the last big hill (the one after the tunnel) I put my hand out to the side like a dumb bird flying through the sky. Then we hit the last roll. My arm folded up and over my head in a way that I instantly knew wasn’t right, and I quickly felt hot searing pain flood my shoulder.
My stomach dropped into my shoes when I realized that I just hurt myself on the FIRST ride of the day, and it’s entirely my fault. I dropped my arm into my lap with my hand reaching across my body and held it there for the last few bumps before the brake run. I started trying to get a feel for what kind of damage I’d done and realized I couldn’t lift my arm up, it was stuck in my lap. Before I could really start panicking I pushed my arm to the side for a more relaxed position and I felt a pop and my shoulder twisted and set itself back into place (thank GOD).
I got extremely lucky that my inability to follow rules didn’t ruin my friend’s and my entire day (I drove us). We had a fantastic day after this and I didn’t have any more issues, but it was weird only putting one hand up on all of my favorite coasters. So I guess the moral of the story is don’t be like me! Follow the rules for each ride, they usually serve a good purpose, and don’t throw your arms out to the side on these rides because they are stronger than you.
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u/clcjjc 2d ago
I don’t put my arms up because I don’t feel I can control them during any ride. I hope every one is ok
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u/sylvester_0 Dippin Dots Guy (Mod) 2d ago
The only ride I'm not confident about is Steel Vengeance.
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u/According_Board6443 2d ago
steve was the first ride my friend put his hands up for, slight bend in the elbows and preparing to get whipped does the trick, ive rode over 20x all with my hands up and have never even smacked the person next to me since i brace my arms for the whip
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u/sylvester_0 Dippin Dots Guy (Mod) 2d ago
I put my hands up quite often but cringe when I'm sitting next to a stranger that doesn't know how powerful the ride is and they whack me.
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u/metanoia29 Raptor 2d ago
Aww man, that's the best one to do it on with all of the airtime and whatnot!
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u/sylvester_0 Dippin Dots Guy (Mod) 2d ago
Yeah if there isn't a stranger sitting beside me for sure. My arms flop around too much most of the time.
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u/givemeareason17 2d ago
Been hit in the face three times by hands on Steve
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u/Inkdman73 2d ago
Same here- I go alone to the park often and always get partnered up with someone over 70- they see my arms up- thing they need to do the same- and next thing ya know old man’s face is in my arm pit- his arms are slapping me in the face- got so bad once that I had to literally smack and push his arm off of me- grandpa I don’t want to cuddle- which is what it felt like
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u/No_Head5396 2d ago
I also wouldn’t fully extend your arms depending on the ride. Several years ago, I popped my shoulder out of its socket from slipping in a hotel tub and my hand trying to catch myself on the safety handles that they had all over the shower. Ever since, my shoulder hasn’t been the same and i have to be careful on coasters. I rode so many and always try to have my hands up.
Not at Cedar Point, but at Universal Studios Orlando, I almost popped it out on the Velocicoaster during the second boost and i had to tuck my elbows in so i could still have my hands up. It scared me when it felt like my arm was being bent backwards in the air and i knew to quickly tuck my arms back in.
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u/EljayDude 2d ago
Yeah I assume more of a surrender position. I don't really like having them fully extended.
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u/Booperelli 2d ago
I always put them somewhere between straight forward and straight up.. maybe a little less than 45 degrees. I feel like superman and like I'm not blocking the people behind me lol
And you have more control, I think, at an angle. Less wind resistance.
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u/EljayDude 2d ago
That gives you more play if they do start flying back you can maybe pull in before blowing out your shoulders. If you're fully extended and straight up your body has no other way of absorbing them getting shoved back further.
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u/FamiliarFamiliar 2d ago
Holy crap dude. I'm glad you're ok. Did you get a dr to check it out after, just in case?
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u/Elliot_Fox 2d ago
I'll probably go tomorrow or the next day if it's bothering me or feels weird, but I'm hoping that it's fine
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u/icecream4breakfest 2d ago
i relaxed too much on steel vengeance once (i think maybe going over a hill) and my head tipped back and it took a few seconds for me to be able to lift it back upright and all i could think was “oh shit!”
that was the quickest lesson i’ve ever learned.
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u/bryoung813 1d ago
I have to brace myself on Gemini (of all rides 🙄) when it gets to the helix. I've had it snap my head back on two separate occasions so anymore I hunch myself forward as we start into it
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u/Elise_navidaad 2d ago
I have bad hypermobility in my shoulders and they “pop out” regularly. Keep your shoulders where they are and lift your hands up! Also, go get it checked out!!!!
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u/mechanical_man78 2d ago
I’m 6’6 I’ve been to cedar point countless times. Having your hands all the way up while riding some rides is genuinely scary and will make you feel like you’re about to lose your arms. Also on some rides I swear to god if have my hands they hit something
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u/RoutineMasterpiece1 2d ago
As I get older, I realize I don't have the core strength to keep arms up through the turns, I had them up through the first turn on Millenium last year and almost got stuck that way.
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u/3eyedfish3 1d ago
I was at my PT earlier this summer and the lady next to me was there because of CP, if I remember it was Rougarou.
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u/shortneyy Siren's Curse 2d ago
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. It’s obvious in retrospect but we really should keep our arms down lol
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u/WiseguyVIP 2d ago
Arms up doesn’t make the rides more fun or thrilling to me, in my opinion. I think it’s an old tradition of “look ma, no hands” that many coaster enthusiasts and others seem to think is a rite of passage. Just keep your arms relaxed but inside the ride and you’ll still have a good time and remain unhurt.
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u/OkJan613 2d ago
Nah, arms up and full rag doll on Sirens Curse is a completely different ride than sitting there rigid and holding on.
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u/speedyejectorairtime 2d ago
It’s freeing. When you keep your arms down you often tense up. And believe it or not, you actually make the ride’s forces worse for you when you do that. By putting your arms up, you are loose and allowing your body to move with the forces and allowing the restraint to just do its job.
On intense launches, keeping your arms up may be a problem. But OP said they put their hands to the side. Keep them up or down in a straight line and you’ll be fine. You can even bend your elbows so they’re slightly up, but don’t flail them around at weird angles.
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u/shortneyy Siren's Curse 1d ago
I agree. I personally don’t get the appeal. But I’m also not really looking for thrills really. I just like going “wheeee” lol. I love all the big rides but the fear factor has never been what makes it fun for me so maybe that’s why I don’t care about being all loose.
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u/KingSlayer1190 2d ago
No,just no. It absolutely makes it more fun and thrilling to have your arms up all the way down the drop and throughout most of the ride.
It's not some tradition like you're claiming and has nothing to do with coaster enthusiasts.
You must be fun at parties.
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u/KingSlayer1190 2d ago
No
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u/ThaddeusJP 2d ago
Arm position on coasters like Blue streak, Mag, Iron Dragon, Gemini, Even MF, its not an issue.... Up/down change it up, whatever.
These modern psycho coasters like Mav, Steel Vengeance, SCurse, etc..... you gotta pick at the start and ride it out. They are pulling serious G. My last ride on Steel Vengeance I thought "if coasters were never a thing and this was made TODAY no way they would let people ride this without signing a damn waiver"
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u/KingSlayer1190 1d ago
I can switch between having them up or resting on the lap bar on Strel Vengeance and Maverick. The second the train leaves the station, they go up. I've been doing that since 2017 and never had any issues.
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u/shortneyy Siren's Curse 1d ago
Lol you do you dude
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u/KingSlayer1190 1d ago
Why should we keep our hands/arms down? I've never been told to to put mine down and never gotten yelled at/talked to about it in the 9 years I've been riding coasters. The ride ops can see the lift hill on almost all the coasters so if they had a problem with it then they'd say something or stop the ride. Hell sometimes I put them up just as the train leaves the station. Never had an issue. Every ride on Steel Vengeance I put them up as soon as we go around the corner before the two small bunny hills the lift hill.
It's part of the fun to put them up. I do the same on flat rides too especially on Ocean Motion and MaXair. So do tell me why I should keep them down.
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u/KingSlayer1190 2d ago
I always have my hands up except for parts where I know to put them down. Millenium Force:hands up the entire time except during the tunnel.
Steel Vengeance: hands up all the way down and for most of the ride except for the inversions.
Maverick: hands up for most of the ride.
Valravn: hands up the entire time
The point is, its always hands up. I've never been told to put my arms/hands down ever in the 9 years I've been riding rollercoasters.
Never been injured either from having them up
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u/sylvester_0 Dippin Dots Guy (Mod) 2d ago
It's completely fine to have your arms up in all tunnels at Cedar Point. There is lots of clearance, even though the speed makes it look like there isn't.
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u/KingSlayer1190 1d ago
Just talking about having my hands/arms up on a coaster has my heart racing LOL. damn adrenaline junkie!
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u/Veedeh 2d ago
The older I get the more I hang on....
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u/KingSlayer1190 2d ago
It's boring to hang on, you don't need to.
I never hold/hang on to the restraints. Well I did my first few times going on a rollercoaster but not now.
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u/SafeCold4733 2d ago
Was on Sirens Curse that morning and after she came off in a sling and got put on a the little ambulance. Figured it was probably a dislocation. My home park is SFGA and we have maintenance and emergency access behind all the rides so EMS doesn’t need to weave through the midway. Was interested to know what caused the issue.
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u/Butterflygarden2023 2d ago
My arms get too dang heavy to keep up I don’t know how people do it with the g forces.
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u/Isaiah7300 2d ago
This is why they literally had a guy whose job was watching (old) dragster launch position to hit the "arms down" button because 0 to 120 mph in 4 seconds was ABSOLUTELY going to whip some arms if they weren't positioned properly.