Side Friction - Episode 134 - "Gargantuan Vertical Waterfall"

June 27th, 2026

Bob, Ryan the Ride Mechanic and Steph talk about some disappointing news, weird news, and then a few bits of good news with a whole lot of extra conversation in between in another entertaining episode.

• Realistic Mario - Oren Brimer as Luigi
• Disney details plans to make dark ride vehicles disappear
• Fun Spot to close Atlanta location in August
  • Fun Spot Atlanta family, thank you for the memories…
• Universal Kids Resort promised family thrills, but delivered a $550M concrete carnival
• Six Flags Postpones Record-Breaking Dive Roller Coaster 4 Days Before Grand Opening
• Is Six Flags' new coaster Phantom Spire? What the park is and isn't saying
• Teen climbs out of Disneyland attraction mid-ride, taken to hospital
• Man banned from Kennywood after trespassing in restricted area, officials say
• Nashville Shores waterpark sold to out-of-state company for more than $12 million
• Cedar Point confirms metal piece fell from roller coaster after guest claims she was 'almost' hit
  • https://www.facebook.com/jaymarisant/videos/1059603686586649/
• Fan favorite Whizzer roller coaster reopens at Six Flags Great America
• Knott's Berry Farm tests Montezooma launch coaster at full speed
• Zachs get half-price admission at Michigan's Adventure Friday
• BBQ Train

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Side Friction - Episode 133 - "Get Stuck, Have Fun, Don't Die"

June 20th, 2026

Bob, Greg, Ryan the Ride Mechanic have a fun collection of news stories along with more ride stoppages, the AI invastion, and share an example of why martial arts may not be ideal for automation.

• Hersheypark, GIANT Center union workers ratify contract, company says
• Star-Spangled Laff Trakk
• 4 rescued after ride stalls 120 feet in air at Six Flags St. Louis
• Man Attends Video Meeting From Active Roller Coaster
• Disney's Imagineering Announces Partnership with Adobe Firefly to Use AI Models for Park Designs
• Get ready for Disney's big AI ads push
• Top Disney AI Exec Gushes About Chatbot Assistant He Calls His 'Son' - Business Insider
• Ocean City Boardwalk Subcommittee proposes alternative to "Icona in Wonderland"
• British roller coaster club visits Memphis Kiddie Park
• Criminality not suspected after 12 kids sent to hospital in electrical incident at B.C. water park
• Amusement Park Guests Had to Be 'Rappelled' to the Ground on Ropes After Being Stranded on Gondola Ride
• Alabama Adventure announces the return of Rampage the wooden roller coaster and teases major upcoming announcement
• More Spikes!
• You have to see this! Child kicked by robot at amusement park

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Web: https://sidefriction.com

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Side Friction - Episode 132 - "The Don"

June 13th, 2026

Bob, Ryan the Ride Mechanic and Steph know it's not winter because it's hot outside but with all the announcements this week you'd think it was winter. This is a show you'll certainly want to listen to not only because it's a fun show but because there's a ton of cool stuff being talked about this week.

• Waldameer Unveils New 'Eagle's Pursuit' Coaster for 2027
  • Eagle's Pursuit POV
• 2026 New Attraction | Fun-Plex - Omaha, Nebraska
• Funtime Fun Park Announcement
  • Facebook Free Funtime Video
• New in 2027 | Rip Roarin' Falls | Carowinds
  • Rip Roarin' Falls POV at Carowinds!
• Pennsylvania amusement park rolls out memberships for first time
• Kennywood chaperone policy in effect all day June 6
  • This Amusement Park Just Announced Strict Chaperone Policy for Teens of a Certain Age
• Fire breaks out under Six Flags Magic Mountain roller coaster
• Terrifying 'Tilt' Coaster Strands Riders at 160 Feet in the Air Twice in One Weekend
• Riders briefly stuck on Untamed Roller Coaster at Canobie Lake Park
• Ride mechanic says roller coasters are built to fail safely
• People Named Ryan To Take Over Mall Of America For Free Roller Coaster Record Attempt
• Holiday World teasing huge announcement: 'We've been keeping a secret'
• unknown - Coolspring Ranch (Mercer, Pennsylvania, United States)
• Tidal Force at Pennsylvania's Largest Amusement Park | Hersheypark

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Side Friction - Episode 131 - "Rescue 1-0-0"

June 6th, 2026

Bob and Greg present a shorter show but one with some interesting (and some unexpected) stories.

• Everyone In This LEGO Dispute Should Have Spoken To A Lawyer Earlier Than They Did
• Hersheypark Contract Offer Rejected; Strike Authorized
• Watch rescue after rollercoaster stalls 100ft in the air
  • How Galveston firefighters rescued 8 Houston students stranded 100 feet up on stalled roller coaster
  • Officials determine failed sensor caused Galveston roller coaster to stop in mid-air
• Step right up to amusement park history in Grafton
• Polargy acquires Intermountain Lift
• Six Flags Great America brings back popular roller coaster after 10-year hiatus
• Six Flags Fiesta Texas unleashes Werewolf Gorge, the world's longest family launch roller coaster
• Is Dollywood's new NightFlight Expedition ride on track to open this spring?
• Man accused of depantsing Cedar Point guest entered park illegally: police
• Universal Officially Reveals the Name of its First U.K. Theme Park Opening in 2031
• Disney racks up $4.2bn deficit on Paris parks

Mastodon: https://worldkey.io/@sidefriction

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Side Friction - Episode 130 - "Round Rage"

May 30th, 2026

Bob, Greg, and Ryan the Ride Mechanic start with the expected chicken nugget story, well, after a rabbit trail of course. The rest of the show covers about an equal mix of news and rabbit trails.

• Cedar Point guest gets lifetime ban from Six Flags parks for roller coaster stunt
  • 'I understand': Man speaks out after Cedar Point bans him for eating nuggets on coaster
• Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Will be Discontinued for Universal Orlando's Express Pass
  • Hagrid's Equality
• SpongeBob, Shrek and Minions are getting a new theme park this summer
• Frontal Lobe: Home Edition
  • Frontal Lobe Ride
• A Nearly 100-Year-Old Roller Coaster Reopens This Weekend After Being Shut Down Over Safety Concerns
• The First Roller Coaster Is Going Up At Oasis, And They Named It 'Shootout': Here's What We Know
• Mattel's immersive indoor water park coming to North Carolina
• Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress refresh to bring new decades, Easter eggs to Tomorrowland classic

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Web: https://sidefriction.com

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Side Friction - Episode 129 - "Cheaper than a Ballroom"

May 23rd, 2026

Bob and Ryan the Ride Mechanic have a lot of fun and entertaining conversations about the recent news in the park industry and step into the tech industry a bit including an incredibly cool project you can build.

• Google Search as you know it is over
• Project Purple, Six Flags coaster coming in 2027. What we know about it
• Cedar Point Officials Address Fans' Claims They Installed Shorter Seat Belts on Beloved Coaster
• 'Gross negligence': COTA roller coaster riders stuck 120 feet in the air file $1M lawsuit
• Get a First Look at the New Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney World — Including the First Animatronic Muppets
• Disneyland targeted in class-action lawsuit claiming new program is violating guests' privacy
• Bring Disneyland Home With This Gorgeous New Lego Set
• RCT IRL: Roller Coaster Tycoon Ratings in Real Life
• First look at Nate Bargatze's $350 million Nateland theme park
• Verbolten: Forbidden Turn roller coaster to open at Busch Gardens Williamsburg on May 30
• Why Dolly Parton Doesn't Ride the Coasters at Dollywood — and Why She Might Finally Break Her Own Rule

Mastodon: https://worldkey.io/@sidefriction

Web: https://sidefriction.com

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Side Friction - Episode 128 - "Ultra Plywood Canyon"

May 16th, 2026

Bob, Greg, and Ryan the Ride Mechanic are back to talk about a selection of dumb park moves, Six Flags Themeing, parks that are closing (and aren't) as well as some other random stuff including the typical off the rails talk mixed in.

• Cedar Point cancels 'Morning Rush' after fan outcry
• Cedar Point's Coastermania is back with 12 exclusive rides.
• Six Flags Magic Mountain on lockdown as armored police trucks roll in
• Purple Parking Lot Coaster
• Man Left Dangling on Suspended 'Tilt' Coaster for Over an Hour Sues Texas Theme Park
• Woman Describes Being Stuck in the Rain for Nearly an Hour on a Roller Coaster
• Florida officials launch criminal investigation into death of 31 sloths at now-closed "Sloth World"
  • Warehouse permitted for cars, not animals
  • Accreditation | Association of Zoos & Aquariums
• Breaking! Mythos survived nearly every era of Universal Orlando — until now
• Hersheypark locked in union dispute ahead of its summer opening
• 'Not the outcome we wanted': Niagara Amusement Park and Splash World won't open for Summer 2026
  • Niagara Amusement Park won't open for 2026 season; Grand Island fireworks still a go
• Regal Debuts Reimagined Roller Coaster Intro Before All Showtimes on May 8

Mastodon: https://worldkey.io/@sidefriction

Web: https://sidefriction.com

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Side Friction - Episode 127 - "Gone Wild"

May 2nd, 2026

Bob, Greg and Steph keep rabbit trails to a minimum this week but that's only because a lot of the stories in the news are entertaining enough so there is plenty to laugh at even amongst some of the negative stories for the week.

• Over 1,000 Teens Storm Icon Park in Orlando as Fights Break Out and Deputies Are Injured, Leading to 9 Arrests
  • Sheriff sends clear warning to stop 2nd planned 'Takeover' of Icon Park
• Chaos at Six Flags St. Louis opening day as 'large fight' involving 100 people breaks out
• Six Flags ride abruptly shut down over cell phone violation, leaving riders stuck 200ft high
• Ride collapses at amusement park in Brazil, video shows
• Six Flags New England shares information regarding ride evacuation
• Q&A with new Carowinds boss as Six Flags shakes up leadership across its parks
• Thirty-one sloths die in Florida before opening of attraction
• Epic Universe News Update: Open Hub Technology and Fireworks Tests
• Court fight puts local coaster at risk as county alleges lease violations at Lakemont Park
• 2,000 bats, cavern glow-up among wild changes at Magic Kingdom's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Family-Owned Amusement Park Named Best in the U.S. for 2026 — and It's Free to Enter
  • Knoebels Amusement Resort marks 100th anniversary
• 3 Bald Eagles Remain Missing from Sanctuary at Dolly Parton's Dollywood After Storm Damaged Enclosure
• Restored Smithsonian carousel returns to the National Mall
• 60-Ton Animatronic Dinosaur Bursts Into Flames at Kansas Theme Park After Getting Struck by Lightning
  • Lightning strike destroys Touchdown Jesus statue

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