Press Office Challenge: Going mano-a-mano with the Fighter

We asked for our readers’ suggestions on what you would like to see us do as a Press Office Challenge, and we had some pretty good suggestions.

One of our selections was Debbie Quinn’s recommendation to try one of the new rides at the Fair this year — the Fighter.

So, when a former employee stopped by the Fair to visit and mentioned that she didn’t get to ride the Fighter because none of her family wanted to ride it, I decided I’d take one for the Deep Fried crew and give it a test drive.

At first blush, the ride doesn’t appear to be too intense, but once you get locked in the seat and it begins its first spin around, it is a completely different story.

For me, the ride seemed to combine the sensation of several other rides, most notably the Scrambler, the swings and the Spider.

While the swings give you a smooth feeling of flying, the Spider provides a plunging, twirling dip that leaves your stomach a bit queasy and your head spinning. The other surprise to me was the how much I was propelled toward the outside of my seat, like that sliding feeling you get in the Scrambler. For whatever reason I did not expect that.

Personally, I liked the swing motion, but was happy when the dipping, plunging  motion came to an end. I think I rode it a bit too close to lunch time.

All-in-all, it is a great ride — maybe a little tame for those who like  their rides at an extreme level —  but definitely thrilling for most people.

Check out the video of part of our test drive. Just be warned: Video contains some screaming.

Let us know what you thought of this ride!

About Merrie Go Round

Merrie Go Round is the midway alter-ego of Andrea Ashby, who has officially spent 252 days during the past 24 years at the N.C. State Fair. That's perfect attendance in case you were wondering. In addition to promoting the Fair, looking for untold Fair stories and working on various special events, I also spend a great deal of time roaming the grounds taking photos for the Website and State Fair publications. I like to keep my eyes and ears posted for the unusual and different things that make the State Fair such a great celebration of North Carolina people, traditions and history. I look forward to sharing with you the things I come across on my journey.

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