I've never been on this ride, but I feel so sad for everyone who grew up with this iconic part of the Mall's history.

Pretty sad about it. The memories. The nostalgia- a piece of my childhood removed 😢

I went up to West Edmonton in February right before the shutdown. The sole reason for coming all the way from Florida was to ride the Mindbender. It did not disappoint. For 2 days I rode the Mindbender well over 30 times. Only once backwards. By far the Mindbender is easily a top 5 coaster for me. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to come up and ride the Mindbender and enjoy the rest of the mall. It truly was an unforgettable experience! Thanks for the memories in your video.

A cool thing about the Mindbender was how much enjoyment and atmosphere it brought to visitors who didn't even ride it. It was entertaining to watch from the railings, and the sounds of the ride and riders brought a lot of memorable ambience to the mall.

I’m so sad I’ll never get to hear the roar of the mindbender again 😭

this is genuinely depressing. I've been on this roller coaster probably over 200 times in my life. I genuinely thought it would be around forever. so sad to se it go. unfortunately I will probably never go back. they took the main reason to go away.

they should sell old Nuts and Bolts from the roller coaster as souvenirs.

Part of this ride lives on at Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana. The park purchased its trains which now operate on the All American Triple Loop that is a similar model to the Mind Bender. The coaster opened in May this year. In fact, the ride originally operated with five car trains on the German fair circuit then had its run at several foreign parks one of which had a terrible maintenance history that led to a similar accident in the back car that killed two people. Indiana Beach has a good reputation of taking care of their coasters so I think it’s a good fit. I wanted to point out that Mind Bender opened in 1985 and the accident took place in June of 1986. I think you mentioned it debuted in 1986 in another video. Anyway, at least a similar model now operates in the U.S. utilizing the Mind Bender’s trains.

Back in the mid 90's when the Super Summer Attraction Pass was a thing I used to take the bus from St Albert every day to West Ed and hang out. My parents loved it. It was basically $200 for a babysitter for the entire summer break. My friends and I rode the Mindbender one day over 20 times, Without getting off. It was a quiet day in the park. 😉 Mindbender, you'll be truly missed by many. Thanks for all the memories.

I agree with your sentiments, Matt. The fact that we had the largest indoor rollercoaster in the 80's when Edmonton's population was just around 500K is pretty remarkable. Just like the Oilers dynasty of the same era, we should be grateful that we got to experience it and not lament that it is now gone.

We passed by mid April and you could see the coaster cars stacked outside. Wish I knew it was to go like this, my sister and I would have gone on a final run. In the 90's we'd go on multiple runs, and when they hooked the last car backwards it was SO fun. So many great memories. The best coaster I've ever been on.

Rode it at least 150 times in my short 21 years of living. Saw so many of my favourite rides go. It’s not the same anymore

Mind Bender was my favorite coaster of all time. I've been to Cedar Point, Canada's Wonderland, and various other parks, and Mind Bender was the best. I remember as a kid growing up we'd visit West Ed. so my mom could shop and my Father would take my brother and I to Fantasy Land. I recall seeing that coaster and thinking "Ill NEVER ride that! Look how scary it is!" and you'd hear the people scream from it, and they'd loop around the walkway as you came in. Then we moved away, I grew up, and we came back to visit family and I manned up and rode it. Instantly set its place as my favorite coaster of all time. You will be missed Mind Bender.

Back in the Rock N' Ride days, I would go on it OVER and OVER!

Man this is a piece of childhood being taken. I remember going on this thing 6 times in a row 😂. Mindbender was the only real reason I would go to galaxy land

Most of the rides are for kids. understaffed that the lines take forever to get through. The ticket prices are completely insane. overpriced $64 for adults. Strongly don't recommend galaxyland anymore.

its not just Edmonton reeling over this the entire coaster world is mourning the loss

It not just a ride It history!

I couldn't wait until I was tall enough to ride this when I was kid, the memory will never fade...

I think I rode it 4 or 5 times in my life.. it was such an impressive ride. Once I didn't keep my head against the head rest, and my neck hurt for a week those G's were very real. I actually have a picture sitting on the dresser from the last time I rode it, and the first time my fiancée got to ride it. Thanks for this video Matt, your high quality content never ceases to amaze me.

Back in the late 1980s into the early 1990s, my husband worked at WEM. He was one of the Mindbender's operators. He rode that coaster often too. He was really shocked when he saw on the news that the ride was being decommissioned. I'm not a coaster person, never been on it. However, I can remember going to see my husband and standing in the walkway at entrance 12. When the coaster would pass you could feel the shake and hear the roar as it whipped by. It's sad to see it go but it's understandable when you consider the age and as you said, steel does have a life span. RIP Mindbender.

I’ve been on the mind bender a handful of times and in 1986 our high school had a trip to WEM. My sister was on the ride an hour before the accident where the car came off the track where 3 died and one injured. I never went on it since that day. I had good fun memories of it aside from the accident

Any guesses as to what will go in that space? I'm hoping for another equally awesome roller coaster. The mindbender will be missed.

Calaway Park should buy it

2:24 You can see plans for the new coaster in the blue shacks if you ride the space shot facing the mindbender. Maybe get a closer look with a selfie stick or something

I road the Mind Bender 37 times exactly. it was open for 37 yeas too. WOW!!!

I rode the mindbender for the first time the day before Galaxyland closed down for COVID-19. it was near closing time for that day. there were only 6 of us in line, but I had to wait half an hour for them to sanitize the entire train. I was scared of the coaster for all my life but am glad I got to be one of the last to ride it

Never got the chance to ride it. I live in Ontario but when I got to just see the coaster, even though there was pieces missing, I was blown away to see videos like this of it coming down. It’s sad but it’s also so freaking interesting. I would be really curious to see what they come up with next, I really hope it’s a big coaster because now I know that four hour plane ride to go on a ride in the middle of winter and still in Canadian dollars would be freaking awesome. I’ve fallen in love with that Mall.

If I would have three wishes for free one of them would be that every morning the Mindbender is standing complete assembled and ready for operation at his well known place independent how many parts were disassembled the day before... ...until it is understood by the bean counters that it is outrageous to scrap a Schwarzkopf coaster.

Thanks for the update - Can't wait to see what's next for this space!

That photo of the Mind Bender pieces piled in the scrapyard is rather sad ;(

Just thank Indiana Beach for saving the closest thing we'll ever have to it, Drier Looping. Can't wait for that to open.

Matt, I greatly admire your positive attitude!

I really wish that had let the public know ahead of time. So many of us would have loved to have rode it , one last time.

I’ve been on plenty of roller coasters in my lifetime, and the Mindbender is easily the most extreme one I’ve ever been on! Unfortunately, the second time I rode it, I got sick, but luckily didn’t throw up. Overall, though, the Mindbender was a lot of fun. I’m really gonna miss the fun memories I’ve had of that ride, like the first drop, and the roars while making the loop. Really wish I could’ve gone on it again when I visited in 2019. 😢 Rest in peace, Mindbender 1985 - 2023. You will definitely be missed. I also hope to see another coaster replace the mindbender that’s just as awesome, if not, even better.

Right before the Mindender closed the last time I went was in February this 2023 (right before it closed) crazy to see that after 30 years it’s gone. It doesn’t matter about them taking it down it matters about what they are replacing it with

I was going to ride it back in the day. But after that awful accident, that changed my mind. I'm sad it's gone now.

They should auction off parts of it

I’ve never been on mind bender

I live in British Columbia and had the chance to visit WEM as a kid a couple of times in the mid to late 90s. The sound of the Mindbender and the atmosphere it added to Fantasyland at the time was something uniquely special. Weird to think it will never sound that way ever again.

I never got a chance to ride it but my niece did 😅 using her tippy toes to reach the height limit and I should have done it too haha 😂

There has to be something bigger/better coming

Rode this a few times over the years when I had a chance to get up to Edmonton. I live in Calgary but always enjoyed coming up a riding the Rollercoaster. Everything has it time sad to see it go but I also understand the reasons why it's going as well.

If you look at the supports of the loops there was some welding done on them in 2021. Looks like welding some stress cracks to me. I just hope the replacement is as cool as the mindbender was.

We will never forget this iconic triple looper.

My parents and I visited WEM many times in the 80s. I wanted to go on the triple loop rollercoaster (as I called it) with my dad but was too scared. We moved back to NS in 88 when I was ten and I had still not had the courage. Fast forward to 99, I returned to Edmonton to visit my cousin and we rode the mind bender and I regret not going on it earlier. It was such an adrenaline rush. I always made an effort to go for ride anytime I was in Edmonton from then on. My last ride was in 15.

Not only did I get to ride, I got to operate it too. I didn't realize it then , but I have so many great memories of working at galaxyland back in the day and working bender is definitely part of that

As much sadness as seeing the Mindbender in pieces brings me(and believe you me it does) after having watched it a couple times more it's starting to "put things in perspective" as to why the ride was dismantled. Though we may never know the real reasons, I too am very certain it was age related. I also believe that Triple Five did their best to keep MB afloat til they had exhausted all other options and the final shutdown was the "last resort" My suspicion is is that either the aging track design was likely not up to current regulations(It was installed in 1985 after all) and that the cost and effort required to make it all compliant was too onerous or the long term wear and damage to the track was such that trying to custom build a new circuit would likely be too time consuming or expensive (as opposed to a new ride or rides in the existing space). In either case I am so happy to hear that the train cars at any rate will be heading to a new home in the USA in the not too distant future to enjoy a continued long life (and future memories) Goodbye old girl and thank you for providing us with 36 long years of unbelievable thrills, chills, spills and memories in the "Greatest Indoor Show On Earth"

At this point it wont shock me if they get rid of the ship😢

I've ridden the 'Bender ~500 times. Great send off vid. I'd love to get a peice of it.

I rode on it 1X and will never forget how powerful the G forces moved the body how ever it wanted

So sad to see it go. I can still hear the insane roar it made as it went. So greatful that this was my first majoe roller coaster

Was one of the big coasters in my enthusiast journey. So sad to see it in the scrapyard, I assumed the closure was related to Triple Five's financial situation with American Dream but I guess there's sadly more to it than that. Never would've bet on Triple Loop (formerly Quimera) to outlive Mindbender, that's for sure.

I'm 6'6", I last rode it in 2015 and I had to sit in the very front as they said it was the biggest car. I barely fit, it was super uncomfortable and kind of painful but totally worth it!

The first time I went on this I was terrified. Going on later as an adult felt almost like a right of passage, as I was no longer terrified but excited. They should have had a memorial for the 3 people who passed away on it, but this was still one of the best parts of the entire mall.

The ghost of two young people will forever haunt that area when they were tragically killed on that ride back in the early 1980s.

Was there a day b-for the crash - loved that ride !! ( maybe 20 ish )

when this place first opened i went on this ride along with the drop of doom long time ago

The only times I was ever at West Edmonton Mall was as a kid (back when the amusement park was known as Fantasyland), so I was too small ride the Mindbender. A couple of weeks ago, 30 years later as an adult I was passing through Edmonton, so I decided to drop in on WEM and Galaxyland. I was saddened to see that the ride was shutdown and being dismantled, mainly because now I'll never be able to ride the Mindbender. I know that rides age and can no longer be deemed fit for service, and the major accident in 1987 would make any operator hesitant to continue to run the ride after 37 year, so I can understand the decision to shut down the Mindbender. I just hope that whatever the space formerly occupied by the Mindbender will be used for something truly spectacular.

2:51 the top part isn’t actually the first part to be removed 1:57 the first try to be removed was at the north end near entrance 10

i know this is off topic but you should make a video on what happened to kidstropolis!

I rode this coaster no less than about 25-30 times in my Edmonton days, and it gave me that first timer thrill each and every time, sad I couldn't get one last go on it.

Ugh this hurts it was my #1 bucket list coaster

I used to look at mind bender as a kid and say scary I thought it would never die😢

My record is 32 rides in one day. I had the pass to let you ride the rides all day. I started when it opened to when it closed heartbreaking to see it gone😢

Walk the plank, Mindbender!

Just visited west Edmonton mall and not much is left besides the left drops and the 3 iconic loops

Rode the mindbender. Thought i was going to puke. But survived it

The WEM mall, owned by Canadian developer Triple Five, reported at the other mall they own American Dream Mall racked up $60 million in losses in 2021 amid the pandemic, and it's embroiled in a dispute over $9 million in payments that neighboring municipalities say they are owed. so don't hold your hopes up for them spending allot of money on a new rollercoaster.

Maybe they will put in a gerstlauer. They tend to be compact and have twisted layouts that might fit well into this space.

Makes me feel old to see this, I was around 18 when this coaster crashed and some folks died, I rode it before but never after the crash.

If the foundation is fit maybe a giant Gerstlauer Infinity coaster will go in its place!! Largest in North America! I’m hoping for something like this. 🤞🏻

My heart….💔

Make a hasbro update on galaxyland

Never rode on it as i was always terrified of roller coasters. But i do feel a bit sad to see it go.

i am on a different acc. but i was going to ride this when i became obsessed with roller coasters and i was so excited to ride this because this was a close amusement park in my area and when i heard this news i was so sad i didnt get a chance

Likewise my first proper coaster. It was the one that broke my phobia of them. Big, big fan now.

My dad went on this with some of his friends when he was younger before the accident happened. I however never really liked coasters that had loops on them

My wife was lucky when we went on our honey moon that she was able to get me on the Carousell. I hate amusement park rides for the most part (THough I will admit I did really enjoy the bumper cars). I used to work with a guy who said he had been riding the mind bender on the day the crash happened the morning of the crash. He says he felt lucky that he didn't go later that day.

One summer, I rode it 36 times in a row. I was not well for a few days.

I was on the orbiter yesterday may 20 2023 and one of guys told me its getting super old so they gott take it off from rust, etc

My dad rode the Mindbender on the ride cycle immediately before the 1986 accident.

I rode it once, I loved it. Looking forward to see what it'll be replaced by. I'm hoping for another coaster, but what would it be themed after when it comes to Hasbro? Transformers? I'd say Hot Wheels but that's Mattel.

RIP Galaxy Quest & Mindbender: 1985-2023 2013-2020

Noooooo

Let’s hope someone bought it

I never been on it :(( I was gonna finally go on it but it was already closed :(

As someone who's had the privilege of riding Nemesis, Smiler, Fury 325, and Intimidator 305...none of those will ever come close to Mindbender. Based on what Triple 5 has done in New Jersey and Minneapolis, I'd love to see a Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster or Eurofighter come into this space. Galaxy Orbiter is a Gerstlauer as well.

I was gonna visit Edmonton this year....but after hearing the news I have no reason to go anymore.

WEM should cut a bit of the rail off for you for all the promo work you do for them

They will replace it with garbage and raise ticket prices. Roller coaster was the only reason i ever went there

I really wanted to go onto it and now i cant :(

Rip for those who died in the accident

I’m heartbroken

there should be a memorial dedicated to the people whom lost their lives

What coaster in NA has more g-force than The Mindbender?

I'm so sad. Another one of the great german Schwarzkopf rollercoaster is torn down😩 This Coasters are today very rare to find. They are old and heavy and complicated to build and to transport but Schwarzkopf have build them to make fun not purpose😂 We in Germany are still very happy to have the Olympialooping😊

Mindbender closed in 2023 and back in 1986 the coaster crashed 3 people killed and 1 is alive

I wish the mindbender can be open forever

Good bye to the old skool cool rides. Hello baby rides.