HALFPIPE HEAD-SCRATCHER This 'U'-shaped ride inside the Mall of America is technically a roller coaster, albeit a lame one. I was intrigued by Avatar Airbender, as I'd never ridden an Intamin 'Surfrider' coaster before.  The layout is nothing more than a large halfpipe, with the main car (styled to look like a giant surfboard) making repeated passes back and forth. This ride is built into an ugly concrete pit at the center of Nickelodeon Universe, and the signage doesn't stand out much to indicate where the entry is.  The train seats 2 pods of 6 riders; these circular pods experience controlled spinning throughout the ride, which is fun. Because of the geometry of the surfboard train, the entire floor has to drop away to allow enough clearance between the car and the track.  There's also large gates on either side of the station that open/close, which further adds to the dispatch times.  The unloading process can be slow. At any rate, the surfboard-styled car makes roughly a dozen passes over linear synchronous motors (LSMs).  These propel riders up two identical 98ft spikes that nearly touch the glass ceiling above Nickelodeon Universe, hitting a top speed of 44mph.  The sensation is fun but fleeting--the entire ride lasts less than a minute. *TL;DR * Yes, it rolls, and yes, it coasts, but no, I still don't think this deserves to be considered a true roller coaster. For comparison, Vertical Velocity @ SFGAm in northern Illinois also looks like a 'U'-shaped halfpipe, but it launches up to 70mph and lasts a solid 90 seconds.  This ride is under power nearly the entire time and does the bare minimum of coasting. Avatar Airbender has a boring theme, short ride duration, and an unexciting layout.  I only rode this to get "credit" so I could add to my official roller coaster tally.  Though if I had my way, I wouldn't even classify this goofy thing as a bonafide coaster.  Hell, I coast more on my drive to work in the morning. If I found myself back at MoA and only had time for 3 rides, I'd skip this without question. read more