downunder

If this is a big success it will be interesting to see what impact this has in the industry. I see plenty of cause for optimism thus far. Please be open July 23-26, please be open July 23-26, please.....

Exactly! No offense intended to Little Dipper, of course. Maybe to Pegasus, though... I'm always torn on that point, do I rate a coaster that has a lift hill as high as my waist over a much larger coaster that sucks away my will to live. Generally, I say "would I rather ride this coaster over this one if they were the only two coasters in the world" but an element of spite comes in when major bodily harm has been inflicted. While I reflect on that, I think the most punishing moment ever on a coaster was The Beast in 2007, mid-morning, back-row. I thought my rib cage was going to shatter on that drop and turn through the shed after the second lift hill.

^So you rate lack of thrills in a coaster lower than one's that cause soul crushing pain? Pegasus is great for jet lag, very sleep inducing.

^^Looks like North Korea has some very cruel and unusual methods of extracting confessions.

I sent my ballot in, Balder at number 1 and El Toro at 2. I had Phoenix and Boulder Dash after that but those 4 could easily swap places. Fave steel (SROS - SFNE) came in at #5. I still pinch myself about riding Balder - tons of El Toro like airtime with no stapling. I'll have to give T-Express a go one of these days, if that silly bugger in the north , Kim Jong Ill, doesn't blow it up. Here's sections of my ballot with comments in some cases: Top 25 1. Balder Liseberg 2. El Toro SFGAd 3. Phoenix Knoebel's ---> not a coaster but a near death experience, unbelievable. 4. Boulder Dash Lake Compounce ----> please don't trim it, please don't trim it.... 5. My Favorite Steel Anypark Anywhere 6. Ravine Flyer II Waldameer ----> based on the crazed, ride the lightning ERT session in 2008 7. Hades Mount Olympus ------> based on great night rides in 2007 8. Thunderhead Dollywood 9. Raven Holiday World 10. Cornball Express Indiana Beach 11. Rampage Alabama Adventure 12. The Voyage Holiday World -----> based on very average rides in 2007 13. Lightning Racer - L Hersheypark 14. Lightning Racer - T Hersheypark 15. Kentucky Rumbler Beech Bend 16. Thunderbird PowerPark ---> good luck getting night rides, I never saw the sun go down 17. Silver Comet Martin's Fantasy Is. 18. Viper SFGAm ----> Pleasant surprise, more airtime than Caged Bull in 2007. 19. Avalanche Timber Falls 20. Rutschebanen Tivoli Gardens 21. Comet Hersheypark ----> had some sensational night rides in 2008, and smooth as schwarzkopf 22. Rutschebanen Bakken ----> my first Alvey operated coaster 23. Cyclops Mount Olympus ----> bring your ID, has anyone under 18 been stopped from riding? 24. Thunderbolt Kennywood 25. Jack Rabbit Kennywood New To Me in 2010 39. Joris en de Draak W de Efteling ---> perfect for a park like Efteling. 40. Joris en de Draak V de Efteling 59. Gwazi-Lion Busch Gardens-Tampa ----> pre new trains, very painful 80. Robin Hood Walibi World ----> Robin Wood not good, forward jolts as well as jackhammering. Simply The Worst 82. Racer Kings Island ----> mainly based on forwards ride, backwards was much less painful 83. Predator Darien Lake ----> this could make breast implants burst 84. Wildcat Lake Compounce ----> it ran like the wheels were square 85. The Grizzly Kings Dominion ----> major a$$ pounding in the woods 86. Hurler Carowinds ----> should be called "Hurter"

I didn't even know e-motion were supposed to do that, that one at Linnanmaki seemed not much different from their other mouse style coaster. e-motion my a$$, it more inspired in-difference. The additions look interesting, even though I'm not into Disney. They spend so much money on their attractions and I guess it shows, but I always sigh - they could have cloned my top ten coasters with that much money. But disney knows where the big bucks are, and it's not competing with Six Flags.

Yay, it's a floorless, all males who are not eunich's or Ru Paul rejoice!

I only rode 5 wood coasters in 2010 (counting the Efteling one as 2 coasters), though four of them were new to me. Joris was good for what it was. Robin Hood at Walibi World found new ways to torment my spine, it robs from the rider and gives to the chiropractor. Gwazi Lion was pretty rough and uninspiring though a little better at night, Tiger was down (or was that the other way around?).

It depends on what you define as a small park. From the one's I've visited: Waldameer and Lake Compounce were great. Though Martin's Fantasy Land deserves a mention as well just for Silver Comet. Lake winnie was kind of cool as well. I rate Knoebels highly but that is a big park to me, though not humungous, it's quite possibly bigger than any park in Australia.

The ferris wheel operator at Dorney Park told me in 2008 that they were getting an Intamin Pre-fab woodie, still waiting... Though I got told at SFGAdv by a Ride Op they were getting something bigger than Dragster when they saw my Dragster shirt, and they were right with that one in all it's lime green glory.

Very occasionally, usually about riding Superman Ride of Steel at SFNE or Cedar Point, where I get there and I can't get in. When everyone was wondering what was happening with Mitch Hawker's poll, I dreamt that I saw the results from a future poll and Texas Giant was number 1.... steel.

Giant Drop at Dreamworld - Australia: it's the biggest, and it has an Intamin free-fall coaster (like Superman at SFMM)flying up the same tower. This may not count as a drop ride but I was never more scared on a ride than on the SCAD tower in Denmark.

I went to Ocean Park when I was very young, in fact I think it was my first time out of Australia, I agree it's very spectacular on the cliff side. If they'd but in an Intamin hyper, megalite, or pre-fab woodie I'd consider heading over real quick.

Correct me if I'm wrong here but China hasn't appeared to have installed any floorless coasters yet. Not the classical floorless, though they do have floorless dive machines. I'm digging that China is getting GCI's and Megalites and cool stuff like that.

^Considering the level of coasters mainland China has been getting, it seems like they could have done better. Though I agree it's the only Stand-up in all of China, so at least it's unique for the region and country, and Hong Kong isn't exactly China's Roller Coast.

Probably Thunderbolt at Dreamworld, at least that would be the first that didn't back back into a trailer. A portable looper at Sydney Royal Easter Show would have been the very first. And my first looping coaster overseas - Dragon at Ocean Park, Hong Kong. First in the USA - Viper at SFMM.

In terms of lack of thrills, this is the worst coaster I have been on. The level of drinking required after, to get over the shame of this new low in credit whoring, was quite significant. Minor Mike at Zuma's Knoxville, this was the first train out on our "ERT" session (the poor operator almost died of shock when we showed up). In terms of hype to actual ride experience let-down "13" is number 1. Leading by example!

A stand up for China (albeit Hong Kong), now that's one way to deal with overpopulation - neuter them all. I'm not a Stand Up fan, I wish they could have done better than that, I think it's a step back.

That would make it hard to climb up a tree for starters. Let alone, once up there, hold a pair of binoculars in one hand and operate the joystick with the other hand, while looking in that special someone's window. How terrible and unfortunate.

It could be worse, you could have to sit through a pre-show for an absolutely cr@p ride like Dull Knight at SFGAdv and any other that was park blighted with one. Definitely the cat, but nothing would be my preferred choice. Apocalypse not-so-Wow, or Now for that matter.

I've got some photos (not digital) from 1992 (my first full day in the US) and 1994 at SFMM. I even have a cup commemorating the big new coaster of 1992 - Flashback. I'll see if I can dig them up sometime.

^Is this it? http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/us/09potter.html

From dictionary.com: Why did i immediately associate this word with Prowler and it's ultra-devoted fanboys? I mean how much mass debate has been going on about that coaster?

The shark looks a little too friendly though, this is the kind of monster that'll be waiting for you in the Gold Coast area, and it's not a photoshop: That's not a shark, this is a shark.

IIRC, the filming sequences on Revolution were done in the fall of 1976, after a full summer season of operation. (Opened in May of 1976) If you look at the track during the movie, it does look fairly worn, especially when the bomb squad guy is wrapping the bunting on the track. I finally caught Rollercoaster again last year, and to think when I saw it on TV as a little kid, I never thought I'd ever get to ride a coaster like Revolution. I demand a remake!