downunder

^That sounds awesome, the observance of the day in your neck of the woods sounds almost "official". Alas, I'll talk like a pirate but I won't walk like one, no eyepatch for me, but I have to admit I associate an eyepatch with that scary looking singer from Dead or Alive.

I really like your night shots of the spinning mouse at Waldameer, it's the shame the coaster wasn't nearly as untamed as the one at Seabreeze, trim brakes are the devil. This helps me catch up on what I missed at Waldameer, I spent a bit of time asleep on a bench and I managed to not get molested either, which was a bit of a bonus - I probably wouldn't have been as fortunate if it had been the East Coast trip. Shame I missed Retroactive, but the country and western thing earlier was fun.

^I think they just hook up occaisionally after downing a bottle of absinthe with the group, but under the influence of such a demonic drink you really start a practical lesson in diminished responsibility. I was born to be Idlewild, the place was so cute, with so many nooks and crannies to explore, every turn was a discovery. If people who like to enjoy hallucenagenic drugs ever get sick of the film Fantasia or Pink Floyd records, I'm sure they'll all head for Idlewild, it's another world. Though I'm still a bit unclear about Mister Rogers, okay I know what Hump'n'Song is now but what is his role in it? A host, a pervy old guy who hangs around in the bushes? I'll have to see what wikipedia can reliably inform me about this.

Re the chicken head on the plate - I wouldn't be able to take that, even if didn't have to eat the actual head, I would just keep going "stop looking at me!" and eventually storm out. I wonder if the communists have been following the tour party around making sure they don't get out of line, Theme Park Review is a peculiar brand of subversion that would certainly not get govt approval.

Year 12 English, she had to leave the school and I got into a lot of trouble, at least I had turned 18. There were so many hot ones at our school, and a couple of lucky students.

It's just a shame we can't morph several people into the one candidate, like the Delgrosso's sauce guy for blind passion, Robb Alvey for production values, Palin's daughter just for a tease, and Linda Lovelace - I haven't seen her work but I have it on good authority from my lab mate in Biology in high school that she was quite an impressive performer. Given the choices I have been given, I'll go down with Linda Lovelace though Dolemite is impressive in a bad mofo kind of way.

Some of my friends and I have been observing this important day for a few years. I'm a traditionalist, as much as I like Depp's dress like a pirate and channel Keith Richards turn as Jack Sparrow - it's definitely a day to say "arrrr" like an old school scurvy dog. It will be casual day at work that day but I think a frilly shirt and the skull and cross bones might be pushing it with my reasonably tolerant employers.

Those Chinese sure look like they are getting a taste for coasters, looking at how elaborate some of them are. Maybe this will be the next big coaster frontier - the Chinese may have next batch of record breakers. That or Dubai.

I'd get rid of all the overpriced crappy food, can it at least be overpriced decent food?

I didn't ride a single coaster all through high school, and I hadn't ridden a coaster all year until I went on the TPR Emo/east coast trips. The future, I have no idea when my next coaster will be.

Phil, beat me to the punch on the TPR trip idea, a TPR trip is like Big Brother with less cameras. It would be interesting to see a show on the operations of a large park and all the dramas behind the scenes.

Wild One was definitely Mild One on our day at the park, there was such an amazing contrast between day and night rides on many wooden coasters, so if we had hung around til night it might have been better, but night would have been a bit scary maybe fatal. You guys went to hooters, I missed out there, hope you have photos.

^Wow, only one left in the USA, and that's been on death row for quite a while. I'm glad I got to ride a couple of them, they were fun, but time and technology move on I guess.

After the Emo/East Coast tours my top ten has been completely turned upside down: 1. Phoenix- this is what a coaster should be, a near death experience. 2. Boulder Dash- incredible, catch it before they trim it, the GCI trackwork did wonders. 3. El Toro- unbelievable drop and 3 extreme airtime spots but lacked being amazing the whole ride like the top 2. 4. Superman Ride Of Steel (Six Flags New England) - running a bit slow this time but still great. 5. Maverick - like a best of compilation of a whole lot of different coasters. 6. Top Thrill Dragster - such an extreme experience, even if it is short. 7. Behemoth - would have preferred extreme ejector air of the intamins but still a great ride. 8. Millennium Force - great ride experience but lacked airtime. 9. X - for all it's shortcomings, still an amazing ride. 10. Ravine Flyer II - like being on a go-kart to hell, out of control. Worth a mention at 11. Vortex (Canada'a Wonderland) - an Arrow suspended that is completely out of control at night. Important things I learned from this trip, most wood coasters (and some steel like Vortex) are ten times better at night than in the day, if I had ridden The Voyage at night it would probably be right up there. For contrast my 2007 top ten: 1. SROS (SFNE), 2. El Toro, 3. Maverick, 4. Top Thrill Dragster, 5. Millennium Force, 6. X, 7. Nitro, 8. Phantoms Revenge, 9. Magnum, 10. Voyage

That is very sad, Astroland is such an iconic and historic place. When they close down, a lot of great memories will go with it. But it looks like economics is going to win out, Thor just want to make money, and gentrify the area which will increase the value of their developments. We have a similiar situation in Sydney with Luna Park which sits on probably the most sought after piece of real estate in Sydney. The State government protects the site but gradually developers are wearing them down, all the park is now is a wild mouse, some flats, and the original coney island at the back which is kind of a funhouse with big wooden slides and other cool stuff.

The PR people at the parks certainly do.

It's almost like they cut and paste last years results - but I agree mostly, good to see Ravine Flyer II getting some love, that was an awesome coaster.

^I just can't get enough - oh yeah! I couldn't hear anything over Tyler/Red Bull's insane puppet posse.

The impression I get is this park is trying to be the Disneyland of Rock'n'Roll and be a real destination park but it doesn't have the chops, the La Ronde of Rock'n'Roll maybe.

I really like the look of this one, though the name Prowler is maybe a bit too close to Stalker - I am sure there will be some fun TPR variations on the name.

Speeddeamon128 wrote: Hell is right, I thought Tyler was possessed by a demon, what a puppet show (the greatest since Meet The Feebles), Red Bull should sponsor Tyler.

Lose your hat but don't lose your head. People just underestimate the danger associated with their actions. I mean you'd think all these homies were wearing $3000 diamond encrusted Louis Vutton hats or something. Like someone has already observed, maybe these fences need razor wire or something to make it rather less fun to scale.

Can you enquire about why the chinese spiked the Australian Olympic teams food and cost us at least 10 gold medals, I know the government would be very responsive to such enquiries. The Great Wall looks great, but I am sure it was soon forgetten when the furious debate began about whether the Alpine Coaster is a credit or not.

I'm terrified of heights but I didn't feel any fear on the starflyer, must have been the jetlag, in fact I didn't feel any fear on any ride the whole trip. Statosphere Tower of the top of Half Dome at Yosemite - well that was another story. I'm just happy Hanno hasn't photgraphed me scratching my butt or anything else, because you never know when Hanno has you in his sites. Thanks for the all effort Hanno, I do notice that you spend a lot of time taking photos when you could be riding and it's great that you can share your really great photos with us. Especially with number of mind erasers on this trip there might be a few blank spots in the memory bank where your photos can fill in the gaps.

Natatomic wrote: The south to me is classic literature like Gone With The Wind and To Kill A Mockingbird - not trailer parks, bad teeth, the klan, and pig farming (I'm trying to forget Deliverance). Also I really hope you get over your fear of flying because there is so many opportunities you'll miss out on otherwise. Though a cab driver on the midwest trip was very convinced about how teleportation was possible. Back to the reports, Leap The Dips was a funny little coaster, back row without holding on (I was filming a POV) was Jolt The Dips but the front was much better. To think, this would have been blowing people's minds early last century just like X, Dragster etc would be now. I wish I had a time machine to see what will be amazing in next century. Delgrosso's - it was all about the sauce because it certainly wasn't about the rides. I can see why they haven't bothered to put up the other coaster they have. Maybe some imagineer can come up with an affordable sauce theme for Delgrosso's yet to be put up ccoaster to pique Mr Sauce's interest - Sauce The Ride, Leap The Sauce, Top Thrill Sauce, Ride of Sauce, Sauce Runner; the possibilities are endless. A TPR competition maybe?