Mitch's Coaster Poll

[Coaster Palooza]

WHAT???? Larry, where is Grizzly on your list of super-duper awesome wood coasters???

[BeemerBoy]

I still have it [Voyage] ahead of El Toro.

Was it the sandblasting that held it from higher marks, Larry?

[Shockwave]

I just found my top ten...

 

1. Balder

2. Avalanche

3. Kentucky Rumbler

4. Tonnerre de Zeus

5. Thundercoaster

6. Thunderhead

7. Renegade

8. Dania Beach Hurricane

9. Shivering Timbers

10. Viper (SFGAM)

[RaptorBoyASU]

Exactly! I would have a problem with someone who says airtime is their favorite attribute and then puts "do nothing coasters" ahead of an El Toro, Balder or the like.

 

Airtime is my number 1, but out of control feeling is right behind it. My favorite coasters are the ones that have decent airtime, and lots of "OMG, what's going on" feeling. I do love the airtime, thus why El Toro, Phoenix, Dania Beach Hurricane, and BPB's Wild Mouse make my top 10, but the love of "out of control" with a little bit of air is the reason that Twister, Tonnere de Zeus, and GhostRider are right behind my #1 (El Toro)

[coaster05]

I am just pround that I got off my lazy tail this year and cast a ballot.

[Scaparri]

That "bizarre reason" might be that even though they like airtime, and ET has it, that they ALSO like their wood coasters to feel like wood coasters.

 

 

I love airtime, and Germany's Colossus has buttloads of it. It's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down in my list, though, because it just doesn't feel like a wood coaster should feel to me. Interestingly, had it been a steelie it probably would've ranked much higher with me.

 

Then I would expect that person to have Favorite Steel Coaster ranked behind every wood coaster.

 

Exactly. I don't get the "it doesn't feel like a steel coaster" argument unless those people do their ballots like that. If it's made of wood and you loved it, then shouldn't it be listed above the woodies that you didn't enjoy more, but had more of a woodie feel?

[ParkTrips]

People sandbag Voyage too. I've seen a bunch of El toro number 1 and voyage below 10. I still don't get why it matters if other people like a certain ride people must hate it or dislike it. That goes for El toro and Voyage. Are coaster enthusiasts that immature?

hi, as someone who has El Toro at #1 and Voyage at #11 or 12, you can kiss my ass if you don't think that is where I legitimately feel they should be.

 

Now if I had Voyage at the bottom of my ballot then I guess you could say something (like Mitch said a few years ago when the steel poll was tampered with, 'no way Expedition GeForce is the worst ride you've been on'), but no ride is an "automatic" top 10 ride

[Scaparri]

And as somebody who has Voyage as #1, I completely agree with what Joe just said.

 

Yeah, it's the best woodie I've ever been on, but I can totally see how somebody else wouldn't agree. People look for different things in a coaster. I personally love the out of control feeling the ride gives, along with the unusual turns and kinks, the awesome airtime, and the fast pace. However, I'll be the first to admit that the thing is by no means smooth and had multiple jerks that really rocked me. I know that if it got much worse, the ride would probably start to fall drastically down my rankings. Aside from the roughness, not everybody is going to specifically love those characteristics that I enjoyed. Some people might like twisters, some people might like a more straight forward out-n-back... the list goes on. I know I have some woodies ranked fairly high that many other people don't care for, and vice versa. I'm sure the same will happen even more often when the steel poll comes around. It's just part of it. People enjoy different things more, and people have different thresholds. I could careless that Joe has Voyage ranked #12. I could careless if somebody has it ranked farther down than that, so long as it's not specifically out of spite. As Joe said, to say that any ride is a guaranteed top ten in anybody's eyes is a little ridiculous.

[SharkTums]

I've got Toro as 1 and Voyage as 25. I've also been on 152 wooden coasters according to the ballot. So in that case it's like having them much closer together on the 'average' enthusiasts ballot.

 

So don't forget that there are lots of factors like that to consider.

 

I would never try to mess with the poll or sandbag a coaster. I think Voyage is rough as hell and no fun. I was seriously in pain last year after only two rides. Also the fact that so much of it has already been retracked and even more is scheduled for this offseason says I'm not the only one who feels this way!

 

That being said, I'm having a really hard time with my ballot this year!!! Too many damn mediocre coasters to rank. It's always easier for me to rank my top 20 then my middle 20 or my bottom 20.

[Meteornotes]

I've always wondered how certain coasters would do in the poll if certain parks did not hold enthusiast events. I do get tired of the "you must ride the coaster in the dark when the moon is blocking Rigel 7 and crows are sitting on the lift hill" stuff. A great coaster should deliver a great ride under almost any conditions, not just at certain times or because you got a free cheeseburger. But that's me.

 

Haven't done my ballot yet. I know Balder will be #1 and Phoenix #2, but beyond that I haven't really thought about it. As I get more and more credits, I find this ballot harder to do, especially the middle section. A lot of "meh" coasters out there.

 

dt

[coaster05]

I had Phoenix 1, and Balder 2. I also really liked Voyage but by the time I get back to that overrated place it will probably have destroyed itself by then.

[Erik Johnson]

It was finally nice to be able to rate more wooden coaster this year. I think I just about doubled my wooden coaster credits this year, thanks to the Midwest trip. Even with all of the new credits, Phoenix is still my #1.

[downunder]

It's a tough call, do you rate based on your best ride on a coaster or consistent good rides. El Toro was # 1 for me by a good margin it was great all the time for me. Voyage and Hades were lucky to get # 2 and # 3, my best ride on Hades was sensational but the rest were OK, and Voyage was rarely that good for me.

 

Hades and Voyage only just staved off challenges from Raven, Cornball, Cyclops, and Kentucky Rumbler which were fun all the time.

[ParkTrips]

That being said, I'm having a really hard time with my ballot this year!!! Too many damn mediocre coasters to rank. It's always easier for me to rank my top 20 then my middle 20 or my bottom 20.

I always start with the bottom, I love that part! Then the top is pretty easy to and the middle is always the pain. I mean do I really like Great American Scream Machine or Hershey's Comet better? Does it really matter?

[yankees15]

I've got Toro as 1 and Voyage as 25. I've also been on 152 wooden coasters according to the ballot. So in that case it's like having them much closer together on the 'average' enthusiasts ballot.

 

Elissa I thought Balder was your number 1?

[robbalvey]

Hey everyone....

 

Just a reminder that you have about 2 weeks to get your ballot in!

 

If you haven't done so yet do it here:

http://www.ushsho.com/bestrollercoasterpoll.htm

 

--Robb

[SharkTums]

^^They're pretty much the same in my eyes but I gave the nod to El Toro since I actually rode it this year and I didn't ride Balder.

[yankees15]

^ I was just wondering because I remember you said Balder was better than El Toro in that video earlier this year.

[robbalvey]

^ Don't take everything we say in our videos and updates that seriously. Most of the time we're joking around about something.

[RIP Psyclone]

^, ^^, ^^^ Balder vs El Toro is serious business! Well, I guess emoboy won the debate in the end. "Look at it!" was hard to dispute. Maybe it was also the reminder of El Toro in Spain.

[robbalvey]

Like Elissa said, I sometimes like to rank a coaster based on how recently I've been on it, especially when it's so close, like El Toro and Balder, I will give the slight nod to the one I've ridden more recently. Honestly, they might as well just be tied for #1 IMO, and who knows, maybe that's how I'll rank them, I haven't decided yet.

 

--Robb

[ginzo]

"Look at it!" was hard to dispute.

 

It's true. El Toro is the most visually stunning coaster I've ever seen. It looks a cartoon coaster at points. The big airtime hill after the first drop is so exaggerated and awesome looking. There's nothing else like it.

[robbalvey]

"Cartoon Coaster!" LOL!

 

--Robb

[alpengeist04]

There's enough room at #1 for both Balder and El Toro, just not The Voyage.

[spaceace12]

There's enough room at #1 for both Balder and El Toro, just not The Voyage.

 

Hush your mouth. As long as it places in the top ten, which it will probably in the top 3, I dont' really care.