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Mitch Hawker's 2008 Wood & Steel Coaster Poll Results


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I think a lot of people (myself included) base coasters on how intense they are, how forceful, pacing, etc. Just basically breaking down the ride and picking apart what they like and don't like, and probably going to far with it.

 

The one modern GCI that I've been on (Rumbler) was just FUN. It wasn't intense, it wasn't very forceful (it had airtime but nothing extreme), it was just fun. The others look the same in that respect, so I wouldn't expect to see them rate highly on a poll like this as long as we keep picking rides apart as we do. But I wouldn't expect GCI to (or want them to) completely change their style of ride just so a few enthusiasts put them higher up on their ballots, either.

 

I think Raven is the exception to that though, since it seems to rate very highly still but I found it to be similar to Rumbler in that it wasn't intense or anything, just very very fun.

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Interesting to see that only one GCI made the Top Ten. Will this make the company realize they need to step it up a notch, or will they really give a sh...?

GCI makes a VERY solid product that parks and GP absolutely *LOVE*

 

I'm not sure you'll see GCI trying to push the envelope when they don't need to. There is always going to be room for a really solid medium-sized, low maintenance woodie that a high percentage of park patrons can enjoy.

 

And that is pretty much what GCI's product is!

 

--Robb

 

One could say similar about B&M Hypers vs. Intamins I guess.

Liked the results, and hey Grizzly kept its spot at the bottom (odd spot of pride for some of us CGAers I guess)

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I was a little surprised at some of the results, such as Millennium Force being number 12. I personally don't think it's any better than that, but I know a lot of people love that coaster. It's also neat to see that Dragster beat KK by 34 ranks. As for wood, I didn't expect Colossus at SFMM to be so poorly ranked, but I'm not at all shocked by Mean Streak's low rank.

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And I also agree with SheiKra beating Griffon...I really did NOT like Griffon, it just seemed very odd with drop, dive loop, drop dive loop. I much prefer SheiKra or even some of the other dive machines.

 

Agreed as well. Griffon was more fun to watch off ride than to ride for me. I don't know exactly what made it worse for me, but I remember actually getting thrilled on SheiKra and Griffon just didn't do that as much for me. Also, I love the splashdown pool much better on SheiKra.

I actually really like Griffon. One of my favorite coasters ever.

I just guess you really can't enjoy Griffon if you've ridden SheiKra first, because then you're basically just comparing the two the entire time while actually riding Griffon, and not being able to enjoy it to it's entirety.

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I was confused as to why the Georgia Cyclone was rated higher (86), than the Great American Scream Machine (93). Is it true that this coaster was "re-tracked" last year? I remember this coaster a couple of years after it first opened, and it was wild and out of control. No trim breaks. I hope that the new CEO allows the parks to spend more money on taking care of their rides.

 

At any rate, the GASM is a far superior John Allen in my opinion (at least I voted that way). Dinn and Summers have too many shuffling issues.

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I think Mitch's poll is good but you have to remember that it is just a poll. No poll is ever going to mirror everyones opinion. So if you think a coaster should have been rated higher then another, fine. It just means a few other people had a different opinion.

 

I use the poll to gage what other people think about the coasters compared to my own experiences. I agree with T-Express as the number 1 woodie. But I have only rode 2 of the top 10. Aska being the other one and it's SBNO. What the poll tells me is that here are 8 more top 10 woodies that I'm probably going to like. My #3 woodie would have been Ragina at Tobu Zoo in Japan.(My #2 is Aska) I loved it but if you talked to most of the group last September on the TPR trip they would have called it rough.

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^ Yeah, I loved Regina in 2004, but man it ran BAD this past September. It felt a lot like Jupiter or Magnus Colossus. It absolutely has potential in it, and we could have just caught it on a bad day or the park just isn't taking care of it, I dunno.

 

--Robb

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^I rode Griffon before I rode SheiKra and I like SheiKra better, so there goes your theory.

 

For me, it's pretty much a wash betweeen Griffon and Sheikra. I did rank Griffon slightly higher than Sheikra in the poll, though.

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Delighted to see Winjas so high (even if I only rate Fear...!). However, I think the poll is terribly unfair on other Maurer Spinners... Dragons Fury was very high last year (top 40) but this year has been lumped with Tarantula, Spinball Whizzer etc. when they're all different rides.

 

Why is Crush allowed a spot when it's basically a cloned travelling model!?!

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I am pretty happy with the results this year. The only thing I don't agree with is Storm Runner's spot. I still believe it is a top 15 coaster in the world. It's my favorite steel, but even so it did pretty well.

 

Curious, have you riden the top 15 coasters on the list to know that Storm Runner belongs there?

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**Got beat to it.

Interesting to see that only one GCI made the Top Ten. Will this make the company realize they need to step it up a notch, or will they really give a sh...?

 

I think you are missing one thing.

There is ONE GCI in the top ten.

There are SIX in the top twenty.

 

 

No notches need to be stepped up.

 

 

PS-If you look at the head to head numbers Thunderhead BEAT Troy, giving Thunderhead its rightful crown of best GCI. (should point out that Thunderbird beat Thunderhead.. but lost to Ozcat, Troy, Rumbler, Renegade, and both Lightning Racers...)

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I do think that Robb said it best when he said that GCI's give the parks AND the GP exactly what they want. Good, solid rides that fun, and lower maintenance. Basically, better bang for the buck.

 

PS-If you look at the head to head numbers Thunderhead BEAT Troy, giving Thunderhead its rightful crown of best GCI.

 

The beauty of the polls is the ability to debate whatever the outcome happens to be.

 

Having ridden all of the GCI's, except EK, I never found Thunderhead to be all that great. (30+ rides on 4 different visits) Yes, it's a good solid ride, but I ended up putting it in my groupings of 30.

 

For Reference, my GCI rankings:

 

2. Ozark Wildcat

8. Troy

14. Kentucky Rumbler

17. Renegade

20. Thunderbird

30. Thunderhead

40. Roar (CGA)

40. Lightning Racer

60. Wildcat

60. Roar (SFA)

90. Gwazi (I rode Gwazi a week after I did the poll. It was running much better than when I was last there in 2005. IF I did the poll after, I would have put Gwazi in with the group of 40's.)

 

 

What I don't understand is how Grizzly beat out Anaconda for that coveted last place spot!

 

Anaconda (to me) is absolutely, the most most boring, painful POS on the planet. Hands down. Bar none. Etc....

 

That ride really sucked!!

 

 

JJ

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Anaconda (to me) is absolutely, the most most boring, painful POS on the planet. Hands down. Bar none. Etc....

 

That ride really sucked!!

 

 

JJ

 

A-freakin'-men to that, Jeff. Never was I so happy to pass on an ERT session.

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Aw, my number one was down at 105!

 

105 Scooby-Doo Spooky Coa Warner Bros. Movie AU 19 190 121 49 20 0.6895

 

 

This poll looks legit, though. All of the top 50-75 coasters look awesome!

 

And IMHO, Son of Beast doesn't deserve to be that close near the bottom....

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Aw, my number one was down at 105!

 

105 Scooby-Doo Spooky Coa Warner Bros. Movie AU 19 190 121 49 20 0.6895

Your #1 coaster was a wild mouse? If that's really the case, you should just stop riding roller coasters now. You won't find anything else better out there.

 

--Robb "Your hobby is now complete!" Alvey

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You need to ride Scooby Doo then Robb. It was hauling some serious ass last week. NO trims on the whole wild mouse section and every inch of theming was working. It is IMHO the best coaster in Australia, Followed by Superman Escape. It's just pure fun!

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^ I've been on basically the same ride (I believe even the same layout) at Europa Park. It was also not trimmed and hauling ass.

 

I still can't see how any Wild Mouse would be someone's #1 coaster in the world, but hey, to each their own!

 

--Robb

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Well, I think I put that as number one, but I have a bunch of coasters I'd consider "Number One" - Kentucky Rumbler, Space Mountain, California Screamin', Goliath (SFOG), Milllennium Force, Maverick, Afterburn. But in their own categories. But yeah, I've yet to visit many other parks and I plan on it!

 

But as for Scooby, that's the most fun I've had on a coaster. It may not have been the best coaster ride I've had, but I think it was a combination of my whole trip in general, the people that I was with, and a kick ass ride.

 

But yeah, wait to ride it!

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