Schrecken Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 Sadly I made it to the "ripe old age" of 26 before I actually loved riding coasters. Before that, I had ridden a few here and there (only a couple of woodies, a wild mouse or two and a small carnival-type non-looping steelie, and also Space Mountain at WDW, which was my first) but my reaction to them was anything but love - it was more like "suffer thru it and be glad when it's over". I would only ride usually if someone else badgered me to join them; or in the case of the carnival coasters and mice, just to prove to myself that I could "handle it". But in the summer of 96' I found myself at SFA (wasn't SFA back then, it was still Adventure World) with one of my mom's friends (my mom was also there but her health is too poor for her to ride most coasters, besides she doesn't care for them anyway, but to her credit she did ride the Wild One that day) and one of her sons and his friends. Well, to make a long story short, my mom's friend dragged me onto the Mind Eraser, and the rest, as they say, is history. My first ride was anything but enjoyable (I was scared half to death - so much so I didn't even notice the head-banging at all, which wasn't anywhere near as bad as it is now, as that was a new ride back then), but something kept calling me back, and eventually, later that summer, after a couple more trips to the park, I found that I couldn't get enough of coasters. I hate to say that it was a now-notorious Vekoma SLC that sparked my love for coasters, but hey, that was way back in 96', and I didn't know any better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dropzonefan Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I have to say about the age of 9, when I accidentally pushed the wrong button on google during a computer class, and found out about SFMM. Ever since then, I was obsessed, but I was still quite scared of the larger rides at parks, and mainly still rode family coasters, only researching the giant rides of the world. That all changed when I was about 13, on a school trip to Canada's Wonderland. I was pressured by my friends to ride Behemoth (the largest ride in the park at the time). I was terrified, but accepted, and strapped myself into the comfortable, yet very open feeling B&M mega coaster trains, and pulled out of the station... I loved the ride, and stayed on for another 3 laps, two of them in the front row. Ever since then, I'll ride pretty much every ride I see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oryp Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 When I was 18 months old, my dad took me on Scooby Doo at Kings Dominion. In love ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmullin Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 When I was 6 and I went on X in 2005. Been in love with coasters ever since, but my life does not revolve around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The49er Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I was 4 years old when my parents took me to DLR for the first time (which is why I actually kind of liked DCA 1.0). I probably rode the Matterhorn and Gadget's Go Coaster, but I think I became obsessed with theme parks in general. I read every guidebook and roller coaster book I could find (like Robert Coker's book ). My fear went from "Space Mountain is too intense for me" to (last week) "Yay! Griffon!" Now, about drop towers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyinpeace Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 When I was 6. I guess what really fascinated me about the coasters was that it had the ability to horrify me to an extreme. Funny thing is that even though I didn't actually gain enough courage to go on an actual big one until more than a decade, I still was extremely obsessed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dropzonefan Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 When I was 6. I guess what really fascinated me about the coasters was that it had the ability to horrify me to an extreme. Funny thing is that even though I didn't actually gain enough courage to go on an actual big one until more than a decade, I still was extremely obsessed. Ya, it was similar to me... The rides were fascinating because of their size/speed, but that's also what made them so intimidating to me as a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PVA62 Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I was 9 and just rode Space Mountain at Disneyland. Although it was not my first roller coaster, it was the one that got me loving coasters. A year later RCT came out and I just couldn't stop playing it! For a very long time I wanted to study engineering and eventually become a roller coaster designer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingwright Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 (edited) My first "big" coaster was Desparado in Nevada. I think I was 10 years old or so. I was on a family vacation for the weekend (Yes, we actually stayed at Stateline... we didn't just pass through to get to Vegas). I remember being really nervous the whole weekend, because I knew I would be riding Despardo at some point. At this age, the biggest roller coaster I had ever been on was Space Mountain. On the last day of the trip, my dad asked if I was ready to ride, and I remember being equally terrified and excited. Of course, I ended up loving every second of it. I still have a soft spot for Desparado, even though I've been on much better coasters since then. Edited July 17, 2013 by Wingwright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewalk13 Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 It would have to be when I rode my first powered dragon kiddy coaster as a little kid at Midway Park in Maple Springs, NY (like 1985?) It was the new hotness then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanLegend Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I started when I was 4, but then I got super interested once more on a trip to Hersheypark in 2011. I even remember the exact moment, it was right before the first drop on Great Bear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YOLO Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I wasnt 14 because I am not 14 yet!! I was about 8 when I started to love coasters. I started knowing things about them when I was about 10. Same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i<3coasters Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 When I was 8, my mom forced me on the former Windjammer at KBF as I was kicking and screaming. Life has never been the same since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I was fascinated by coasters since my first ever ride when I was incredibly young, but I was way too afraid to actually ride them until I was 11 and was force onto Rock'n'Rollercoaster with my family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingwright Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 When I was 8, my mom forced me on the former Windjammer at KBF as I was kicking and screaming. Life has never been the same since. Haha, what a great first ride To be fair though, I remember going to Knott's in 1997 when Windjammer opened (I was 11), and riding it 7 times that day with my friends. Kids are stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeojUK Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Dragon Khan when I was 14 started it off for me. Then multiple trips to Alton Towers furthered it, namely Nemesis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnastyGnoric7 Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 At the age of 9 and Storm Runner was the coaster that started it for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subject_12 Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 9. But it wasn't a coaster, it was a book. ''Thrill Rides". It was also a Canadian "Popular Mechanics for Kids" video at the local library. I only got back into them last summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThanksforRiding Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I've loved coasters as far back as I can remember but I didn't become a full blown enthusiast until I was about 15 or 16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 At the age of 3, I marathoner on a kiddie coaster for around 15 times! I believe that's the start. Then my knowledge grown slowly until last November when I signed up for a TPR trip and start posting on TPR, I feel like my knowledge of coasters increased insanely fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 For me, I have to say I don't love coasters. I love theme parks. Perhaps that comes from growing up in the Ozarks. Silver Dollar City has never been a coaster park, and I doubt it ever really will be. They have more coasters now than ever before, but the real draw is the amazing theming. That may sound odd to a lot of you, but there really are a lot of people who come to SDC and never ride a roller coaster. They walk around and look at things, browse the shops, see the shows, and never get on a ride at all. So that's the theme park I grew up with: the home of the sixty degree, 100-foot drop on a path. And that's the experience I look for when we go to other parks as well. I don't really have any desire to go to Six Flags; it's just a collection of rides lacking an experience to bring them together. Batman's great, so is Mr. Freeze, there are a few worthwhile ones that really are a lot of fun. But the experience is the thing, not any individual ride. The best any roller coaster can do is give you a great two minutes, but a park can give you a whole day to remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ape Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Very early on. I'm not sure what age or what my first coaster was but the memory I can see most clearly is when I was 5-6 and walking up to the vortex to see if I was tall enough and I was just shy and throwing a fit. The next season I was tall enough and everyone waiting in the long vortex line that ran up coney mall started cheering a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glucky11801 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I was 23 months old (Yes, that's right!) The year was 1956, and I took my first coaster ride with my Dad. It was at a now defunct park in Queens, NY called Kiddie City. The coaster was Comet Jr. an NAD Junior Woodie. I guess you could ride on someone's lap in those days! I was hooked immediately! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 44 is when I started to really get into coasters and traveling to ride them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepoint4life23 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I have Disney drawling back from when i was in preschool as well as roller coaster art work. i would say that was that start of it. i remember waiting Hours for pov of roller coaster with dial up. so i would say i was 3 or 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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