Mitch Hawker 2011 Wood Coaster Poll!

[sspaz1000]

First time I voted in the poll.

 

Top 3 are:

 

1. Phoenix- Knoebels

2. Boulder Dash- Lake Compounce

3. El Toro- Great Adventure

[rollin_n_coastin]

This is my first time trying this out! Looking forward to it!

 

Robb, last year of the year before, you had some great tip and tricks that you used to categorize, order, etc. Do you remember what year you wrote that or maybe have link to a past thread?

 

Are you talking about this?

 

http://themeparkreview.com/mitch.htm

 

That's it! Thanks Eric!

[Big-M]

My Ballot:

1. Boulder Dash @ Lake Compounce

2 (tie). Phoenix @ Knoebel's

2 (tie). El Toro @ SFGAd

3. Boardwalk Bullet @ Kemah Boardwalk

4. Cyclone @ Lakeside

5. The Beast @ Kings Island

6. Twister @ Knoebel's

7. Blue Streak @ Cedar Point

8. Thunderbolt @ SF New England

9. Cyclone @ SF New England

10. Mean Streak @ Cedar Point

11. Cyclone @ Coney Island

12. Wildcat @ Lake Compounce

13. Twister II @ Elitch Gardens

[alpengeist04]

The wood poll is the easy one for me.

 

1. El Toro

2. Phoenix

3. Boulder Dash

 

 

 

 

 

4. The rest.

 

I'll finish my top 10 once I sit down and figure out my 4-10. ...The Voyage, Raven, and Renegade were all new credits this year, so there will be some changes.

[hauntguy]

Just want to say, I LOVE the drag and drop version of the ballot. Why would anyone want to use anything else?

[ernierocker]

^It works well if you have less than say 100 wooden coasters to enter into the poll. But for those on here with larger counts, it is much easier to copy and paste from past years and just adjust as needed. Or use Robb's grouping method.

[hauntguy]

Is this poll meaningful when when you have a very small list (say, 3 coasters) with a great coaster at the top and a crappy one at the bottom?

 

I mean, there could be a world of difference between the #1 and #3, but there's no way of expressing it.

[beatle11]

The wood poll is the easy one for me.

 

1. El Toro

2. Phoenix

3. Boulder Dash

 

 

 

 

 

4. The rest.

 

 

Yeah, that's pretty much how I looked at it. It was easy to pick my favorites, and least favorites, but the in between ones were harder to rank.

[ernierocker]

Since we all like to be negative at times, here are my bottom five:

 

(34-35) - Twisted Twins - Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom

(36) Roar - Six Flags America

(37) The Grizzly - Kings Dominion

(38) Hurler - Kings Dominion

[cfc]

I'll put my response together after Christmas, but I think the only big change will be Phoenix rising higher in my top ten.

[XII]

I love doing the Mitch Hawker Polls.

 

1. My Favorite Steel Coaster (Maverick @ Cedar Point)

2. El Toro @ SFGAdv

3. Boulderdash @ Lake Compounce

4. Coaster @ PNE Playland

5. Voyage @ Holiday World

6. Phoenix @ Knoebels

7. Comet @ Great Escape

8. Raven @ Holiday World

9. Prowler @ Worlds of Fun

10. Cornball Express @ Indiana Beach

11. Viper @ SFGAm

 

Bottom 5

65. Pegasus @ Mt. Olympus

66. Son of Beast @ Kings Island

67. Mean Streak @ Cedar Point

68. Grizzly @ CGA

69. Wild Beast @ Canada's Wonderland

Edited December 20, 2011 by XII

[mightypotato]

Ballot completed and sent in!

 

Top 5 List of Glory:

1. El Toro

2. Favourite Steel Coaster (Bizarro SFNE)

3. Phoenix

4. Boulder Dash

5. Voyage

 

Bottom 5 List of Shame:

30. Wildcat (Hershey)

31. Wildcat (Lake Compounce)

32. Predator (Darien Lake)

33. Wild Beast (Canada's Wonderland)

34. Mean Streak

[SharkTums]

I think I actually added 5-10 new woodies this year (which is a lot for me!) so I'll have to sit down at some point and figure it all out.

[donkeyman18]

Sent mine 12 wooden coaster's my list

1: El Toro (SFGadv)

2: Lightning Racers (T) (HP)

3: Lightning Racers (L) (HP)

4: Apocalypse (SFMM)

5: Colossus (SFMM)

Also on my list were hurler Rebel yell Rolling Thunder and good old wildcat and comet!

 

 

-Colin Wahoo Im important on something Goodwin.

[mattnz]

I thought I'd give this a go for the first time now that I've been on 58 woodies (courtesy of TPR trips!). All American alas so far. My top 10 is:

 

1. El Toro

2. My Favorite Steel, Anypark Anywhere

3. Boulder Dash

4. Phoenix

5. Viper

6. The Voyage

7. Prowler

8. Wooden Warrior (this will hopefully get a nice, high placing)

9. Cornball Express

10. Comet (Great Escape)

11. Lightning Racer - L (tied)

11. Lightning Racer - T (tied)

 

Look forward to seeing the results!

[cal1br3tto]

^Since we've both done the same trips so far, that must be around how many I've ridden courtesy of TPR, too. I've gotten some from various other coaster excursions, but for the most part I'd be lost without TPR trips!

[robbalvey]

I'll post our old "Idiot's Guide to Mitch's Poll" - http://www.themeparkreview.com/mitch.htm

While I feel this guide might be a little outdated now, especially with the spreadsheet and online version of the ballot, this might give you a few ideas on how to rank using the grouping method.

[Ace Of Spades]

Sent in! Love the new simplified site, makes this a lot easier!

 

Top Five:

1) Thunderhead-Dollywood

2) Favorite Steel (X2)

3) Comet-Great Escape

4) Roller Coaster-Lagoon

5) Roar-Discovery Kingdom

 

And the List of Shame:

15) Mean Streak-Cedar Point

16) Giant Dipper-Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

17) The Grizzly-California's Great America

18) Ghoster Coaster-Canada's Wonderland

19) Cyclone-Astroland

 

Got a couple new additions this year as well:

6) Predator-Darien Lake

13) Blue Streak-Cedar Point

15) Mean Streak-Cedar Point

Edited December 19, 2011 by Ace Of Spades

[vuurvogel]

I like the Ballot generator

 

Surprising coasterlist, I rode about 10 wooden coaster so far (some demolished)

So

 

1. Jupiter (rough but surprising coaster)

2. Troy (Still nice)

3. Joris en de Draak (either side)

[rcdude]

I still prefer the text ballot, so I'll fill it out and submit it sometime this week. However, I've got my rankings:

 

1. My favorite steel (Bizarro (Six Flags New England))

2. El Toro (Six Flags Great Adventure)

3. Voyage (Holiday World)

4. Boulder Dash (Lake Compounce

5. Thunderhead (Dollywood)

6. Apocalypse the Ride (Six Flags Magic Mountain)

7. American Thunder (Six Flags St. Louis)

8. Legend (Holiday World)

9. Raven (Holiday World

10. Comet (Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom)

(Insert remaining B-level coasters)

(Insert C-level coasters)

(Insert upper D-level coasters)

31. Woodstock Express (Carowinds)

32. Rolling Thunder (Six Flags Great Adventure)

33. Wildcat (Lake Compounce)

34. Mean Streak (Cedar Point)

35. Grizzly (Kings Dominion)

[DECoasterNerd]

Mine has been submitted. My list is not so different from others, except that Mean Streak which I rated as the WORST wooden last year moved up to my "category 30" as it was a completely different ride this year when I was there for Coastermania. It was downright smooth!

 

COASTER NAME PARK LOC <--Please leave this

El Toro SFGAd NJ,y,y,1

My Favorite Steel Anypark Anywhere **,y,y,2

Boulder Dash Lake Compounce CT,y,y,3

Phoenix Knoebel's PA,y,n,4

Thunderhead Dollywood TN,y,y,5

Ravine Flyer II Waldameer PA,y,y,6

Comet Great Escape NY,y,y,7

The Beast Kings Island OH,y,y,8

Lightning Racer - L Hersheypark PA,y,n,10

Lightning Racer - T Hersheypark PA,y,n,10

Jack Rabbit Kennywood PA,y,n,10

Thunderbolt Kennywood PA,y,n,10

Twister Knoebel's PA,y,n,10

Leap the Dips Lakemont PA,y,n,10

Cyclone SF New England MA,y,y,20

Wild One SF America MD,y,y,20

Rebel Yell Kings Dominion VA,y,y,20

Grt Am Scrm Mach SFoG GA,y,y,20

Wildcat Hersheypark PA,y,n,20

Wooden Warrior Quassy CT,y,y,30

Racer Kings Island OH,y,y,30

Le Monstre La Ronde QU,y,y,30

Mean Streak Cedar Point OH,y,y,30

Gwazi-Tiger Busch Gardens-Tampa FL,y,y,30

Gwazi-Lion Busch Gardens-Tampa FL,y,y,30

Yankee Cannonball Canobie Lake Park NH,y,y,30

Thunder Road Carowinds NC,y,y,30

Racer Kennywood PA,y,n,30

Hell Cat Clementon Lake NJ,y,n,30

Thunderbolt SF New England MA,y,y,30

Roar SF America MD,y,y,40

Hurler Carowinds NC,y,y,40

Hurler Kings Dominion VA,y,y,40

The Grizzly Kings Dominion VA,y,y,40

Dragon Coaster Playland NY,y,n,40

Blue Streak Cedar Point OH,y,y,40

Wild Beast Canada's Wonderland ON,y,n,40

M.Can.Mine Buster Canada's Wonderland ON,y,n,40

Great White Wild Wheels Pier NJ,y,n,40

Comet Hersheypark PA,y,n,40

Georgia Cyclone SFoG GA,y,y,40

Comet Waldameer PA,y,y,50

Ghoster Coaster Kings Dominion VA,y,y,50

Wildcat Lake Compounce CT,y,y,50

Excalibur Funtown USA ME,y,y,50

Rolling Thunder SFGAd NJ,y,y,58

Cyclone Astroland NY,y,n,59

[niiicolaaah]

Sadly, I'm going to have to leave my Europe coasters off my ballot this year, cause I just can't justify ranking something I rode one day 5 years ago, no matter how much I liked it. Sorry, Balder.

[robbalvey]

^ You do realize that when you rank your coasters, there is a section for if you rode it this year or not, and that helps how it's ranked. Mitch's poll actually DOES take into consideration if you've ridden something recently or not. Like it says in the instructions, even if you haven't ridden something in a while, you're still encouraged to include it.

Edited December 19, 2011 by robbalvey

[niiicolaaah]

^I also really can't remember it accurately. Maybe I'll have to go back and watch the video to refresh my memory. All I remember is floating out of my seat pretty much the whole time.

[David H]

Just sent mine in. It's always interesting to see what other people like and don't. For instance, Vuurvogel ranking Jupiter as is #1, when it ranked in the bottom 20 last year. But that just goes to show you that all in all, the polls only show what many others think. Everyone has their own tastes. And none of us are really wrong. Although I'm obviously more right than the rest of you!

 

My top 10:

1. The Voyage Holiday World

2. Tremors Silverwood

3. Aska (S) Nara Dreamland

3.5. (My Favorite Steel: Montu)

4. El Toro SFGAd

5. Rampage Alabama Adventure

6. The Legend Holiday World

7. Twister Grona Lund

8. Shivering Timbers Michigan's Adventure

9. Ravine Flyer II Waldameer

10. Tonnerre de Zeus Parc Asterix

 

It should be noted that I haven't ridden several of these (2, 3, 8, 10) in the past three years, so these rankings may not reflect current operating conditions. And Legend probably should rank slightly lower, based on my last rides on it, but it fluctuates over the years, depending on maintenance, which I took into account. (It's been as high as #3 on my list in the past.)

 

My bottom rankings aren't generally there for roughness, but for being boring. I can tolerate roughness in an interesting ride, but not a ride that's boring.

 

And why has MItch added Turolean Tubtwist to the rankings? It's powered! I guess technically it's wooden-tracked, if you count the side rails as the tracks. It sits in a concrete trough. The steel poll only lists one generic "favorite powered coaster" on the ballot.

 

One suggestion for a correction I made to Mitch was to change the park for the Coney Cyclone to Luna Park, since Astroland was forced out of business.

 

And I'll add my name to the chorus of those strongly recommending that everyone vote, whether you have 2 or 200 woodies to rank. The nice thing about this poll is that you'll only affect the rankings of those coasters you've actually ridden, and your opinion on those is just as valid as anyone's. And you can't complain about the results if you don't participate. (Well, you can, but then you're a hypocrite!)