Mitch Hawker 2011 Wood Coaster Poll!

[cal1br3tto]

It's funny because rides people say are smooth often hurt me because I fly around in the car and knock into things

You're kind of the anomaly when it comes to coaster enthusiasts because you're "little."

Ha, ha, ha.

 

Actually, I have thought about that before. There are just so many...men in coaster enthusiasm.

[robbalvey]

There are just so many...men in coaster enthusiasm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-rJUwBiJ9c

[PAL]

Done!

 

Top 10

 

El Toro SFGAd NJ,y,n,1

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

The Voyage Holiday World IN,y,n,3

Evel Knievel Six Flags St Louis MO,y,n,4

Prowler Worlds of Fun MO,y,n,5

The Legend Holiday World IN,y,n,6

Lightning Racer - L Hersheypark PA,y,n,7

Lightning Racer - T Hersheypark PA,y,n,8

Giant Dipper Santa Cruz Bch Bdwk CA,y,n,9

Phoenix Knoebel's PA,y,n,10

Apocalypse S. F. Magic Mountain CA,y,n,11

 

Hall of Shame

Thunderhawk Dorney Park PA,y,n,42

Hell Cat Clementon Lake NJ,y,n,43

Hurler Kings Dominion VA,y,n,44

Rattler Fiesta Texas TX,y,n,45

Mean Streak Cedar Point OH,y,n,46

[Groteslurf]

Mailes my ballot yesterday :

El Toro SFGAd NJ,y,y,1

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

The Voyage Holiday World IN,y,n,3

Colossos Heide Park DE,y,n,4

Troy Toverland NL,y,n,5

Wild Mouse Blackpool UK,y,n,6

Phoenix Knoebel's PA,y,n,7

Grand National Blackpool UK,y,n,8

Boulder Dash Lake Compounce CT,y,n,9

Mammut Tripsdrill DE,y,y,10

 

And bottom 5 :

GhostRider Knott's Berry Farm CA,y,y,62

Ghoster Coaster Kings Dominion VA,y,y,63

The Bandit Movie Park DE,y,y,64

Coaster-Express Parque Warner Madrid ES,y,y,65

The Grizzly Great America CA,y,y,66

[King of Ka]

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Edited October 8, 2012 by King of Ka

[djw44]

1. Phoenix

2. Ravine Flyer

3. Jack Rabbit (Kennywood)

4. Beast

5. El Toro

[PriestofSyrinx]

My Top ones...

 

*Any Steel, Any where (Magnum)

1-Voyage

2-Thunderhead

3-Great American Scream Machine (Rode this year)

4-The Legend

5-The Raven

 

By Bottom 5-

15- Hurler (Carowinds)

16/17- Woodstock Express (KI/Caro)

18-Son Of Beast

19-Thunder Road (May have been a bad day, but both sides were terrible)

[VinTheAttendant]

I'll be getting a new wood credit before the year's end, so I'm not submitting mine quite yet, but I've got my ballot ready to submit for when I do get to it.

 

My top 5:

 

1. Favorite Steel

2. Boulder Dash

3. El Toro

4. Comet (Great Escape)

5. Lightning Racer (L)

 

Bottom:

 

5. Hurler (King's Dominion)

4. Predator

3. Georgia Cyclone

2. Rolling Thunder

1. Wildcat (Lake Compounce)

[Xcoaster]

Mine is full of ties and groupings. Here's the starting highlights:

1. Boulder Dash (Lake Compounce)

1. My Favorite Steel - New Texas Giant (SFOT)

2. Thunderhead (Dollywood)

2. El Toro (SFGAd)

3. Phoenix (Knoebel's)

4. El Toro (Freizeitpark Plohn)

5. Lightning Racer - L/T (Hersheypark)

6. Ravine Flyer II (Waldameer)

7. The Legend (Holiday World)

7. Hades (Mount Olympus)

8. The Voyage (Holiday World)

8. Wooden Warrior (Quassy)

9. Apocalypse (SFMM)

9. Troy (Toverland)

10. Blue Streak (Cedar Point)

11. Comet (Great Escape)

12. Coaster (Playland)

13. The Beast (Kings Island)

... (much later) .....

99. Son of Beast (Kings Island)

100. The Bandit (Movie Park)

[David H]

There are just so many...men in coaster enthusiasm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-rJUwBiJ9c

 

Robb, Miguel Brown's original version of that song is so much better than Me & My's knockoff nearly two decades later. But any chance to show a video with hot guys semi-naked is always a good thing! (And you know that was from Europe, since it shows a naked ass.)

 

Although Me & My did have a ridiculously catchy (and stupid) song in the 90's called Dub I Dub, which came out like 5 years before this remake. Both songs were used in various DDR games, which helped their popularity.

 

[Robocoaster]

1 - El Toro

2 - The Boss

3 - Phoenix

4 - Voyage

5 - Legend

6 - American Knievel

7 - Raven

8 - Tremors

9 - Apocalypse

10 (tie) - Timber Terror/ Shivering Timbers

 

And bringing up the rear:

 

Georgia ("what the hell is tracking?") Cyclone.

[cal1br3tto]

^^Words can't explain how proud I am to have helped inspire this discussion.

[traincrossin]

^^How is The Boss at #2 on your list?!

[robbalvey]

^^How is The Boss at #2 on your list?!

After many years of trying to figure out how some people have certain coasters ranked where they are, I have come to the conclusion that sometimes it's best just not to ask!

[cal1br3tto]

Boss is in my middle-of-the-pack range. I enjoyed it at the time, but quickly realized I barely remembered anything about it (same deal with Screamin' Eagle). But I liked the hardcore helix, and there must've been airtime for me to think anything of it. That said, I know the jackhammering ruins it for a lot of people.

 

Speaking of Screamin' Eagle, I did enjoy some airtime and a helping of old-school charm, but it seems neither aspect is too hard to come by, so it doesn't rank too highly for me either. It's been running better this year, though, right?

[RollerCoasterSmi]

I just got a confirmation email from Mitch. I haven't ridden a wood coaster this year, and I haven't been on many so here is how I voted:

 

Favourite Steel - Nemesis (Alton Towers)

Tonnerre De Zeus (Parc Asterix)

Grand National (Blackpool)

Wild Mouse (Blackpool)

Big Dipper (Blackpool)

Giant Dipper (Belmont Park)

Roller Coaster (Blackpool)

Colossus (SFMM)

Stampida (PortAventura)

Tomahawk (PortAventura)

 

I didn't realise how satisfying it would be actually working out what order I prefer the coasters in (watching TPR POVs to jog my memory).

[niiicolaaah]

It's funny because rides people say are smooth often hurt me because I fly around in the car and knock into things

You're kind of the anomaly when it comes to coaster enthusiasts because you're "little."

Ha, ha, ha.

 

Actually, I have thought about that before. There are just so many...men in coaster enthusiasm.

 

I know I'm late to the party but - on the other hand, when big guys get stapled into steel coasters and complain they're not comfortable, we don't have that problem!!

 

 

::edit:: just finished my poll:

 

El Toro SFGAd NJ,y,y,1

My Favorite Steel Anypark Anywhere **,y,n,2 (Nemesis)

Ravine Flyer II Waldameer PA,y,n,3

Thunderhead Dollywood TN,y,y,4

Phoenix Knoebel's PA,y,n,5

...

M.Can.Mine Buster Canada's Wonderland ON,y,n,53

Great White Wild Wheels Pier NJ,y,n,54

Mean Streak Cedar Point OH,y,n,55

Thunder Road Carowinds NC,y,y,56

Predator Darien Lake NY,y,n,57

[mattnz]

Boss is in my middle-of-the-pack range. I enjoyed it at the time, but quickly realized I barely remembered anything about it (same deal with Screamin' Eagle). But I liked the hardcore helix, and there must've been airtime for me to think anything of it. That said, I know the jackhammering ruins it for a lot of people.

 

Speaking of Screamin' Eagle, I did enjoy some airtime and a helping of old-school charm, but it seems neither aspect is too hard to come by, so it doesn't rank too highly for me either. It's been running better this year, though, right?

 

I put Boss somewhere in the middle too. It's got a really interesting layout with some huge sweeping drops but the jackhammering definitely distracted me a bit. I don't remember Screamin' Eagle having much airtime to speak of in 2010, so I hope it's improved a bit.

 

I think I may be the only one who quite liked Wildcat at Lake Compounce! Andrew and I rode it three times on the TPR trip and didn't find it too rough, which just goes to show it's all a matter of your personal experience and opinion when it comes to coasters and (especially) temperamental woodies.

[cal1br3tto]

^Well, the fact I rode Wildcat twice probably says something. I recall it having a bit o' airtime, which practically guarantees I'll have at least a tiny bit of affection for a coaster. But for the most part it was that fateful combo of rough and mostly boring to me, so I must admit it's one of my least favorites!

[djw44]

One coaster that I do not think gets the attention that it should is Swamp Fox at Family Kingdom. That is a fun little coaster.

[rcdude]

^^I rode Wildcat twice as well (wanted to try both the front and back), and while it wasn't horrible it is what I consider a D-level ride (I'd ride it again, but wouldn't wait in line to do so). It is in the bottom five of my wooden coaster list mainly because the ride really isn't very eventful, although it was rougher than I expected from a ride that size.

 

Submitted my ballot today, and even doing the text method it only took around a half-hour to fill out. There really isn't a reason to not do this, unless you have never been on a wooden coaster (which I'm guessing is a very small percentage of enthusiasts).

Edited December 22, 2011 by rcdude

[CoasterGuy06]

Submitted my ballot. Didn't ride any new to me wooden coasters this year so it was just a minor reshuffle based on how rides were this year. My top 10 this year:

 

1.)The Voyage

2.)Thunderhead

3.)Rampage

4.)Favorite Steel Coaster (i305)

5.)The Legend

6.)The Raven

7.)Kentucky Rumbler

8.)Roar! (SFA)

9.)The Beast (moved into top 10 this year because of the AMAZING night rides this year).

10.)The Grizzly (KD)

[PAL]

This is only the second year I've submitted a ballot. Some of the finer points escape me. Like this one:

 

If coasters that have met the wrecking ball are removed from the ballot, why would The Texas Giant remain? As a wooden coaster, it's done. Game over!

 

I never experienced the pain or pleasure of riding it, but was lucky enough to get plenty of laps on the reincarnation. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't appear on the steel poll. It's easily in my top 10 (love that airtime!). That begs the question: has a single coaster ever appeared on both polls in the same year?

[downunder]

El Toro went from #2 to # 1 in my rankings after some seriously righteous night rides. Wooden Warrior ranked the highest of my new wood coaster credits, it was so much fun. I'd like to say it's the woodie equivalent of a megalite, but that's stretching it.

 

For some reason I always have insanely horrible rides on Wildcat at Compounce, so it continues to get my bottom rank.

[Robocoaster]

Traincrossin - Why wouldn't it be? (See Robb's post).

 

Since I'd hate to think you'd lose sleep over it, i'll tell you.

 

I had my first visit to SFStL the day before HWN this year. Having not heard much about the rides there, I had no expectations.

Boss f'n rocked!!!

Period.

 

Rode three times,in the front, middle, and very back, and I did not feel it was rough. Aggressive, yes, but in the way only the best woodies are. Airtime, forces, speed, and actually smooth IMO (and, no offense, don't give a crap about anyone else's). The helix was a nice touch; I had no idea it was coming and it was great. It totally came out of nowhere, and kicked my ass in the best possible way. It was the start of a very great day.

 

Did I catch it on a rare "on" day? Was some maintenance previously done on it in the days before my arrival? Who cares??? And if I had ridden Voyage in it's maiden season, I'm open to the fact it would've ranked above Boss. But I hadn't been to Holiday World since 2003, and my first rides on Voyage were this year. It wasn't as great a ride as I'd heard. I could see how it might have been at one time, but it was bit too rough in ways I didn't care for. If, according to friends, El Toro had been running like crap recently it would still be my #1 based on the rides I got in '08, due to the fact that I haven't ridden since then and therefore haven't experienced it running badly. If I visit a park on a day I'm not feeling well, that could affect my enjoyment of a ride, etc, etc.

 

So many factors come into play that affect each person's unique individual experience...

Edited December 22, 2011 by Robocoaster