Favorite Summers/Dinn Coaster Poll

[tuxedomask5432]

I decided to give Thunder Run some love, despite the fact that SFOG is my home park w/ GA Cyclone. 20 or so years ago I would have definitely picked Georgia Cyclone. It used to be out of control crazy without the two trim breaks, even after the 1st re-profile of the first drop.

 

I rode Thunder Run in 2001 and it was my favorite coaster at SFKK. I re-rode that coaster 7 times. It had great air, no trims, no shuffling, and minor roughness. Twisted Twins was closed that day, due to preparations in Halloween theming,

so I could not directly compare to another woodie in the park.

 

A while back I read an article online (sorry no link) that explained that Dinn and Summers success in the 80s and 90s had to do with creating wooden coasters with aggressive layouts, and maneuvers that had not been built previously on wooden coasters. This success also had to do with the low cost of installation as the supporting structures were much "skimpier" than those of John Allen or Intamin woodies. If course these rides fell out of favor quickly as the rides got very rough. I would say the roughness was a combination of PTC trains running on difficult maneuvers, and less supporting structure for greater force load.

 

I'm glad that companies like RMC and GCI are giving these rides some much needed love and refurb. I only wish more parks would fork over the capital to do so

[rcdude]

I've been on three Dinn Corporation coasters, and Predator is the best of the three. That being said, Predator is still just an okay ride (I wouldn't wait more than a couple trains for it), but it is better than Mean Streak and much better than Psyclone was. If you count any coaster that Summers or Dinn worked on, then it would be Mighty Canadian Minebuster (which I think is a decent coaster).

[josephcissell]

The Cyclone's trains seem outdated and beaten as well; could that have anything to do with it?

I certainly think so. They really seem to be in bad shape to me. Also, the fact that the Georgia Cyclone takes its turns so slowly really kills most of the improvement from the partial addition of Topper Track in my opinion.

[GigaG]

Bump - Wanted to insert my 2 cents

 

Hercules - Never been on it.

Mean Streak - Been on it probably more than any other on the list. Bumpy and kinda boring, except when the trims are off. I've developed a new liking for this ride since it has apparently been retracked recently. Still, Iron Streak would be awesome, right?

Old Texas Giant - Went on it long ago, and don't remember it. But I do remember banging heads with my mom next to me. It was VERY bumpy.

Predator - Nope. Never been on it.

Georgia Cyclone - Favorite of the bunch. The airtime is insane in the back, and the ride is bearable (though the best airtime moments are followed by the bumpiest moments, unfortunately)

Psyclone - Never been on it, but heard it sucked.

Raging Wolf Bobs - Went to Geauga after the derailment, so never went on it.

Thunder Run - Never been on it.

Timberwolf - I remember this one being horrible. Just plain horrible.

Wolverine Wildcat - Been on it, but I remember very little of it. The layout looks fun, and the Coaster force POV says it is "no where near as painful" as Mean Streak and Predator.

 

Winner - Georgia Cyclone by far, followed by Mean Streak (what else from a CP fanboy). Next is probably Wolverine Wildcat (but again, i remember little of it). If I could give it another chance more recently, I'm sure I would somewhat like old Texas Giant.

 

I wish we still had buzz bars on the older coasters. Did GA Cyclone ever have any? Why must they take them off? WHY!

[3Mutts]

Sadly out of the ones Ive ridden, Mean Streak is the best.

[GigaG]

Sadly out of the ones Ive ridden, Mean Streak is the best.

 

What others have you ridden?

[Wes]

Texas Giant I guess...

[cfc]

Texas Giant I guess...

 

Your enthusiasm is overwhelming.

[805Andrew]

Is there a such thing as a favorite Dinn coaster? I voted for Psyclone for the F of it because it's the only Dinn I've been on.

[CorkscrewFoley]

It's ok to love Predator!

 

I understand I'm in the minority, but I can't understand the sheer level of hate for Darien Lake's Predator. Especially since the installation of former Voyage Trains. In September 2012, the place was empty so I took the time to find the "bad" Predator a lot of people loathe. I couldn't find it in the front, back, middle, almost front, almost back, wheel seat, etc. Predator follows a very simple yet effective traditional layout that is above average in airtime with some forceful moments sprinkled in. By wooden coaster standards, is it El Toro smooth? Heck no. Is it violent like the former SoB, or former Myrtle Beach's Hurricane, or Hurler at KD? Far from it. Do the trains shuffle? Nah. Are there a few shakes? Of course. But, doesn't almost any traditional (no Topper or Prefab) woodie have some shaking? Yes. There is no defensive riding on this coaster.

 

I agree with you 100%. The Predator is a very good underrated coaster. People are always putting it down, when they probably haven't ridden it since it got the new trains. The ride is a lot less shaky, and still delivers great ejection airtime. Actually, it is one of my top 3 woodies.

 

My God, it was effing brutal...it's too bad, I truly in my heart wanted to love this coaster, but when you get jarred on the turnaround to the lift hill, you know what kind of punishment you're in for...

[gerstlaueringvar]

I actually really like Mean Streak during the Texas/Midwest trip this year. I sat on the last car, wheel seat and did not find it even as rough as Fireball! Maybe it's because I rode Hades360 two days before...

[cal1br3tto]

Thunder Run and Timber Wolf. Mean Streak is, unsurprisingly, low on my list, and I can't stand Georgia Cyclone.

 

It still astounds me how something so similar to the irredeemable Hurlers can be such a competent ride. While not blown away by Thunder Run, I was decidedly impressed, mainly by a few strong pops of air. I agree with the consensus that it's best in the first or second row (shame it can only run one train), as it was both rougher and more underwhelming in other seats, especially the back. It's settled tentatively in the top third of my woodie rankings.

[JRice92]

The two I've ridden are RWB & Mean Streak so I guess Mean Streak wins? Still some of my least favorite coasters.

[stashua123]

A little known fact is that The Beast was constructed by Charles Dinn head of Kings Island Director of Construction and Maintenance. So it could be counted as a John Allen, Dinn, Summers, Kings Island Construction wooden coaster. John Allen gave Kings Island formulas to help build the coaster. Kings Island built it In-House with Charles Dinn heading construction. He later formed the Dinn Corparation three years after The Beast opened. Curtis Summers was heavily subcontracted to help build the ride. So while not on the list, my favorite(technical) Dinn/Summers wooden coaster is The Beast .

[Geauga Dog]

Scary that I've ridden them all except Hercules and OTG. My pick would be Mean Streak before it was neutered so bad. The first few years it was open it was actually decent and I've had a few "good" night rides on it.

 

I did ride Timber Wolf during the ACE Spring Conference back in 1989 and it was a great wood coaster back then. Sad to hear it's deteriorated so bad. From what I remember the upward helix was an unusual feature of the ride, slowing the train a bit without needing trims to do it.

 

Raging Wolf Bobs was an okay ride when it opened in 1988 but those trailered PTCs really beat the hell out of the track. Once Six Flags and Cedar Fair retracked the ride and had put Villain's third Gerstlauer train (and later Holiday World's old Legend train) on the ride it brought some life back to it. Despite its less than thrilling layout it became a decent, speedy ride at night in complete darkness.

 

I do like Predator's layout, it has potential, but it suffered the same fate as RWB did with the trailered trains. I don't think Darien Lake has fully retracked it as it still has a few rough spots but the Voyage trains have improved the ride somewhat.

[BlahBlahson]

How in crap's crap is Thunder Run not the #1 coaster on this list? Every other ride listed is either gone for being a terrible coaster, or still remains a terrible, exceptionally rough coaster.

 

You know when you talk to someone who isn't a coaster enthusiast and they mention how they hate wooden coasters because they're so jerky? This list is a great reason why.

[Woodie Warrior]

I have only ridden two of these: Mean Streak and Thunder Run. I rode both of these for the first time this summer, and Mean Streak won. Both have really boring layouts, and both were surprisingly smooth. I just thought Thunder Run's layout was extra boring.

[rcdude]

Well, I rode Thunder Run this summer, and of the four Dinn woodies I've been on (others being Mean Streak, Predator, and Psyclone) it is easily the best. While it isn't anything special, Thunder Run is the only one of the four that I'd wait more than a few trains to ride and it is the only one I think is worth multiple rides.

[thrillseeker4552]

The only one on that list I've been on is Mean Streak, but it still doesn't get my vote because of how terrible it is! Do I have to have a favorite?

[rcjp]

^I'm like you. Only tried Mean Streak

[MagnumFreak25]

I've only been on Mean Streak and Georgia Cyclone. Both were horrible but Mean Streak is almost somewhat smooth now.(Still chants "RMC! RMC! RMC!")

[Thunder_Run]

It's pretty obvious by my username which is my number one pick for this.

 

Said this before in a previous thread I believe, but my first time riding Thunder Run, (second car, front row) the third airtime hill basically just threw me up with enough force the seat-belt unbuckled. Got scared for a moment, but looking back on it, that was a pretty fun ride. I really can't wait to ride it again since the park re-opened.

 

Somewhat-related, but I don't think anyone has mentioned that Thunder Run was re-profiled some time between 1990 and 1995. Not minor, mind you, it was quite major; just given how low to the ground most of the track is though, most people pretty much have no idea it was. Before the re-profiling, the second airtime hill was more parabolic in shape and somewhat higher. On that long stretch leading to the third major turn, there used to be a double-up, and the small hill following the turn also was more of a parabola. Shame, because considering after they replaced the train, the ride became a fully enjoyable experience with not that much roughness, and oh yeah, the shuffling was practically non-existent then (at least when I rode it).