When did you become an enthusiast?

[Janus]

May 3rd, 2003, at around 7:40pm.. Private party at SFMM, my first time to the park. The moment my seat rotated over at the top of X's first drop, I was hooked.

[KC]

I've always been facinated by roller coasters since I can remember but I was scared to death of riding them for a while. I went to BGT with just my mom in summer '98 or '97 and I remember before we got there I made her promise me to make me ride Montu (not bad for a fist coaster!) After forcing me on that first ride I was totally hooked and I think I must have ridden Montu and Kumba ten times each that day.

[MichRollerCoast]

I've been in ACE since August 24, 2004. I have always liked coasters but while in High School here in Muskegon, MI where we have MIA, but nothing else close. I was a bandnerd in HS and now that I've graduated I've switched over to full blown Coaster Enthusiast. I've been on 59 coasters now and am adding 68 this summer.

[coasterzak]

I don't really know if I'm an "Enthusiast" yet as I've never been to a club event or even belong to a club. I have, however been to over 10 parks and over 100 coasters. I guess that will be my qualification. I have also made some really corny videos. It all started my 7th grade year when Millennium Force was being built over the winter. I saw a picture somewhere and I had loved coasters for a while, but this really intrigued me. Soon I learned the stats and followed the construction. I had never been to CP, but begged my parents and we went that summer. Ever since then I've had a season pass to the park in Aurora OH and CP.

[FlyingScooter]

I've been a coaster nut for longer than i can remember. The coasters at Euclid beach started me off.

I think the reason I'm an enthusiast is simply this: no coasters are the same. (exception being Vekoma SLC's: Serial thriller / Mind eraser (not at GL)

RCT did help to push things along for me. Once i get RCT3 running again, I'm going to try to do a Euclid beach park, Chippewa lake and Idora parks.

[SonOfBeastSucks]

I always liked coasters/ parks before I knew anything about them but in the year 2000 I went to the HW website a few days before I went to the park. A link from the website had a coaster website (I forget whats its called, but I would remember if I saw it) and I became interested looking at lots of official park websites and soon after I learned all about coasters and became an enthusiast.

[flyby208]

I first got into coasters after riding the corkscrew at Knotts about 1984 and have never looked back

[Andrew643]

The second I got off my first Nitro ride during the summer of 2001.

[coasterdude5]

It really started when I was in the third grade. I started riding pretty much everything in sixth grade.

[denning]

It was going to the hospital.

 

 

When I wasn't tall enough to ride Dragon Fyre (PCW, Arrow corkscrew looper), I want home and ate four bottles of Flintstone vitamin pills hoping to grow an inch and a half overnight before my next visit.

 

When my young (24 year old) aunt who i was staying with found out, thought I was going to OD, and rushed me to the hosiptal.

 

Doctor's laughed, my pee was bright yellow. I lived.

 

The next day, I wore huge shoes to PCW the next time, and somehow got on, and the rest was history.

[SharkTums]

Oh man, I love Flintstones vitamins!!! It's all about the red ones! They recently changed the name of the variety I liked though. It's now "My First Flintstones" Vitamins that are the really good ones!

[Mystery]

When I rode Goliath in Walibi World (When the park was called Six Flags Holland)

 

I had only did Vekoma coasters before and a shaky Intamin woody, when I rode Goliath I was amazed, that smooth!

 

Before that time I was not a real fan but just looking on the internet for images and stuff.

[benzo41190]

^ once I ate like 8 of them at once.

 

All i can say is that I had a very painful night at the toilet.

[scruffy]

I first got into coasters after taking a ride on The Scooby Doo now know as the Beastie at PKI in 1978. Then came The Beast and the rest is history.

[it]

Robb and Elissa's website turned my into a freaky die hard coaster fan!

[ebl]

Yesterday on my way home from work.

 

Eric

[ECZenith]

After my first "big" coaster ride, I must've been like 10... Scorpion at BGT.

[Reon]

My first coaster. I think it was Adventure Express, but I could have gone on Top Cat (Scooby at the time) before, so Im not sure...This was abouy 10 years ago or more...I forgot how long Ive been a PKI passholder...

[ShannonSomerville]

June 1997-Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Rode Alpengeist for the very first time,meet a couple of ACE members.The rest is history. But,my very first coaster was the Rebel Yell. Went to PKD on a school trip in 6th grade(1982). Take care SES :o

[disneyfan1313]

I am more of a theme park enthusiast than coaster enthusiast, but I think my "turning point" was my first visit to DL and Knotts when I went on a cross country trip when I was 9. From then on, I knew I loved it!

[Mr.Roller77]

I was maybe seven or eight years old, rode my first coaster at Crystal Beach, the Giant Coaster, a side friction woodie. Been hooked for woodies ever since!

[RCT3Bross]

I was seven and went to my home park. After one question I got so curious about coasters I wanted to know more and more. It took me literally years before I was brave enough to ride though. (9 Without inversion, 14 with Inversions.)

[Coaster Curt]

I honestly don't know when I became a coaster enthusiast, I am pretty certain it was last year when I was planning a trip for a group of friends to drive 11 hours to Cedar Point.

 

As a kid we weren't that well off and even though Valleyfair was less than an hour away I can only remember going once (maybe the age of 12), I refused to go on the Corkscrew, because you know it went upside down. Managed one ride on the High Roller and that was my coaster experience for the next 3-4 years. We did skip school now and then to spend the day at Valleyfair but the rides were never really a huge part of being at the park.

 

Three years ago I bought season passes to VF for the family, we enjoyed going and riding but it was never a love of the coasters that kept us coming back. Then can the trip I was planning for the 4 guys to go to CP and have some fun. The more videos I watched and forums I read the more excited I became, I really had no idea the variety of coasters in the parks today, I was such an innocent and lacking experience because of the sad coaster line up at VF.

 

Walking into CP the first time and taking in the size of Millennium Force and TTD was unreal to me, the first ride we took was front seat of Raptor................I was then instantly transformed from a fan to an enthusiast.

 

Currently planning a trip with the group and we are doing Kings Island and Cedar Point this year and I am really already thinking of which park or parks we want to go to next.

[IronWolfman]

After my first "big' coaster (or first legit coaster if you don't count powered coasters), Timber Terror. Back in 2006, when I was 8.

[#1rollercoasterfan]

After riding the Demon at CGA in 1993 that was my first upside down coaster & I've just loved coasters ever since!