The Mitch Hawker 2013 Wood Coaster Poll Thread!

[805Andrew]

I'm not going to have time to submit a ballot until January but I will definitely do it. If I make it on the Mini Hotness trip I bet The Voyage or the new Goliath will be at the top of my list next year.

[rctneil]

I'm not going to have time to submit a ballot until January but I will definitely do it. If I make it on the Mini Hotness trip I bet The Voyage or the new Goliath will be at the top of my list next year.

 

 

Voyage is a great ride but I overall preferred Raven. Voyage is in my mind overrated. I'll be getting my poll done over the next few days.

[Condor]

Question for the Voyage critics. Is it strictly about roughness or is there also something about the layout that doesn't work for you?

[robbalvey]

Question for the Voyage critics. Is it strictly about roughness or is there also something about the layout that doesn't work for you?

Both. Besides the ride beating the crap out of me, which I find completely unacceptable even for a wooden roller coaster, I just felt the layout kept going, and going, and going... "Oh, here's another 90 degree...here's another turn under the structure, here's another helix..." Ravine Flyer II, IMO, does so much more interesting things than Voyage, and it does it in half of the track length.

 

While there was "good" airtime over the first three hills on the way out, I didn't find the airtime to be "extreme" like you find on El Toro, T Express, Balder, Colossos, Phoenix, Bolder Dash, Outlaw Run, Fireball, just to name a few.

 

I don't mind when a ride is long provided that it does stuff I like. Case in point - Ghostrider in it's early days was amazing in length and awesome in airtime. It was the near *perfect* roller coaster. Voyage is nearly 2,000 feet longer and I just feel that it spends those extra 2,000 feet just not doing things that interest me.

 

Even if the ride wasn't beating the living crap out of me, I think it would still fall well outside of my top ten and probably land somewhere around my 20ish ranking.

 

I would rather take a ride like Phoenix, which is 3,000+ feet shorter over The Voyage ANY DAY. And this isn't anything against Gravity Group. I have four of their coasters in my top 15 (technically 5), but I just never "got" The Voyage.

 

--Robb "I was never a fan...even from day one." Alvey

Edited December 29, 2013 by robbalvey

[Nrthwnd]

^ In other words, it's the usual typical Japanese coaster!

(some of which go on and on and on and...)

For example...

[hyyyper]

Finally sat down to update my ballot, but I got lazy and just did the top10 and bottom5, the others are just divided into categories.

 

Due to the my trip to the US (TPR Texas MidWest plus personal addons) my top 10 saw a few new coasters:

Outlaw Run (3), Voyage (4), Legend (5), Raven (7), Hades 360 (8).

 

1-10 : Best of the World

20 : Fantastic

30 : Super

40 : Good

50 : Enjoyable

60 : Nothing special

70 : Just a credit

80 : Un-enjoyable

95-99 : Worst of the world

 

0 My Favorite Steel Anypark Anywhere ** (Batman La Fuga - Parque Warner Madrid)

1 Boulder Dash Lake Compounce CT

2 El Toro SFGAd NJ

3 Outlaw Run Silver Dollar City MO

4 The Voyage Holiday World IN

5 The Legend Holiday World IN

6 Phoenix Knoebel's PA

7 Raven Holiday World IN

8 Hades Mount Olympus WI

9 Apocalypse S. F. Magic Mountain CA

10 Troy Toverland NL

 

20

Giant Dipper Santa Cruz Bch Bdwk CA

Lightning Racer - L Hersheypark PA

Lightning Racer - T Hersheypark PA

Jack Rabbit Kennywood PA

Boardwalk Bullet Kemah Boardwalk TX

Cyclops Mount Olympus WI

Zeus Mount Olympus WI

Wodan TimburCoaster Europa Park DE

Tonnerre de Zeus Parc Asterix FR

Joris en de Draak W de Efteling NL

Joris en de Draak V de Efteling NL

 

30

Roar SF Discovery Kingdom CA

GhostRider Knott's Berry Farm CA

Colossus S.F. Magic Mountain CA

Cyclone Luna Park NY

Wildcat Hersheypark PA

Twister Knoebel's PA

Stampida Port Aventura ES

 

40

Giant Dipper Belmont Park CA

Gwazi-Tiger Busch Gardens-Tampa FL

Gwazi-Lion Busch Gardens-Tampa FL

Viper SFGAm IL

American Thunder Six Flags St Louis MO

Hell Cat Clementon Lake NJ

Great White Wild Wheels Pier NJ

Dragon Coaster Playland NY

The Beast Kings Island OH

Comet Hersheypark PA

Thunderbolt Kennywood PA

Mammut Tripsdrill DE

 

50

American Eagle SFGAm IL

The Boss Six Flags St Louis MO

Screamin' Eagle Six Flags St Louis MO

Blue Streak Cedar Point OH

Mean Streak Cedar Point OH

Racer Kings Island OH

Thunderhawk Dorney Park PA

Racer Kennywood PA

Judge Roy Scream SFoT TX

Rebel Yell Kings Dominion VA

 

60

Arkansas Twister Magic Springs AR

Cyclone SF New England MA

Wild One SF America MD

Pegasus Mount Olympus WI

HellCat Timber Falls WI

The Bandit Movie Park DE

Coaster-Express Parque Warner Madrid ES

Anaconda Walygator Parc FR

 

70

Little Dipper SFGAm IL

Woodstock Express Kings Island OH

Meteor Little Amerricka WI

Tomahawk Port Aventura ES

 

80

Roar SF America MD

 

95 The Grizzly Great America CA

96 Robin Hood Walibi Holland NL

97 Wildcat Lake Compounce CT

98 Hurler Kings Dominion VA

99 The Grizzly Kings Dominion VA

[rcjp]

Just one thing: I know it's probably not a big deal but last year, after I sent the ballot, I received an email (the following day or so) confirming that it had been submitted, this year I didn't. Does this mean something went wrong or is it normal?

[gerstlaueringvar]

^^ Bas, have you ridden Hades this year?

[Philrad71]

^^ I haven't received one yet either.

[DanM64]

^^^Nor have I. I was actually wondering about that myself.

[hyyyper]

^^ Bas, have you ridden Hades this year?

 

I have, and to be honest, I quite liked it. I will never say it is a smooth ride, but it was actually not that bad as I expected. The ride is very exciting and somehow the excitement outweighed the roughness

[FreeFaller]

All the dutchies like rough rides! JK!

[beatle11]

^^ Bas, have you ridden Hades this year?

 

I have, and to be honest, I quite liked it. I will never say it is a smooth ride, but it was actually not that bad as I expected. The ride is very exciting and somehow the excitement outweighed the roughness

 

From what I understand, that ride was among the best in the world when it was new. It's a shame it beats you to death now.

[robbalvey]

All the dutchies like rough rides! JK!

When you live in the country that birthed Vekoma, what do you expect?

[gerstlaueringvar]

I wonder how many people vote on MH every year?

[FreeFaller]

All the dutchies like rough rides! JK!

When you live in the country that birthed Vekoma, what do you expect?

 

Haha true that!

[shivtim]

My top 15 wood coasters:

 

1. Phoenix, Knoebel's

2. El Toro, SFGAd

*My favorite Steel (Expedition GeForce)

3.T Express, Everland

4.Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City

5.Colossos, Heide Park

6.HellCat, Timber Falls

7.Raven, Holiday World

8.Wooden Warrior, Quassy

9.Boulder Dash, Lake Compounce

10.The Voyage, Holiday World

11.Prowler, Worlds of Fun

12.Cornball Express, Indiana Beach

13.Thunderhead, Dollywood

14.Shivering Timbers, Michigan's Adventure

15.Boardwalk Bullet, Kemah Boardwalk

[raptor6]

Here's mine! The Click and Drag Ballot Helper is seriously fantastic and makes life so easy!

 

After about the first 20 or so, its all pretty much at the same level... Rides that I generally might ride again if there is a minimal line. I'm thinking that my top 5 will change after going to SFGAm in the summer.

 

--Generator: Jordan's Ballot Helper 2013 (wood)--

--Ballot: a572f7d8219--

--donbenko50370@hotmail.com------

LOCATION IN NEXT LINE (Please LEAVE THIS LINE IN BALLOT)

~"East Lansing, MI, USA"

NAME IN NEXT LINE (Please LEAVE THIS LINE IN THE BALLOT)

~"Donald Benko"

RANK THE FOLLOWING RIDING SENSATIONS <-LEAVE

Abrupt Airtime_____________________________,y,y,1

Sensation of Speed_________________________,y,y,2

Out of Control Feeling/Directional Changes_,y,y,3

Floating Airtime___________________________,y,y,4

Positive G's/Loops_________________________,y,y,5

Lateral Forces_____________________________,y,y,6

COASTER NAME PARK LOC <-LEAVE

My Favorite Steel Anypark Anywhere **,y,y,1

Boulder Dash Lake Compounce CT,y,n,2

Phoenix Knoebel's PA,y,n,3

Shivering Timbers Michigan's Adventure MI,y,y,4

Ravine Flyer II Waldameer PA,y,n,5

Kentucky Rumbler Beech Bend KY,y,n,6

The Beast Kings Island OH,y,n,7

Viper SFGAm IL,y,n,8

Blue Streak Cedar Point OH,y,y,9

American Eagle SFGAm IL,y,n,10

Lightning Racer - T Hersheypark PA,y,n,11

Lightning Racer - L Hersheypark PA,y,n,12

Racer Kings Island OH,y,n,13

Twister Knoebel's PA,y,n,14

Big Dipper (SBNO) Geauga Lake OH,y,n,15

Sea Dragon Jungle Jacks Landing OH,y,n,16

The Grizzly Kings Dominion VA,y,n,17

Grt Am Scrm Mach SFoG GA,y,n,18

Gwazi-Lion Busch Gardens-Tampa FL,y,y,19

Georgia Cyclone SFoG GA,y,n,20

Jack Rabbit Seabreeze NY,y,n,21

Mean Streak Cedar Point OH,y,y,22

Thunderhawk Dorney Park PA,y,n,23

Thunderbolt SF New England MA,y,n,24

Cyclone SF New England MA,y,n,25

Little Dipper SFGAm IL,y,n,26

Gwazi-Tiger Busch Gardens-Tampa FL,y,n,27

Comet Hersheypark PA,y,n,28

Rebel Yell Kings Dominion VA,y,n,29

Wolverine Wildcat Michigan's Adventure MI,y,y,30

Hurler Kings Dominion VA,y,n,31

Predator Darien Lake NY,y,n,32

Wild One SF America MD,y,n,33

Wildcat Hersheypark PA,y,n,34

Wildcat Lake Compounce CT,y,n,35

Comet Waldameer PA,y,n,36

Woodstock Express Kings Island OH,y,n,37

Ghoster Coaster Kings Dominion VA,y,n,38

Zach's Zoomer Michigan's Adventure MI,y,y,39

Roar SF America MD,y,n,40

[downunder]

I wonder how many people vote on MH every year?

 

Yin, it's usually around 400-600 ballots after they've weeded out Voyage and Prowler fanboys. I'm not sure if it's still up, but you can see what people voted and how many votes.

 

On Voyage, I last rode it in August 2007. And it had no airtime and was absolutely pulverising at the turn around. I rode it front and back and everywhere else - no good. Love Holiday World though.

[gerstlaueringvar]

I wonder how many people vote on MH every year?

 

Yin, it's usually around 400-600 ballots after they've weeded out Voyage and Prowler fanboys. I'm not sure if it's still up, but you can see what people voted and how many votes.

 

On Voyage, I last rode it in August 2007. And it had no airtime and was absolutely pulverising at the turn around. I rode it front and back and everywhere else - no good. Love Holiday World though.

Thanks! But why do they weed out Voyage and Prowler fanboys?

[KI Kidd]

According to Mitch's site there were 635 ballots submitted for the wooden poll and 549 submitted for the steel poll last year.

[cal1br3tto]

Thanks! But why do they weed out Voyage and Prowler fanboys?

He must not, since my ballot always gets counted.

 

Yes, I am one of those seemingly rare Voyage fans (2010-era). The layout takes the out-and-back concept to a new and innovative level with all its unusual twists and elements. I personally thought the initial, straightforward airtime hills were a highlight, but like (a much more brutal) El Toro, Voyage doesn't let up until the very end.

 

On Apocalypse: I thought it rode about the same this year as it did in 2010. The modest total amount of airtime was still disappointing, but one of the two or so pops was surprisingly intense on at least one of my rides. However, I was one of the few who never thought much of the ride, so it's relatively low on my list.

[Mrlittle]

^ You should post your ballot Laura

[downunder]

I wonder how many people vote on MH every year?

 

Yin, it's usually around 400-600 ballots after they've weeded out Voyage and Prowler fanboys. I'm not sure if it's still up, but you can see what people voted and how many votes.

 

On Voyage, I last rode it in August 2007. And it had no airtime and was absolutely pulverising at the turn around. I rode it front and back and everywhere else - no good. Love Holiday World though.

Thanks! But why do they weed out Voyage and Prowler fanboys?

 

It's usually obvious, fanboys put their favourite coaster at number 1 and the likely rivals at the bottom to try and rig the poll. I think that has pretty much ceased now or at least they prevent it happening.

[Woodie Warrior]

I personally love Voyage and thought it was only slightly rough. But I haven't ridden many wooden coasters, so my opinion could totally change after I eventually ride El Toro or T Express. Outlaw Run is still number one though!