fraroc Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 Simply put, have any TPR users ever try to teach people about the intricacies of roller coasters, such as the make and model of each one? And have you successfully ever converted someone from GP to enthusiast? Right now, I'm still working on teaching my mom about coasters. She loves going on roller coasters, but there are times where she's asked me some GP-like questions and I have to school her about certain things! For example, there was one time on our first trip to Carowinds where she was like "So who make Fury again? Intamin?" And I'm like "Okay that's it, we're going back to coaster school." lol Anyway, what about the rest of you?
ImNotOneOfYou Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 I taught my friend about the different elements.
Password121 Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 I geeked out a lot with my buddy at Great Adventure for a couple days. We talked on the long drive up and I explained some basic stuff and he seemed pretty interested. By the end of the two days he had a decent understanding of how El Toro is so much better in the back and in the afternoon, and at one point I got on the topic of upstop wheels after he noticed it farting a lot. Anyways he started out this year with no coaster knowledge and now he knows B&M, Intamin, RMC, etc., and after that weekend I convinced him to buy a 2016 Cedar Fair platinum pass and we're in the planning stages of a Cedar Point/Kings Island/Kentucky Kingdom week long trip next summer. This is the closest I've come to "converting" (that sounds super weird) someone and I don't plan to try it again because it takes a really specific type of person that you'd have to know somehow in advance would care at all.
rolercstrluvr Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 Well i'm helping my gf understand the more basic qualities first, such as elements and different types of coasters. She loves riding them though so that's a good start, but i'll have to step it up eventually by teaching her the different companies and so on.
boldikus Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 Its weird to think of converting someone lol but my bro-in-law for sure. It's more like enlightening. He, like me, always really enjoyed coasters and has a background in engineering, so we sort of bonded over this hobby and as you guys know from my TRs we've done a bunch of different trips/parks together. I only got really heavily into this two years ago and as I've shared knowledge and info about coasters and rides, he seems interested and responds - he knows the difference between companies (he's an Intamin junkie) and can correctly name elements, gets the whole mechanical side of things, etc. He did post on here once, pretty sure he lurks. I have a bunch of other friends who love riding and some who have gone multiple times with me but when I geek out about stuff with them it sorta goes in one ear and out the other. I always think its funny when I get nerdy and people kinda turn their head to the side and say something like "Wow I didn't realize how into this stuff you are."
Password121 Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 I always think its funny when I get nerdy and people kinda turn their head to the side and say something like "Wow I didn't realize how into this stuff you are." This. The first time I said the words "upstop wheels" my buddy stopped me and said "This isn't stuff you learn from liking roller coasters and browsing a few websites, this is like years and years acquiring knowledge." I explained more about what they are and he lightened up to really understanding it all soon after, but it was funny nonetheless. He actually also has an account on here with no posts under "BlackbeardsLTT" after I explained Boldikus' love (and mine) for Skull Mountain, he wanted to revolutionize his own cult following.
ImNotOneOfYou Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 I always think its funny when I get nerdy and people kinda turn their head to the side and say something like "Wow I didn't realize how into this stuff you are." This. The first time I said the words "upstop wheels" my buddy stopped me and said "This isn't stuff you learn from liking roller coasters and browsing a few websites, this is like years and years acquiring knowledge." I explained more about what they are and he lightened up to really understanding it all soon after, but it was funny nonetheless. He actually also has an account on here with no posts under "BlackbeardsLTT" after I explained Boldikus' love (and mine) for Skull Mountain, he wanted to revolutionize his own cult following. What's next
Password121 Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 ^Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train all the way.
Nrthwnd Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 None that I know of. The ones I do connect with, are usually already in the queue, and want to know what's all about my (usual) theme park t-shirt, etc. That's fine with me.
K1ngdaKa88 Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 I made it with my best friend! It all started when he came with me to the lake garda Trip! First he was scared and didn't wantet to ride Oblivion at Gardaland till the last day, there he finally went on it and then he told me, that he now will come on every coaster!
Generational Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 A few years ago I tried everything in my power to get my now ex-girlfriend to convert to roller coasters. She hated them with an absolute passion, and I suggested amusement parks and theme parks at every junction. It never worked, and in hindsight, that might be for the best. Most likely, she would have cried and not talked to me for the rest of the day.
YoshiFan Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 My sister knows some of the different coaster companies like B&M and Intamin from going to parks with me. I also got her to try major coasters. Before she would only try tamer coasters like mine trains and now I convinced her to try coasters like Nitro and Talon.
SFOG1991 Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 I like to think I've almost fully converted my boyfriend over the past few years. He doesn't know as much as I do, but he knows enough that he can understand pretty much any geeky thing I say and provide his insight. He still can't seem to remember every coaster's name so when he talks about some of his favorites from previous trips, it is like a guessing game for me!
canadianparkfan Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 I always think its funny when I get nerdy and people kinda turn their head to the side and say something like "Wow I didn't realize how into this stuff you are." This. The first time I said the words "upstop wheels" my buddy stopped me and said "This isn't stuff you learn from liking roller coasters and browsing a few websites, this is like years and years acquiring knowledge." I explained more about what they are and he lightened up to really understanding it all soon after, but it was funny nonetheless. He actually also has an account on here with no posts under "BlackbeardsLTT" after I explained Boldikus' love (and mine) for Skull Mountain, he wanted to revolutionize his own cult following. As for the topic at hand, I can't say I've "converted" anybody into an enthusiast, however, I've definetly got a few friends who, if at a park/carnival, will ride everything I do... The rest of the group just thinks we're crazy
TheCoasterKid211 Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 My friend Ethan hated roller coasters. I took him on Deuling Dragons when it was still Deuling Dragons. And the rest, a they say, is history.
boldikus Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 ^Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train all the way. Ive only ridden BBLTT once and sat in the back and that crazyass lateral air coming down that tiny little drop is insane. They need to build an enclosure and call it Mini Skull.
DoinItForTheFame Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 The only person I have converted to coasterism is my partner. When he and I got together I am pretty sure the average GP person knew more about roller coasters, and theme parks than he did. However, many years later he is VERY knowledgeable about parks. I started him out slowly by showing him the way to tells different coaster companies apart and such, and know he knows the name of each element, and what new coasters are coming next year, and so forth. I'm very thankful that he actually enjoys theme parks as much as I do, and that we can share such an awesome hobby together.
BeansproutMidget Posted October 23, 2015 Posted October 23, 2015 Hmm...I guess at least one, four+ if you count the basics. One of my best friends knows all of the major manufactures, as well as some of the elements and differences between gigas, stratas, and hypers. Heck, he knows what an LIM is now, and we watched the live streaming of when Lightning Rod was announced, and he's excited for that as much as I am.
Cullvion Posted October 24, 2015 Posted October 24, 2015 2 people, my friends Dimitri and Hayden. We both went to Michigan's Adventure last August, at the beginning of the day they were afraid of the Mad Mouse (Wild Mouse coaster), and at the end of the day their favorite coaster was Thunderhawk (a Vekoma SLC)
yay101 Posted January 28, 2016 Posted January 28, 2016 I have a friend who is into roller coasters, mostly mainstream ones, and I gave him insight into some cooler, lesser known ones and some weird fun facts too. Also my family is not an enthusiast family but I've told them enough so they know more than the GP.
CoasterDirected Posted January 28, 2016 Posted January 28, 2016 I converted my dad pretty easily, he's liked them for a while, even riding Magnum opening year so it wasn't that hard. He's getting a little older now (early 50s) so some wooden coasters and practically anything made my Vekoma or Arrow that isn't Magnum is a no-go but nearly everything else is fair game. I've taught him some things about the industry and he can usually identify what manufacturer makes what ride, especially B&M. He definitely has supported me the most in my coaster addiction and always has a blast alongside me. It's honestly become our father-son bonding kinda thing My sister took a little while longer than him just because of the fear aspect at first. The main thing was inversions and launches, so when we went to St. Louis for the first time I was extremely surprised to get her on Mr. Freeze only after riding American Thunder. I don't think she got over her fear faster than when I did. She has actually begged my dad to take us to Cedar Point this summer to ride Dragster, Gatekeeper, and Millie, as well as being "Like, the first person in my school to ride Valravn."
thrillseeker4552 Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 My dad is fairly educated about coasters, mainly because he takes me to parks and rides with me, but he still has a lot of GP in him. I have a friend who is similar. I don't know anyone personally who is as crazy and nerdy as I am. So to answer the question...1/2 + 1/2 = 1.
XII Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 If by converting to roller coasterism, you mean take someone who was afraid of riding roller coasters and helped them get over that fear and have fun on roller coasters, then I've converted several friends. If by converting to roller coasterism, you mean turn them into a roller coaster enthusiast who knows the manufactures, counts credits, and all the nerdy enthusiast stuff, then nope. I've took a non-coaster friend to a park out of state and they really enjoyed it, but that's about it.
Philrad71 Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 My partner and my family (and part of my partner's family). None of them were into theme parks or roller coasters until my friend growing up took me to Cedar Point one year back in '84 or '85 and got me hooked. Since then, we have all been able to enjoy them throughout the years - and most will always hear of me talking about the new coasters coming out, or will tell me about one that they read about in the news. Although, I wouldn't say that any of them are enthusiasts like me, most know what parks are what and some of the coasters in them. And now we are starting to get my niece's young children into them. They are only 6 & 9 and are still a bit reluctant...but they are coming along!
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