Balder, Thunderhead 1-2 in Mitch's Poll

[cgodsey]

Hey all!

 

Mitch has posted the results of the 2005 wooden coaster poll. You can see the results at http://www.ushsho.com/woodrollercoasterpollresults2005.htm

 

Once again, this poll is very non-biased and I think it represents the world's best wooden coasters. Congrats to the parks on the list!

 

Chris

Here is a quick recap:

[DATman]

NICE!

[Eunuch Provocateur]

Ghostrider doesn't deserve #20... It's as bad as #174 and 175...

 

And where's TimberHawk?

[robbalvey]

Wow! Nice to see. I certainly agree a LOT more with this poll than others that are out there.

 

Even having said that, here are a couple of my comments:

 

- Balder #1 - AWESOME!!!! It totally deserves it!

 

- Aska is a GREAT wooden coaster (came in at my #11) but surprised to see it's mirror image, Viper, nearly 30 spots down the list.

 

- I'm glad to finally see Shivering Timbers drop to the botton of the top ten. It's a good ride, but I just never "got it."

 

- Flaken has made a great jump over last year. If it stays running like it was for us this summer, it's a solid top 20 ride!

 

- I still don't get Boulder Dash. I guess I've never had those "airtime filled" rides that other people brag about. The ride has only produced floater at best during our visits. This one at Shivering Timbers are both rides I never quite "got."

 

- Colossos in the top 15! Yay! Showing some love for those Intamin woodies!

 

- Phoenix: I'm bummed that it dropped a bit, but it's still in the top ten, which is cool.

 

- Ghostrider - I'm happy to see it drop since it's opening year, but personally I think it should have taken a harder fall much like Timber Wolf or Wildcat has over the years.

 

- I always liked Timber Terror better than Tremors, but I can totally see why Tremors is where it is.

 

- Son of Beast - a ride that debuted at #136 on the list and just kept falling.....LMAO!!!!

 

- Robin Hood - It's too bad not many of the ACErs went back to ride it later in the day during the ECO trip because while those morning rides sucked, the afternoon rides ROCKED!!!! I thought ACErs knew that woodies warm up during the day?

 

- It would seem that, based on this poll, Silverwood has the best 1-2 woodie punch!

 

Ok, those are my comments. Another great poll, IMO and I hope people can see that, even if you've only been on a handfull of woodies, your opinions ARE counted!

 

--Robb

 

While I urge EVERYONE to go check out the actual poll results at:

http://www.ushsho.com/woodrollercoasterpollresults2005.htm

 

Here is how the top 30 stacked up to previous years:

[Token Yankee Guy]

how did Cyclone get ranked 86 and Thunderbolt got ranked 99?

 

I'm surprised Cyclone didn't get a lower rank

[Zand]

I ranked it #3 and Thunderbolt #11, so it must've helped.

 

Boulder Dash is my #1, but I will admit it sucked this year. I got a headache everytime I rode it. The rides in 2003 were amazing enough to keep it #1 though. If the Lake doesn't do something about it next year, Villain and Cyclone are going for the top spot.

 

Good to see Mean Streak way down there as well. I can't wait to see how El Toro and Voyage compare next year. I'm riding El Toro at least, so that could be another contender for my #1 next year.

[Edwardo]

Aside from ranking Swamp Fox #1 in my vote, I have to say that I agree with the placement of the coasters I've ridden for the most part. Thunderhead #2? Why, I think they copied that off of my ballot .

[robbalvey]

Boulder Dash is my #1, but I will admit it sucked this year. I got a headache everytime I rode it. The rides in 2003 were amazing enough to keep it #1 though.

Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of the poll and it's annual results? I know for a fact that most parks look at this poll and if they see their ride is still ranking high, what is the incentive to improve a ride's quality if in fact the quality is slipping?

 

The poll takes into consideration votes from people who have ridden it recently versus people who haven't. So if people who haven't ridden it since 2003 rank it high, and people who HAVE ridden it recently rank it low, it will show up in the results.

 

If people who HAVE been on it recently keep ranking it high based on rides from 2 seasons ago, when in fact the quality is slipping, how is the park supposed to know?

 

--Robb

[Carnage]

Shivering Timbers I didn't really get either.

 

From what I understand it's a shadow of it's former self.

 

I found it pretty much boring(along with all of MIA). While riding it I kept thinking "where's all the airtime people talk about". I practically had to "Fake" the air time by trying to push myself up over the hills.

[ParkTrips]

how did Cyclone get ranked 86 and Thunderbolt got ranked 99?

 

Maybe from those people who haven't been since it opened as a world-class coaster?

 

 

- I still don't get Boulder Dash. I guess I've never had those "airtime filled" rides that other people brag about. The ride has only produced floater at best during our visits.

It was very "moody" while we we up there this summer. In the AM it was really smooth but an 8/10 or so (moderate air). Later in the evening and during the nighttime ERT, it became superb IMHO. But, with that, it seemed to be rougher too (my girlfriend the wimp that she is even needed to take a break). I've even read it based on one train versus the other, as crazy as that sounds.. but yeah, Boulder Dash is very difficult to predict it seems.

 

- Phoenix: I'm bummed that it dropped a bit, but it's still in the top ten, which is cool.

I think a lot of people discovered Avalanche this year.

 

My top 4 finished just as I had them: Thunderhead, Boulder Dash, Phoenix and Rampage (I don't remember #5 or else I would have used that round figure )

[Zand]

Boulder Dash is my #1, but I will admit it sucked this year. I got a headache everytime I rode it. The rides in 2003 were amazing enough to keep it #1 though.

Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of the poll and it's annual results? I know for a fact that most parks look at this poll and if they see their ride is still ranking high, what is the incentive to improve a ride's quality if it fact the quality is slipping?

 

The poll takes into consideration votes from people who have ridden it recently versus people who haven't. So if people who haven't ridden it since 2003 rank it high, and people who HAVE ridden it recently rank it low, it will show up in the results.

 

If people who HAVE been on it recently keep ranking it high based on rides from 2 seasons ago, when in fact the quality is slipping, how is the park supposed to know?

 

--Robb

 

Wow, never thoght about that. Good point.

[coasterdude5]

Wow, Thunderhead got #2! I think it highly deserves it. Wasn't it three or four last year?

[dougr]

Whooohooo!

Coaster at Playland #18

Tmber Terror#16

Tremors #4

Pullayup #66

Timberhawk #135

The Pacific Northwest rocks! I am SO justified pimping out the Coaster at Playland! 8)

That's right, the 47 year-old Coaster is #18

[PhishyBrewer]

Is it any suprise that Grizzly at PGA came in at last place?

[Guy T. Koepp]

Thunderhead was #2! That is so cool. I'll be at DW in the next coupla weeks. Please god let it get over 40 degrees.

 

OH PLEASE! IF THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN AND YOU WANT TO SHOW ME A SIGN THAT YOU EXIST. YOU WILL ALLOW IT TO BE 70 DEGREES AND SUNNY THE DAY I GO. I WILL CROSS TO THE PATH OF THE ENLIGHTENED, FORSAKING ALL EVIL, (that includes all affiliation with TPR as well as T&Js site) AND SPREAD THE WORD OF YOUR GREAT GLORY!

 

To all of you posting. I may never return.

 

Guy " That's 70 degrees and sunny God, not 69.999 and partialy sunny. If your gonna get my soul, your gonna have to work for it." Koepp

[Scaparri]

It boggles my mind that the Beast is ranked ahead of as many good coasters as it is. I found it to be completely brake raped by almost any qualities it once had. The only thrilling part is the double helix and even that has lost some of it's glory because of brakes. It's really sad what has happened to this once awesome ride.

 

As for Shivering Timbers, I personally love it but I can understand why a lot of people feel it is overhyped. I personally feel that if you want to get an amazing ride on it, you have to ride it in the front late in the day. It's one of those rides that runs much better when it is really warmed up. As for the front, I found the back to be simply too rough. I never gave the middle a try.

 

It's nice to see Hades and Avalanche as far up as they are. I hope to see those two climb even higher, particularly Avalanche in the future.

[WW Goliath]

I think that Balder fully deserves its position at number one. When I rode it this year it was one amazing coaster with more airtime that I was expecting.

 

However I am even more pleased to see that two UK coasters can still make it into the top twenty. Megafobia is still a class act but even better that the seventy year old Grand National can still manage to be ranked at nineteen. I think that Charlie Page would be pleased by this

[Hattuchili]

It looks like I really have to ride Balder, next year!

 

--Sören

[CoasterCrazy]

I'm looking forward to riding Balder even more after seeing how well it ranked!

 

I'm counting down the days until next June!

[N'at Man]

I throw in my two cents on this year's poll.

 

This is the first time the results of this poll really shocked me. I've been participating for years and most of the jumps or falls are predictable. I honestly believe that with the push made to vote here on TPR brought in many first time voters and really shook things up. I'm not saying that's good or bad but I think it made a difference this year.

 

Balder is worthy of top five status due to some of the most extreme airtime to be found. But it loses some points with me for weaker curves and repetition beyond even Shivering Timbers. I think the European voters from this forum helped put Balder back on top.

 

I honestly enjoy Thunderhead quite a bit but I really don't get the #2 rating. Logically I can't see how we go from a coaster with extreme airtime and functional curves at #1 to a coaster with minimal airtime and plenty of overbanked curves at #2. There must be a certain fun factor that most people use in their ratings that can override the various forces of the ride. That's the only way I can explain the high Lightning Racer ratings. To me, night rides on Tremors, Boulder Dash, Rampage, Raven and Legend absolutely blow the doors off Thunderhead.

 

Night rides are a big factor with the ol' CCIs because they need to warm up. Shivering Timbers, Tremors and Boulder Dash are classic examples of this and I continually find that people give up on the parks or coasters after some average afternoon rides. But I really don't understand the freefall of ST in the rankings this particular year. I would have expected it two years ago when the trick track was a mess. This year the track was smooth and the ride seemed as good as last year. Strangely, Rampage bumped up a bit. I rode it two years ago and while it maintained its rank from me it was rougher. Again, it must be the influx of new voters.

 

I'm surprised to see both Raven and Legend fall as much as they did. For some reason PNE Coaster keeps falling and I don't know why.

 

I figured that Aska would jump up due to the reviews from the ECC/ACE trip but at the same time I don't understand Viper dropping so much after very good ERT conditions at the ACE Con. Aska is definitely better but with them being mirror images the difference still isn't that extreme. Bump Aska down at least 10 and bump up Viper at least 10 and then I think you have a ranking that makes sense to me.

 

And for the annual Lightning Racer sandwich we have the Dania Beach Hurricane. I couldn't tell the tracks of LR apart to save my life.

[cgodsey]

I always thought that more people would make the poll more accurate.

 

Also, have you ridden Thunderhead in the dark? Just curious because I have ridden all of the ones you have listed there at night and for me and THEY dont even come close to Thunderhead in the dark.

 

 

But, opinions are like $#%holes. We all have one!

[robbalvey]

Tim, it could be an influx of new voters, or it could be that more people found Balder this year!

 

Seriously, though I really agree with you about Thunderhead, Lightning Racer and Aska. But even still, I think that Mitch's poll is still the most "fair" out there. There were things I disagreed with too, but far less than the Amusement Today poll, for example.

 

Also, the push wasn't just here, but this year there were a number of new options to help voters. Between our guide, Ted's program, and even a number of new options from Mitch, this year was probably the most "user friendly" year to take the poll.

 

--Robb

[Meteornotes]

I think that having more people vote in the poll can only help the results. Do I totally agree with the results. Well no, not totally, but I still think this is the best poll oout there. It's certainly better than the Golden Tickets which seem to only be voted on by people that have never left Ohio.

 

Balder deserves the #1 spot. Ghost Rider doesn't deserve a Top 20 spot. Hades and Avalance are certainly Top 10 rides. I thought Colossus would have ranked higher than it did. And I personally ranked Tonnare De Zeus in my Top 10, based on the absolutely INSANE rides we got on it on our visit in July. Word has it that the ride doesn't normally run like that, and we lucked out with the rain earlier in the day. I can only rank rides from when I ride them, though, and thought they were some of the best coaster rides ever. But I guess the years of rough riding for almost everyone else will keep it down in the poll.

 

And I agree, I don't get why anyone likes The Brake, err, The Beast. Talk about overrated...

 

dt

[WalrusMan]

YES! Go GRIZZLY!

 

I'm glad the Dipper's up at #38 I believe it was, slips each year but still a great ride in my mind.

 

Rob mentioned that the parks look at it to improve. I believe that Grizzly's b een last or 2nd to last for the whole time and the park hasn't changed it. Stupid parks....

[N'at Man]

Also, have you ridden Thunderhead in the dark? Just curious because I have ridden all of the ones you have listed there at night and for me and THEY dont even come close to Thunderhead in the dark.

 

Yes, I have ridden Thunderhead in the dark during the ACE Spring Con.

 

Back to the poll for a second, I looked through the ballots and the only thing that really bugged me is that I found about three ballots with a really bad method of ranking which possibly threw a big monkey wrench into things. A few people ranked their top ten but then left the rest of the coasters in state order and numbered them sequentially. What they should have done is just mark all of the rest 11 or something but not number them sequentially by state, park and coaster name. Being too lazy to mark the rest of them with the same number defeats the efforts of everyone who took time to do the poll.

 

Still, Mitch's poll is the most accurate as Robb said. We're just seeing some different tastes come out.