My first coaster was the Sky Streak at Boblo Island. I believe this was when I was 8 years old. I recall getting off of the Boblo Boat and seeing that big white corkscrew coaster -- I believe it was called the Screamer -- and I stared at it in awe and said, "I wanna ride THAT!!" My dad was all for it, but my mom talked me out of it, saying, "Oh, no, that's too scary for you, you won't like it, why don't you go on the kiddie rides instead?"
I regret listening to her SOOO much, as that park is now closed, and I never did get on the Screamer. :-( But I did ride the Sky Streak, and their indoor coaster, Nightmare.
My coasterphobe mom also had something to do with my being the last kid on the block to go to Cedar Point...I didn't make it there until I was 12! Now I'm 17, and I've made up for getting such a late start by going so many times in the past five yeras, that I've probably been more times than people who have gone yearly (but not multiple times yearly) since they were babies. ^_^ I just love that place! And ever since I went there, I've gotten over my mom's early warnings that "those are way too scary for you!" They're just too scary for iher/i. ;-) My poor mother...she has to put up with me, my sister, and my dad, who are absolute coaster nuts.