What are the origins of the coaster?

I have not seen any debate about this at all among buzzers. Did the coaster originate in America? Or maybe from the Russian ice slides. What is every one's opinion on this?

I'm guessing somewhere in Switzerland..considering I'm only 15 and not much knowledge on the origination but thats where we get alot of CP's coasters if I'm correct which I'm probably not but hey i tried

-------------
Heather Wagner
~*Shut up and Ride it*~

Cedar Point-Americas Rockin Roller Coast

It originated in Russia. They made giant slides made out of ice for people to slide down in the winter. This was very popular and decided to make one that slides on wood in the summertime. Thus the rollercoaster was born.

-------------
My pet peeve: People who post and just write how the thread will be closed. JUST DONT POST

Then they made them in France, using wheels so they oculd ride all year. When the hit an acorn or a twig they would fall out and die or be hurt!

-------------
.

If I remember correctly, after the ice slides, a king or queen or someone loved them so much, that they had wheels put on the sleds so they could slide down the hill all year down.

The origins of the modern coaster come from La Marcus Thompson, and his Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway, built at Coney Island in the late 1800s. Then others took the idea and ran with it, primarily John Miller, and those who invented upstops, etc.

-------------
- Peabody

Bill Cobb too...........

Bill Cobb is a little too recent to be part ot "the origins of the coasters" Even though he is great!

-------------
- Peabody

I did an English research paper on partially on the history of the roller coaster. The rest of the report was on proving that coasters didn't harm people because of "high" g's.

It originated in Russia in the 1500's as ice slide. A French explorer was intrigued by the ice slide so he tried to make his own type of design. He set up a track with closely spaced rollers so that a sled could coast on these rollers. Hence, the name "roller coaster" was born. Not long after, the rollers were replaced with wheels which were fixed to the cars.

The French didn't advance must further that this, but the Americans knew that building coasters could make tons of money so the coaster boom was on. There over 2000 coasters, but over several years the coasters were either abandoned or taken apart because of decay, or the need for wood.

With the invention of steel pipe for rails, another boom arose. This spawned the awesome scream machines of today. Although wooden coasers are still manufactured, they are greatly outnumbered by the steel coaster.

-------------
(Who at 16 years of age would be more than willing to pay a $15-$25 dollar subscription in order to keep this site running)