Anyone watching the buzz poll? We have a WINNER!

I saw the question on the poll, thought about it for a split second, and KNEW my answer. Montu, Raptor, Talon, TG:TJC...oh, and Alpie! The B:TR's draw decent lines after newer installations have already begun to drop in popularity. For me, I'd even say the stand-ups could compete against the speed coasters, but some of them have begun to age (Chang, Mantis). Of course, RR and GA Scorcher were smooth as glass on my most recent trips. B&M speed coasters, for me, just don't give the feeling of speed as well as Gio or Intamin, but stack up well against the Arrows and Morgan I've been on. Still, could NOT be any happier to have Walter and Claude on the top of their game!

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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

But there is a slight arguement of how many more inverts there are compared to every other type including speed coasters. There are only 3 speed coasters in operation in the United States, one just opening this year, and two in 1999 correct? So, I would guess that more buzzers have been on an invert especially when you compare BGT's and IOA's attendance plus every SF with a BTR. I do agree that Intamin makes the much better hyper coaster, because the trains are much more open than any B&M unless you're in the front seat as well as Intamin tends to make them closer to the ground to give you that sense (note SROS and Heide-Park's new coaster). I would have to say that I would take a trip on the Bull or Chariot before hitching a ride on any of the inverts, because the fronts the only excellent view and the back is the only outrageous intensity. Maybe that's why I might slightly prefer a ride on Kraken or Kumba to an invert because you have a serious middle groudn between the two, again noting the extremely low numbers in operation of the other three as well in the US:
Floorless-5
Looper-3
Stand Up-7

*** This post was edited by Koaster King on 12/2/2001. ***

Actually, there are 3 B&M loopers in the United States: Kumba, Wildfire, and Incredible Hulk.

Thanks Coastergames.net. I tend to forget about everything but the launch on Hulk since it's so anti-climatic, but thanks again for reminding me.

It does look like there's 16 B&M inverts in the US, almost double the speed coasters which make it possible the result turn-out of the poll.

I think stand-ups are so low, because in all of the parks besides two there is another B&M which seem to be more liked overall than the stand-up.

*** This post was edited by Koaster King on 12/2/2001. ***

I put my vote for Stand Up because they are sooooo smooth and have great inversions (i.e. Oblique Loop, Dive Loop)
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"It's A Hip Hop HOllercoaster."
-Ludacris

Yeah, I was going to come up with that same argument Koaster King, it is a very biased question.

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Mayday - Memorial Day Weekend - Nonpoint, Nickelback, Oleander, Staind
Ozzfest - June 8 - Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Black Sabbath
Awake Tour- June 15 - Darwin's Waiting Room, Puddle of Mudd, Deftones, Godsmack

This poll was very tough for me to make a decision. I have been on a speed, inverted, and standup B&M and I find all three types to be great coasters. I finally leaned toward the speed because I find RB to be one kick-butt ride.
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""An hour wait for a 2 minute thrill. Yes, we need our heads examined""

It was a dead tie for me between inverted (Raptor) and floorless (BKF).

I choose floorless because it was my first B&M ever.

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Buckeye Lake's coming back! :)
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
WoodenCoaster.com

I guess I may have been a little....hasty. Coming from FL, it's a gift we have for counting votes before they've "hatched". The speed coasters are catching up. I disagree that the number of each type has an effect on how I rate the genre overall, since I average them out when evaluating the ride. I think my largest bias is one that I may have AGAINST coasters I've ridden "TOO many times" (I think that's why the FL B&M thing has sorta become an *issue* for me). IF B&M ever develops trains that seat two-across and sit nice and low to the track....that for me would be the biggest improvement on their "speed" coasters...GIVE them the feeling of speed, they DO travel as fast as S:RoS, just don't *feel* like it IMO. I will be only TOO happy to compare the B&M invert, stand-up and flyer come '02 (and ALL that, with Mindbender, GASM, DMT, etc.for only a 5-hour drive). A retracked Ga Cyclone MAY also be in the works *wink*.
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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

How many people have voted? How many people typically vote? How many people voted more than once? How many people haven't ridden all types listed in the poll, and therefore really can't choose one over another... and voted anyway? I don't think "winner" is the appropriate term for the choice with most votes in this case. I do agree that more people have probably had the chance to ride an invert over other types, thereby skewing the results. But hey, this is at least as accurate as Florida's elections... and this one is just for fun! ;)
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I'm coming after you like VWXYZ.

What is a speed coaster? Is that like their hypers; Raging Bull, Apollo's Chariot, and Nitro?

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Bob Hansen

"Excuse me while I kick the sky!"
kickthesky@hotmail.com

yeah, the "spped coaster" moniker is to distinguish them from coasters with inversions and coasters with non-standard seating...
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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

rollergator the point of Koaster King's post was not that people who've ridden both speed and inverted B&M coasters will be biased towards the inverted ones...it was that a lot of people just plain haven't ridden any of the speed coasters, and almost everyone's ridden a B&M invert.

-Natalie
Just sorta clarifying here...

Oh, I voted for the floorless. The other ones are great and all, but the floorless zero G roll is the best element I've ever been on!
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Ride the New England Bush!

Well seeing that the speed coaster is the hyper like Raging Bull, I have to go with that one. I have riden at least one of each type(actually the speed is the only one I have only riden one of) and I have to say that the freedom you get on Raging Bull just blows the others away. I love the fact that you can stick out your arms and legs and feel like you are flying. I tryed that on two different floorlesses and never got the same sensations I did on Bull. Inverteds just restrict your field of vision too much(although the front seat is an awesome ride). I also like the stand ups(esp. Mantis) and the standard looper like Kumba.

Cheers,

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Bob Hansen

"Excuse me while I kick the sky!"
kickthesky@hotmail.com

Natalie, you mean EVERYONE doesn't have a state job with TONS of leave time...they give us gov't workers time off in lieu of pay...LOL!
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the buzzer formerly known as gatorwoodie
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

Definetly a speed coaster.

It was close between the speed or invert. In the end the speed wins out. I've been on all three "speed" coasters, and I agree that the total freedom you feel on the speed coaster is unmatched IMO. Can't wait to ride Nitro again.(Mummm.. Niiiitrooo!)

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Did I mention, that I like coasters...

*** This post was edited by RollerFreak on 12/3/2001. ***

It's funny, even though a speed coaster (Raging Bull) is currently my favorite steel coaster, I think that the overall best product from B&M is the inverted coaster. I feel that Intamin is better at desiging so-called hyper coasters, and I *still* like the feel of Arrow loopers more. Though admittedly, B&M have more creative layout in both instances.

But in the inverted catagory, no company comes close. The Intamins are cool and perhaps that Tornado thing rules, But in comparison to the B&M Volcano and S:UE womp! Double over for the SLCs. B&M inverts *may* be the best form of coaster around (yes, even over hypers).
ciao,
moi
--Hi! I'm Peter Francis Gerraci...

I think the very fact that B&M has made more inverted coasters than all the others combined shows they know what they do best. :)