"Enthusiast" a Misnomer?
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"I'm a coaster cowboy, on a steel rail I ride..." - Bon Jon Bovi
Kevin Max said:
"the MF first drop is great, after that, it's a bore, etc." It seems that many of us on this board a a bit jaded and spoiled.
I used to share this opinion, but I don't anymore. I think that it's pretty natural to start to really dissect rides and analyze them for what they are as you travel and get to be a more 'experienced rider.'
As you ride more coasters and experience some really great rides of all different types, you start to develope a certain taste and you start to notice what is lacking from some rides. That doesn't mean that you don't appreciate them and enjoy, it just means that you're really getting into the subtleties of the ride experience.
It's part of the reason why I think really intelligent discussions about top 10 lists are interesting. I love to hear people who really 'get into' their coasters talk about the nuances that make the rides happen for them, particularly when discussing the very subtle and slight edges coasters in one's 'top tier' may have over others.
But I am a 'coaster tool' when it comes to these things, so you can take that for what it's worth. ;)
Anything but B&M is too rough, Legend is smooth while Boss is rough.
Any coaster can be different on any given day, I'll stand beside that.
Chuck, who says go ride the Vekoma Mouse at Idlewild and tell me it's JUNK!
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Charles Nungester.
It's official Lesourdsville Lake is closed for 2003
I completely agree! I love exploring a park and discovering all it has to offer. I rarely, if ever, visit purely to ride coasters. Perhaps we need a new club, American Park Enthusiasts? We'd be APEs...LOL!
chris said: "I think that it's pretty natural to start to really dissect rides and analyze them for what they are as you travel and get to be a more 'experienced rider.' "
Again, I agree. With very rare exceptions [SFGAdv's Viper the most recent] I've enjoyed every single coaster ride I've taken. When the "clone debate" rears it's ugly head I'm always the one saying "I'd rather ride an SLC or Boomerang than nothing at all." But having a love of coasters doesn't mean I can't turn on my analytical side and talk about a ride's pros and cons, or rank my favorites.
mOOSH [also a member of NUTS - National Union of Thrill Seekers]
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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Oyster [n.] a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions.
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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff
As for flats, I don't usually ride them, but there are some that intrigue me. I tend to steer clear of the spin-and-spews, but something with a bit more to it than just constant, fast revolutions I may try at least once.
Edit: I forgot to mention that a perfect example of why I prefer a great park to just a collection of great coasters is my homepark, Six Flags America. It has S:RoS, Wild One, Roar, Batwing, Joker's Jinx...all top-notch coasters that I enjoy quite a bit. The park atmosphere flat-out sucks. I don't get the feeling of being in a wonderful, magical place like I did at Kings Dominion when I was a kid. I still get that feeling at the 'gems' that I mentioned earlier. That's what makes the pastime of riding coasters so much fun.
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-Mike B.
Son of Hulk
*** This post was edited by Vater 7/2/2003 4:48:48 PM ***
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"But where's the feeelth?" - Uncle Vainstein
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If you have a problem with clones, the solution is real simple—Stop traveling.
Heck I went to PGA for the first time in my life and only rode one coaster!! I just wanted to see the place, standing in line was not on my agenda that day.
And Yes I rode Mr. Toads Wild Ride, and found it more fun than a grown man should.
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Dave
Beware of Kiddie Coasters
If you go to amusement parks that are out of the way (for the first time) because you're looking for a fun new ride, or maybe simply a ride that you haven't tried yet and would like to, you're probably a coaster fan...
...but not to the extent of someone who has to 'borrow' children to ride Jr. Goliath or Jr. Gemini or whatever the hell simply to pad their track records. That's something completely different and a little more extreme.
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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
http://www.loopscrew.com
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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff
I agree...I enjoy small parks with quirky rides. Oh, and to all you parks out there, keep your trains and theming (cough---PGA---cough).
Why do that if no one is riding it.
I'm of the mind that just because I call myself an enthusiast does not mean I have to like every coaster I ride, or appriciate it just because it runs on rails. I love movies too, but if Hollywood puts out crap summer movies(Cough**The Hulk**Cough) you can bet I won't love it just because it's a movie and they spent $150 million on it and they tell you it's great.
I'm not a lemming. Just because Cedar Point pumps $25 million into a stat coaster, doesn't mean it's going to thrill me. I'm not *that* kind of an enthusiast. I like what I like, and I don't like what I don't like, no matter what park builds it, or how steep the first drop is. End of story.
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"But where's the feeelth?" - Uncle Vainstein
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Tease Alert!
*Something* wicked this way comes...to the west coast in 2004!
DWeaver said:Tease Alert!
*Something* wicked this way comes...to the west coast in 2004!
Ray Bradbury: The Ride!
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--Maddie--
What do I Listen-To?
I am stereotypical.
DWeaver said:
I'm not a lemming. Just because Cedar Point pumps $25 million into a stat coaster, doesn't mean it's going to thrill me. I'm not *that* kind of an enthusiast. I like what I like, and I don't like what I don't like, no matter what park builds it, or how steep the first drop is. End of story.I think you and Paul Reuben should have a frank exchange of ideas/fists.
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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff
I-Nar said:
...but not to the extent of someone who has to 'borrow' children to ride Jr. Goliath or Jr. Gemini or whatever the hell simply to pad their track records.....believe me, if parks didn't *force* me to borrow kids to ride (Pterandons, for instance), I wouldn't....but I don't ride the kiddies "for the credits", I do it cause I genuinely enjoy them....(ask the op at Canyon Blaster, hehe - he sent me around time and time again)...:)
Then again, I'm not your *normal* adult...well, I'm not an adult...;)
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It seems today, that all you see, are violins in movies, and sax on TV....
As for Pterandons--do what you gotta do to climb aboard. Beg. Borrow. Give a kid your credit card for a day.
While I can't help but figure Mr. Olympia's low TTD rating has more to do with the Theory of Nobody than reality (as CF doesn't recognize his 'celebrity' status a la Stan Checketts or Six Flags), there's nothing wrong with a genuine difference of opinion per se. Those differences make the world go 'round. Without them, CBuzz would be about as interesting as the I love Corn Flakes web ring.
-'Playa
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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.
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Ripple Rock Amusement Park
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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Oyster [n.] a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions.
CoastaPlaya said:
I gotta say anyone who'd kidnap a kid for Jr. Gemini is just a little bit sad. I mean, have you been on that thing? It even bored Da Midget when she was three. Snooore.
Good for her. I sweet talked a little girl (actually her mom, who in turn, talked her daughter into riding with the nice man) into riding Jr. Gemini with me, and it had nothing to do with excitement factor. It was among the more painful experiences of my life as I literally strained my ACL to just get in the front car of that devil machine. Then to my surprise, the ride op asked us if we wanted to go again! I almost cried. But I digress. The point is coming. Heck, it didn't even have anything to do with trying to be a credit whore. I even stopped long enough to have my picture taken with the little cutie!
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/briancyarborough/lst?.dir=/Cedar+Point&.view=t
I personally have a problem with holes at parks. Allow me to expound and then you can really have ammo to call me sad.
Indiana Beach, the day after SRM 03. Wonderful park, but Galaxi was closed. Something to do with having to use parts from Galaxi's board for Cornball. I was really upset. Now understand, one of the first coasters I ever rode was the Galaxi at the Myrtle Beach Pavillion. Countless times I've ridden it. But the fact that I couldn't drove me batty. I loved IB, but I feel somehow that I haven't completely done it yet.
Same with Raging Wolf Kabobs. I went last October and they were retracking it. So this year, on the same SRM trip, we spent several hours at Cedar Point, to ride TTD. We only rode WT, Magnum I believe other than TTD. We left, stopped off at WoA and picked up the credit, along with a very nice POV of Batman.
The very next day, on my SECOND trip to Kennywood, I lacked Exterminator and Thunderbolt because last October during Halloween Fright Nights, Old Kennywood was closed. Bad news. It rained all day. We picked up Exterminator, and never got on Thunderbolt. I didn't even ride Phantom's Revenge which at one point was my favorite steel because I couldn't risk the chance that Thunderbolt might open JUST long enough to run one train with people. Sadly it never did, and I waited over an hour for nothing. People thought I worked there and kept asking me when it would open :(
My point being. I didn't ride Jr. Gemini because I'm a credit whore. I only have been on 123 coasters. It's not like I'm in competition with anyone. However, coasters to me ARE a collection of sorts. Very much like those folks that collect butterflies or rare LPs. Each coaster has a story as I can go into detail about every one I've ridden. Chances are, there's a funny anecdote that I could tell as well.
Sad, I don't think so. I mean, I couldn't care less about wavepools, but that's your steez, and I respect that.
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I'm not an enthusiast. I just play one on message boards.
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