Ignorance.

I better stop trolling here before someone really gets offended. The only thing worse than the lack of sex lives of some enthusiasts is their lack of a sense of humor.

Was she quoting an OLD show that she saw? maybe it was the tallest at the time of recording.

"The female holding my gonads under lock and key is hotter than the female holding your gonads under lock and key." Now THAT'S something to brag about! :) Stop arguing and hold her purse while she tries on more shoes.

And here I thought enthusiasses discussing COASTERS they never rode was awful.

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RatherGoodBear said:

It's not what someone thinks about "A" roller coaster, but rather the idea that it's a waste to be interested in coasters that's wrong. No matter what a person is interested in or passionate about, they don't like to have someone tell them it's stupid or a waste of time or brain space.

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It never ceases to amaze me how people think that because a certain thing doesn't interest them, it gives them grounds to insult that person's choice of hobbies.

Personally, I couldn't care less about what someone else in line has to say about a roller coaster. If anything, someone's uneducated comments about a specific park or coaster are amusing to me because they're usually so far from the truth or a hideously twisted version of it. But does that give someone justification to judge someone's interest in roller coasters? Hell no.

It's funny how hobbies seem to be divided into two groups. If you like sports or cars, you're considered somewhat normal... I mean, everyone loves sports and cars, right? But mention roller coasters or model railroading to someone and chances are they'll look at you like you sprouted another head... either that, or respond with a tone that suggests you discovered a way to turn empty beer bottles into diamonds with your bare hands. I guess that some hobbies make someone an average, functioning member of society while others insinuate you live on a mattress in your parents' basement. Guess it's a good thing that I like sports and cars to balance my love for coasters and trains!

At least I'm not the only one that finds the irony in some of the statements made in this thread. Why is it the webmasters of roller coaster sites are the ones that shun the idea of coaster enthusiasm and downplay their importance in their lives? What's there to be ashamed of?

I'm starting to think that the title of this thread is becomming more prevalent as I read on.

Trolling. Had to get it out.

We've all received a comment like what the stupid blond said, get over it! Or the awkward looks and continued pointless conversations with people that try to relate to this "hobby" (used lightly).

If she thinks that being a fan of coasters is a "waste of brain space", than she's a waste of your time. Even if you could bang her.

Also. We were all at one time uneducated to the ways of the amusement park lifestyle.

*** Edited 6/14/2007 5:59:02 PM UTC by WildThingNative***

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Why is it the webmasters of roller coaster sites are the ones that shun the idea of coaster enthusiasm and downplay their importance in their lives? What's there to be ashamed of?

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Nothing.

I catch crap everytime I say it, but I'm not nearly as enthusiastic as I once was. I'm big enough to admit that I'm often going through the motions at this point.

I don't do enthusiast events outside of a handful of CB things and that's not based on love of coasters or want of ERT, but rather desire to get some face-to-face time with the people I talk with online. I go to parks mostly for the photos at this point (I've photographed more coasters than I've ridden) and between CB, the podcast and my own site - mostly feel an 'obligation' at this point.

Ever wonder why none of my posts seem to be about coasters anymore but rather all about park finances, business and theoretical things like perceived value?

I'm a total poseur.

It's not an attempt to distance myself or be 'too cool' for it all - it is what it is. I don't talk coasters outside of this forum (and the podcast), I'd never care enough to correct someone over a meaningless statistic, I don't care when a park closes for good or a ride gets demolished, I don't know the stats of most rides beyond looking them up real quick to add comments to my photos and I don't belong to any coaster clubs. (except for CB - friggin' pop-ups! ;) )

It may have started as a love affair with puppy dog eyes, but that was then. I'm certainly not in the same place I was 6 or 7 years ago when all of this started for me.

Let me say it again - I'm a total poseur.

And that's about as honest as I can possibly be on the subject. Too honest? We'll see, I guess.

(with all of that said, we leave tomorrow for a week-long coaster trip...go figure :) )

Wow, I'm really in trouble. I don't like sports or cars. I'm doubly abnormal.

At least I don't waste brain space with video games ;)

I get what you're saying Gonch, and I think it's true of a lot of people and their hobbies. I know for a fact that my level of coaster enthusiasm hasn't remained constant ever since I fell in love with them in 1989 or 1990 or whenever it was. There was a time in the late 90's when all the local parks were building rides and it took me years to get up the motivation to get in the car and drive to those parks. The same can be said of my interest in cars- a few years back I hardly read my monthly issues of Car & Driver and Motor Trend, basically going through the motions and reading them for a few minutes so I didn't feel as if I was wasting my money on the subscriptions. So yeah, I kinda get that, so in this case, the comment wasn't really directed at you.

But I know- and know of- quite a few people that treat roller coaster enthusiasm as some dirty little secret, as if someone's going to find out about it and think less of them. That's what I really don't get.

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Lord Gonchar said:

I catch crap everytime I say it, but I'm not nearly as enthusiastic as I once was. I'm big enough to admit that I'm often going through the motions at this point.

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That's nice to hear someone else say. I'm in a very similar place. I was hardcore around 2000 or so, but growing up, having a family, etc. has changed everything. I get to maybe 1 or 2 parks a year and spend WAY less time online with coaster stuff. Compare that to years when I'd add over 100 new coasters to my list.

Stragely enough, my enthusiast time now is MUCH less coaster oriented and become Disney heavy. (Bracing for taunting...) I'd almost rather spend a day at Disney than any other park now.

Yeah, I think there's an evolution that takes place. We all start off bright eyed and bushy tailed running around like a hyperactive squirrel trying to learn all we can and ride the rides and experience the parks...but I think for many (most?) that turns into something else. You find out what works for you and you go that direction.

Enthusiasm can wax and wane. I have an overabundance of hobbies but I'm not gung-ho about all of them at the same time. There are times I get very interested in one of them and other times that I want nothing to do with it.

I was never hardcore enough to take a weeklong coaster trip! With limited vacation time, I can't justify spending every waking hour of my days off visiting amusement parks.

I go to a handful of parks year and rarely do I travel very far out of my way (unless I'm going to an area for some other reason).

I don't keep a track list, I don't vote in coaster polls, I don't read the results of coaster polls, I've never ridden a boomerang coaster, I will probably never ride Top Thrill Dragster in my entire life despite living 2 hours away from it, and I will not wait in line for anything longer than 30 minutes or so (nothing is worth that kind of agony, I'd rather ride the train 4 times than stand in line for a coaster that long).

That said, I consider myself very enthusiastic about roller coasters and amusement parks. I don't visit them often but I like to read about them and talk about them (with people who are also interested, I rarely discuss it with anybody else unless they bring it up first). I have very specific amusement park interests and I focuse mainly on these certain aspects (chiefly rare and unusual rides, history, wooden coasters, traditional parks, etc.).

I belong to four "special interest" enthusiast groups that I think offer a lot of value for me because they have a narrow focus on the amusement park elements I like. I don't have to sift through a bunch of crap I'm not interested in (Six Flags business practices, freaky Disney stuff, etc.).

So am I poseur or just a very focused enthusiast? :)

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Lord Gonchar said:
Yeah, I think there's an evolution that takes place. We all start off bright eyed and bushy tailed running around like a hyperactive squirrel trying to learn all we can and ride the rides and experience the parks...but I think for many (most?) that turns into something else. You find out what works for you and you go that direction.

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I was that squirrel starting in 1988. I then followed that up with 7 straight years of season passes to CP, GL and KI. Then I got engaged, then I got married. I whittled it down to a CP pass but we still went to several parks a year. Then my wife became pregnant and forbid me to ride anything in 2000 since she couldn't. (Had to sneak to CP to ride MF one time). Worst year of my life. Pathetic, no? Since then I have actually become MORE of an enthusiast because I desperately miss riding as much as I used to. I joined my first club, CB, last year and hope to finally make an event this year. I've met the ride designer and several workers on KFT, in the dead of winter no less. My daughter is at 47 1/2 inches in shoes (grow quick baby!) and my first big park trip is to Dorney next month. Think I'll get on Thunderhawk, Laser or Steel Force for the first time since 1999? Think I'll get my first rides ever on Talon or Hydra? I'll try. Maybe I can convince my wife to stay in the rented cabana for an hour or so and watch the kids so I can ride my first ever Floorless. I have ridden MF one time since that first trip in 2000, haven't been to KI since that day in 1999 when we watched the first wood go up for SOB, I have yet to ride TTD when once upon a time I was always at CP on opening day. I used to take coasters for granted and my evolution has gone backwards from yours Gonch. I'm not saying your wrong, how could you be? That's the way it has worked for you and Rob and that's plain and pure fact. Me? I'm 39 and still pathetically in love with riding coasters and desperately miss those days of random trips to go to a park somewhere on a spur of the moment. Now it's so dang structured and planned but the family does have fun, even after my fourth ride on the freaking Round-Up at Idlewild because my daughter loves it! :)

Tom

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Lord Gonchar said:
Yeah, I think there's an evolution that takes place. We all start off bright eyed and bushy tailed running around like a hyperactive squirrel trying to learn all we can and ride the rides and experience the parks...but I think for many (most?) that turns into something else. You find out what works for you and you go that direction.

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That sums up exactly what I've recently realized about this hobby & me.

Things I am starting to dislike about this hobby:

* The long drives to parks I enjoy, like Indiana Beach, Knoebels, and Holiday World. 6-7 hour drives are starting to be a bit too much for me.
* The hot weather. I just can't take standing in lines anymore when the temperatures are over 80. It feels like I'm going to melt.
* The enormous crowds at the bigger parks. As I get older, all I really want to do is ride what I want in as little time as possible and then get going. Even wading through the large crowds tests my patience anymore.
* The usual aches and pains that seem to keep appearing for days after I visit a park. My neck hasn't been the same for over a year now.

Things I still enjoy about this hobby:

* The thrill of riding a new coaster for the first time. There's just such a rush of not knowing what to expect, even if you have been following the ride's construction and have seen pictures of it online.
* The charm and relaxed atmosphere of the small older parks. As I get older, I guess I'm starting to like my parks the same way. Set me loose at Knoebels or Seabreeze or Indiana Beach and I will be quite the happy camper.
* Coming off of rides like Waldameer's Comet or Idlewild's Rollo Coaster and saying "That's the reason I still do this" (special thanks to Uncle Coaster for that one).

Even though I'm getting old, I'm sure I should just get over it. I will continue to visit and enjoy the parks... I just won't be doing it as often and as intensely as I used to.

Ray P.

Me too. 2000 was a big year for me (maybe because it's when I did this site), and then 2001 was even bigger, with at least one really ridiculous trip. Then in 2002 I was unemployed most of the year, and you know how that goes.

I think with most obsessions, you eventually settle into a balance, or at least most people do. But it's the people who are consumed by it that frankly scare me, whether it's coaster enthusiasts, Disney nerds or model train "engineers." For me at least, there is too much in the world to get that consumed by any one thing.

I think 2000 was a big year for a lot of people because coasters were getting built all over the place and in numbers that would have previously been considered ridiculous. It's very easy to get caught up in something when there's a lot of hype- and there was a lot of coaster hype in 1998 and 1999 as it built to a crescendo in 2000.

Surprisingly, I'm going to agree with Jeff here. Hobbies aren't a bad thing if you find balance and don't let them control your life. I know of plenty of coaster enthusiasts, sports fans, car nuts and model railroaders that are completely consumed by their hobbies to the point where every waking hour and every dollar made is tied to them somehow. While my enthusiasm for certain hobbies happens in waves (right now I'm riding pretty big Yankees and Xbox 360 waves), I never get to the point where I lose sight of what's important.

Here I felt out of place because I didn't keep a track record until recently and I only did that because I was curious how many coaster I had been on. Even thow I had ridden Roller Coasters some 60 - 70 times bofore had only been on 7 different Coasters. Cedar Point in 2 years will be the only park I have ever and will probably ever plan a Vacation around.

Not gonna lie folks, liking rollercoasters is probably a 'nerdy' hobby! Computer Nerds, Math nerds, Coaster nerds. There's nothing suave and impressive about knowing the height of every rollercoaster in a park.

however, that being said, it's fun. Whatever floats your boat really, but I dont feel like I should deny i'm a huge nerd.

For me being an enthusiast fills a void, Im an avid college and pro football and college basketball fan (thats right I stratle the divide between "cool" hobbies and not cool ones and in doing so am scorned by all ;) but I dont care much for any sport that takes place during the summer.)

I was practically born an enthusiast my first coaster was at age 2 (11 months and 3 weeks but still 2) aboard the Yankee Cannonball, and I fell in love. Im also fortunate to be from a family of coaster enthusiasts (my mom, dad, brother and sister but Im the craziest one about it) so starting in 1999 we started making an effort to start traveling to far off parks as part of our traditional 2 week summer vacation (never the only thing unless of course we are talking about an Orlando trip.)

Back in the day I was all about getting on "as much rides as possible" every time I visited a park, that has changed recently due to the fact that last year was the first that I had a car and was in close proximity to a park with time to kill so I bought my first season passes that were not solely due to using them at sister parks in order to make them a deal (ie I actually started visiting certain parks more often.) With the knowledge that I will be back many times more this season I take things much slower now, I'm still there open till close mind you but my agenda is much smaller (for instance tomorrow I'm going to CP, the only musts for me are Maverick, Magnum and the Torrent River at Soak City, anything else will be a spur of the moment decision and whatever happens, whatever the crowds, I'm going to enjoy myself) and I now "take time to smell the roses." That said I still cant bring myself to not be there essentially open till close but then again I usually average 2-3 park visits a month so I feel I'm justified.

However on certain events (the first and last trip to a park that season) and on longer trips I will revert to a more frenzied pace but even then I have never been able to only ride coasters at a park, to me a day is not complete with out a spin on some flats, water rides (if warm enough,) and if the park has a good reputation for them shows. To me no matter how I spend my day amusement parks are a huge stress relief for me, and I love just being at them. I doubt that will ever change, and may there never be a day where some physical ailment prevents me from riding coasters.

*** Edited 6/15/2007 8:58:06 PM UTC by Touchdown***