Mitch Hawker's 2004 Wood Coaster Poll is underway!

I got Thunderhead and Rampage new this year, but this balloting system seems really complex, so Ill have to work on that later.

pinkdoom, it actually started on November 1, and runs through the 31st. So technically, Mitch's poll will never start on Election Day. :)

New wood this year:

Phoenix

Twister

Jack Rabbit (Seabreeze)

Comet (Great Escape)

Cyclone (Lakeside)

Twister II

Colossus (SFMM)

GhostRider

Grizzly (PGA)

Grizzly (PKD)

Giant Dipper (SCBB)

Roar (SFMW)

Roller Coaster (Lagoon)

Timber Terror

Tremors

Coaster (Playland)

Timberhawk

Hurler (PKD)

Rebel Yell (PKD)

Favorite: Coaster (Playland)

Nitro Dave, election day next year will be on the 1st of November ;)

Something I'd never thought of before until I looked at last year's poll result, is a very slight but still distinct difference in the way riders ranked Lightning and Thunder (Lightning Racer).

Usually, I make a point of riding both trains whenever I'm at HP, with no necessary preference other than whichever one appears to have shorter lines. And I believe that all of the elements generally balance out between the two sides (inside/outside, over/under, etc.).

So since I don't have the fine eye for detail as others here, I'll ask the connoisseurs what they think. What makes that little bit of a difference that would make riders choose Lightning over Thunder?

What? no Roar east there Intaminfan397?

I'd figure that if you made it out to PKD to sample some of their woodies that you also would've managed a quick side trip to SFA as well.

Well I can't say either side of Lightning racer was bad, I did notice I had a preference toward thunder. Even if we lost the ride seemed a bit funner and featured one significantly great airtime moment before the first turn around.

They both are great fun, neither are in my top ten but I did have a preference.

I always thought Election Day was the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, or am I confusing this with another holiday?

You know, you may be right now that I think about it. Ill have to go look that one up, youve endowed doubt in my mind now.

Election day is never the first of the month of November,

Chuck, who's birthday is on the 8th and has it on his birthday about every 6 years.

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BATWING FAN SFA said:
What? no Roar east there Intaminfan397?

I'd figure that if you made it out to PKD to sample some of their woodies that you also would've managed a quick side trip to SFA as well.

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I only planned a trip to PKD for opening day (which wasn't a very good decision), and at the time wasn't aware that SFA was so close. Even if I did plan on going there I wouldn't have been able to anyway since SFA didn't open that early on in the season.

I love the little out & back coasters. I got to ride:
Cannonball at Lake Winnie,
Blue Streak, Conneaut Lake Park this year, I could have ridden them all day.
I rode several wood, but my favorite coaster that I rode for the first time this year had to have been Dollywood's Thunderhead.

I hope I did the ballot correctly.

Election Day is the first Tuesday in November.

But not if it falls on the first :)

That's what I *thought* Chuck, but I wasn't sure....guess I'm not old enough to remember the last time Nov 1 was the first Tuesday of the month of an election year...;)

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RatherGoodBear said:

So since I don't have the fine eye for detail as others here, I'll ask the connoisseurs what they think. What makes that little bit of a difference that would make riders choose Lightning over Thunder?

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I have to admitt, I think that both sides are the same. In fact, when I list top coasters, I simply list Lightning Racers as one ride. IMO you *have* to include both tracks or else the ride loses a great deal of its "funness". On previous Mitch ballots, I've just assigned the same number to both sides so it's look something like:

1. The Legend

2. Lighting Racers - Lightning

2. Lighting Racers - Thunder

3. Son of Beast

etc. The only reason I could see Lightning eeking out in the poll over Thunder is it seems like Lightning "wins" more often than Thunder on the ride....that and red is a hotter color than green...

lata, jeremy

My top ten is in a shambles with all the new wood I enjoyed this year! :)

New and rockin' my world:

Georgia Cyclone, Thunderhead, Cannonball (LW), Grizzly (PKD), and all 3 Kennywoodies.

My poor Cornball is down to about 6 or 7 it seems, but Hoosier Hurricane is up to 11...it was so amazingly smooth and fast this year!

And for some crazy reason, I had Phoenix towards the bottom of my top ten last year. What the *fluff was I thinking??? It'll land at about 2 or 3 this year.

Ugh, I love them all. It's like asking a mother which child she loves best. :)

*Homey, G. Fluff, November 2004 (I can't remember how to make the copywrite sign, so I'll credit you APA style)

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dawnmarie313 said:
My poor Cornball is down to about 6 or 7 it seems

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BLASPHEMY!

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Ugh, I love them all. It's like asking a mother which child she loves best. :)

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Now on that we can TOTALLY agree....my favorite woodie is the one I'm in line for....unless I'm at GAdv or SFTM...;)

So Dawn...should be start adding Homey's slang to Mooshters Dawntionary? Fluff...ghey...any others?

I also rank both side of LR the same because I can't really find something about one side that makes me want to ride it over the other. The worst thing about one side is the hideous green paint on the trains but I am willing to overlook that!

From all my travels this year, my list is going to see some major revisions. Raven, Legend, Cornball, Ghostrider, Silver Comet, GL's Big Dipper and Lakemont's Skyliner are all trying to squeeze themselves into my top 10. Phoenix and Boulder Dash will continue to occupy the #1 spot but after that I have no idea. Knoebels Twister ranks up there, as do LR and the Dania Beach Hurricane.

Needless to say, filling out my ballot is a little tougher this year!