Mitch's Poll: Steel Coaster Results

Hmmm. With that few days of uptime in 2004, there's either a lot of Georgians in the poll sample, or voters who add four coasters to their track record after they ride one Giant Inverted Boomerang. It probably should get a consolidated entry next year.

I'm interested in seeing a geographic breakdown. Under the scoring method it doesn't really affect the results, but I'm interested in seeing how many international riders know about the poll.

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Lord Gonchar mouthed:

5. Nyquil (err, Nitro ;) )

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Oh shaddap!! :)
There is a reason it is always voted in the top ten! I am doing cartwheels that Magnum did not smell the top ten this year. The earth has finally found its axis!

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GIGAFORCE01 said:
Is Nemesis really that good?

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Yes.

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Antuan said:
Oh shaddap!!
There is a reason it is always voted in the top ten! I am doing cartwheels that Magnum did not smell the top ten this year. The earth has finally found its axis!

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Yeah, enthusiasts in general aren't as wise as I am. ;)

Hey it was my only chance at a Nyquil shot so I took it.

TTD shouldn't be there either (in my book), and one of the SROS clones would have been enough to represent. Phantom's Revenge should definitely be on there (12 is close enough, I suppose). I did find it interesting that a flying coaster couldn't break the top 50.

Hard to believe that within only 10 days, Silver Bullet made it on the list... (in the 50s somewhere)

How about the fact that the Blue Flash is on there.. *** Edited 12/18/2004 5:49:47 AM UTC by RamblinWreck***

Ranblinwreck, I think you missed my point. If you had included my next sentence in the quote, it explains that sometimes enthusiasts go a little "hyper-crazy", especially where it involves Intamin.

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dannerman said:
Good to see Viper in the bottom 10, but I'm disappointed it's not dead last.

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I agree 180 million percent! I made sure that the after I voted my top 10, I put Viper as the very very last pick of mine. I hate that ride so much! You all have probably seen or heard me ***** about Viper a lot, so I won't go on...but damn why can't it be last?

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Lord Gonchar said:
I did find it interesting that a flying coaster couldn't break the top 50.

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That's because SF doesn't know how to design good coasters anymore, even if it IS with B&M. At the risk of sounding like a mindless fanboy, I bet if CF & B&M teamed up on a flyer, it'd definitely make top 50.

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Jeff said:
That SFA or SFDL's Supermen would be that high is laughable. They're OK rides, but come on...

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Hence the term "to each his own". While I'm not happy that Phantom was not in the top 5, I totally agree with SFA's being high on the list.

I listed MF high enough, but well below both SFA's RoS and Phantom.

I think it's a bit strange that Spinball Whizzer and (especially) Dragon's Fury don't feature on the list individually and are instead classed in amoungst the X-3000 coasters.

Dragon's Fury, in particular, is heavily customised, so it seems strange that I couldn't rank this seperately, yet the Giant Inverted Boomerangs can be.

Since when does SF design their coasters and since when is PKI getting an Intamin coaster? And why is the world's largest kiddie coaster in the top 10 again?? High Speed Thrill Coaster is the *original* steel kiddie airtime machine, so respect the classics! ;)

+Danny

Kind of wierd too that DL's SM wasnt ahead of SFA's since the setting is nicer. I dont think either would rank in my top ten if I would have done the ballot.

+Danny, I realize that SF doesn't exactly design their coasters, but they have a huge say in what elements they want in their coaster, and overall veto power on the designs that the real designers come up with. That's why at SF parks you have many unimpressive designs with new technology that are constantly nagged on (ie the Flyers), whereas CF has better designed coasters with older technology.

Personally, I'd say give CF 5 years or so and they'll put a Flyer in somewhere that will have people talking about flyers the way Hydra is having people talk about Floorless (and SB about Inverts, although inverts are considerably more popular)

Thats the biggest crock of **** I've heard all day!

I'm with you 'tuan. I'm not even going to touch some of that, but...

dannerman, you do realize that Paramount added the first Vekoma flyer, right? And the first looping woodie, Huss Giant Top Spin, Huss Giant Frisbee, S&S Thrust Air, Setpoint Swing Thing, etc. Cedar Fair did the Intamin Rocket Coaster (come again as to why the giant penis is a brilliant design?) and elevator coaster lift first. Six Flags did the Fourth Dimension (wildly inventive design), Floorless (Medusa East is a twisted, fun layout), Inverted (can anyone say mostclonesofanadultfullcircuitcoasterevar.com? not to mention, the intensity is insane), etc.

I'm still more excited about Superman Krypton Coaster than Hydra and Nemesis than Silver Bullet, but the designs are edgy, but I can't exactly come up with a "better designed" coaster at Cedar Fair (made by their decisions) parks before those two B&Ms besides the fairly interesting layout of Talon. And even that can't compete with SROS-NE, X, The Villain, The Boss, Batman Knight Flight, Superman Krypton Coaster, Raging Bull, Roar, etc. emo.

+Danny, emotionally my opinion...
"It tastes like yours, but sweeter"

Well, I was referencing primarily B&M Flyers, first of all. Second, I wasn't talking about debuting technologies/ride types. Again, I was referencing primarily B&M's different technologies. I haven't had much chance to travel outside the northeast, so I realize that a lot of this is based around DP/CP and GAdv, but with that said: SF generally gets them early on (B:TR, Medusa, S:UF) but they do a poor job with them. Why? Because they're more with the "ooh, that's new" reaction. CF waits until the technology has aged (except CP). At that point there is familiarity with the design, so they have to do new tricks and build a better coaster, which they do.

Knott's got the Rocket Coaster before CP did and if SF didn't do the "ooh, that's new" thing, you might not have some of your "yay Cedar Fair!" designs so soon. I've been on all three B&M flyers in the US and I think they're a riot and the pretzel loop is by far one of my favorite elements on any coaster. I'll have to wait and ride Silver Bullet to see if I like it more than Batman and Hydra over Medusa East. I have a really hard time saying BTR or a floorless coaster was ever bad for a SF park. I think the jojo roll is silly and does nothing for my interest in the ride for Hydra. I am intrigued by Silver Bullet, but I love the inverted design anyways. I'm still not with you on the "poor job" thing since some park has to start by buying a new design to open to the public, but whatever.

+Danny

It wasn't bad - it had it's time. SF has given up with elements. B:TR I enjoyed when I first rode (after riding Talon, though, it seems a bit rough). Medusa was good, but Hydra will be better, and it's obvious it'll run smoother (just like Talon/B:TR). As for S:UF it was fun, and you're right - the Pretzel Loop is great, but S:UF doesn't have much else. It's short, and doesn't have much besides the pretzel. It's a gimmick, and after I rode it about 3 or 4 times, I find it boring after the pretzel. My point is that SFI didn't place the bar very high with this one. They're relying on the newness/gimmick of the B&M design. Enthusiasts may not care, but the gp do. But, since SFI did place a bar nonetheless, CF will likely tackle the bar. Tallest, fastest, longest flyer? Perhaps (for CP) but definitely more enjoyable than S:UF.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to rag on S:UF. I think it's a great coaster. My point was that it doesn't surprise me to not break the top 50. The CF creations will, when they come. You can be sure of that.

CF did the whole "Hey! Thats new" with Raptor (opened a year after the first Batman, so it was still brand new, and not 'proven'), Magnum (first full circuit over 200'), Millie (first Giga), TTD (2nd rocket and definitly not *proven*, first Strata), and Wicked Twister (first double twisting impulse, 3rd over all, and first over 200'), so I'd say CP does the 'ohhh, its new' quite a bit as well, and look at what has happened with that on some of those rides.

Paramount is very creative as well, first LIM inverted, first Flyer period, first hyper/looping/twister/terrain woodie, first TA2K, first Giant Top spin and Frissbee and Jump 2, 2nd Invertigo, I could go on.

Look at what SFI has went 'ooh, its new' for, and you'll see some rides that are fairly popular, not boring, bland, and bleh. Batman is still highly popular among enthusiasts and GP, even if it isn't my favorite. Floorless is the new looper for the most part, and not much of a difference from a regluar B&M looper, esp. after the front seat.

I fail to see your logic. *** Edited 12/19/2004 7:53:34 AM UTC by TeknoScorpion***

You guys are missing my point, which was focusing mainly on the recent "ooh it's new" in the B&M Flyer which has very little other than newness (talking about B&M flyer, not the flyer concept) and a giant pretzel. CF wouldn't have relied on more than just newness and made sure it was a better ride (and yes, I believe that Raptor is far better than B:TR)