Research Paper Interview
1. How did you start liking coasters?
2. When do you first become an "enthusiast"?
3. What organizations have you joined?
4. What events have you attended involving these organizations?
5. Have you met others through these events?
6. Did you ever have a fear of coasters?
7. If so how did you break your fear?
8. How would you say roller coasters have affected your life in general?
9. Has this hobby gotten you interested in other similar hobbies? If so what?
10. Have you ever defied safety rules at a park?
11. Do you agree with Holiday World's desicion to cancel SRM, and do you think other parks should follow to make an example?
12. Do you think coasters will ever become to extreme or too dangerous?
13. If so when do you think it will reach that point and at what point will you choose not to ride them?
14. Do you wish to introduce this hobby to others, and if so have you already introduced it to others?
If you would fill this out it would be such an enormous help!
2) I've always liked roller coaster but I think I first became an "enthusiast" when I bought a book called "White Knuckle Thrill Ride." Before that I didn't have very many connections to the roller coaster world. I just knew that I liked them. The book opened up the amusement park world to me. I learned so much from it and that's why I think buying that book really took me to the "enthusiast" level.
3,4,5) I haven't joined any organizations yet. I've been real busy my whole life with school and haven't had a lot of time to join an enthusiast group. However, once I graduate college and get my life started, I definitely want to look into joining a roller coaster oriented organization. It would be great to meet people with the same interests as myself. Sometimes it's hard because all of my friends don't have the passion I have for roller coasters. They don't understand what makes them so appealing. Because of this, I look forward to joining an organization at some point in the future.
6,7) I've actually never had a fear of coasters. My first ride on Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England was the closest I've ever come to being frightened on a roller coaster. The airtime on those hills freaked me out at first but after that it was all fun.
8) Roller coasters are my life. I'm actually studying in college right now to become a mechanical engineer. I really want a job in the future that has something to do with roller coasters. I don't think I could imagine myself doing anything else.
9) Well I've always liked sports but that really has nothing to do with roller coasters. I had never really been into Play Station, X Box, etc. Then came Roller Coaster Tycoon. Ever since I bought that game I have been hooked. So I guess you could say my love for roller coasters has lead to an extreme and unhealthy addiction to a single computer game. It's all good though.
10) I have defied safety rules at a park before. I know there are a few times I've done it but the one that comes to mind right now is unbuckling my seatbelt on The Comet at my home park the Great Escape. I was young, stupid and wanted maximum airtime. It's different now though.
11) I do agree with Holiday World's decision. It's such a shame that the event was cancelled but what happened at that park was horrible. I think it was an eye opener for many coaster enthusiasts. I think that other parks should do the same as well. It was a brave step for Holiday World and now it's time for other parks to step up to the plate. Hopefully this decision will make the theme park a safer place to be than before.
12) I don't think coasters will ever become dangerous. The technology we have now is so advanced. We can reach heights and speeds that weren’t even imaginable just 30 years ago. I think the dangerous coasters are far behind us and as time progresses, everything will get safer. They might get more extreme, but hey, isn't that what we want?
13) I will never stop riding roller coasters. I trust that the people who design them and build them realize what is at stake. Because of that, I don't care what they do with coasters. I'll be riding them until the day I die.
14) I've tried to introduce my passion of roller coasters to my friends and family. They just don't care. You are either an enthusiast or not. I just consider myself one of the lucky ones!
I hope this will help you out!
After my first ride on my first roller coaster with my father, (the whizzer at SFGAm, I was 6), I was amazed.
2. When do you first become an "enthusiast"?
After that ride, I was ovsessed and found out everything I could, and to this day till search for the ultimate knowledge on roller coasters
3. What organizations have you joined?
ACE, IAAPA member joining next year.
4. What events have you attended involving these organizations?
IAAPA Convention 2002
5. Have you met others through these events?
Yes, but noone from this site (sadly :-(
6. Did you ever have a fear of coasters?
When my dad put me in line for Demon at SFGAm, and I found out it had a loop (age 6), I was terrified and started crying
7. If so how did you break your fear?
My dad put me on it regardless...and it was the best use of force ever!(not including roller coaster forces :-))
8. How would you say roller coasters have affected your life in general?
Influenced my career choice (hospitality management at UCF) and my overall research on the internet and hobbies.
9. Has this hobby gotten you interested in other similar hobbies? If so what?
Coaster games, theme park research, drawings, etc.
10. Have you ever defied safety rules at a park?
When younger, and I thought I was a bad @$$, but now I know that they are there for a reason.
11. Do you agree with Holiday World's desicion to cancel SRM, and do you think other parks should follow to make an example?
I agree, because I had heard of the one-click rides, even with the park unaware/against them, I agree with it. Though I have never been there, all enthusiasts say it is a great park, and I agree with everything they have done
12. Do you think coasters will ever become to extreme or too dangerous?
No, because they have gotten taller and faster since they have started, and have become infinitely safer
(think TTD to CB cyclone...)
13. If so when do you think it will reach that point and at what point will you choose not to ride them?
RIDE TILL I DIE
14. Do you wish to introduce this hobby to others, and if so have you already introduced it to others?
Yes, my mom and friends, I try and share the knowledge whenever I can
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I am one.
I am Turbo.
Top Thrill in the front row... anything else is lame
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"To get from one place to another you have to move." Just a beautiful insight from my social studies teacher, and we wonder what has happened to our school system today.
ANYWAY, I think it's lame to limit your geekiness to a single subject. Then again, I have a terrible attention span...so don't listen to me. See you on the midway.
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"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza
2. When do you first become an "enthusiast"? After riding MF for the first time, until then I just rode from time to time after that I became obsessed.
3. What organizations have you joined? None, due to time constraints and unpredicted work schedule I haven't joined any since I probably would not be able to attend events.
4. Only thing I have ever attended was Coastermania but that was just coinincidence
5. Nope I'm antisocial
6. Not really
7. My old man took me on CLP's Blue Streak when I was really young, to top it off it was at night and that coaster at night is complete darkness
8. It gives me something to do gets me out of the house
9. Not really it was other hobbies that steered me this way
10. Just sneaking into parks without paying when I was a lot younger. I also decked this kid at Geauga Lake when I was a young teen, but my uncle was there so I didnt get kicked out the kid did though. Also I did the same thing at CLP earlier this year because there were kids around and this guy was drunk disorderly kept swearing yelling and stepping on my feet and bumping into me and after asking nicly a few times he swung and I jacked him in his jaw. Frontier Justice man.
11. I agree to a point but I also think they are just targeting a small group of there customers. But its not the end of the world. I think parks should target on the family aspect, with some park patrons are just bad news all around.
12. Maybe to extreme but never to dangerous, that was in the early days of coasters.
13. Of course I have a bad back in general and I'm sure it will rech a point it will be to painful to ride
14. I try to get some younger cousins and my girl friends nieces and nephews to ride alone with my mother but unfortuatly the best they ride is Iron Dragon and that has got to be my least favorite coaster out there.
2. In 1999 I rode the Magnum after being forced on it. I was so afraid and that fear turned to enthusiasm.
3. GOCC - plan on ACE
4. Coaster Mania
5. I have made many friends from my love of coasters, many of which I consider best friends.
6. OH YES! I was afraid of them until the fear turned to joy on the Magnum's first drop.
7. Just finally rode the Magnum.
8. It's a hobby. It keeps me active and bets the hell out of something like golf. I think it's great because it gives you something to do, a way to meet people and have a great time!
9. Photography - well that was because of one of my best coaster buddy's getting me into it.
10. I raise my hands - I am guilty. I have never done anything to risk my life or done anything stupid though.
11. I can see both ways. As a business move it was the right thing to do and if I was the owner of say Cedar Point I would do the same to send the message home. However, as an enthusiast who practices safe riding, I don't like it.
12. If they do I will still ride.
13. Name it Ozone and drop me from space..I will ride it - ride till you die.
14. It's a hobby that people are born to do. There are 3 types of riders. 1. Enthusiasts who live to ride and base many aspects of their lives around coasters. 2. Casual riders - people who ride maybe once or twice a year, enjoy it and move on until the next year. 3. Non riders - people who are afraid. I don't think people can be converted my someone else.
*** This post was edited by Etrain 9/23/2003 12:32:51 AM ***
2. When do you first become an "enthusiast"? My first season pass to Bell's Amusement Park , Tulsa, OK in 1984.
3. What organizations have you joined? I have been in ACE.
4. What events have you attended involving these organizations? Several regional and national ACE events in the late 1990's, IAAPA 2000.
5. Have you met others through these events? No.
6. Did you ever have a fear of coasters? Yes.
7. If so how did you break your fear? Wabash Cannonball, Opryland, 1983.
8. How would you say roller coasters have affected your life in general? Not much. If I could get married, it would NOT be on a coaster.
9. Has this hobby gotten you interested in other similar hobbies? If so what? No.
10. Have you ever defied safety rules at a park? Yes.
11. Do you agree with Holiday World's desicion to cancel SRM, and do you think other parks should follow to make an example? Because of all of the praise for Holiday World I read from enth's I respect whatever decisions the park makes.
12. Do you think coasters will ever become to extreme or too dangerous? 12a To extreme? What is to extreme? 12b: Too dangerous, no.
13. If so when do you think it will reach that point and at what point will you choose not to ride them? n/a
14. Do you wish to introduce this hobby to others, and if so have you already introduced it to others? No.
If you would fill this out it would be such an enormous help!TTDragster14- I humbly suggest you might speak with your teacher about your topic selection for your paper. From your questions it seems like you may be more interested in coaster safety.
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paul ruben
ran lube up
2. My first coaster ride, though the addiction started in earnest three years ago.
3. None.
4. I was there for the Thursday before Coastermania at CP, so I got to meet quite a few enthusiasts. But I knew the place would be packed so I opted to stay home on the actual day.
5. Yep.
6. TTD was quite scary, but I was in love as I got over the tophat--literally. Anything new and big is a bit scary.
7. Get on it anyway. I'm not going to let a roller coaster beat me.
8. My retreat from the world and all the stresses. I go home in a better frame of mind.
9. the basics of roller coaster engineering. I'll never get the math and other complicated mechanical stuff (like the hydraulic engines, etc.)
10. If arms up counts, yes, otherwise no. I like being stapled.
11. Yes, I agree with SRM being cancelled because they are trying to deal with a really painful situation. Since I don't think that it's primarily because of enthusiasts breaking safety rules, but the emotional impact on those involved, I don't know that other parks should cancel events for enthusiasts. But I do completely agree with CF's recent letter and any other letters yet to come.
12. Not sure.
13. I'll only quit riding when I am too old or physically unable to ride any longer.
14. I've "corrupted" two others, and would love to spend more time at CP and other parks with other coaster junkies.
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Awww, bad day? Take a different perspective on things. Try upside down, a barrel roll, a cobra roll or a corkscrew. Life can't be all that bad when your feet are over your head!
2. In 2000, after visiting Cedar Point for the first time in about 10 years without going to any park. One ride on Millennium Force and I was hooked.
3. Coasterbuzz is the only group that I have joined. I thought about joining ACE, but never did.
4. I have never attended an event.
5. No, not at an event. I do visit parks by myself sometimes and have met people on non-event days.
6. Not really, I do remember thinking "what did I get myself into" the first time I rode Magnum in 89 when it was built. Going up the lift and wondering if we would ever reach the top. Maybe a little fear on my first MF ride to. Now, I am basicly fearless. :)
7. Just kept on riding over and over.
8. Basicly it's just given me a new hobby. My only other real hobbys are hunting and shooting sporting clays. Visiting parks has given me something more to do in the summer.
9. no.
10. Absolutely not.
11. Yes. I am sorry it had to come to that, but you can't blame the park.
12. Never. With todays legal system and blood thirsty lawyers, and better computers and engineering, rides will only get safer.
13. ----
14. I don't know if I've introduced the hobby to anyone, I have invited people to go along with me to parks. Friends and family know that I'm a coaster nut, but I have never, say converted anyone into a coaster buff.
Good luck with your project. Please let us know how it turns out.
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2003 Parks: Cedar Point, SFWOA, Kennywood, PKI, MIA, SFGAM, SFKK and HW.
Still deciding where to go in 2004.
2 I allways liked rollercoasters but after going to Cedar Point this year, it really made me want to start exploring other parks.
3 N/A, thinking about Coasterbuzz or ACE though.
4 N/A
5 N/A
6 Yes, I was afraid of the Tornado @ Adventureland, I was probably like 10 years old and it seemed so tall @ the time.
7 My cousin dragged me on it and then after the first time, we rode it like 15 times in a row.
8 It gives me something to do gets me out of the house, plus I bug my fiance about going to different parks in the midwest.
9 Well I've always liked playing and watching sports (MN Twins & Vikings) but that really has nothing to do with roller coasters.
10 No
11 Yes, it is a shame but the company has to protect theirselves as well.
12 I don't think dangerous but definitely extreme, who would have thought of a 400+ ft coaster 10 years ago and a Space Shot on top of a hotel building?
13 As long as I am capable of riding, I will continue to ride them.
14 Yes, I have gotten my fiance to go on coasters now and she just experienced her first 200 ft coaster (Wild Thing @ Valleyfair)
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Skol Vikings
August 28, 2004-The Day I Am No Longer A Free Man
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