Types of coaster when you were born

What kind of types of roller coasters were there when you were born.
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Excuse Me!! I am eating here.

When I was a little boy, at first I only had Waldammer Park in Erie, PA which still is extant and has the same little wooden roller coaster (rated as one of ACE's classics), The Comet. As a child it was a thrill. Later (still as a child) my mom and dad took us to Conneaut Lake Park in Conneaut Lake, PA, and we rode on the Bluestreak (which, coincidentally, is also on ACE's list of classics). It was great and, so I hear, still is. A classic out and back. And one year we drove to Crystal Beach, Canada (Crystal Beach Park -- now defunct) and rode the "Comet" there. (Which, I believe, would also be on ACE's lists of classic woodies). It was incredible. I have a wonderful little video of that ride if anyone wants it. Not the usual teaser parks supply, but a real video of the whole ride shooting from a boat on Lake Erie. Since I was the oldest (about 9), I was the only one who got to ride it with my dad. I cherish those memories. Now I am all "grown up" (ha ha) and am looking forward to Nitro at SFGrAdv, since I just bought a season pass.

P.S. After I "grew up", I moved to New York City and one of the first things I did was go to Coney Island and ride the "Cyclone". It is, coincidentally, ANOTHER coaster rated "classic" by ACE. You can imagine how shocking it was for me when the steel coaster was invented as well as the weird new (to me at the time, anyway) restraints. But I've learned to adjust and am still a happy roller coaster guy. Oh yeah, there was also the Wild Mouse at Conneaut Lake Park. That had it's own "scariness" because (as you all know) of the design of the wheels being so far placed from the chassis of the car.

When I was born, way back in '85, and through the first few years of my life, Arrow mega loopers and suspended coasters were the hot deal.

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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster, Kennywood Boulevard
http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com

Since I was born in the early 70's, the big deal back then would have been the new Arrow loopers. I remember my dad waiting in long lines to ride the Corkscrew at CP (built in '76). The first ride I remember hearing about as it was being built was the Gemini at CP, which at the time was the worlds tallest coaster.

1965 = Wooden primairly.

There may have been some of the older types of steel Wild Mice and Mad Mice and kiddie Coasters, but the vast majority were wood. Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds had been running for 10 years, but that was out on the west coast. Here at home wood ruled the day.

Wow... I just had another one of my revalations. In my first visits to Hersheypark, before the sooperdooperlooper and Trailblazer, the Comet was the only coaster there, and back then to me it was HUGE. What I just realized is that now that coaster is 55 years old. When I was born it was only 19 years old.
I'm starting to really feel old now...

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Oh the good old days... when superheros were superheros and coasters were coasters...
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 5/4/2001. ***

well the first new coaster I remember was the Iron Dragon and the Magnum to my amazment I was to short so I waited with my mom on the Jr. Gemini

Suspendeds were the new thing when I was born.

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If FoF got that great of a makeover than why can't I?

1964, the year of The Blue Streak at Cedar Point. Wood, small steel, and some early Arrow Tubular(sp?) such as the Matterhorn.

1983!! yeah !!
I remember when I was little swimmin at Crystal Beach lookin up at the Comet going "OOOH! Can i go on that???" also i was afraid of laugh in the dark

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RPMGuitar said:
"Since I was born in the early 70's, the big deal back then would have been the new Arrow loopers. I remember my dad waiting in long lines to ride the Corkscrew at CP (built in '76). The first ride I remember hearing about as it was being built was the Gemini at CP, which at the time was the worlds tallest coaster."

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It's strange how nobody mentions that SFMM's Colossus was also the tallest that year. They both debuted in 1978 at a maximum height of 125 FT. I believe they were tied for the tallest coaster crown. But it was always seen that Gemini was the bigger of the two?

The Zephyr at Pontchartrain Beach seemed enormous at 68' tall. I'm so old that even the Wild Mouse was wood.