What makes an enthusiast?
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I call myself a rollercoaster enthusiast, and travel thousands of miles every year to ride the newest and best coasters on the planet.
I was just wondering how many of you think you are a true enthusiast, and what you have to do to be one.
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#Life is a rollercoaster you just have to ride it#
I was just wondering how many of you think you are a true enthusiast, and what you have to do to be one.
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#Life is a rollercoaster you just have to ride it#
I don't think there is a "definition" of a TRUE enthusiast. If you have a special passion for rolley-coasters and amusement parks in general, it doesn't matter if you travel hundreds of thousands of miles every single week or even if you just go down the street to Kennywood twice a year (bahahha), you ARE a coaster enthusiast, and a person who says otherwise because you have a smaller "track record" or because you can't get out to visit a million parks a year is a complete moron and should question their enthusiasm since it seems to have been replaced with some sort of inferiority complex that causes them to constantly assert themselves as "better" than you because they've had the opportunity to ride more coasters. Oops, a bit of a rant there. Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is whether you have a track record of 409 or a track record of 4, if you truly enjoy the entire coaster experience, you ARE an enthusiast.
-Natalie
CP Ride Operations '99-'00
TRUE enthusiast since the age of 7, registered since age 12 ;)
-Natalie
CP Ride Operations '99-'00
TRUE enthusiast since the age of 7, registered since age 12 ;)
I agree AirtimeSROS. A coaster enthusiast is someone that truly love coasters, not someone that has been on alot of coasters. I am probably one of the biggest enthusiasts on this site, but I have a pretty small track record. It doesn't mean I don't like rollercoasters as much, it just means I can't go all over to ride rollercoasters.
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Jack, who can't wait for Opening Day 2001...
I truly love coasters. You can't say I'm not an enthusiast just because I've only been on 20 coasters and I just started riding the big ones in May. No one in my family likes coasters, so Cedar Point trips are limited. My family is always asking why you would wait 45 min. for a simple ride. Well, folks the rides are not just simple, they are exhilirating.
Alot of kids from my school have been on plenty of more coasters than me and more trips to Cedar Point, but I wouldn't consider them entusiasts. Why? THEY DON'T POST ON COASTERBUZZ! No, really, I wouldn't consider them entusiasts just for the reason that they don't have a passionate love for coasters, like I do. They wouldn't make reports about roller coasters, go to websites about roller coasters, or read about them. It's all about the love and passion.
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"Hey, this water is wet!"
From the brilliant mind of Michael Q. Sharkey~Cross Country Camp 2000
Alot of kids from my school have been on plenty of more coasters than me and more trips to Cedar Point, but I wouldn't consider them entusiasts. Why? THEY DON'T POST ON COASTERBUZZ! No, really, I wouldn't consider them entusiasts just for the reason that they don't have a passionate love for coasters, like I do. They wouldn't make reports about roller coasters, go to websites about roller coasters, or read about them. It's all about the love and passion.
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"Hey, this water is wet!"
From the brilliant mind of Michael Q. Sharkey~Cross Country Camp 2000
APForce makes a good point. I agree with everything stated here. I think it's pretty safe to say that if you visit CoasterBuzz on any sort of a regular basis, you're an enthusiast. If you didn't truly love rollercoasters, you wouldn't be here talking about them and researching them. That's not to say that you can't be an enthusiast without being a part of an online coaster community.
Jman
Jman
I consider myself an amusement enthusiast because I love being at parks wether they have 10 rides or 100. I just love the basic atmosphere of parks in general. I love walking down the midways hearing screams and laughter seeing other people having a good time.
I didn't consider myself an enthusiast until 2 years ago when Knoebels built Twister. Before that I just knew I liked going to parks Knoebels and Hershey. Then when Twister was being built I drove to Knoebels once a week to get construction pics. After that I knew I loved coasters.
Eventually I got a reliable car and good job and my park visits got further and further from home.
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2000 stats: 135 coasters in 26 parks
Not Too Shabby For A Summer
I didn't consider myself an enthusiast until 2 years ago when Knoebels built Twister. Before that I just knew I liked going to parks Knoebels and Hershey. Then when Twister was being built I drove to Knoebels once a week to get construction pics. After that I knew I loved coasters.
Eventually I got a reliable car and good job and my park visits got further and further from home.
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2000 stats: 135 coasters in 26 parks
Not Too Shabby For A Summer
I became an "enthusiast" last year at about this time. SFMM was showing commercials for Goliath. I had always loved going there and riding all the coasters, but all of a sudden the tallest and fastest was comming to a park near me!! I instantly started checking out websites about coasters, and eventually stumbled across a coaster site with a pale yellow background. I think you all know the one.
Being an enthusiast is a state of mind, if you call yourself an enthusiast, you are one. No need to ride 400+ coasters. (not that I don't want to!!)
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"X" marks the spot in 2001!
Being an enthusiast is a state of mind, if you call yourself an enthusiast, you are one. No need to ride 400+ coasters. (not that I don't want to!!)
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"X" marks the spot in 2001!
Catherine
Blackpool Pleasue Beach is a must for anyone who loves coasters and can afford the airfair to the UK.
It's about a 4/5 hour drive from London, but it's very easy to get there. Here's my tip. Stop off halway at Alton Towers on the way and hit Nemesis and Oblivion (the worlds first vertical drop rollercoaster). The lines are very bad here in the summer.
BPB has 11 coasters with a wonderful collection of old woodies, including one of only three wooden wild mouse coasters, and one of only 3 mobius racing coasters. It also has the worlds only remaining Steeplechase, plus about lots of other rides all in close proximity.
Since it's pay per ride, there are never long lines, but it can work out quite expensive. I think you can buy a wristband for about £25($40) which gives you unlimited access to all the rides.
If you need any more info get back to me, otherwise, have a great time there and in the UK.
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#Life is a rollercoaster you just gotta ride it#
Blackpool Pleasue Beach is a must for anyone who loves coasters and can afford the airfair to the UK.
It's about a 4/5 hour drive from London, but it's very easy to get there. Here's my tip. Stop off halway at Alton Towers on the way and hit Nemesis and Oblivion (the worlds first vertical drop rollercoaster). The lines are very bad here in the summer.
BPB has 11 coasters with a wonderful collection of old woodies, including one of only three wooden wild mouse coasters, and one of only 3 mobius racing coasters. It also has the worlds only remaining Steeplechase, plus about lots of other rides all in close proximity.
Since it's pay per ride, there are never long lines, but it can work out quite expensive. I think you can buy a wristband for about £25($40) which gives you unlimited access to all the rides.
If you need any more info get back to me, otherwise, have a great time there and in the UK.
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#Life is a rollercoaster you just gotta ride it#
OK, I know this thread is somewhat old but this has been bothering me for a while and I missed this thread the first time around.
I agree with everyone else here that riding a lot of coasters isn't what makes an enthusiast. But I have a follow-up question: Can you consider someone an enthusiast who only likes 1 coaster and considers all other coasters worthless?
Let me give you some details on why I ask this.
Last year I met a person who said they were a "coaster enthusiast", however they felt that:
- Their favorite coaster (I’ll call it XYZ) was the only one worth riding; all others were a waste of time and materials. They would run to XYZ when the gates opened and ride only that coaster all day long.
- Their favorite park was the only one worth visiting (but only to ride XYZ).
- All other parks and park chains s--ked (profanity deleted for the faint of heart).
Keep in mind, based on our conversation with this person, they had not visited many other parks and they were making these statements based on that limited knowledge.
I guess I just can't understand how you could call yourself a coaster enthusiast when you dislike (hate?) every other coaster and every other park. It boggles my mind. :(
Maybe the answer is to consider them a "XYZ fanatic" and I'll consider myself a "coasters enthusiast". That my simple mind can handle. :)
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"I'm going off the rails on a crazy train." - Ozzie Osbourne *** This post was edited by DEK on 4/20/2001. ***
I agree with everyone else here that riding a lot of coasters isn't what makes an enthusiast. But I have a follow-up question: Can you consider someone an enthusiast who only likes 1 coaster and considers all other coasters worthless?
Let me give you some details on why I ask this.
Last year I met a person who said they were a "coaster enthusiast", however they felt that:
- Their favorite coaster (I’ll call it XYZ) was the only one worth riding; all others were a waste of time and materials. They would run to XYZ when the gates opened and ride only that coaster all day long.
- Their favorite park was the only one worth visiting (but only to ride XYZ).
- All other parks and park chains s--ked (profanity deleted for the faint of heart).
Keep in mind, based on our conversation with this person, they had not visited many other parks and they were making these statements based on that limited knowledge.
I guess I just can't understand how you could call yourself a coaster enthusiast when you dislike (hate?) every other coaster and every other park. It boggles my mind. :(
Maybe the answer is to consider them a "XYZ fanatic" and I'll consider myself a "coasters enthusiast". That my simple mind can handle. :)
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"I'm going off the rails on a crazy train." - Ozzie Osbourne *** This post was edited by DEK on 4/20/2001. ***
Funny, I always thought the definition of an enthusiast was someone with enthusiasm.
No, really, so long as a person has a deep overriding passion for riding coasters (any and/or all coasters, DEK) then they are an enthusiast. I definitly agree that the track record doesn't make the man (or woman). It's the amount of enjoyment a person gets out of it that's important.
On second thought, maybe an enthusiast is someone that can bore their friends and family (or even perfect strangers) to death with facts and details about coasters.
Either way, most of us fit the description.
No, really, so long as a person has a deep overriding passion for riding coasters (any and/or all coasters, DEK) then they are an enthusiast. I definitly agree that the track record doesn't make the man (or woman). It's the amount of enjoyment a person gets out of it that's important.
On second thought, maybe an enthusiast is someone that can bore their friends and family (or even perfect strangers) to death with facts and details about coasters.
Either way, most of us fit the description.
I consider my self an enthusiast. I consider the subject in the previous post an XYZ enthusiast. I've only rode 26 coasters so far, with more on the way, but I can still name any coaster on TV after like 2 seconds. I have my own coaster website, I draw coasters during math class, and I play RCT 24/7. I like chocolate too, but I don't consider my self a chocolate enthusiast. You've all seen the people with the EAT,SLEEP,PLAY (sports)shirts, I can honestly say my shirt would be EAT,SLEEP,COASTERBUZZ.
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www.geocities.com/coasting_ohio for Real/Defunct/mini coasters and parks for RCT
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www.geocities.com/coasting_ohio for Real/Defunct/mini coasters and parks for RCT
Neil H.: That's pretty lame. You're well on your way to being a coaster snob.
There are a lot of enthusiasts who act like it's a contest or something. That irritates the hell out of me. The fact is, it doesn't matter if you know a wiener dog from a chain dog, rode ten or a hundred coasters, are a club member, visit one park or travel to other continents.
This is where my involvement with the coaster community got interesting. I ran Guide to The Point for two years before starting CoasterBuzz. I don't think the average GTTP member is a world traveler, or even bothers to keep a track record. The important thing is that they love the coasters at their park.
Coaster snobbery became more apparent to me when I started CoasterBuzz. Wow, people can be real jerks because they've been on more rides or because some stupid trim "ruins" a ride. They're incapable of enjoying the rides because they're too busy being all analytical and superior. Please... have a beer, gamble, get a hooker... anything to loosen up a little.
To answer the topic question: An enthusiast is anyone who goes out of their way to ride, regardless of where, how often or what knowledge they have.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
There are a lot of enthusiasts who act like it's a contest or something. That irritates the hell out of me. The fact is, it doesn't matter if you know a wiener dog from a chain dog, rode ten or a hundred coasters, are a club member, visit one park or travel to other continents.
This is where my involvement with the coaster community got interesting. I ran Guide to The Point for two years before starting CoasterBuzz. I don't think the average GTTP member is a world traveler, or even bothers to keep a track record. The important thing is that they love the coasters at their park.
Coaster snobbery became more apparent to me when I started CoasterBuzz. Wow, people can be real jerks because they've been on more rides or because some stupid trim "ruins" a ride. They're incapable of enjoying the rides because they're too busy being all analytical and superior. Please... have a beer, gamble, get a hooker... anything to loosen up a little.
To answer the topic question: An enthusiast is anyone who goes out of their way to ride, regardless of where, how often or what knowledge they have.
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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
To be a coaster enthusiast, you need the following requirements:
1. You must be human
2. You must have a mind
3. You must be born on planet Earth, not Queayia, the planet 329873 light years away.
4. You must love coasters!
Thats it, you don't even need to have been on one!
Answer to the second question: That is not an enthusiast. That person is an ignorant person who happens to like one roller coaster.
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V2, Deja Vu... how can it be better? Add Viper! Oh, wait. It's already there!
1. You must be human
2. You must have a mind
3. You must be born on planet Earth, not Queayia, the planet 329873 light years away.
4. You must love coasters!
Thats it, you don't even need to have been on one!
Answer to the second question: That is not an enthusiast. That person is an ignorant person who happens to like one roller coaster.
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V2, Deja Vu... how can it be better? Add Viper! Oh, wait. It's already there!
... although I do hear that the planet Queayia does have one wicked free fall ride... 27,000 feet into an all methane atmosphere into a vat of molten lava.
Anyway...
If you ride it because it is there, then you are just part of the GP. But if you go there to ride it, then you are an enthusiast.
And I don't mean travelling 100s of miles either.
If one of the main reasons you visit parks is to ride the rails, then you're an enthusiast.
If you go to Busch Gardens Tampa to see the animals and you just happen to ride a coaster, you are GP. If you threaten to throw yourself in with the lions because you see a sign in front of Kumba that says "Closed", you are an enthusiast.
If you see a Chance Toboggan ride and decide to take a ride because it is there, you are part of the GP. If you see a toboggan ride and say "Wow... I love those things," you are a menace to society and yourself and should be confined for psychologal testing. (oops... promised I was not going to go off on those things again). Seriously... even if you see one of those things... no matter how much you despise them... well.. its a coaster, and you just gotta ride it... you're an enthusiast.
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I promise I won't go off on a rant about those @#$%^&*! Toboggan's again.
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 4/20/2001. ***
Anyway...
If you ride it because it is there, then you are just part of the GP. But if you go there to ride it, then you are an enthusiast.
And I don't mean travelling 100s of miles either.
If one of the main reasons you visit parks is to ride the rails, then you're an enthusiast.
If you go to Busch Gardens Tampa to see the animals and you just happen to ride a coaster, you are GP. If you threaten to throw yourself in with the lions because you see a sign in front of Kumba that says "Closed", you are an enthusiast.
If you see a Chance Toboggan ride and decide to take a ride because it is there, you are part of the GP. If you see a toboggan ride and say "Wow... I love those things," you are a menace to society and yourself and should be confined for psychologal testing. (oops... promised I was not going to go off on those things again). Seriously... even if you see one of those things... no matter how much you despise them... well.. its a coaster, and you just gotta ride it... you're an enthusiast.
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I promise I won't go off on a rant about those @#$%^&*! Toboggan's again.
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 4/20/2001. ***
Thanks Jeff,
Until i read your post here i was starting to doubt what a true enthusiast is.I don't have the funds to travel all over the country to ride coasters and,i have two little boys who need me a whole lot but,when i have an oppertunity to take a day or weekend trip out to the park,it's the first thing on my mind.I haven't been to far but,i'm hoping my husband and i have two little boys who will love coasters as much as we do so our future vacations become coaster trips.This year for our sixth anniversary we are escaping to MD to visit SFA and ride batwing,i can't tell you how excited my husband and i are about this.I am learning alot here at CB and i am basically learning for my own personal reasons and,not to impress somone else but,it would be nice to be able to answer someone's questions while standing in line for a coaster because so often i hear people wonder to each other some things about the coasters and,i have stood and wondered myself so,that's what brought me here.I have loved coasters since i was 6 years old and,i couldn't wait for the newest Six flags commercial every year just to see what new coaster i would be looking forward to opening day.Until two and a half years ago,i didn't have the internet to give me so much information on the coasters.Now,i am thrilled i have access to so much information that i couldn't get in the past without my PC :)
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Rickyswmn
Until i read your post here i was starting to doubt what a true enthusiast is.I don't have the funds to travel all over the country to ride coasters and,i have two little boys who need me a whole lot but,when i have an oppertunity to take a day or weekend trip out to the park,it's the first thing on my mind.I haven't been to far but,i'm hoping my husband and i have two little boys who will love coasters as much as we do so our future vacations become coaster trips.This year for our sixth anniversary we are escaping to MD to visit SFA and ride batwing,i can't tell you how excited my husband and i are about this.I am learning alot here at CB and i am basically learning for my own personal reasons and,not to impress somone else but,it would be nice to be able to answer someone's questions while standing in line for a coaster because so often i hear people wonder to each other some things about the coasters and,i have stood and wondered myself so,that's what brought me here.I have loved coasters since i was 6 years old and,i couldn't wait for the newest Six flags commercial every year just to see what new coaster i would be looking forward to opening day.Until two and a half years ago,i didn't have the internet to give me so much information on the coasters.Now,i am thrilled i have access to so much information that i couldn't get in the past without my PC :)
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Rickyswmn
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