Wood Coaster Poll Results...

http://www.ushsho.com/woodrollercoasterpollresults2005.htm

Yay! My #2 is second on the poll! I've only ridden 2 out of the total top 20, and only one in the top ten. I hope that changes this year :).

My #1 is #3, and the highest-ranked of the coasters I've ridden. That makes me happy. :)

No surprises and nothing terribly interesting either. Naturally, nothing I picked made the top "pick a number" list. I did my rankings based on decent rides that never get any attention.

First year I did the poll and I still don't see the point of all of it. I'm chalking it up to an educational experiment.

I did my rankings based on decent rides that never get any attention.

I'm just curious here: you based your rankings on 'decent rides that never get any attention' instead of basing the rankings on what you actually like? Are you saying that you ranked something that doesn't get much attention higher than a potentially better ride simply because it doesn't get as much attention?

Not saying anything against you, that just struck me as odd.

Next year I'm voting Balder last even if I don't get within 5000 miles of Sweden. :)

What I found interesting, and what I didn't notice before, is yeah hundreds of people vote and there are all thse permutations and combinations, etc.-- but it still came down to a very limited number of "mutual" riders among the top coasters who decide it.

I'm glad to see how horrible Villain was running this year reflected on the 2005 list a little more than the overall list and it seems Raging Wolf Bobs is gradually going up with the really fantastic retracking. I rode that five times when we were there this year and haven't ridden it more than one or two times before in my life. This was the first visit I only rode Villain once and it instantly went from top 20 to dead last. So so disappointed. Hopefully the retracking for that will do wonders. Eek at how bad SOB is down to. I didn't even ride it this year, but it wasn't that bad in '04. Guess it's good it was off the end of the season. Thanks for posting Clint.

+Danny

Looking through the list, I'm glad to see that I have been on most of the US woodies that are mentioned.

Thunderhead, Phoenix, Shivering Temors, Raven, Ozark Wildcat, Cornball Express, Legend and GhostRider.

I ran out of time otherwise I would have gone to Hell on Hades. Also sometime I have to get out to Idaho, but it is in route to nowhere really so that makes the chances of that happening really low. :(

I am sure this next comment will start anarchy, but, and I speak for the managers in the industry, 99% of all 'lists' in BS. Fact: you can probably count on one hand who has been to Sweden. I myself wouldn't even think of traveling there for that. Same with Aska and Colossos.

Ozark Wildcat is way too new. Same thing happened when Megafobia opened in Wales. "Its the greatest" claimed enthusiasts. Mularkey! We all think that the jetlag had taken a severe toll. Have enough people rode Megafobia to this day to make a top 10 list. Lets see; NO.

And its not like Idaho and Wisconsin is on the beaten path. My advice: vote fair and don't overlook older coasters in the US.

I don't think that comment starts anarchy. If you're saying what I think you are, then I agree. These polls matter to no one but enthusiasts. I think some people take them way too seriously. I mean, honestly, when it comes down to it, who cares?

My personal number one coaster is Swamp Fox. That coaster, in the back, at nite? Outstanding. Perhaps when I do get to ride Aska, I'll be able to say "oh, that is a great coaster, better than..."

But I do like to see how things stack up. Heck, if this poll really, really meant anything, then all of those coasters at the bottom would have either been torn down or re-furbished a long time ago. But the fact is, the GP speak with their money. And the last time I was at PKI, SoB had at least an hour Line, while the Daddy did not.But, then, Scooby at PKI had over an hour line as well...

I stand by the results of this poll as it is fairest.

I do invite those who don't think Shivering Timbers is that good. To visit for Timbersfest!

Chuck, who will have to try Balder sometime :)

Agent Johnson, You forget the ACE and ECC tours of both Europe and Japan.

I fully believe that poll takers out of 581 got to ride ASKA. Matter of fact, I know three of em and they said it was the most intense CYCLONE yet!

Chuck, who don't see myself making it anytime soon but that don't mean I won't.

Maybe a better way of filling out the FAVORITE lists would be just to allow each person to pick the one coaster they consider their favorite for the year.

Tekno: I voted the way I did because I really have a hard time ranking coasters. I can make broad general comments about which rides I like and which ones I don't but actually putting them in a list is splitting too many hairs. In fact, I don't even keep a track record. The poll was the first time in a long time I sat down and listed everything.I also try to appreciate a lot of different things about a ride other than the "rush" factor.

For example, Raven may be a better "enthusiast ride" than something else, I ranked it low because a) I'm sick of hearing about it and b) I had a better time on some other rides that might have been less intense but more fun based on other factors (setting, people I'm with, my mood at the time, something about the coaster that can't be described or even purposely designed into it, etc.

And it really doesn't fascinate me to see which rides are ranked higher than other rides. What difference does it make? Is it supposed to make me feel stupid because I don't enjoy the "right" rides?

I'll admit that for people actually interested in this sort of thing, Mitch's poll is the only one worth looking at, popularity contests pretty much worthless. I'm glad something like Balder gets on the list, that would never happen with a popularity contest! *** Edited 12/6/2005 1:19:50 PM UTC by millrace***

I am shocked but happy J2 made the top 30.

Oh yeah and look how far down Son of Beast landed.*falls over laughing*

I love looking at the bottom 25 and seeing the large rider numbers. maybe some parks should look at that poll and figure out which coasters need fixing. Yes that comment is specifically aimed at Cedar Point (Mean Streak) and Great Adventure (Rotting Lumber ummmm Rolling Thunder)

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Agent Johnson said:
I am sure this next comment will start anarchy, but, and I speak for the managers in the industry, 99% of all 'lists' in BS.

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Sorry, I'm not in on all your little cliques, so I don't know who you guys are, but how is it that you speak for all the managers in the industry?

I voted Son of Beast 10th out of the 44 wooden coasters on my list. Then again, this is coming from someone that once rode Drachen Fire 11 times without getting out of his seat... so maybe my brain is a bit scrambled. ;)

SoB is rough, has trains from hell, and tracks horribly in axle seats (which probably explains its low showing!)... but for some reason I keep coming back for more. I really enjoy the ride. The "rose bowl" ranks right up there with Knoebels Twister and Legend's helices as the best I've experienced.

Ray P. (ducking for cover for putting a Knoebels and HW woodie in the same sentence as SoB)

Agent Johnson: I agree that most lists are BS and that the only people that care about them are enthusiasts. However, Mitch's poll is the best poll. It is not based on popularity. It is a full comparison report done as scientificly as possible. There may be some margin of error, but it is very little when done on the scale and method that Mitch conducts. On the other hand, this is an opinion poll.

Wow. GhostRider fell hard, fast, and long all the way to spot 20! But that's still an achievement ;), considering how many woodies we have in the world.

YAY for Hades and Avalanche!

For those who have a hard time ranking coasters individually, I recommend the group-ranking method. Even if your only rankings are 1-good, 2-bad, and 3-The Grizzly, they at least differentiate between preferences, and that contributes to the meaningfulness of the poll.

The poll is what you get out of it. I love Mitch's poll because it's the fairest assessment of what rides people generally prefer, regardless of how many people have ridden them. Hey, if the few people who have ridden Balder seem to think it's gonzo-fantastic, then this bodes well for Great Adventure. And it lets me know what rides I still need to get out and ride for myself (and make my own judgement about).

Just remember to keep an open mind. I've had terrific rides on three coasters ranked below #85, and I've had thoroughly "meh" rides on a coaster in the top 35. My #1 is #109 in the poll.