EL TORO - SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

This is the first really big coaster I had ever ridden and I must admit that initially I found it more than a little intimidating.    The prospect of descending 176 feet at a 76-degree angle at 70mph was daunting.   On the first ride, on the first drop, I felt as if I were about to be skyrocketed to kingdom come, and didn’t like the sensation.   I wasn’t willing to give up, however, and in time grew to more than like it.  This coaster is truly a work of art.  It’s so exceptionally well-designed that it’s a marvel.  The sensation of descending the first drop is sufficiently intense to induce delirium and/or euphoria.  Better than sex.  I love this ride!!! I have ridden El Toro as often as 10 times in one day and it never gets boring!  From start to finish it delivers thrills, airtime and good new-fashioned fun.   Three consecutive hills followed by a  wide, sweeping curve is a good way to begin.   And even during the latter part of the ride there are some nice touches.  For instance, at one point the train comes off a curve and dips to the left; every time I hit that point I can feel myself rise out of my seat.  In fact, that is one of the high points of the ride, as the rider is literally dropped down to the left and the airtime is phenomenal.   Even after the final twist(s), there’s a point at which I can feel my stomach lurch.  Speaking of airtime, after riding El Toro 40 times in the front of the train, I finally got the bright idea of riding in the back.  The back was rumored to have more extreme airtime and this turned out to be more than a rumor.   Yikes!  Incredible!    The airtime in the back is significantly better than in the front; you can feel everything much more intensely.   The front of the train hangs over the first drop but the back is going full speed ahead over that drop and the whole ride is insanely fabulous.  As anyone familiar with this coaster knows, it’s an exceptionally smooth ride.   And I might add that the cable lift used to reach the top is a vast improvement over the chain lift used on other wooden coasters.   On several occasions I have been amused to see the rickety old woodie next to El Toro, Rolling Thunder, get briefly stuck on the chain lift hill.  Well, what can I say?  There’s no comparison.  El Toro is quite simply incomparable, definitely the best coaster I have had the pleasure of riding - in my opinion, better than The Voyage, Millennium Force or any number of other coasters which consistently make top 10 or top 20 lists.  5 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Great Adventure, use following link to the park's website: http://www.sixflags.com/greatAdventure/index.aspx

NITRO - SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE

A longtime aficionado of wooden roller coasters, I had never ridden a steel coaster – avoided them like the plague – and finally, in August of 2011, decided to take the plunge. The staff at Six Flags said “If you can handle El Toro, you can handle Nitro.”  I wasn’t so sure about that, as the restraints (lap bar, no seat belt) on Nitro are minimal compared with those on El Toro and 215 feet is a long way down, baby.  There also isn’t a lot to hold onto, so to prepare for Nitro I rode El Toro 8 times with my hands in the air to convince myself that I really don’t need to hold onto anything.  Anyway, my fears proved to be groundless.   Talk about a smooth ride!   The first drop of 215 feet wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected; in fact it was super good, AWESOME, and not appreciably scarier than the 176-foot drop on El Toro although I must say that it was pretty intense.   The hammerhead turn was somewhat scarier because that puts the rider in a pretty precarious position.  (Being way up in the air with no guard rails or other visible means of support is a novel experience for someone accustomed to riding woodies.)

There are several good drops after the first one and two banked turns, both to the left, so that the best seat for airtime - and the scariest seat - is the one on the far right of any row because this puts the rider at a slightly higher elevation.  When riding this coaster at night – the track is not illuminated at all except on the lift hill – I literally could not see where we were going or what would happen next, but that only added to the fun and excitement. This ride is a real blast; it’s great no matter where on the train you sit – by now I’ve sat in a number of different places – but in the first row it’s AMAZING just for the view and there’s something special about being the first one to go over the initial drop.   A ride in the  front row is worth the wait, which isn’t long anyway because the train seats 4 across so that getting into the front takes half the time that it takes on a two-seater.   That being said, I should point out that the G-forces are better in the back.   The helix is beyond cool and the best time to ride  is definitely at night. After more than 50 rides on Nitro, I am of the opinion that it's slightly superior to Apollo's Chariot, Diamondback and other coasters of similar calibre. It's easily on a par with the amazing Bizarro at Six Flags New England.  5 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Six Flags Great Adventure,visit  http://www.sixflags.com/greatAdventure/index.aspx

PHOENIX AT KNOEBELS - ELYSBURG, PA

When the 2011 Golden Ticket Awards came out and Phoenix at Knoebels was ranked #2 wooden coaster – one better than my favorite, El Toro – I was nonplussed.  My initial reaction, to quote John McEnroe, is “You cannot be serious!”  Clearly this coaster had something special going for it, and on the last day of the park’s regular season I decided to find out what although I had already had a pretty good idea.  At less than half the height of El Toro, it wasn’t going to be a blockbuster so it was most likely going to be an airtime machine.  More about that later.    The beginning of the ride was among the best that I have ever experienced.   Shortly after leaving the station, the train enters a tunnel which is pitch black.  I’d gone through tunnels on The Voyage, but being in total darkness on Phoenix in an airtime-filled tunnel was a novel experience.   From the tunnel the train goes up the lift hill toward the first drop and then it only gets better.   There are no dramatic drops on this coaster (plenty of ups and downs, however)  but what there is is airtime, airtime, airtime!   Glorious airtime.   Throughout the ride I felt myself being lifted out of my seat and at one point I was halfway standing up.    That is what makes this a great ride.  And it’s probably a good thing that it isn’t particularly tall or steep, because with that amount of airtime, no seat belts and a single position lap bar, it would otherwise be difficult to remain in the seat.   As much as I enjoy riding coasters with hands in the air, this is one on which riders would be well advised to hold on.    I wouldn’t rate Phoenix as better than El Toro by any means but it probably does deserve to be in the top ten.  And the price is right.  Whereas many of the large theme parks have hefty prices for admission, there is no charge for getting into Knoebels and you pay by the ride.  It cost me $2.25 to ride Phoenix and that is a real bargain!  I wasn’t expecting much from this coaster, but it exceeded my expectations. 5 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Knoebels, use the following link to their website: http://www.knoebels.com/

CONEY ISLAND CYCLONE - LUNA PARK, BROOKLYN, NY

It had been 40 years since I last rode the Cyclone and with my newly revived interest in roller coasters, I decided to give it another whirl on July 10, 2011.    Always a classic and perennial favourite, it held some nostalgic value for me , as I originally made the trek to Coney Island because it was scheduled for demolition and I was going to ride it, SAVE THE CONEY ISLAND CYCLONE button pinned to my shirt, if it was the last thing I did.  So 40 years later I was curious to find out how well it had stood the test of time.   And I must say that apart from becoming increasingly rough and worn – the padding on the hold bars is badly ripped and the wood on the front car is cracked - it has stood the test of time very well.    For such an ancient coaster, it affords a surprisingly good ride – this relic can still deliver thrills and the first drop hasn’t lost anything over the years – with some reservations.  It’s a rough ride regardless of where you sit, but if you sit in the wrong row it’s too rough for anyone but a masochist.   My two front seat rides were wonderful, just rough enough to have the feel of a really good wooden coaster and exciting enough to induce both fear and euphoria.  Unfortunately, the front seat was not available for my third and final ride so I had to take what was available.    There is no provision for waiting behind the air gates (there are none in the loading area) for the seat of choice as there is for some coasters – e.g., El Toro and The Voyage.   So I rode in the 4^th row and the ride was so brutally rough that I was in agony.  I got knocked about so violently that I couldn’t wait for it to end.  My left arm was so severely inflamed and bruised from the trauma that the ride operators, who handled the situation extremely well,  got me an ice pack and called the on- duty doctor and an incident report was written.    I suspect that the injury resulted in part from being a single rider on an articulated train with a single position lap bar and no seat belts.    I honestly can’t remember the ride being quite that rough 40 years ago although my memory may be faulty; it could also be that because 40 years ago I was 80 pounds heavier than I am now, I had more padding to absorb the shock.  Although it took a full month for my arm to return to normal, I still think that the Cyclone is a great ride which can compete with any number of more modern coasters -  and as one accustomed to riding coasters with an out and back layout, I was pleasantly surprised after all this time at how much ride could be fitted into a compact twister.   I would ride it again, but only in the front row.  4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about the ride, including complete stats, visit the following website: 

http://www.lunaparknyc.com/about-us/the-cyclone.html  Second photograph courtesy of Coasterimage.com

THE VOYAGE - HOLIDAY WORLD, SANTA CLAUS, INDIANA

Once you’ve developed a passion for roller coasters, you will go to almost any lengths to indulge it.  Last September I applied for a credit card which would give me 25,000 air miles just for signing up, for the sole purpose of financing a trip to Holiday World to ride The Voyage in May.  I wanted to find out what all the fuss was about -  why The Voyage got the 2010 Golden Ticket award for #1 wooden roller coaster and why so many so-called experts put it at the top of their lists.   So off I went on my own voyage, more of a pilgrimage, to ride this colossus.  And I must say that it was a hell of a ride.  The chain lift ascent up the first hill was remarkably smooth (about the only part of the ride which was, and I mention the ascent only because I am not a fan of chain lifts); so far, so good.  The first, sizeable (154-foot) drop at a 66-degree angle was wonderful; I would even go as far as to say thrilling.

The rest of the ride was pretty spectacular, with plenty of airtime, great scenery and a superabundance of highly banked turns.  The Voyage feels totally out of control and never lets up for a moment except at one point during the latter part of the ride when it loses speed before entering a tunnel with a small curve. (This is the only one of the many tunnels which has a curve.)  The Voyage is notable for its triple down,  during which the train descends underground, drops again in the dark and makes another plunge.  All in all, a great ride, and a relatively long one.  However,  as good as The Voyage is, it does tend to be rather rough, and after 7 rides I was feeling the wear and tear. The succession of overbanked turns is almost too much of a good thing. That being said, this coaster is nevertheless once of the best wooden coasters I have ever ridden.  I give The Voyage 5 out of 5 stars.  For more information about the park and rides, visit www.holidayworld.com.  Photo of The Voyage courtesy of www.coasterimage.com, a great website for roller coaster photos.

MILLENNIUM FORCE

It isn’t every day that I drop 300 feet at an 80-degree angle on a roller coaster reaching a top speed of 93mph.  If I thought that 215 feet (Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure) was a long way down, 300 feet was going to be a long, long way down.   I had high expectations of Millennium Force and it not only met but exceeded my expectations.  From start to finish it was one of the best rides I’ve ever had.  The ascent to the top was quick and smooth, thanks to the cable lift.  (I’m becoming quite partial to Intamin, which designed this coaster and my all-time favorite, El Toro; both use cable lifts.)   And the location could not be better, as Lake Erie is directly to your left as you are going up the hill, so that the scenery is spectacular.   Once you get to the top, look out!   The drop was unquestionably the best first drop I had ever experienced on any roller coaster at the time that I first rode it.  (This has since been equalled and possibly surpassed by Intimidator 305, Fury 325, Leviathan and Cannibal.) And the rest of the ride is a blast.  This coaster doesn’t have a lot of drops but what drops it does have are sizeable and it does have a good long track.    I felt that it had both floater and ejector airtime; some of the best airtime was on a bunny hill near the end of the ride.

This coaster features a succession of overbanked turns and two tunnels.   After the initial drop,  it ascends into an overbanked turn and goes through a tunnel.   From there it speeds over a hill,  enters a helix,  negotiates several turns,  travels over another hill and goes into another tunnel.  The first time I rode, it was dark and because the track is not well illuminated, I could not see the drops coming up until we were descending and the second tunnel was pitch black.   The overbanked turn at the end of the ride was definitely one of the highlights.  All in all, a super good ride.  The only downside (no pun intended) to Millennium Force is the excessive waiting time to get on.   I probably picked a bad time to go to Cedar Point – the next to last weekend of the 2011 season – because on a Saturday night I hadto stand in line for 2 ½ hours to get on this coaster.   I went back as soon as the park opened the following day and managed to get to the loading station in half an hour but by midafternoon, there was again a long queue.   Other coasters at Cedar Point have a much shorter waiting time.  It seems that everyone wants to ride Millennium Force, and I can certainly understand why.  This gets 5 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Cedar Point, use the following link to their website: http://www.cedarpoint.com/

MAGNUM XL 200 - CEDAR POINT, SANDUSKY, OHIO

I expected to like this coaster a lot more than I did, especially as it was ahead of its time.   The ride started out well enough, and the fact that the lift hill stretches over a considerable area (see photograph) added to the tension and anticipation.  The first drop of 190 feet was truly awesome – what a rush! - but from there, things sort of went downhill, no pun intended.  This coaster offers some SERIOUS airtime – even in the tunnels I was floating out of my seat -  and that would be fine except that I repeatedly got whacked in the legs by the lap bar.  Magnum XL 200 was only the 3^rd steel coaster I had ridden, and after experiencing Millennium Force (Cedar Point) and Nitro (Six Flags Great Adventure), I expected a smoother ride.   Smooth or not, it was an interesting ride to say the least, with no shortage of thrills.   The overbanked turn three quarters of the way through the ride was beyond terrifying.  Never in my life have I ridden a coaster on which I had serious doubts that the train would remain on the track.  Although I didn’t fall in love with Magnum XL 200 the way I did with Millennium Force, I would still give it 4 out of 5 stars.  Objectively, I think it’s a well-designed coaster; subjectively, I think that it would be more enjoyable if it were a little less rough.  For more information about rides at Cedar Point, use the following link to their website:   
http://www.cedarpoint.com/

TWISTER AT KNOEBELS - ELYSBURG, PA

This is the other wooden coaster at Knoebels, the one that doesn’t get all the publicity, but one which is worth checking out.  The ride gets off to a clattering start; the sound the train makes when leaving the station is thunderous and you set the impression that the entire foundation is shaking.   It then uses two separate lift hills to reach the top, which is something I’ve never seen before on any coaster, so that has some novelty value.   This ride, like Phoenix, does not have any huge, dramatic drops; what it has is a lot of twists and turns, and some of them are pretty intense.   The ride is very aptly named.   Because the turns are sharp and the train moves along at a fast clip, it’s a good thing that this coaster, unlike Phoenix, has double position lap bars; without these, riders would get knocked about mercilessly.   The ride has two parallel curves, another thing I liked about it.   It comes along the upper track and then doubles back along the lower track, which was a fun thing to watch while waiting in the station to board.  All in all a pretty cool ride.  3 1/2 out of 5 stars.   First photograph courtesy of Coasterimage.com.  For more information about Knoebels, use the following link to their website: http://www.knoebels.com/

GEMINI AT CEDAR POINT, SANDUSKY, OHIO

This hybrid coaster does not rate very high on the thrill scale but a first drop of 118 feet is not bad for an intermediate coaster.    A dueling coaster with two trains on parallel tracks, it’s a race to the finish line.   While waiting in the loading area to board, I noticed that the blue train had beaten the red train back to the station more often than not so decided to ride the blue train.   It was a fun ride with a good amount of airtime although a bit rough in spots.  One of the fun things was looking over at the riders in the other train.  And wouldn’t you know it?  The red train made it to the finish line first.  Oh, well.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  For more information about the rides at Cedar Point, use this link to their website:
http://www.cedarpoint.com/