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How did it become your favorite?

BigBad

BigBad

Mega Poster
One of the "polls" threads, the one about the best coaster at Great Adventure, got me to explain how Diamondback became my favorite coaster, and it got me wondering how others got their favorite coaster to be their favorite.

For me, I hit Kings Island at the end of a multi-park trip. I got to Kings Dominion and Cedar Point on that trip, so there was plenty of quality, but nothing was a big airtime coaster like I'm used to from El Toro and Nitro at what is my closest huge park. I305 and MF have some hills, but they're not focused on air. Magnum has lot of air hills, but it's pretty rough.

Then I got to KI and rode Diamondback. The first drop had me floating for a few seconds, and ditto for the next two hills, but for even longer. There was a hammerhead that had me thinking I would fall out (in a good way), and then I got back to floating for several seconds over every hill. There was tons of air, and it wasn't jarring. Despite the rattle I noticed on some (but not all or even most) rides, it was generally smooth and felt like flying.
 
Katun:

It dominates the skyline at the park, it's the first thing you see from the car park.

Then I saw the theming, which is quite decent.
Onto the ride itself. The first ride I had was front row, the first drop was incredible! I thought, how can this be any better? Then I rode back row, a couple of times! It was the most intense ride, I have ever experienced. Plus there is air time on the first drop!
To top it off, Katun has a plethora of different inversions.
 
I first rode it in 2002 and I thought it was rather tame. Rode it again in 2007 and it felt much more surprising and dynamic with a lot of short pops of airtime. There and then I don't remember rating it highly, but due to wanting different things from a coaster, increased nostalgia, distorted memories and bias its now on top!
 
Balder.

First drop and open restraints still scared me, then it was just airtime after airtime after airtime, with no painful transitions.
 
Voyage: I was told great things about this. It complimented Thunderbird wonderfully when I first saw it. It was down for maintenance in the morning, so more anticipation built up. It was long, full of airtime, relentless, and just pure fun. Blew my already high expectations.
 
Boulder Dash.

Not only is it a truly exceptional roller coaster (like, my goodness it's amazing), but I remember riding laps at night with Gavin, Jerry, Aidan and Brad. We just had so much fun (or at least, I did) that it fondly sits in my memory.
 
Boulder Dash

Entering Lake Compounce you can't see much of the ride. It's built behind the tree line on the mountainside, you can only really see the return run from the Park's vicinity. It's at a relatively small park with not much else in terms of standout attractions, and the ride itself was built by CCI, not necessarily known for excellent coasters...

But from the first right turn into the swooping first drop, it doesn't let up at all. It's peppered nonstop with moments of ejector air. The ride experience is just enough to throw you around a bit without ever being painful or uncomfortable. That goes hand in hand with the surrounding trees and boulders, which truly captures the feel of a runaway train much better than any coaster before or after.

It's a coaster that is the product of its surroundings, even if they don't appear to be anything special on first sight.
 
First time I ever saw Troy was in January 2009 when myself and Peter (AeRo) drove over to Toverland. It's easy to fixate on the coaster as you drive through to the park entrance. Back then it had been snowing, so basically I was staring at this 120ft woodie engulfed in a gorgeous snowy landscape.

The park was dead, and the 2 coasters (Troy and Booster Bike) were both closed because there must have been less than 20 guests in the park and they were all staying in the indoor sections. Me and Peter just waltzed outside and had a chat with some staff who basically opened booster bike specifically for us. Had about 20 re-rides. Same thing happened with Troy, they gave it a few test runs and we basically had the whole coaster to ourselves. My god, that thing rode so well. Front row, back row, middle row. I basically came off with my mouth hanging open in disbelief. Loved it.
 
Shirofukurou said:
...and the ride itself was built by CCI, not necessarily known for excellent coasters...
Click to expand...
lolol, that's a joke right? Look at coaster polls from the late 90's into the mid-00's ....almost ALL the top 10 wood would be from CCI.

Boulder Dash aside, and having be rated #1 wood coaster in the world! you have Excalibur (rated in the top 10 in the 90s) GhostRider, a once HIGHLY rated coaster... often topping 1-5, Megafobia hitting in the top 10 for years... Rampage.. again with the highly rated.... Shivering Timbers?! Who didn't wanna ride that when it was new! And coming in at #1 (and in the top 10 for years) Tonnerre de Zeus also placed very high among coaster fans.... And uh, oh yeah... Raven AND Legend both continuinly amongst the top rated wood coasters... still.

And while a few of those may not be as beloved now. May it be lack of up keep...or just newer coasters hitting the scene. But I'd hardly say CCI wasn't known for excellent rides.....
 
^Well back then, they were essentially the only wood manufacturer. So back then, they were the top wood manufacturer. But now with RMC, GCI, GG, M&V, and all the other modern wooden manufacturers, CCI is ****. Legend, Ghostrider, Villain, Stampia, all CCI coasters despised by many. Obviously some of their coasters are good, but most are pretty bad in comparison by today's standards.
 
Boulder Dash

Rode it in the front, at night, with UC.. and rode it again.. and again.. and again. It was not only exceptional during the day, its a must at night. Riding it again last year reassured my feelings in 2007 were the same in 2016.
 
I always liked Boulder Dash, but when El Toro opened in 2006 it simply blew my mind. Tall, steep, fast and those ejector airtime hills shot it past Boulder Dash straight to the top. However, a couple of years later they added the trim to Boulder Dash and Voila - right back to #1! Slamming into the side of the car at the top of the turnaround was Boulder Dash's only imperfection and with the addition of the trim the ouch is gone yet the airtime and speed remains. Over 800 coasters later and it's still my favorite.
 
Nice topic!

Skyrush

There are coasters with great ejector airtime and intensity, and then there's Skyrush. Not only does it look beautiful as it looms over the park, but the way it's designed is quite unique: mega coasters are usually long, drawn out rides, but Skyrush is jam packed into a smallish area (for the coaster type at least), resulting in over the top adrenaline and intensity. With the lap bars and the open seating, it gives you a real sense of nervousness and fear that you're going to fall out (which I think is an important aspect that sets it apart from others), especially as you zoom up the lift hill and plunge down that first drop. It really feels like the coaster was alive and trying to shake off the riders, showing no mercy. The airtime is so strong that there were times were I actually felt like I had to hold on. Yeah it is painful but it's by no means excruciating and I feel that pain actually adds to the excitement and adrenaline.

It has powerful turns, snappy laterals, some of the best airtime you'll find anywhere, and truly intimidating. I could go on all day but I think I'll keep it there.
 
Sanchezmran said:
snappy laterals
Click to expand...
This is where Skyrush lost its top spot for me. After the first drop and next two hills, it was at the top of my list. It was definitely trying to chuck me out of the car, but unlike El Toro, the other Intamin I've ridden that has a bunch of sustained ejector, the combination of floorless, sideless, and just a lap bar made it really feel like I would be tossed out into orbit, but I kept my hand up through those three hills.

Then there were a few turns that threw me sideways, and I had to hold on to keep myself from being bounced around. I'd like to blame it on the restraints, but I've noticed it on other Intamin coasters. It keeps Maverick and I305 from being great coasters in my mind, though with those two, it's more from snappy roll transitions than changes in yaw, which seemed to be what Skyrush did. (Yes, I'm a NoLimits guy who tends to work with FVD++.)

So Skyrush had to drop down to 5th, but if you like those lateral forces/transitions, then it is the ultimate coaster.
 
I don't even really like inverts but Montu is my favourite!

My top 4 are all about equal (Kumba, Kraken, Cheetah Hunt) but Montu is such a good coaster of it's type (great forces, great theming, relatively unusual batwing element (only one I think I've done)) that I feel like I can't not have it as my number 1. Theming definitely plays a part for me, or at least the setting. Busch Gardens Tampa happens to be my favourite park too so that might have played a part in my choosing.

Would be interested to do Oz'Iris but have heard mixed things about it, whereas Montu consistently gets rated highly it seems.
 
Baulder Dash - Lake Compounce

Year 2013
Month July


It was the last stop on our massive 60 coaster road trip. We had just spent 6 days in cedar point and decided to take the long way home and hit Lake Compounce for the second time during that trip. This time after 5pm.

One the first ride a week before the ride made my top 10, however we only had time to stay until 3 so every ride was in daylight. Add to that my wife was still learning how to enjoy wooden coasters and she wasn't feeling it either. "Happy Wife Happy Life"

However after 60 new coasters and crossing the 100 coasters marker she was ready and we were both in for surprise.

This time we got to ride Baulder in pitch black after a bit of rain.

To this day that is the most fun I have ever had on a roller coaster bar none.
The flight threw the wood is like nothing I have ever expierenced. The woods were pitch black, the coaster was running smooth as silk, and we could see fire works going off in the back as we felt blind ejector air and incredible speed.

I spend the rest of the night screaming BEST IN THE WORLD at the top of the lift hill.

Needless to say it is now both me and my wife's NO.1 coaster.
 
Hopkins, you list Manta as your favorite coaster.

I don't live all that far by car from Lake Compounce, so I think I'll have to hit up Boulder Dash this summer.
 
Goliath, SFGAm
This became my favorite in 2014. There was much anticipation for my first trip to SFGAm. Goliath looked incredible, and X-Flight would be my first wing rider. Goliath stuck out like a sore thumb on the park's skyline. The abnormal, intimidating lift structure was instantly recognizable as we pulled up to the park.
My first ride on this beast was unforgettable. Back row was where I sat. That drop was euphoric the first ride. The ejector airtime hill was incredible, and the dive loop and zero g stall were just the icing on the cake. Rode it 3 times that trip.
Fast forward to 2015, I visit SFGAm again, but this trip, I was able to ride Goliath 9 times.
There is just something about this ride that I love so much. Ejector airtime, and big drops are my favorite thing on roller coasters, and Goliath has both.
 
BigBad said:
Hopkins, you list Manta as your favorite coaster.

I don't live all that far by car from Lake Compounce, so I think I'll have to hit up Boulder Dash this summer.
Click to expand...

This is the first time Iv'e used this sites forums. I had the date wrong on when it became my favorite 2013 not 2011. Not sure why I was thinking 2011.

Make sure you hit Compounce on a night it closes at 10pm or later. Pitch black makes a big difference.
 
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