Question about coaster size terms for non-U.S. American enthusiasts

[MestnyiGeroi]

This is a basic subject, but I was debating this with someone recently and thought there’s no better place to get an answer than here.

As is well known, the U.S. is one of the very last few holdout countries still using the imperial system of measurement. Partly in conjunction with Cedar Point, major manufacturers have coined the terms hyper, giga, and strata, to refer to coasters 200-299 feet high, 300-399 feet high, and 400-499 feet high, respectively.

These terms are now common among many enthusiasts, even though they are based on a unit of measurement the vast majority of the world doesn’t use.

So my question to all you non-U.S. enthusiasts out there: Which of these would you say best describes you?

When it comes to terms like hyper, giga, and strata ...

A. I never use them. Why would I? They’re based on a system totally foreign to me.

B. I only use them on forums like this one, influenced at least in part by this American terminology.

C. I would use them in a private conversation with another non-U.S. coaster enthusiast, but only because we’re both hardcore enthusiasts familiar these otherwise foreign terms.

D. I use them all the time, and so do most enthusiasts I know. They may be originally based on foreign measurements, but they’re now standard ways to classify coaster size, adapted by manufacturers and most enthusiasts everywhere.

E. Other. (If Other, explain, and DON’T say something inane like “I reject all labels.” )

 

[Christian]

C for me. I only use feet for height. For speed and lenght I always use the metric measurements. When talking coasters with non american GPs I use metric all around. Exept for the occasional hyper or giga classification that I might mention.

For height metric just feels wierd. If you tell me about a 40 meter tall coaster I will not get the feel for how tall it is but if you say 130 feet I immediately get an understanding of the height.

 

[Heth]

In the UK, although we use metric measurements for most things, we do still use miles per hour and miles on the roads. As a result I am more likely to comprehend speeds in those measurements. Although I use metres on a daily basis, because forums and coaster enthusiast sites are mostly US based, I understand heights for coasters in feet rather than metres.

 

[Pokemaniac]

E: Other. I refuse to acknowledge the Imperial definition, and place the division lines ever 30 meters instead. I.e. Hypercoaster = 60-90 meters. What that is in footsies is irrelevant. Might as well use furlongs or moos.

Plus, there actually exists one such category defined strictly in Metric. A Teracoaster is a non-launched coaster taller than 100 meters. Heide Park considered building one, that's when the term was coined. Too bad it was never put to practical use.

 

[MestnyiGeroi]

E: Other. I refuse to acknowledge the Imperial definition, and place the division lines ever 30 meters instead. I.e. Hypercoaster = 60-90 meters. What that is in footsies is irrelevant. Might as well use furlongs or moos.

Plus, there actually exists one such category defined strictly in Metric. A Teracoaster is a non-launched coaster taller than 100 meters. Heide Park considered building one, that's when the term was coined. Too bad it was never put to practical use.

I’d give that reply a 100-moo rating.

 

[JJLehto]

Won't vote/go hard as thread is not for me but just for fun: I've stopped using the terms with time. Will still with some enthusiasts when it's convenient but eh... one got tired/bored(?) of it and two, there was sooo much debate over what is and isn't (and this is among people who ARE using imperial!) is it based on drop height, total height, does height above ground count like if its on a hill? Oh it has to be a certain style hills and "traditional" the launched coasters can't reaallllyy be giga's/not with inversions oh but some under 200 foot ones? Yeah we just call em hypers. So honestly, I'm an American who's stopped bothering!

 

[rob666]

E.
I don't classify coasters or count them, I'm just here for the ride.
Another vote for moos.
I would use furlongs, but as even the biggest coaster is only around a 0.8, the scale is a bit out.
All this talk of height is discriminatory, and as a well woke bloke, I consider the height of all coasters as equal, and their differences should be celebrated, not measured on an industrial scale.