Coastering 101

As I said in my first post, I am a roller-coaster aficionado. I've been actively pursuing the biggest and best, the next far-away thrill since the Winter of 1998. Two years prior, I was dragged onto the Runaway Mine Train at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ for a friend's birthday party and it scared me half to death. I vividly remember clinging onto a friend for dear life in that horrible, jerky whirlwind of a ride.

That first ride was indeed a rough one and it took over two years to recover from the initial trauma of the terrifying Mine Train ride. Over the following two years, I overcame my fears and became more and more intrigued by those looping, corkscrewing, engineering marvels and took my first summer job.

Care to hazard a guess as to where it was? Ironically enough, at the same theme park and on the same ride(!) - The Runaway Mine Train at Six Flags Great Adventure.

Over the next four years, I fell in love with roller-coasters. I climbed to the top of the highest roller-coaster at my home park, I learned the ins and outs of the amusement industry, rode the world's oldest and newest roller-coasters on earth in one day, and eventually left my hometown to attend college in theme park central; Orlando, Florida, for Public Relations & Marketing with my mind on pursuing my career in a theme park, of course.

I've had photos published in roller-coaster and amusement park related magazines, I've done countless school projects on the roller-coaster and amusement park industry, contributed to countless fan and industry fan-sites, and I've even had an article published in the New York Times; which can be read here: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/06/nyregion/for-coaster-fans-the-waiting-is-the-hardiest-part.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/A/Amusement%20and%20Theme%20Parks

Over the past eleven years, I've managed to visit 111 different amusement and theme parks in 3 different countries riding a total of 573 different roller-coasters; 454 of which are steel, and 119 of which are wood.

In November of 2005, my father.. who always encouraged and fostered my love of theme parks and roller-coasters not to mention accompanied me on many a park trip.. passed away after a short battle with Metastatic Lung Cancer. I took a break from riding for a while, but after a move to Pittsburgh the following summer, home to my favorite amusement park anywhere; Kennywood (the park pictured above), it re-sparked my love and I began traveling extensively again.

It feels great to be back out at the parks, and I have posted my top ten personal favorites in wood and steel roller-coasters here. I hope you all get to enjoy at least a few of these rides.. because they are all magnificent. Til next time....

Rob's Top Ten Steel Coasters:

1 Bizarro Six Flags New England, Agawam, MA
2 Maverick Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
3 Goliath Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, GA
4 Nemesis Alton Towers, Staffordshire, UK
5 Phantom's Revenge Kennywood, Pittsburgh, PA
6 Nitro Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
7 Montu Busch Gardens Tampa, Tampa, FL
8 Magnum XL-200 Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
9 Kumba Busch Gardens Tampa, Tampa, FL
10 Millennium Force Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH

Rob's Top Ten Wood Coasters

1 Hades Mt. Olympus Theme Park, Wisconsin Dells, WI
2 El Toro Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
3 Ravine Flyer II Waldameer, Erie, PA
4 Voyage Holiday World, Santa Claus, IN
5 Boulder Dash Lake Compounce, Bristol-Southington, CT
6 Legend Holiday World, Santa Claus, IN
7 Rampage Alabama Adventure, Bessemer, AL
8 Raven Holiday World, Santa Claus, IN
9 Phoenix Knoebels, Elysburg, PA
10 Thunderhead Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN

Expect to see an Amusement/Theme Park Top Ten to follow soon......