The Coaster Critic's Blog

Ravine Flyer II An Impressive World-Class Wooden Coaster
I'd been excited for Ravine Flyer II since I learned about it last winter. It's the product of 15 years of work, planning, and local politics. The Gravity Group designed hybrid woodie was my top pick for the new coasters opening in 2008. The New York Times even quoted me when I dubbed it the "Sleeper Hit of 2008". So needless to say I was looking forward to getting to Waldameer Park in Erie, PA to see if Ravine Flyer II was as good as expected. Ravine Flyer's climb seems exceptionally slow, which is by no means a negative. This gives riders time to take in the breath-taking view of Lake Erie towards the top. I felt like I was looking out onto an ocean. You can even make out waves breaking on the coast. Park owner Paul Nelson told me that at dusk a mist comes in off the lake that greases the tracks making Ravine Flyer II even faster. Just as riders admire the view with 'oohs and ahhs' their attention is snapped back to the drop below as the trains dives down off of the hill its situated on. The train just rose 80 feet, but the opening hill is a 115 foot drop that banks gently at the bottom. There's a great pull over the crest in the back seat and the hill feels much longer back there.

Out and Back - Down the Ravine & Over the Highway
At the bottom, the train immediately flies through the first tunnel with surprising speed. Then up into the arched bridge over the highway with a short pop of air. In the banked, twisted turn around (similar to a section on Hades) the train climbs a hill that seems to momentarily sap some of the rides energy, but its followed by another great drop and a trip back across the highway.

The Twisted Section - Speed, Airtime, & 90-Degrees!
The rest of the ride is non-stop speed and thrills with no letting up whatsoever. Much like Gravity Group's Voyage, Ravine Flyer II is seemingly possessed or like the energizer bunny for a nicer analogy. It's jam-packed with pops of air and banked turns. Nelson explained that this is Gravity Group's secret to success as it keeps the rides initial energy going. There are nearly no sections of just flat track anywhere. The highlight of the second half is the 90-degree banked turn to the right. It's shorter than sections on The Voyage, but still exciting. The train seems like it could've continued on for longer, but the brake run finally puts the beast to rest.

Early videos of Ravine Flyer II looked fun, but they don't really do the speed and intensity of this ride justice. It's much faster than it looks on video. And though you get thrown around a bit on the turns, I couldn't find a moment of roughness on the whole ride. Gravity Group has done it again. Congratulations to Waldameer Park! For their persistence they've got a world-class woodie that's built to last and will thrill thousands for years to come.

RFII flies its way into my Top Ten landing as the 8th best of the nearly 160 roller coasters I've ridden and the 5th best wooden coaster. It has also received my 7th '10'. If you're anywhere near Erie, get to Waldameer. Final Rating 10 (Superior)

Robb Alvey from ThemeParkReview has made a great video covering this amazing ride. Check out this great video of Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer Park:

The Voyage's Triple Down in the Dark | Coaster Moments

After a rapid fire opening featuring hills, airtime, tunnels and a twisted turnaround, The Voyage like Happy Gilmore, has only just begun. The train slows considerably at the mid-course brake run and typically after brake runs most roller coasters can't live up to the intensity of their first halves. That's not the case with this Gravity Group monster. Immediately after the brakes, just as you let your guard down, you dive into INSANITY.

The train has slowed to a crawl as it creeps back into another tunnel. The dark cool tunnel contrasts greatly with the summer heat and bright sun above ground. Suddenly, the train takes a short dip. Then it drops again down a slightly larger hill. And then the bottom literally drops out from under you in pitch black darkness. The succession of drops are perfectly executed and really take you by surprise. My ride in the second car from the back was the best.

After the insane airtime, the train heads back to surface and completes its circuit with a surprising amount of speed and intensity so late in the ride. If you haven't made it to Holiday World, go now! It's a nice park and Voyage is amazing. Read my full review of The Voyage.

Elements like the triple down, put The Voyage in my Top 10 Coasters list as well as the top ten lists of pretty much anyone that's ridden it. What do you think of The Voyage at Holiday World? Leave a comment below. Photo Credit: Theme Park Review

Kumba @ Busch Gardens Africa | World's Best Looping Coaster?
Strap in for a ride on the best steel looper on the planet. I've reviewed the rest of my top ten, for my 300th post I figured it'd be fitting if I reviewed the coaster in my top spot. These days there's nothing special about a roller coaster with seven loops. The way Kumba at Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa, FL) integrates it's twisted layout with the lush tropical terrain makes it a world-class roller coaster and my favorite of the 100-plus that I've ridden.

Welcome to the Jungle
Tucked away back beyond the tiger pits, deep in Busch Gardens Africa's Congo section lies Kumba. You're welcomed to this corner of the park by Kumba's roar, the sound the yellow trains make as they traverse the twisted teal steel. Fittingly, Kumba means 'roar' in an African Congo language.

After boarding the comfortable trains, you exit right out of the station.The trains starts its ascent and you can't help but notice the enormous tear drop-shaped loop that you pass through as you climb. Tension builds as you reach the crest and the train dips a bit as it leaves the chain lift. Next, the train takes a swooping 13-story drop to the ground below. The train roars to top speed along the ground, setting you up for the first of your seven inversion trip. The train rockets back toward the sky into the once record breaking vertical loop. If you take the time to look upward you can see the lift hill that you're flying over.

The Dive Loop & Zero-G Roll
The underrated dive loop really shines on Kumba. The seldom mentioned positive g-forces as you exit this loop and return to the ground are brief, but forceful. Next, you rise back up and into steel coaster bliss. The zero-g roll (or camelback as B&M calls it) is a buttery smooth maneuver where the train makes a fighter jet like spin. As it's name suggests there's a moment of weightlessness. This is arguably one of the most popular or types of loops out there and here it's executed for probably one of the first times ever, flawlessly. After the roll, the train drops back to the earth and rides along a straight section of track in a ravine.

Cobra Roll With a Purpose
The cobra roll is another run of the mill inversion by today's standards, but was beautifully executed on Kumba. It consists of two nearly back-to-back inversions and is typically feels a little thrown in to up the loop count. On Kumba, the cobra roll wraps around a path bridge. Passerbys are frozen in their tracks as they look up and marvel at the beast that just roared overhead twisting in the air and then disappearing back into the jungle.

Interlocking Corkscrews & a Dark Finale
By now, most coasters would be over. You've already been spun upside-down five times, but thankfully Kumba's not through with you. You have just a moment to catch your breath as you enter a mid-course brake run. Next, the train dives into a set of corkscrews (or flat spin as B&M calls them). Instead of the typical way of executing two back-to-back corkscrews resulting in a bit of dizziness and disorientation (not that's there's anything wrong with that), the train enters a transitional curve. Then you roar through the second corkscrew which is final inversion on your trip. The train dives below a walking path and then flies right by the station giving perspective riders a glimpse at their future. Kumba finishes strong with a brief, but dark and rocky tunnel and a upward helix with some surprising g-forces.

Kumba: A Piece of History
In 1993, this was Bolliger & Mabillard's first foray into seated steel loopers. Oddly, they had created a number of stand-up coasters before venturing into other types. Busch ordered two steel loopers, one for Busch Gardens Europe and one for Busch Gardens Africa. B&M declined the Williamsburg project and Busch pursued Drachen Fire with Arrow. B&M would go onto create countless thrill rides and crowd-pleasers, many of which use inversions first seen on Kumba. Hulk at IOA, Medusa at Great Adventure. But in my opinion, they haven't topped Kumba's perfect pacing, beautiful tropical atmosphere, inventive layout that interacts with the track and surroundings.

For the fun, re-ridable, and thrilling adventure that Kumba offers, its my favorite roller coaster. According to the latest Internet Coaster Poll it still fares pretty well for a 15 year old coaster. I highly recommend it the next time you're in the Tampa area. Final Rating 10.0 (Superior)


Check out this professional onride video of Kumba at Busch Gardens Africa:

Beast at Kings Island | Roller Coaster Reviews
Once again, I traveled westward for another much hyped woodie. This time I was in search of the Beast at Kings Island. For nearly three decades it's been the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. I've been looking forward to riding it for a decade. Between expensive Cincinnati airfare and that fateful April day in '05 when Kings Island closed for SNOW!, it's taken me years to make it to Kings Island and the Beast.

The Pre-Ride Experience
As I neared the section of the park where the Beast lurked I found a pretty cool sign and a Coaster Landmark plaque from the American Coaster Enthusiasts. The sign also helps people find the Beast as the station is tucked away in a corner of the park and only parts of the ride's track can be seen from other lift hills. Part of the mystique of the Beast is its location in 35 wooded acres in the back of Kings Island. The station was a lightly themed saw mill. I was pleased to find an excited station with a skinny, speckled DJ with the gift of gab. He kept the station abuzz with excitement as trains filled with happy riders entered and exited. Through my travels I've found that a lively station is a trademark of world-class roller coaster and the Beast is no different.

An Unforgettable Night Ride
After hearing, "Enjoy your 4 minute and 50 second ride" we were off. The train took a smooth right turn out of the station and we approached the lift hill. As always, the lift hill built the anticipation of the drop to come, but on this particular ride there was an additional treat. A large pink moon hung over the dark wilderness. It lightly illuminated the forest below. Riders were awe-stricken by the beautiful sight and now we were about to be treated to an unforgettable night ride on the Beast.

We plunged down the opening 135-foot drop and immediately into the rocky mouth of an underground tunnel. The train flew out of the tunnel and banked to the left and our journey through the Ohioan wilderness had officially begun. The second drop was a memorable airtime hill that hugged the rolling terrain. At night the barely visible trees were accented with fireflies. This was one of the most remarkable sights I've ever experienced on a coaster. The cool air in the woods was a welcomed relief from the humid stickiness of the packed station.

Next the train banked to the right and stormed through the long, flat covered section. After a right turn and a small dip the train charged into the second tunnel. This tunnel was much longer than the first and at times was pitch black, especially at night. After exiting the second tunnel there were a few more turns that set us up for the second lift hill. The real strength of the first half of the ride was the speed, just a touch of airtime on hill #2 and the sheer distance covered in an unusual atmosphere. For the second act the Beast really lived up to his name.

The Beast's Famous Helix Finale
On coasters like Big Bad Wolf, the second lift hill really steals the moment of the ride. Because most coasters would be over by this point I didn't mind the break in action. I had already been given a satisfying ride, the rest was like a bonus. Atop the lift the train turned to the left and began a long (141 feet), but very gradual 18-degree drop. It couldn't look more tame in pictures, but I had heard such great things about the mighty Beast's helix. And I wasn't disappointed.

At first, the train gradually gained speed, but before we knew it we were barreling towards what appeared to be a black dead end in the mouth of the first helix tunnel. Somehow the train stayed on the track and we experienced some vicious lateral g-forces. It's complete mayhem in the helix tunnels, but for some reason even after 28 years its not a rough or painful experience. After surviving the first covered helix the train marches around the downward helix and plows through another covered helix. Then, finally, the Beast released his grip on us. We coasted for a while back to the station where we passed over a dispatching train set to embark on the same 4 minute and 50 second adventure we had just experienced. The Beast gave me three amazing rides and it lands at number 6 on my Top Ten Coasters. Final Rating - 10.0 (Superior)

Take a virtual ride! Check out this onride video of the Beast at Kings Island:


Got a comment or question about Beast? Leave a comment below. Photos 2-4 courtesy of CoasterImage.

Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England

A Heroic Hyper Coaster That Lives
Up to Its Lofty Reputation
I don't give out a lot of 10's. But this ladies and gentlemen, deserves a 10. It's reputation was huge and I figured it would be better than the other coasters by the same name, I just didn't know it was going to be THAT good. Thanks to the unimaginative minds at Six Flags it can be a bit confusing. There are two other hypercoasters by the same name, one at Six Flags America and one at the de-flagged Darien Lake, which is now just Ride of Steel. Those two are identical and very pedestrian in comparison to the New England installation. It's nothing short of a masterpiece. Don't take my word for it. Thousands of coaster enthusiasts agree. See the Golden Ticket Awards and Mitch Hawker's Poll.

Now, to the review. The experience starts with some appropriate Metropolis-themed supporting buildings. Right away, I noticed a clean, well organized queue with the Superman movie theme playing in the background. It's a small touch, but adds to the experience. I'm not sure why this is absent from the other Superman coasters. The station was buzzing with excitement and the ride ops kept the energy up asking riders if they enjoyed the ride. Quite often, the trains returned with enthusiastic applause before the ride ops could even speak.

Intamin's seats aren't as wide and comfortable as the seats you find on B&M's Apollo's Chariot, but the back seats of each car are raised slightly in a stadium seating fashion. After leaving the station, you begin the long ascent which offers a breath-taking view of the Connecticut River a few hundred yards to your left. If you sit on the left there isn't much between you, the river, and the ground, far, far below. At over 200 feet up, the trains crest the top and then plummet down more than 220 feet. At the bottom of the hill the train dashes throw a short underground tunnel as it reaches 77 mph. You climb up and drop down another 120 foot drop. Next is the overbanked turn that's similar to Intamin's overbank on Millennium Force, just not quite as large.

Packed with Airtime As Advertised
As I had heard from other coaster enthusiasts, the hills are stuffed with airtime. Some with sudden drops that are short but powerful, jerking you down and even throwing your hands up for you. The helices offer great g-forces and the second tunnel is cool and throws you a little. I also enjoyed the layout and liked the varied nature of the track. I can see why New Englanders are so rabid for this ride. It had the longest line at the park the entire day. And if it wasn't for security there would have been a mad dash for it when the park opened. This truly is the best steel roller coaster (and in my opinion overall coaster) on the planet. Kumba's still my personal favorite though. Final Rating - 10 (Transcendental)


Check out this onride coaster video of Superman: Ride of Steel, though it doesn't really do the ride justice.

Similar Intamin hyper coasters: Superman: Ride of Steel at SF America, Expedition GeForce at Holiday Park, Ride of Steel at Darien Lake

For more info check out this fan site. How many roller coasters have their own fan sites? Do you have a comment about this S:RoS or any of the other versions? Chime in below.

Apollo Should Have Been the Roman God of Airtime
After having not ridden one of my top coasters for over three years I was excited to see that it still shined. All of the pluses that had made it one of favorite roller coasters were still there. Apollo's Chariot was designed by the legendary Bolliger & Mabillard, it offers one of the airtime-packed rides anywhere, and it's located at one of the most critically acclaimed theme parks in the world. Needless to say if you're a coaster enthusiast, Busch Gardens Europe should be on your trip schedule. Especially, with Griffon opening in a few months.

A Lively Station and Unique Trains
Like some of the other top rides I've ridden, Apollo's Chariot still has a hyped up station that's buzzing with excitement. It takes so little to have ride ops that simply ask how your ride was and offer a little personality. But it can add a lot to the excitement level of the experience. The trains are different from non-B&M hyper coasters. They have nine rows of four seats across that helps with ride capacity and keeps the line moving. They are also THE most comfortable seats and restraints out there. Not to mention they are elevated and open allowing your legs and arms to swing freely.

The Trip Out
The small drop off of the chain lift before the first drop is good because it allows the train to fall down the hill without the last couple cars still being stuck on the chain. The breathtaking 21-story drop to the ravine below (something Fabio would like to forget) is great. The train climbs up a second hill and drops into a tunnel. Your trip out ends with a 144' banked, twisting drop that has the train speeding along side the ground. If you sit on the left side of the train, you get the full effect of this drop with the ground whizzing by you. All the while, Apollo offers one of the smoothest rides you'll find anywhere. Especially in the 70+ mph category.

The Airtime-Packed Trip Home
Next, you rise up into a funky helix and drop down into the brake run. You only slow down for a moment as your trip home is one to remember. They didn't just tack on an ending to Apollo's Chariot, some would say that they saved the best for last. After the flat track of the brake run, you fall immediately into the first of many airtime drops. The negative g-forces are undeniable as you hit three of these shorter but more intense drops back-to-back. There's one more relatively shallow drop followed by more straight track. At this point you're near the station and first-time riders probably assume it's all over now. But there's one more great airtime drop left where the camera snaps pictures of the surprised riders at the very end of the ride.

Aside from Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England, I haven't ridden a steel coaster with so much airtime. Best of all, you can really embrace ride because of the openness of the trains. Quite often, you're over 100' in the air and your legs, arms, and upper body is completely free to move. Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure, another B&M hyper coaster, offers a similar experience, but I still give the nod to Apollo's Chariot. I'd have to say this is one of B&M's signature rides as it has everything that makes their rides great from the design to the theming. It's fast, smooth, and thrilling with great views. What else could you ask for? Final Rating - 10 (Superior)

Check out this coaster video of Apollo's Chariot:

Photos 1 & 3 courtesy of CoasterImage.com

Hades: A Trip to Hell and Back
In Greek mythology, Hades was the god of the underworld. Hades, the roller coaster, more than lives up to it's name. It boasts the single most impressive tunnel section I've ever experienced. The tunnel's not only long, it's a white knuckle journey through a terrifying pitch black abyss.

Mt. Olympus, located in Wisconsin Dells, WI, is a smaller theme park with several go-kart tracks and an array of water slides. In the past decade, the park has expanded and started to add more coasters. Everything is Greek-themed with coasters like Zeus, Cyclops, and even a rare water coaster called Dive to Atlantis. Since it's a smaller park, I enjoyed discounted admission off of an already reasonable entry price, free parking, and shorter lines. On the other hand, Mt. Olympus won't be winning any awards for park operations anytime soon.

"They Don't Pay Me Enough to Smile"
The 'Hades experience' starts with a station that you have to climb three stories to reach. After your hike, you're greeted with a sparse station, just large enough for the queue and the train. There's no theming and indifferent ride ops that are unfriendly and don't speak to you. One thing I always look for in a world-class coaster is a raucous station with enthusiastic, efficient ride ops and a D.J. that hypes you up as you leave and greets you upon your return. You won't find any of that on Hades. Luckily, the ride itself makes up for the operations shortcomings.

One of the Best Openings Around
Thanks to the elevated station your ride starts with a short drop from the very beginning. You better have your hands up or be ready to hold on tight, the opening has a few pops of air, twists and turns, and more speed than you'd expect from such that short drop out of the station. Some fans have called this opening a microcosm of the entire ride and I agree. There's plenty of action pre-lift hill. Then, you start your 13-story climb. The big drop is fairly steep for a wooden coaster at 65 degrees and all you see is a hole below as the track dives below the parking lot.

The Subterranean Masterpiece
The next thing you know you're in complete darkness. You can't even see your hand in front of your face and it's not like the dark tunnels on The Voyage that are fairly brief, this truly is a journey. As you tear through the dark at 70 mph the train banks and dips as it tries to throw you around like a rag doll. You can't see a thing, but I could've sworn I saw some red eyes down there. It's insane! Did I mention that this coaster lived up to its name? As you start to see light breaking through at the other end, you realize that the train is not right side up. You climb up the wall and ride along it, but because of the darkness and speed you can't even tell. Check out this pic from the tunnel with the lights on. You come down from the wall and rise up into the turn around point.

The columns around the turn around section are a great touch. You crest a hill and drop back down near the highway that passes the park, rise up a shorter hill and drop back down into the tunnel. The ride back is less eventful, but still very dark. As you exit two back-to-back airtime hills follow. Next, you reach the finale, which is the weakest part of the ride. I remember a bit more roughness than the rest of the ride. Finally, you reach the brakes. As the train re-enters the sub par station, the cold ride ops release you and your on your way.

Basically, Hades missed a 10 rating because of the rougher finale, single train operation, the sparse station, and those terribly uninterested ride ops. You'd think Mt. Olympus would have their best people working their main attraction, but I hope that wasn't the case with Hades. At one point I saw these two foreign-born, (I'm guessing Eastern European) ride ops sitting on the floor of the chatting to one another as the train hurled into the station. I was glad to see that the station's brakes were automated, but it was just a little unnerving to watch their lack of attentiveness. Aside, from these negatives that actual ride on Hades is top-knotch and enough to push it all the way up to number seeven on my Top Coasters list. Get to Wisconsin Dells for Hades and Avalanche and you won't regret it! Final Rating - 9.5 (Excellent-Approaching Superior)

Check out this roller coaster video of Hades. It starts with the action-packed section BEFORE the lift hill. Also, when the screen is pitch black as you fly through the tunnel there's a lot of dipping and banking going on. It's a wild ride. You can see the tunnel with the lights on in this Hades roller coaster video.

Ever ridden Hades or been to Mt. Olympus? What was your experience like? Leave a comment below.

El Toro: A Landmark Roller Coaster Is Born
Ladies and gentlemen, the future is here! Riding El Toro is something any coaster enthusiast, heck, any person with a pulse should do. Especially if you think you know what wooden coasters have to offer. El Toro is going to turn your world upside down. The El Carnival section is appropriately themed with a Spanish flare. The look and feel is definitely a step above cheesy or contrived. Right down to the sandy desert-like landscaping with chill pepper plants. Even the smell of the food reminded me more of restaurants in Mexico than Taco Bell. The Viper's old southwestern station fit into the area perfectly. The trains are themed somewhat like mine train cars and have a very comfortable, next generation look and feel. Loading the trains is a bit slow, but the trains are longer than normal holding 36 riders compared to 24 on Thunderhead and 28 on The Voyage.

Intamin's Prefabricated Wooden Coaster Delivers
The ride starts with a quick climb up a relatively quiet lift hill. Already the ride has been uncharacteristically wooden. As I crested the top I looked over and down at Medusa. The height of El Toro gets forgotten, just because it's not a record breaker. You quickly turn around and drop down the 176 feet of steep track at 76 degrees. This is easily the best first drop of any wooden coaster I've ridden, it provides some air and you really feel the steepness. You cross under some track and rise into the first airtime hill. You're ejected north to the sky, even though you've been stapled in by the ride ops. The next hill offers more of the same blissful airtime. The swooping banked turn is next. It's great especially if you're seated on the right side of the train. Thanks to the prefabricated track, the ride is glass smooth so far and it's even more apparent during the swooping turn. If you closed your eyes you'd think you were on a B&M hyper or some other type of steel coaster. After the turn, there's another fun drop and a smaller, shorter drop that offers the least air on the ride.

Extreme Ejector Air & A Twisting Finale
Next the track quickly banks to the left which sets up coaster AIRTIME BLISS. The track finishes the turn then rises up and you drop straight into the twisted finale. This innocent looking hill has the sickest airtime on the planet! It's so forceful that you feel if the restraints failed you'd end up being flung into the tiger exhibit over in the Golden Kingdom. After that El Toro finishes strong with a twisting section close to the ground reminiscent of another bull, Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America. This twisting section is much more satisfying. You finish the twisted finale and eventually reach the breaks. All the riders I rode with returned with the euphoric feeling of heroin. People aren't used to riding something so thrilling and comfortable. I had 3 rides on El Toro, but I could've re-rode 10 or 20 times if I could've. You're not shaken, slammed, bruised, beat up, beat down, jolted, or smacked around the entire ride. Yet it's thrilling from the beginning to the end.

There's nothing that I would particularly change with El Toro (hence the perfect score). But I would've like to have seen a tunnel or two. It would only add to the ride. I'm a sucker for tunnels, terrain coasters, and the like. But let me be clear in stating that El Toro is missing nothing! It doesn't unseat S:ROS at SFNE as the best coaster on the planet or Kumba as my personal favorite, but it comes pretty darn close. El Toro easily passes Hades, Thunderhead, and even The Voyage and now sits at number 3 on my Top Ten Coasters. This is why I try to save 10's for rides that really deserve them. El Toro deserves one of my few 10's and then some. I'm sure GCI and Gravity Group are doing push-ups if they've ridden this coaster. Intamin's on its way to world domination. Final Rating - 10.0 (Superior)


Check out the rest of my rating scale here.
Also, check out this great roller coaster video of El Toro. Note the speed of the lift hill and smoothness of the ride. You can really here those riders scream on those airtime-packed hills.

Questions or comments about El Toro? Leave 'em below.

Alpengeist: The F-22 of Roller Coasters
From the first time I saw the ominous white lift high above the surrounding trees while on Loch Ness, I knew it would be a ride to remember. In my opinion, this is the king of the inverted roller coasters not just because of its height and speed, but because it delivers thrills with every ride. On inverted coasters riders are situated below the track in ski-lift style trains. I have to say I've grown to respect some of the more compact inverts out there, but Alpengeist is still the best.

First there's the intimidating (almost 200' tall) lift hill where you find yourself wondering when you'll get to the top. The view past your dangling feet of the ground and even trees far below is pretty unnerving. After the lift hill you fly down an enormous swooping drop that puts the train on its way to breaking the sound barrier (at least it feels like it). Then an Immelman inversion so tall and smooth you can just barely feel the inversion, followed by a tall vertical loop with some great g-forces. And now you're on the way to meet Loch Ness down by the Rhine River where you hit an extreme, sometimes rough, cobra roll featuring two back to back inversions. Next, you move through a mid-course brake run, drop out of the run with a little pop of airtime through a short themed tunnel and into a sweet zero-g roll. The roll is followed by a nice corkscrew and helix combination. The sequence after the brakes is one of the best around in my opinion.

Where some rides tend to peter out towards the end, this one delivers right up until your uproarious return to the station. So Alpengeist gets a rare 10 from me because: it's a terrain ride (meaning it wasn't just plopped down on a parking lot or some flat lot of land), it's massive (over three minutes of ride time), it's fast, it's themed pretty well (with little touches many won't even notice), and it's relatively smooth. You may experience an occasional headbang, but it's far from a head-bang-athon like all of those Mind Eraser installations all over the country. On top of all that it delivers thrills and gives you a unique experience. That's a 10 in my book!
Final Rating - 10 (Superior)

See the rest of my rating scale here.
What do you think about Alpengeist? Leave a comment below. Want a closer look? Check out the Alpengeist coaster video below.

Famed Mountain Coaster Doesn't Disappoint
The hype for this ride was huge. Almost too huge. But after three rides on this baby I was able to form an opinion. While I'm not the biggest wooden coaster fan, I am a huge fan of terrain coasters and mountains for that matter. So I was itching to get up to Connecticut and check this coaster out. While overall it didn't disappoint, it was a bit rougher than I expected. Also, I'm glad I rode it several times because I wasn't completely blown away on my first ride. My ride in the last seat of the last car was very rough. I was jolted so violently at one point that the lapbar came down another notch. It was relentless and thrilling, but as others have pointed you can get a different ride depending on where you sit and the time of the day.

The climb up the lift is great as you're immersed into green foliage and exposed rock. Kudos to Lake Compounce for not clear cutting the mountain when they built Boulder Dash. The drop is a fast, swooping drop reminiscent of almost every B&M invert or floorless coaster. I would've preferred a more intimidating and steeper straight drop, but it was still fun. From there on the ride is nothing but speed and airtime as you charge back up the mountain on a pretty long trip out to the turnaround by the lake. Boulder Dash offers an excellent ride. It's relentless and it feels about as fast as woodie should be able to go even if it isn't the wooden coaster speed record holder. My favorite part by far is the turn around at the lake. It's sick and along with some g's the speed just seems to increase that much more, almost like you hit the launch magnets from Volcano. Awesome!

I was at the park on a Wednesday and the wait was never longer than 15 minutes. Also, the ride operator had some personality and tried to get riders fired up. Both were pluses. So why not a 10? It just wasn't there for me. The rough rides and the fact that I had to deliberate between a 9 and a 10 are enough. A 10 should grab you and tell you "I'm a 10!". There should be no question. It did however, climb my top ten defeating perennial favorites like Hulk and Volcano. At the time of this writing (Summer 2005), it sits at number 5 as my highest ranked woodie ever. Boulder Dash was great and it was a coaster that I'm glad I traveled seven hours for. Get to 'The Lake' and you won't regret it. Just know that you're about to ride a beast. Final Rating - 9.5 (Excellent-Approaching Superior)

See the rest of the rating scale here. Also, check out this roller coaster video of Boulder Dash.

Voyage Lives Up to the Hype
Another trip and another extremely hyped coaster. This time I traveled more than 700 miles for two parks, but mainly for one new beast of wooden coaster, Voyage. Luckily, I wasn't let down. It rained on and off all day at Holiday World which must have helped with the lines. At times Voyage was nearly a walk-on!


The Trip Out (Hills, Air, & Tunnels)
My first ride was in the back seat of the 2nd car from the back. It's fun watching the trees get smaller and smaller as you climb the long, slow lift hill. The first drop is good, though I couldn't really tell it was that much steeper than most other woodies as advertised. There's some nice floater air on the next hill, a bit less on the next hill then you drop into the first of many tunnels. With temperatures in the upper 80s, the tunnels were noticably cooler in comparison to the sections on the surface and the longer tunnels were very dark. Another hill and another tunnel followed by a short hill and another short tunnel. The trip out could have felt repetitive, but it's not at all.

The Twisted Turn Around
Next you enter the twisted section at the turn around point. It's packed with highly banked turns, two at 90 degree banking and some sections that have small 'banked hills or bumps'. This part of the ride is fun in the front and pretty darn rough in the back of the train. The 90 degree curves are great. You feel like your head might skim the wood and they definitely take riders by surprise. Some of those banked hills are what I believe other enthusiasts are worried about aging poorly. They are kind of rough right now, in the future they could be really jarring. After the exciting twister section, you dive back into a short tunnel and up into then back up to the surface where you hit the MCBR (mid-course break run).

An Adventurous Trip Back
The train slows considerably at the MCBR and typically after break runs most coasters can't live up to the intensity in their first halves. After Voyage's break run things get really interesting. Immediately after the breaks, just as you let your guard down, you dive into INSANITY. The 'triple down in the dark' is awesome. The bottom literally drops out from under you in pitch black darkness. In my ride in the 2nd car from the back this section was the best. On other rides in different locations it wasn't half as cool. After that you make your way back to station with more short humps (that I guess are supposed to help add to that world-record airtime total). There are also several swooping turns that give you a kind of sailing side to side motion, especially in the front. This section is less intense that the turnaround, but you still have tons of speed. You rise up over the lift and dive into a short tunnel right next to the station. Most rides would be over by now, but not Voyage. You've still got another tunnel and a few more crazy turns.

Voyage = Not for the Faint-Hearted
This has been one of the toughest coasters for me to rate and place in my Top Ten. Mainly because of Voyage's roughness and intensity. Normally something this agressive would never get a perfect rating from me. You get thrown and flung every which way on your "1.2 mile trip". Holding your hands up is a battle. Is it TOO rough? At times it felt like it, but then I got off briefly exhausted, but not physically beat up. Then I kept finding myself back on another train 10 minutes or so later. It was really weird, like an abusive relationship I couldn't get out of. I rode it 3 times in an hour then two more before I left the park. I normally butcher rough woodies like Predator at Six Flags Darien Lake. You shouldn't need football pads or body armor to ride coasters. On the other hand Voyage's re-rideability was amazing. The roughness must be just at my threshold or the mile long adventure is fun enough to balance out the intensity. Voyage is now my top rated woodie passing Boulder Dash. It recieves one of my few 10's and lands at #5 on my Top Ten. Final Rating - 10 (Superior)

Check out this roller coaster video of The Voyage. Aside from the music, it's a pretty good video.


What do you think of Voyage? Do you have plans of visiting Holiday World? Leave a comment below.

The Revolutionary Coaster that Started A New Era
After being encouraged to make Magnum my 100th coaster, I went against the advice and just rushed to Millennium Force instead. I wish I would've listened to the advice because on my trip to Cedar Point, Magnum stole the show. The hype for the prototypical hyper coaster (coasters over 200 feet tall) was huge. I'd look at on-ride footage and pictures and was always very unimpressed. It just didn't look like much to me. But this is a great example of a coaster you just have to ride to appreciate.

The long, slow lift hill offered a great view of Lake Erie. The first drop is pretty strong considering it's not that tall by today's standards. There's a slight turn at the crest of the next hill. After the second drop into the tunnel the train just becomes possessed and gave a pretty intense ride. The pretzel turn around is fun and the burst of speed when you leave it is pretty surprising.

The trip back to the station is stuffed with ejector air. You almost feel like you're out of your seat as much as you're in it even though that's not the case. While the air time is fun it does approach roughness. In contrast the air on Superman: Ride of Steel at Six Flags New England is forceful, but not as rough. Of course, Magnum is much, much older, but the rough ejector air was still a factor. The station, with it's outdated futuristic look offered a dash of theming and it seemed pretty lively. I was blessed with two back to back walk-ons of this ride thanks to large storm system sitting over the area. I can finally see why the Magnum has the reputation it does. It's an older ride, but it makes up for it's modest stats with more personality than a lot of the newer thrill rides out there. So it turned out that my 101st coaster was the highlight of my trip to Cedar Point. Final Rating - 9.5 (Excellent-Approaching Superior)

Want to know how amazing a 9.5? Check out the CCCS. Also, check out this great onride roller coaster video of Magnum XL-200.