Mitch Hawker 2010 Wooden Coaster Poll results

[monsterfan99]

This week the results for the 2010 Mitch Hawker Wooden Coaster poll came out.

Top 10

1t. El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
1t. T Express - Everland
3. Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce
4. Phoenix - Knoebel's
5. Ravine Flyer II - Waldameer
6. The Voyage - Holiday World
7. Balder - Liseberg
8. Colossos - Heide Park
9. Aska (S) - Nara Dreamland
10. Fireball - Happy Valley Song

SF Great America ranks are

43. Viper
114. American Eagle (grouped as one coaster)
152. Little Dipper

Full rankings of all 180 coasters can be found at http://www.ushsho.com/woodrollercoaster ... ts2010.htm

[monsterfan99]

My thoughts on this years poll

- My personal Number 1, Evel Knievel, ranked in at 24.
- I'm surprised to see Ravine Flyer 2 in the top 5. I've heard mixed reviews on it
- It's a shame Hades is in the top 100, let alone 19. Was easily my worst ride of the year, even worse than Iron Wolf.
- American Eagle was shafted this year. God awful coasters like Gwazi (pre-MF trains,) both coasters at SFoG and Lost Coaster rank above it.
- GCI proves their popularity with having 14 of the top 36 coaster. This is also has them having every post 2000 coaster in the top 40.

[FParker185]

Something seem's off, and not just Phoenix beating Voyage in the top 10. Though there were only 489 ballots this year.

[6Flags4Evr]

Do any of you think the park would ever look into purchasing GCI trains for the American Eagle sometime in the future?

[monsterfan99]

^Wouldn't really help that much. Their trains tend to work best on a twister style coaster.

Besides, they cost too much for the chain. If they couldn't afford them for The Boss at SF STL, no reason to blow the cash on eagle.

[FParker185]

Also I dont think Millennium Flyer trains are for sale unless you are the owner of a GCI that is in need of them, or you buy a new coaster from them which will come equipped with them.

Best bet for Eagle is a new set of PTC 3 benchers made to PTC specs. Though I wouldn't mind seeing Vekoma trains on it, but since Vekoma built their 3 woodies they haven't sold any more of their trains, but if you think GCI trains are comfortable, Vekoma takes it to a whole new level.

[monsterfan99]

^There is (or was) something on their site where they said they would make trains for non-GCI coasters. Either way, it's the last thing the park should be spending money on.

[BP317]

Millennium Flyer trains aren't made for rides like Eagle. It would be nice though if it got new trains like (or at least new restraint system), retracked, and repainted for its 30th Anniversary year. I don't buy that the park doesn't have money to do something like that, from what I hear they made plenty of $ in 2010. Could bring in a news crew before the park opens and get some publicity also. I can understand not doing something like this for any other ride, but Eagle is still one of the parks icons and heavily rehabbing it for it's 30th would not only make the ride better but also would be a pretty good marketing tool. I doubt they will do anything for Eagle's 30th though, maybe we'll get a t-shirt.

[tp41190]

Something seem's off, and not just Phoenix beating Voyage in the top 10. Though there were only 489 ballots this year.

It's because of all the TPR people skewing the poll again.

I wonder if it's a case of "Hey, you haven't been there yet? Oh well then it's the BEST THING EVAR!!!".

[FParker185]

I was going to say the same, but that'd be giving TPR way to much credit, or at least a heck of a lot more than they deserve. If they got the normal 700-800 ballots anything they try would have been greatly muted within the results.

Also I figure it doesn't mean anything, I have my own ranking and it's the only one I really care about anyways

[monsterfan99]

^But how are you to know that your personal list is not skewed with personal bias?

[FParker185]

Easy, I've had my list reviewed by no fewer than 50 Alcoholics, Crack Heads and homeless people (they all work cheap), and it has been agreed upon objectively beyond a shadow of a doubt that the one and only true top 20 goes as follows, and anything else is just flat out wrong....

1 The Voyage- HW
2. ElToro- SFGAdv
3. ThunderHead- Dollywood
4. Wildcat- Hershey Park
5. Dania Beach Hurricane- Boomers Dania Beach
6. Raven- HW
7. Ravine Flyer II- Waldameer
8. Colossos- Heide Park
9. The Legend- Holiday World
10. Prowler- Worlds of Fun
11. Evel Knievel- SFStL
12. Avalanche- Timber Falls Adventure Golf
13. Grand National- Blackpool Pleasure Beach
14. Boulderdash- Lake Compounce
15. Ghost Rider - KBF
16. Kentucky Rumbler - Beech Bend
17. Phoenix- Knoebels
18. The Boss- SFStL
19. Cornball Express- Indiana Beach
20. Coney Island Cyclone

[tp41190]

I always feel like a dick for ranking Grand National so low on my list. I only have 1/2 of the credit since it's mobius but I really didn't think to much of it. Now I was only 12, but still Boulder Dash and both NEs and DLs Ride of Steels have been up on the list since I was 11. Maybe that other 1/2 credit really makes a difference.

[FParker185]

Both sides of Grand National run pretty much identical(as of 2002), but the airtime in the back seat was simply breath-taking. I remember after the first drop, I wasn't prepared for it, I literally wanted off there to rethink my decision, it was airtime like I hadn't come across before except for maybe Riverside Cyclone back seat. Also the layout overall I found pretty interesting. I was expecting a ride similar to American Eagle or Kennywood Racer, or even SFMM Colossus, the only 3 racing coasters I'd ridden to that point, which set the bar pretty low for me, maybe that weighed a lot on my ranking also, having my expectations blown away like that. But that is why everyone maintains their own rankings and they have their likes and dislikes and whatnot, everyone likes different things, which in the end I'm not sure why everyone gets all up in arms over these polls. I'm sure everyone wants to see their own top 10 mirrored in every poll out there, but that for the most part wont ever happen. I'm sure there are people out there that think PGA's grizzly is the Coaster God's greatest gift to this planet and get really hot when it comes in dead last almost every year. they're not necessarily wrong, though I'm willing to bet they just have a small sampling of coasters under their belt. Hell, not that he'll legally be able to ever ride it again, but Plencner had American Eagle as his #1 overall

[BLADE]

Wow I got to ride the Worlds #1 woodie!