Happy 22nd Birthday, American Eagle

by **chiatrain** on May 23rd, 2003, 9:00 am

Today, 5.23.03, is Great America's very own American Eagle's 22nd birthday. The American Eagle opened on May 23rd in 1981. When it first opened, it was the world's largest wooden roller coaster at the time.

by **Chitown** on May 23rd, 2003, 9:22 am

It was also the world's fastest.

by **chiatrain** on May 23rd, 2003, 9:30 am

As mentioned, American Eagle was the fastest wooden coaster in the world until 2000. With its top speed at 66 mph, only four other wooden coasters boast faster speeds than American Eagle.

by **Aero737** on May 23rd, 2003, 9:58 am

And yet people still never talk good about AE. I think this is a huge great ride with awesome speed and a steep drop (I think it is still one of the steepest drops on wood coasters) and good airtime. People all around the internet bash the ride and some people want to tear it up. I hope that this ride wont go anywhere anytime soon b/c it was the 1 ride I was looking foreward to the most during the offseason.

R.I.P. Deja Vu 10/07/01-10/28/07

Happy birthday AE!! No one really bashes it. They just say that the trim brake in the helix is on too high which it is. I still love it anyway.

by **coasterswimgurl12** on May 23rd, 2003, 3:43 pm

Happy Birthday American Eagle!!!!

American Eagle is awesome!!!!!

by **NoUseForAName** on May 23rd, 2003, 4:02 pm

Yeah Happy B-Day American Eagle

by **T_Biggs** on May 23rd, 2003, 8:30 pm

Want a huge woodie thats bashed all the time, head to Cedar Point. Out of the huge woodies (Rattler at SFFT, Mean Streak at CP, Texas Giant at SFoT, and American Eagle) it sounds like American Eagle and Texas Giant are the only two which aren't always said to be 100% terrible. Interesting that both are at Six Flags parks, not to stereotype (but I am), but I bet the people who say they are bad are probably mostly Po!nters.(I was not counting the Intamin plug-and-play woodie in Europe, because it's a new tech for wood.)

by **SfGaMownz** on May 23rd, 2003, 10:39 pm

Rattlers a good one.AE happy B-day. BACKWARDS RULES

!!!

by **Chitown** on May 23rd, 2003, 11:02 pm

American Eagle may have some trims that grab hard at times, but at least this giant woodie is still rideable.Mean Streak just flat out sucks. I never really hold that regard to most coasters I have ridden, but this giant pile of firewood is just brutal. It shakes violently through the course, and they have trim brakes everywhere on this ride including the first drop thus providing absolutely no airtime or laterals.

R.I.P. Deja Vu 10/07/01-10/28/07

When I go to CP i guess i wont bother to ride MS.

by **coastrcorey** on May 24th, 2003, 6:50 am

I want to ride it just to see what the big deal with it is... It looks cool, but that stinks if it is a crummy ride.

R.I.P. Deja Vu 10/07/01-10/28/07

I guess I could give it a chance.

by **coasterzak** on May 24th, 2003, 11:37 am

I LOVE YOU AE! YOU ARE MY FAVORITE WOODIE! As to MS, it is a rough one, but nothing a coaster enthusiast without an attitude can enjoy. A little on the brakey side, but nothing that won't harm you. Think of it more as a piece of artwork than a coaster, then you will appreciate it more.

by **DejaVuGurl1203** on May 24th, 2003, 11:39 am

AE is a great ride and I sure hope they don't remove it anytime soon which I know they won't because it's popular and it's a classic. It may be a little on the rough side but that's part of what makes it fun. I actually like rough rides, it makes the ride more exciting... AE has great airtime and the trims don't bother me at all, they seem to be the same to me.

by **Chitown** on May 24th, 2003, 9:02 pm

There is rough, and then there is "violently shaking , knock the fillings out of your teeth" rough.AE is an acceptable roughness in a wood coaster. MS is just plain brutal. The train even shakes alot as soon as you leave the station and make the turn toward the lift hill.

by **coasterzak** on May 25th, 2003, 12:15 am

Chitown... it's still a coaster, so I love it to pieces! Even though I curse it's name while I ride it!

by **ericleister** on May 29th, 2003, 5:10 pm

You should here my mom then. Shes teriffied of coasters but she still rides themAE YOUR AWSOME. HAPPYBIRTHDAY :wink:

by **coasterzak** on May 30th, 2003, 2:55 pm

Maybe we should all ride AE 22 times in a row to celebrate!

by **coasterswimgurl12** on May 30th, 2003, 4:06 pm

fun!!! but id ride the red side 22 times!!!

by **coasterzak** on May 30th, 2003, 10:45 pm

I like the backwards side... is that blue?

by **coastrcorey** on May 30th, 2003, 10:48 pm

Yep... Blue Backwards... BB. Lol, that's how I remember.

by **coasterzak** on May 30th, 2003, 10:49 pm

Yeah thanks for that... how could you like forwards more?! Backwards is sweet, it better stay forever! Didn't raise the ridership?

by **coastrcorey** on May 30th, 2003, 10:51 pm

I think they're equally great. They're two [almost] completely different rides. It's hard to say whether or not one is better than the other. Red's nice because it's the classic way of riding it, but blue also has it's advantages because it's new and different.

by **coasterzak** on May 30th, 2003, 10:54 pm

Besides the boomerang coaster, that was the first time I'd ever gone backwards down a hill and I loved it. I was actually really nervous. They should have a backwards train on every coaster! Well, not every...

Happy 22nd Birthday, American Eagle

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