Your Hypercoaster Rankings!
Ted Ansley
Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of Goliath and
other hypercoasters I figured this would be a good time to see everyone's
hypercoaster rankings again! Here are mine: The numbers are my overall
steel coaster rankings for the coaster:
1 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE)
2 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFA)
3 Millennium Force
4 Apollo's Chariot
5 Raging Bull
12 Steel Force
13 Desperado
14 Magnum XL200
17 Goliath
I actually love them all, it is very hard to pick favorties and the
differences between say Goliath and Raging Bull are subtle but
I have to rank them somehow.
Ted Ansley
**Rollercoaster Fan<atic>**
tan...@att.net
Jeff Tolotti
Love:
-SRoS at SFA
Like:
-Apollo's Chariot
-Steel Force
Dislike:
-Goliath
-Desperado
-Magnum
************
Jeff Tolotti
Joe Schwartz
> Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of Goliath and
> other hypercoasters I figured this would be a good time to see everyone's
> hypercoaster rankings again!
Here are mine, in order from most favorite to least favorite:
S:ROS (SFNE)
S:ROS (SFA)
S:ROS (SFDL)
Millennium Force
Goliath
Steel Force
Apollo's Chariot
Raging Bull
Magnum
Desperado
Wild Thing
------------------------------------------------------------------
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Mike Overell
tan...@worldnet.att.net wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of Goliath
and
> other hypercoasters I figured this would be a good time to see
everyone's
> hypercoaster rankings again!
Since you asked, and these are based solely compared to other hypers...
1. S:ROS, SFNE
2. Magnum XL200, CP
3. Apollo's Chariot, BGW
4. S:ROS, SFDL/SFA
5. Mamba, WoF
6. Steel Force, DP
7. Millenium Force, CP
8. Steel Eel, SWT (Do I get to count it?)
9. Wild Thing, VF!
10. Desperado, LV
11. Goliath, SFMM
12. Raging Bull, SFGAm
S:ROS and Magnum are a lot closer in my opinion than this simple ranking
seems to indicate. In the right mood, I might even claim that I like
Magnum more. As for the rest, there's not a truly bad apple in the
bunch, they're all enjoyable in their own ways, but some definitely more
than others.
mike (hypercoaster junkie)
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
Masher
clear top of the heap choice.
1) Superman Ride of Steel @ Six Flags New England
2) Magnum
3) Goliath
4) Steel Force
Erik Allen Elness
Millennium Force
Apollo's Chariot
Goliath
SFDL's S:ROS
Desperado
Magnum XL-200
(With Magnum being the only one I wouldn't put in my top 15.)
Erik Allen Elness
GhostRider Millennium Force
Wes Lagattolla
1. SROS @ SFNE
2. Steel Force @ DP
3. Desperado @ BB
4. Goliath @ SFMM
=W=
Wes Lagattolla ghostr...@yahoo.com
#1 Wood-GhostRider #1 Steel-Superman: Ride Of Steel
IOA Rules
1. Millennium Force
2. SRoS at SFNE
3. Raging Bull
4. Apollo's Chariot
5. SRoS at SFDL
6. Mamba
7. Magnum XL-200
8. Steel Force
9. Wild Thing
_________________
Remove "DATA" to reply
Track Record: 212
Top 3 Steel: Millennium Force, SRoS at SFNE, Raging Bull
Top 3 Wood: Legend, Shivering Timbers, GhostRider
Top 3 Parks: Islands of Adventure, Cedar Point, Six Flags Great America
Clayton Hauck
>8. Steel Eel, SWT (Do I get to count it?)
>9. Wild Thing, VF!
>10. Desperado, LV
>11. Goliath, SFMM
>12. Raging Bull, SFGAm
how on Earth can you have Wild Thing, Desperado and even Steel Eel, which isnt
even a hyper coaster above the one and ONLY Raging Bull!? :)
My list goes somethign like;
1-Raging Bull, SFGAm
2-Millennium Force, CP
3-SROS, SFDL
4-Mamba, WoF
5-Magnum, CP
6-Wild Thing, VF!
----
Clayton Hauck
track record> 125
favorites(no order)> MF, Raging Bull, SROS(sfdl), SUEr, BKF, zach's zoomer,
Legend, Timbers...
(-(-(- random quote -)-)-)
"It's an exciting, unique ride," said Scott Schaffer, 15, of Lake Zurich. "I
like it."
Jason Knutson
2. Mamba
3. Magnum
4. Wild Thing
5. Steel Eel
--
Jason Knutson - Austin,TX
http://www.coasterphotos.com
**Remove the "OTSR" to reply via email**
nash...@my-deja.com
with the exception of #2 on my list, just don't have really what it
takes for me to get highly excited, although I certainly enjoy my time
on them, but maybe not as much as the 'airtime/hyper' crowd....
but what the hell....
1. Superman, SFNE, by a LONG way over the rest of them. (and really, in
my mind, the ONLY hyper to get 'it' "right", as far as I'm concerned,
in terms of a rather complete ride experience. The rest lack something
in varying degrees from 'lacking a bit' to 'just plain sucks')
2. Superman, Darien Lake (weaknesses: helixes)
3. Magnum (weakness: first drop)
4. Millenium Force (weakness: highly predictable, average past drop 1)
5. Mamba (weakness: first drop, brake)
6. Steel Force (weakness: see mamba)
7. Apollos Chariot (weakness: entirely predictable, average, uneventful)
8. Goliath (weakness, too short, uninteresting)
9. Steel Eel (just plain sucks... but might have been sweet pre-brake)
And interestingly, if Hulk, Dueling Dragons, Kumba and Montu were in
the same park as Superman, it (Superman) would be last... just a
notation of my vastly different steel coaster preferences than most
people. (*although, damn, a park with Superman + those B&M's, man, now
THAT is a place I could spend some *serious* time very, very happy...)
-m
Robb Alvey
A+
Superman:ROS - SFNE
Millennium Force - CP
A
Superman: ROS - SFA
Superman: ROS - SFDL
Magnum XL-200 - CP
B+
Steel Force - Dorney
Wild Thing - VF (I LOVE that second hill!)
B
Mamba - WoF (the only one of the 3 full sized morgan's I've ridden with HARD
brakes, otherwise it would be with the others)
B-
Pepsi Max Big One - BPB
Desperado - Buffalo Bills
C
Apollo's Chariot - BGW
C-
Steel Eel - SWOT
Goliath - SFMM
Cheers.
--Robb
Remove the Gerstlaur to respond!
Robb & Sarah's Home Movies 2000 now available! Includes 23 different amusement
parks, lots of rides and roller coasters! EMAIL me for details!
ICQ# 9407662
AIM: RobbAlvey
www.themeparkreview.com
mamoosh
Ted Ansley wrote in message
<3a764364....@netnews.worldnet.att.net>...
>Hey all,
>
>Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of
Goliath and
>other hypercoasters I figured this would be a good time to see
everyone's
>hypercoaster rankings again!
I've only ridden 5. Here's mine:
1. SFNE's SROS
2. Millennium Force
3. Magnum
4. Goliath
5. Desperado
fredrick_...@my-deja.com
1 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE)---A+
2 Millennium Force----A+
3 Magnum XL-200-------A
4 Apollo's Chariot----A
5 Steel Force---------A
6 Mamba---------------A-
TOP 10 ENDS HERE
7 Goliath----B+
8 Superman:ROS (SFDL)---B+
9 Wild Thing------------B
10 Raging Bull----------B
11 Desperado------------C+
12 Steel Eel------------C+
Fred of Las Vegas
Stephen Fox
Here are mine with the number being the overall steel ranking (out of 194
Steel):
1 Superman: Ride of Steel (SNFE)
2 Millennium Force
8 Mamba
9 Apollo's Chariot
11 Raging Bull
13 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFA)
14 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFDL)
19 Magnum XL-200
20 Steel Force
22 Steel Eel (if considered a hyper)
Like you, Ted, there is no such thing, as of yet, of a hyper that I don't
really like. With hypers holding 10 of my top 22 spots, they dominate my
steel list more than any other steel design. Though all three floorless
coasters that I have ridden (Kraken, Medusa, BKF) are in my top 17, they
just don't stand out as much due to only being three and Kraken being the
highest at #7 vs the two hypers at the top.
Please note that I am a bit different on my rankings vs some other
enthusiasts because I try to base the rankings on the average ride attained
during regular park hours and not the single best ride I have ever had on
that coaster. For instance, the incredible ERT session on S:ROS at SFA
(thanks again, Sam!!!) did not help it's ranking even though those
particular rides would have put it in my top five. Basically, since a given
coaster tends to give some of it's best rides during an ERT. it would be
unfair to move a ride up solely for this experience, because whose to say
that a night ERT on Mamba, Apollo's Chariot or Raging Bull (if I had those
rides) would, on equal terms, not put any or all of them back ahead of the
SFA Superman.
Also, I tend to weight the current season more then prior years, but this
does add in an obvious bias. For instance, both Magnum and Steel Force fell
from the top ten this year due in part to my perception of lower quality
rides this year. Which means that if I didn't ride them this year, they may
not be above the S:ROS's but they would at least be a couple spots higher
then 19 and 20. But, since I got poorer rides on Steel Force, should that
say anything about Mamba, which I have not ridden since 1998 or Steel Eel
which I haven't ridden since 1999? I'm probably analyzing this too much,
but when I rode Mamba and Steel Force within a few weeks of each other, I
definately preferred Mamba, but not by much. A current gap of 12 places on
the list seems too large, but is that due to catching Steel Force on bad
days (three different days this year all left me with the same impression)
or has Mamba also deteriorated a bit, or is the gap of 12 now "correct"?
That is probably the toughest question I ask myself in my rankings - should
I adjust a coasters rank, for a changing impression of a sister (or at least
a very similar) ride? My answer is generally that a small adjustment is
warrented unless I can recall some distinct features of the rides that could
create the increased dispersion. With Mamba I felt I had that since I liked
the helix much better (and I am not a big helix fan) and, I think, it has
the only double up on a hyper - both features that will stand on their own
despite any Morgan similarities. Steel Eel, however, had to drop almost as
much as Steel Force because I can't see preferring SE (though I love that
third drop) over SF if I rode them side by side. If I didn't drop SE, then
it would have been above both Magnum and SF, which I just don't believe to
be true. Any thoughts on how other people handle this?
- Steve (who tends to think too much about his rankings in the off
season)
angie...@my-deja.com
1)Superman(SFDL)
2)Apollo's Chariot
3)Goliath
4)Millennium Force
5)Desperado
tv's Spatch
>Hey all,
>
>Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of Goliath and
>other hypercoasters I figured this would be a good time to see everyone's
>hypercoaster rankings again! Here are mine: The numbers are my overall
>steel coaster rankings for the coaster:
Going solely by Coasters Over 200 Feet (more or less)...
1. S:ROS (SFNE)
2. Apollo's Chariot
3. Steel Force
4. Magnum XL-200
5. Millennium Force
(there's a big gap here between #5 and #6...)
6. Desperado
If I include coasters with inversions and whatnot, Steel Phantom would
be 5.5 and Manhattan Express would be 5.9. I think.
I need to ride more hypers!
--
der Spatchel R. Noyes
http://spatch.ne.mediaone.net Change ! to i to reply by mail.
http://www.catatonic-comix.com
"Roland was the first one to cause panic" - Bill Cosby
FunType
Goliath
Steel Force
Desperado
Scandia Screamer (should be 200ft tall)
--
Chris Murray
Remove the word 'GUNK' from the reply address to respond.
David White
1. Apollo's Chariot...
Ok, so I have only ridden one hyper.
ThrilRyder
Tennessee Tornado Ride Count=40
UnOficial Arrow Dynamics Coaster Site www.arrowcoasters.com
Last update: 01/29/00
Shawn Mamros
1. (tie) Superman: Pile of Steel (pre-construction name), SFNE
Millennium Force, CP
Yes, vastly different rides, and that's why I can't pick a clear favorite.
If MF really has picked up in the airtime department, though...
3. Apollo's Chariot, BGW
4. Steel Force, Dorney Park
5. Magnum XL-200, CP
6. Desperado, Buffalo Bill's
Mind you, even the bottom-most of those I still consider to be a far
better-than-average ride - well, the first half of it, anyways...
None of them really have the "surprise/out-of-control factor" that I find
on my favorite woodies, though. That's probably a tricky thing to do with
rides that carry as much speed as these big guys do. Would be nice to see
somebody try for that, though...
-Shawn Mamros
E-mail to: mam...@mit.edu
Jeffrey Seifert
>
> Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of
> Goliath and other hypercoasters I figured this would be a
> good time to see everyone's hypercoaster rankings again!
Since everyone seems to be listing only non-looping hypercoasters*, I
guess I'll follow suit:
1.) Apollo's Chariot
2.) Magnum
3.) SROS: Darien
4.) MF
5.) Mamba
6.) Steel Force
7.) Desperado
8.) Raging Bull
9.) Goliath
10.) Wild Thing
SROS:SFNE sure looked great during those all day test runs, but I never
got to ride it.
Jeffrey Seifert
*According to the person who invented the term, a 200 foot tall looping
coaster is a hypercoaster--Steel Eel is not.
G.B.O.H aka Mike Garrison
Apollo's Chariot
Superman (SFNE)
3) Magnum XL 200
4) Steel Force
Mike Garrison
Remove"plainer" if replying
G.B.O.H aka Mike Garrison
>isnt
>even a hyper coaster above the one and ONLY Raging Bull!? :)
>From: clay...@cs.comIntaMAN (Clayton Hauck)
Well maybe hes not a biased SFGAm'ite like you :O)
Just fooling, just fooling!
Wolf
>
> 1. Apollo's Chariot...
I feel your pain.
1. Magnum XL-200
1.1 Millennium Force (I need more than 1 ride to really get a feel for it)
3. Raging Bull
--
|\-/|
<0 0>
=(o)=
-Wolf
Ian Curry
2. Superman: Ride of Steel (SFDL)
3. Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE)
4. Apollo's Chariot
5. Magnum XL 200
Ian Curry
AIM - IanisLC
Mike Robinson
MF
Magnum
Raging Bull
Goliath
All of these coasters are top 10 or top 15 so I consider them all
Excellent coasters!
I don't consider Steel Eel a Hyper coaster but it would be on the
bottom of the list because of the excessive braking on the Mid Course
trims.
Mike
Chris Kearsing
don't usually rank past #5.
1- Superman Ride of Steel- Six Flags New England
2- Millennium Force- Cedar Point
3- Superman Ride of Steel- Six Flags Darien Lake
8- Apollo's Chariot, Busch Gardens Williamsburg
99- Steel Force(less)- Dorney Park
100- Magnum XL-200- Cedar Point.
It's a tough call between the top three coasters. If Darien Lake's
Superman didn't have a brake, it might still be #1. Apollo's Chariot
is a fun ride, but it doesn't stack up against the Intamin trio. I'd
rather go to school then ride Steel Force(less) or Magnum.
-Chris K-
css...@my-deja.com
1. S:ROS, SFNE
2. S:ROS, SFDL
3. S:ROS, SFA
4. Mamba, WOF
5. Apollo's Chariot, BGW
6. Magnum XL200, CP
7. Steel Force, DP
8. Goliath, SFMM
9. Millennium Force, CP
10. Raging Bull, SFGAm
11. Desperado
12. Wild Thing, VF
Obviously, I'm a big Superman fan. I place SFDL's above SFA's because I
like the water and mist effect, particularly at night. I think Mamba is
generally underrated. I love the float all the way down the second hill
and the helix is far superior to Steel Force's, IMHO. I admit, however,
that I may be prejudiced in its favor since I rode it brakeless during
its first year of operation. While Goliath is short (maybe too short), I
really enjoyed the ride. I love the first drop, the lateral air into the
first turn (in the front of the train), and the big airtime hill
following. The helix is powerful and makes it unique among hypers. MF
and RB I found to be almost "too" smooth and predictable. Desperado
doesn't do anything for me. Wild Thing seems like a lot of potential
wasted, particularly in the second half.
Cindy
direct replies to Hurric...@aol.com
Jon Smith
1. Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE)
2. Millennium Force
3. Apollo's Chariot
4. Magnum XL 200
5. Raging Bull
S:ROS at SFNE is the cream of the crop. There is nothing I would change
about that coaster. It would take a whole new design for MF to top S:ROS.
MF just doesn't cut it in the airtime department when compared to Superman.
AC is another fine ride which provides great airtime in a less extreme way
that coasters like Magnum and S:ROS can provide. I didn't seem to get that
many great rides on Magnum this year. I couldn't really figure out why, but
because of that, Magnum lost its #1 spot this summer and even went below AC.
Of all the hypers I've been on, Raging Bull just didn't cut it for me. I
supose that because of this, I wouldn't be such a big fan of Goliath either.
--
-Jon Smith, looking forward to Nitro!
"See ya in the back"
IOA Rules
Date: 1/30/01 1:48 PM Central
Interesting...you say Millennium Force and Raging Bull are almost too smooth
and predictable, yet Apollo's Chariot, possibly THE smoothest/most predictable
steel coaster I've been on, ranks at number 5 for you. What does AC have that
MF/Bull don't? Curious...
Tim Melago
2. S:ROS - SFDL
3. S:ROS - SFA
4. Steel Force
5. Magnum
6. Apollo's Chariot
7. Millennium Force
8. Goliath
9. Mamba
10. Desperado
11. Wild Thing
12. Steel Eel (if it should count in this poll)
Have not ridden - Raging Bull
I like SFNE's Superman over the other two due to more hills which leads
to more airtime. All the Supermen are a cut above Steel Force. SF
has more airtime and is smoother than Magnum. Apollo's air isn't as
extreme as the first 5 but it is still very good. MF's air isn't as
good as Apollos but it has the best first drop. Goliath his minimal
air but killer +g's. Mamba was heavily braked when I rode it but the
first drop beats SF and the second hill is awesome. Desperado had
some airtime but it is a painful coaster. Wild Thing has a solid
beginning but that's it. Steel Eel just plain weak. It's the only
coaster on the list I do not like.
--
Tim Melago - roll...@sgi.net
http://users.sgi.net/~rollocst/rc.html
XCALIBRMIKE
Apollo's Chariot
Superman ROS (SFA)
Superman ROS (SFDL)
Millennium Force
Steel Force
Magnum
Steel Eel
Mike (not a hypercoaster, but still a good ride) Thompson
Sue Barry
1. S:ROS(SFDL)
2. S:ROS(SFNE)
3. S:ROS(SFA)
4. Apollo's Charriot(BGW)
5. Magnum XL200(CP)
6. Raging Bull(SFGAm)
7. Steel Force(DP)
8. Mamba(WoF)
Sue Barry
Coast...@aol.com
Dave Thomas
S:ROS (SFNE)
S:ROS (SFA)
Apollo's Chariot
Steel Force
Magnum
Desperado
Goliath
The first three are so close together, any of them could be #1, but I
gave the edge to MF because of the amazing front seat ride we got in
August (best coaster ride I had all year).
I haven't ridden Desperado in years, but heard that it has gotten
quite rough, so I might not like it as much now. And there are various
looping/inverted coasters that I'd put in that list after the first
three. If I was making a steel coaster list, Goliath and Desperado
would probably be near the lower third, and Magnum probably wouldn't
be in the top 20.
Dave Thomas - Editor
Pixel Planet - Reviews Of Stuff
http://www.pixelplanet.com
Coastin Steve
comments about some of them is what lowers that coaster's rating IMO
I prob would rather be riding one of these monsters than just about any
other coasters.
I love ALL coasters. But Ted asked for our rankings and I feel I have
to say why I like one better than an other.
#1 S:RoS @ SFNE no real surprise here
just about everyone who's ridden it put it at their #1 spot......if
you haven't, your cheating yourself of the best coaster on the planet
#2 S:RoS @ SFA Sam's CZ ERT helped get
it to #2 but the real joy of the train leaving the track (silence
is golden) on the hill after the helix (and staying off it) earns this
one my #2
#3 Steel Force @ Dorney my first hyper still holds up as a great
ride...... favor it's smoothness to it's older sister, Magnum
#4 Magnum @ CP a lttle rough and the choking smoke of the tunnels
knocks this one down a notch for me
#5 Apollo's Chariot @ BGW sorry B & M, I don't like the "recline" of
the seats, don't like the way the first drop starts and esp after
Intamins tiny lap bars...what the hells with that
"lap pillow" ?? (this makes me wonder how I am going to like Nitro,
with the "same" trains)
#6 MF @ CP sorry Intamin....you showed us you know how to design
ejector air with the
"Supermen" and forgot all about it on this ride
(not counting the first drop, of course)
You take us up the 300 ft so fast we don't have time to enjoy / fear it
(anticipation IS part of any coaster experience) toss us over the edge
of a wonderfull drop, generate amazing speed and then are "afraid?" to
use it to toss us out of our seats. Add to this CP's assigned
seating and it ranks LAST of the hypers I've ridden
Also should be noted here that although it may not be considdered a
hyper and no longer exists Steel Phantom was my #1 Steel w/
inversions until it was dismantled.....and I am VERY curious to see
where Phantoms Revenge falls in my rankings.
Thanks for reading my opinions
See alot of you @ Eastcoaster
Coastin Steve
Adam Christopher
Steel Eel
"Ted Ansley" <tan...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:3a764364....@netnews.worldnet.att.net...
> Hey all,
>
> Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of Goliath and
> other hypercoasters I figured this would be a good time to see everyone's
> hypercoaster rankings again! Here are mine: The numbers are my overall
> steel coaster rankings for the coaster:
>
> 1 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE)
> 2 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFA)
> 3 Millennium Force
> 4 Apollo's Chariot
> 5 Raging Bull
> 12 Steel Force
> 13 Desperado
> 14 Magnum XL200
> 17 Goliath
>
> I actually love them all, it is very hard to pick favorties and the
> differences between say Goliath and Raging Bull are subtle but
> I have to rank them somehow.
>
>
> Ted Ansley
> **Rollercoaster Fan<atic>**
> tan...@att.net
>
Steve Nuss
1. Millennium Force (#4/55 overall)
2. Magnum (Not even rankable/55)
I think it's fairly obvious that I do not like Magnum...That large gap can
testify to my dislike of this coaster. And to pull out my flame shield early
before we get all hot and spicy, I found it outdated, rough, uninteresting and
just plain lacking of any elements that were even slightly noteworthy.
Of another note, I plan to add the following hypers to my track record, at
least, by year's end:
Titan
Raging Bull
Steel Eel
And hopefully some more...
-Steve
-------
-#1 Steel: Fire Dragon (168 rides) -- #1 Wood: The Legend (33 rides)-
-Y2K Coaster Rides: 234 -- Y2K New-to-Me Coasters: 36-
-Track Record: 55 -- Next Trip: Undetermined-
-"Oh snow!" - Courtesy of Sean Flaharty-
-Taer down Chang to respond-
Andrew Hartman
1. Millennium Force
2. Raging Bull
3. S:ROS at SFDL
4. Mamba ......what brakes? =)
5. Magnum
Andrew Hartman
AndHa...@aol.com
Millennium Force, RB, SROS @ SFDL- Favorite Steel
Legend, Shivering Timbers- Favorite Wood
Track Record: 118
2000 Raging Bull Count: 118 <CLOSED>
Total RBs= 250
MF Rides= 37
Remove *Back'oRB* to respond
RSteven850
Millennium Force (great air late in the season, great front seat)
Apollo's Chariot (good seats, floating air)
Mamba (the airtime filled second hill was fabulous, brake not bad)
S:ROS at Darien Lake
Steel Force (rode again in '00, too smooth, third hill just goes into the turn)
Magnum ( great turnaround and that 2nd-3rd hill combo, too doggone rough)
Raging Bull (would be better without the brake)
Desperado (see a chiropractor)
Wild Thing (zzzzz)
Roz
remove outtake to reply
Big Shot Rules!
Cindy Stout
>Interesting...you say Millennium Force and Raging Bull are almost too smooth
>and predictable, yet Apollo's Chariot, possibly THE smoothest/most
>predictable
>steel coaster I've been on, ranks at number 5 for you. What does AC have
>that
>MF/Bull don't? Curious...
I grant you that Apollo is also very smooth and predictable, but it has more
air than either MF or RB. MF, to me, is all about speed and overbanked turns
(but I've also only ridden it once, perhaps making my ranking a little
premature). RB I just didn't like for some reason. Maybe it's because it's a
twister and that's not what I'm looking for in a hypercoaster.
Someone, I think it was Mark, once described the airtime on Apollo as feeling
like you're a newborn baby being tossed in the air. That's exactly the way I
felt about it, and I really liked the sensation. :-)
Cindy
Hurric...@aol.com
Old School Intamin Fan
2. Millennium Force
3. ROS SFDL
4. Apollo
5. Steel Force
6. Magnum
Id say the first 5 on there are in my top 10, magnum probably not getting into
my top 40.
Matt Medusa Smith
Track Record: 158
Top 3 Steel: SROS SFNE, Millennium Force, SROS SFDL.
Top 3 Wood: Knoebels Twister, GhostRider, Boulder Dash.
Top 3 Parks: Islands of Adventure, SFGAdv, KBF.
Dave Sandborg
intended (and I notice that nobody seems to be including loopers here,
which by that definition should be in the poll). So I'm going to list
my rankings of "wood-inspired steelies" instead. Same list as most,
but it includes some non-inverting steelies under 200 feet. Just
ignore those if you don't agree with my way of classifying coasters,
which I admit is very unconventional.
1. Superman: SFNE
The clear winner. This is quite easily my favorite steel coaster
overall; nothing else really comes all that close.
2. Superman: SFDL
My #1 steelie for one year. It easily beat the coasters beneath it,
but even then I realized it was flawed, and could imagine how it could
be better. SFNE's Superman rectified those flaws. It may be that a
better ride than SFNE's will be created, but I can't think of anything
obvious.
3-5. Magnum XL-200, Apollo's Chariot, Steel Force
I had a very hard time deciding between these three coasters, and had
them tied for #1 until Intamin got into the game. But I think I do
have a mild tendency to rank them in the order shown. On any given
day, though, I might have a hard time saying one was definitively
better than the other.
Magnum seems to have taken a beating among many enthusiasts lately.
Perhaps a backlash against its earlier popularity when it had less
competition. But I still love it, and always will. Its style of
airtime is different from all the others, and I still crave it. It's
still my favorite ride at the Point.
Apollo's Chariot is totally different from Magnum, but its floating
style of airtime is exquisite in its own way.
I loved Steel Force when I first rode it. It suffers from a weak first
half, but the return bunny hops are excellent. My rides last summer
weren't quite as good as I remembered, so it dropped just a bit on my
list. It's still very good.
6. Millennium Force
I have not gotten the airtime I wanted out of this ride, but I rode it
early in the year. But it has the greatest first drop I've experienced
on a steel coaster, and the speed is truly breathtaking. I need more
than speed, however, to be satisfied, and so the middle section of this
coaster doesn't do a whole lot for me. I distinctly like Magnum
better, but Millennium Force is still a great coaster.
7. Desperado
When I first rode this, my only other hyper had been Magnum. At the
time, I ranked this a pretty close second behind that. I haven't
gotten back to ride it since. Reports since that time have been rather
tepid, so my psychological tendency has been to drop it in my rankings.
But to be fair, I can only rank it based on the ride experience I had,
and in that case it would fall just behind Millennium Force.
Up until now, my hyper rankings have matched my overall steel coaster
rankings. That is, no other variety of steelie ranks higher than any
of the above. There are probably quite a few I'd rank even with
Desperado, possibly above if I went back to ride Desperado in its
current reported condition. Then there's a pretty big gap until the
next in my list. I don't know exactly how many other coasters
intervene, but it's quite a few. I doubt any of those that follow
break my overall top 20.
8. Gemini
This is a controversial listing simply because most wouldn't consider
it a "hyper". But since I count it as a "wood-inspired steelie", it
fits in exactly the same category in my book. Given my unconventional
way of looking at things, this is where it fits. It's a very fun ride,
not high on thrills, but inevitably I have a very good time on it.
9. Excalibur
And you thought Gemini was a controversial inclusion in my list! I
mean the Excalibur at Valleyfair here. This might be considered a
"mine train on steroids", I suppose, but steep drops take it out of the
mine train category for me. This is an exceptionally fun ride. When
High Roller is braked, this is my favorite ride at Valleyfair.
10. Raging Bull
Though this is at my old home park, this coaster didn't really do that
much for me. I prefer the out and back variety on "wood-inspired
steelies" to twister layouts so far. A twister layout should have
laterals in my book, which is something most steelies lack. The highly
banked turns don't really float my boat; they just cut into what could
have been more airtime!
11. Steel Eel
Another "non-hyper" coaster in my list because to me it shares the same
aesthetic despite its smaller size. I was quite disappointed in this
during morning ERT. When I came back in the afternoon, I thought it
had picked up quite a bit and was much better. Unfortunately, I didn't
get much evening ERT due to anal station policies. I went over to
Great White instead and had a very satisfying ERT there. Had I gotten
more night rides, I suspect this one would rank higher with me.
12. Wild Thing
This ride just seems to be too mild for its height. I don't get much
out of the twisting middle section, and the straight hills just don't
deliver that much in the way of airtime. I'd love to try this without
brakes. I think it would be much better then. As it is, you can see I
prefer a ride about half its height and length at the same park.
--
Dave Sandborg
Remove Spam-away to respond via e-mail.
IOA Rules
>I grant you that Apollo is also very smooth and predictable, but it has more
>air than either MF or RB. MF, to me, is all about speed and overbanked turns
>(but I've also only ridden it once, perhaps making my ranking a little
>premature). RB I just didn't like for some reason. Maybe it's because it's a
>twister and that's not what I'm looking for in a hypercoaster.
>
>Someone, I think it was Mark, once described the airtime on Apollo as feeling
>like you're a newborn baby being tossed in the air. That's exactly the way I
>felt about it, and I really liked the sensation. :-)
>
>Cindy
>Hurric...@aol.com
Understand completely, thanks for the response!
I do think you need to ride MF a couple more times to get a good feel of it
(you rode that AAA day right?). It definitely got better as the season went
on.
I know you rode Bull when it was running just fine, so I guess it just ain't
your bag!
SBDDDS
1. MF
2. Magnum
3. Raging Bull
4. Desperado
I'll confess to propping Magnum up a bit for sentimental reasons, but at it's
best (which it definitely wasn't this year) I might even rank it #1.
Sue D.
Clayton Hauck
muhahaha... I don't think I'm all that biased actually. Maybe its just my
kinda ride, or maybe I got lots of great rides, I dunno. RB rules!
----
Clayton Hauck
track record> 125
favorites(no order)> MF, Raging Bull, SROS(sfdl), SUEr, BKF, zach's zoomer,
Legend, Timbers...
(-(-(- random quote -)-)-)
"It's an exciting, unique ride," said Scott Schaffer, 15, of Lake Zurich. "I
like it."
Erik Allen Elness
>Well, I've argued against the "hypercoaster" term as originally
>intended (and I notice that nobody seems to be including loopers here,
>which by that definition should be in the poll). So I'm going to list
>my rankings of "wood-inspired steelies" instead.
That's pretty much how I use the term anyway. But, quite frankly, I think the
"hypercoaster" needs a name/category and this one is already being used, so I
tend not to worry too much about the actual terminology of it.
That being said, I'd be more than happy to throw out the (somewhat agreed upon)
200 foot requirement, simply because the Steel Eel fits my own definition of
this type of ride far more than the Steel Phantom does (er...did). In fact, I
don't think I even want to include Steel Dragon!
Basically, I think we do need some term for steel coasters that attempt to
deliver traditional thrills on a somewhat larger scale, and this one will do
for now, despite its shortcomings.
Erik Allen Elness
GhostRider Millennium Force
Cindy Stout
>I do think you need to ride MF a couple more times to get a good feel of it
>(you rode that AAA day right?). It definitely got better as the season went
>on.
Yeah, I did ride it on AAA day, plus I was riding in the back seat. I
understand it's better now and better near the front. I'm certainly willing to
give it another try!
>I know you rode Bull when it was running just fine, so I guess it just ain't
>your bag!
No, it's just not my cup of tea. But, as many others have said in this thread,
I don't really "hate" any of the hypers. I just like certain ones better than
others.
Cindy
Hurric...@aol.com
Ted Ansley
I'm not speaking for Cindy, but for me AC has tons more airtime than RB or
MF. Actually IMHO AC might have the most airtime of any of the hypers except
possibly for SRoS @ SFNE. Plus AC has gobs of airtime in the front and the
back of the train! Despite that I do rank MF above AC, but AC is a close #4
on my list. I also think that of all the hypers I've ridden AC is the most
"finicky", it varies far more than other hypers followd by SF, MF and Magnum
which all also vary a great deal.
Janna Rasmussen
My hypercoaster rankings:
S:ROS, SFNE
S:ROS, SFDL
Steel Force
Magnum XL200
Millennium Force (Based on rides last May; if I can bring myself to go
back to CP that could change)
Wild Thing
-Janna
Rob Vaccaro
2. S:RoS- SFA
3. S:RoS- SFDL
4. Apollo's Chariot
5. Steel Force
6. Millennium Force
7. Magnum XL 200 ( I *really* do not like Magnum...but I've noted that on
previous occassions...'nuff said)
...:Rob Vaccaro:...
Craze...@aol.com - Track Record: 178
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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IOA Rules
>I'm not speaking for Cindy, but for me AC has tons more airtime than RB or
>MF. Actually IMHO AC might have the most airtime of any of the hypers except
>possibly for SRoS @ SFNE. Plus AC has gobs of airtime in the front and the
>back of the train! Despite that I do rank MF above AC, but AC is a close #4
>on my list. I also think that of all the hypers I've ridden AC is the most
>"finicky", it varies far more than other hypers followd by SF, MF and Magnum
>which all also vary a great deal.
Oh, not even a question about AC having more airtime than Bull (Bull has same
amount of airtime spots in the back, AC's just lasts longer) and MF. It was
just her reasoning for not likeing Bull and MF as much was the same trait I saw
in AC. That's all.
Derek Ruth
1. SROS-SFNE A++
2. Millennium Force A+
3. SROS-SFDL A
4. Apollo's Chariot B
5. Steel Force B
6. Goliath B-
7. Magnum B-
8. Steel Eel C+
All clear...Dispatch, enjoy your ride,
Derek Ruth---RLRCoastr1
Coaster count- 238 New for me-23
New for 2001-1
=============
Sniff the .white out when replying via email.
Allen Ayers
1. Goliath
2. Desperado
I gotta get that number up!
KevinCBear
2. MAGNUM XL-200
3. DESPERADO
4. GOLIATH
5. STEEL FORCE
Locoboy
> Scandia Screamer (should be 200ft tall)
Haha! :-D
Christian Lucht
Steel Phantom just for fun. I have a feeling Phantoms Revenge could make
the top 3, but I'll have to ride it first.
1 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE)
2 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFDL)
3 Steel Force
4 Desperado
5 Steel Eel
6 Magnum XL200 (very rough)
7 Apollo's Chariot (never understood the attraction to this one)
8 Millennium Force (no air-time when I rode it)
9 Steel Phantom (Ouch!)
Chris.
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Sean Costa
1)SFNE's S:ROS
-Un-freakin'-beleivable. This ride is just amazing.
2)Apollo's Chariot
-I love the B&M trains for speedcoasters and if Nitro is anything like AC, it
should be a lot of fun.
3)Steel Force
-Steel Force is cool but I am not a fan of the slow lift. I am afraid of
heights.
4)Magnum XL-200
-My first hypercoaster and I haven't been on it in years.
Sean Costa
E.(. Z E l\l I T H
-----------------------------------------------
http://www.eczenith.net
http://www.thedarkbeaches.cjb.net
( http://www.thedarkbeaches.com/ )
http://www.coasterzone.cjb.net/
coast...@my-deja.com
me on any of them. I think the one factor holding each of them back is
lap bars. On air time rides, I expect to be able to experience the
airtime, just like on a woodie, not just know it is there and not get
anything but a pain in the groin.
1. Steel Force-This one is here because it gave me the best ride of the
3. It ranks as second most comfortable, but after riding Phoenix the
day before, those four hops on Steel Force just seemed slow and floaty
compared to wham bam on Phoenix. Ridden first, it may have seemed
better. Once again, no room in the lap bar and the stupid restricting
seat belts.
2/3-I can't choose between Magnum and Raging Bull. Raging Bull was
comfortable, but again, not much bar room. The ride was typical B&M,
gradual and controlled. Once again too many banked turns. Magnum could
easily be my #1 steel coaster, but has those absolutely horrific Arrow
Mine Train cars. I can feel the ejector seat air wanting to come out,
but the trains are way way too small. I just feel so cramped. The third
hill is still good either way. I think that Shivering Timbers 4th hill
is modeled after that one.
The main thing is comfort and room. I hope the Intamins achieve this. I
plan on riding Millenium Force and SFA Superman this summer. I think I
might have a #1 steel in Superman if the trains are adequite.
Hypercoasters are a great concept, mind if I put a PTC wooden coaster
train on one?!
Jacob
if a TA2000 gets over 200 feet, is it a hyper?
--
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http://members.xoom.com/coasterstud/bigfoot2.html
--Holiday World 2000, the Raven gets a big brother, it doesn't get any
better than this--
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Bert Kolick
1) Millennium Force: while it didn't have as much airtime as Superman or
Apollo's Chariot, it had enough airtime, and the combination of this airtime
with pure speed simply put this coaster over the top for me.
2) S:RoS, SFA: Superman comes in a close second to MF. The airtime is insane,
it just seems a little too slow after riding MF (everything does...).
3) Apollo's Chariot: While many consider this ride too smooth and predictable,
I still think its a great ride. I also love the terrain aspect of this
coaster.
4) Steel Force: I rode this a few years ago, and I don't remember it too well,
but from what I remember, it seems to lack power and intensity when compared
with Intamin hypers.
5) Magnum: When I rode Magnum, it was incredibly rough, and the airtime was
painful. The setting was cool though.
Bert Kolick
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Top Woods: Villain, Lightning Racer, Gwazi, Wildcat, Georgia Cyclone
Top Steel: Millennium Force, S:RoS (SFA), Fire Dragon, Nemesis, Kumba, Apollo's
Chariot, Hulk
Chris Kearsing
>
>What does AC have that
> MF/Bull don't? Curious...
An abundance of trim brakes?
-Chris K, who is sure they're on RB too-
Mike Kallay
ridden:
1. Superman - SFNE
2. Magnum XL 200 - CP
3. Millennium Force - CP
4. Pepsi Big Max - BPB
5. Goliath - SFMM
6. Steel Force - DP
7. Desperado - BB
8. Manhatten Express - NNHC
--
Mike Kallay
inve...@mikekallay.com
www.mikekallay.com for all your fly-fishing needs
"The popcorn you're eating has been pissed in. Film at
eleven."...Kentucky Fried Movie
Jim Westland
contrast. No flame intended, Steve]
My hyper-list:
1) Magnum XL-200 -- Still the only hyper that has the perfect combination of
intensity and forces, IMVHO. A few have come close in recent years, but
Magnum is still my favorite.
2) Mamba
3) Steel Force
(Mamba and Steel Force are essentially tied, except for the turnarounds --
Mamba's is the tie breaker)
4) Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE version)
5) Superman: Ride of Steel (SFDL version)
6) Millennium Force (note: I rode it fairly early in 2000, pre-break-in)
7) Desperado
8) Goliath
9) Raging Bull
10) Pepsi Max Big One
11) Apollo's Chariot
12) Wild Thing
It's strange, now that I type it out, that the Arrows are numbers 1, 7, and
10, and the Morgan's are 2, 3...and 12? The only consistency (so far) are
with the Intamin hypers that I have been on (which are 4, 5, and 6). Also, my
lack of enthusiasm about B&M hypers is showing.
Jim Westland
--
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Charles Nungester
2.SOB
3.Steel Force
4. Magnum
Chuck
SOB rides 103 for 2000
Parks visited 25
Coasters ridden-95
Favorite wood-1.Legend 2.Big Dipper (SFO)
Favorite steel-1. MF 2. Steel Force
Favorite parks, Kennywood, Holliday World, BGW, CP, PKI, or the park im at :)
Remove SOB to reply
nio...@yahoo.com
tan...@worldnet.att.net wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of Goliath and
> other hypercoasters I figured this would be a good time to see everyone's
> hypercoaster rankings again! Here are mine: The numbers are my overall
> steel coaster rankings for the coaster:
>
> 1 Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE)
> 3 Millennium Force
> 4 Apollo's Chariot
> 5 Raging Bull
> 12 Steel Force
> 13 Desperado
> 14 Magnum XL200
> 17 Goliath
>
> I actually love them all, it is very hard to pick favorties and the
> differences between say Goliath and Raging Bull are subtle but
> I have to rank them somehow.
>
I don't have them all ranked so I'll just go in order of preference and
put quotes around the ones that fall into my ranking...
1. Millennium Force (1)
2. Goliath (7)
3. Magnum (10)
4. Desperado
For those counting 200+ft with loops as hypers...
5. Manhattan Express
I'll get at least 3 more in this year with Nitro, Raging Bull and SFNE's
Superman. Certainly not going to complain about that. I can't wait
either! Though maybe the season being a little ways off is good. I
need to save $$ for these trips ;>
-Matt
Goose
>Hey all,
>
>Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of Goliath and
>other hypercoasters I figured this would be a good time to see everyone's
>hypercoaster rankings again!
1- Millennium Force- What is there bad to say about it? The air is in
good supply, the height is pretty, well, high, but the SPEED!!!
(What's that line from Top Gun again?)
2- Raging Bull- What Goliath should have been like. Would not at all
mind a clone of RB instead of Goliath.
3- Goliath- Perhaps the fact that I've ridden it 50+ times had boosted
it up there.
4- Desperado- Good air on the first half, but the second half is
pretty much a snoozer and the ride is somewhat rough.
5- Magnum- Ok, maybe I just caught it on a bad part of the season.
Steve-
*****
2000 Asylum Awards
http://www.philkpress.com/goose/gca/aawards001.htm
*****
SFMM Y2K Central
http://www.philkpress.com/goose/sfmmy2k
Paul Hilliard
1. Apollo- simply amazing on drops 1,3,5 off the block brake,and especially
#9 (diabolical!).
2 SFA SROS- great speed, gripping air, but the helixes are dead for me (too
wide)
3. Magnum- nothing going on in the back until the twist on the return leg
before the last tunnel.
Now for front seat rides, I find things completely different:
1. SFA SROS- absolutely amazing air on every drop (except the first drop. I
absolutely hate hanging over drops waiting for the rest of the train to get
off the chain!) Despite this, this is the only coaster I will choose the
front of the train over the back.
2. Magnum- Magnum is definately more interesting in the front (ejector seat
especially) After a 2 days of riding at Coastermania 99, my legs were
thouroughly bruised from those bars, so I enjoy the front more, but I won't
marathon up there.
3. Apollo- for as good as the airtime is in the back on Apollo, it is as bad
in the front. Absolutely weak! I only rode Apollo in the front 3 times
(and I have ridden Apollo a lot); the first was because there was no line
(military day before GP opening), the second was to get pictures, the third
was just to say I did it this year. I have no desire to ride in the front
again, ever.
Anybody else have drastically different opinions about front and backs of
coasters?
Paul
--
Paul Hilliard
hill...@starpower.net
Phillip Reuss
1. Superman: Ride of Steel (SFDL)
2. Millennium Force
3. Magnum XL-200
4. Goliath
More to come this year, hopefully...
Phillip
reu...@osu.edu
AIM: SCBBGiantDipper
#1 Wood: GhostRider
#1 Steel: S:ROS (SFDL)
--Go Sharks!--
Jim and Jerry
Ansley) wrote:
>Hey all,
>
>Now that we've had a discussion on the merits/weaknesses of of Goliath and
>other hypercoasters I figured this would be a good time to see everyone's
>hypercoaster rankings again!
1. MF
2. Mamba
3. PepsiMax
4. Desperado
5. Steel Phantom (RIP)
6. Magnum
(sigh) Not many hypers to sample down south....
Dave Althoff Jr
1. Magnum XL-200 (Cedar Point)
2. Superman: Ride of Steel (Darien Lake)
3. Millennium Force (Cedar Point)
4. Apollo's Chariot (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)
5. Son of Beast (Paramount's Kings Island)
6. Steel Phantom (Kennywood)
I think I'd stick Gemini in on one side or the other of Apollo's Chariot,
if I were following someone else's lead...
Looking forward to Phantom's Revenge...
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
--
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_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX
Kevin Dorey
Okay, so what's up with multiple inclusions of Steel Phantom as a hypercoaster?
I was under the impression that a hypercoaster had no inversions, or should I
alter my list to include Loch Ness Monster and Kraken? :)
Kevin Dorey
lcboulderdash @ aol.com
KevinCBear
>I
>alter my list to include Loch Ness Monster and Kraken? :)
>
I was thinking the same thing. Shouldn't Steel Phantom be classified as a
steel looping coaster?
Curious Kevin
Erik Allen Elness
>I was thinking the same thing. Shouldn't Steel Phantom be
>classified as a steel looping coaster?
This is sort of an old disagreement. Basically, some people consider any
coaster over 200 feet tal as a hyper, while others use the term only to
describe big "woodie-style" steel coasters.
Erik Allen Elness
GhostRider Millennium Force
Dave Sandborg
<kevin...@aol.com> wrote:
It's a question of what the definition of hypercoaster is...something
we've been through quite a few times! The term is generally accepted
as having been coined by Allen Ambrosini (though I could *swear* I
heard it in use before then, but I have no way of proving that). In
that definition, there's nothing to indicate that the absence of loops
matters. But in general enthusiast usage, the term typically also
means that loops are absent.
There'll never be a full resolution to the issue, I fear. I'm not
quite happy with any existing answer. In the Ambrosini usage, 200 feet
seems to be a magic number, but it's a bit ambiguous. Magnum is over
200 feet tall, but doesn't drop 200 feet; while Steel Phantom has (had)
a 200+ foot drop, but isn't 200 feet tall. So the original definition
isn't really that well-formed anyway. This is why I try to argue for
the "wood-inspired steelie" definition and drop mention of
statistics--though then the prefix "hyper" isn't really necessarily
appropriate.
--
Dave Sandborg
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