Tom76257

Hey, my name is Tom. I'm 25 and I just graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from the College of Mount St. Joseph. I live in Fairfield, Ohio and like playing video games, watching TV, playing sports, hanging out with friends, reading comic books, and watching professional wrestling both on TV and on the independent circuit.

When it comes to amusement parks I stick with mostly roller coasters because they thrill me the most, but I will ride some flats. Delirium made me queesy the only time I rode it, though, so I tend to stay away from it. My top 5 rides at Kings Island are as follows: 1.Diamondback 2.The Beast (WITHOUT TRIMS!) 3.Firehawk. 4.Son of Beast. 5. Flight of Fear. I have an ever changing top 5 steel coaster list which is located just below, but my top 5 wood remains pretty constant. I went to Opening Day and Ride Warriors Weekend and loved both occasions, especially meeting some of you guys! I also went on my birthday and got a total ride count of 24.

When it comes to coasters, I prefer the intensity of a wooden coaster to that of a steel coaster, but I prefer the smooth ride of a steel coaster to that of its wooden brethren because I get headaches easily after riding coasters. Because of this, I prefer steel JUST BARELY over wood, but not by much at all. A coaster doesn't need to be especially tall for me to enjoy the ride. Maverick at Cedar Point is only 105 feet tall and it's one of my favorite steel coasters. I do value speed to an extent, though. I love going fast! In my opinion, a ride should at least give the illusion of going fast if its top speed isn't that high. For example, The Raven at Holiday World has a top speed of only 48 MPH. However, its layout makes it seem like it's going MUCH faster, which I appreciate. In terms of layouts, there's not too much I honestly don't like. My favorite layout is one in which the ride seems out of control (Twister and terrain layouts come to mind.). A simple out and back layout will also do the trick as I'm not too picky. My favorite element is the tunnel. I LOVE the sound of a train roaring through a dark, enclosed space as it makes the intensity of the ride go up! You'll notice that some of my top 5 coasters, both wooden and steel, prominently feature tunnels. My favorite G force is the positive g. I LOVE the feeling of being plastered to my seat while being in the middle of a speed rush. This is not to say that I don't like airtime. I enjoy that feeling almost as much. I'm also one of the biggest fans of lateral forces you'll probably ever hear of. This is why The Legend at Holiday World is one of my favorite wooden coasters. Finally, my favorite thing about coasters is overall intensity. I LOVE the feeling of being out of breath while my heart is beating out of my chest on a coaster's final brake run because the ride was so intense. This is why The Voyage is my favorite overall coaster.

LINE JUMPERS

GROUPS IN THE SINGLE RIDER LINE

TRIM BRAKES

Nicknames for coasters that I've come up with:

Millennium Force (at night): Gnat Killer

The Racer (because it ALWAYS staples me on the bunny hills): The Stapler

Invertigo: The Blackout Machine

Flight Deck: Rusty

Raging Bull: Mildly Angered Bovine

If you have any other questions don't be afraid to ask.

I did get to go to Cedar Point, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, Holiday World, and the Columbus Zoo/Jungle Jack's Landing all for the first time last year (THANKS ANGIE AND KAT!). I also did get to experience Stricker's Grove and Coney Island for the first time last year. Confirmed new parks for this year are Kings Dominion, Carowinds, Six Flags Over Georgia, and Dollywood.

2010 Accomplishments:

KD, KI, HW, CP Opening Days, 2nd train of the season on Diamondback; 1st train of the season on The Voyage and Top Thrill Dragster; Coaster #50 and a First Rider on Intimidator 305; Coaster #100 in Batman The Ride at SFGAm; a valley on Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain; Longest coaster ride of my life (e-stop on Dominator); zen rides on Turkey Whirl and White Water Canyon; but the best accomplishment so far - A TOP THRILL DRAGSTER ROLLBACK!!!

2010 Park Visits:

Visits to Kings Island - 3 (4/17, 4/24, 5/9, 5/21, 5/23)

Ride List:

Diamondback - 14; Flight Deck - 10; The Beast - 4; Backlot Stunt Coaster - 6; Red Racer - 3; Blue Racer - 3; Adventure Express - 3; Vortex - 1; Flight of Fear - 1; Drop Tower - 6; Boo Blasters on Boo Hill - 2; Kings Island and Miami Valley Railroad - 3; Zephyr - 1; Slingshot - 1; Eiffel Tower - 1; Dodgem - 1

Visits to Kings Dominion - 1 (4/2)

Ride List:

Intimidator 305 - 2; Volcano, Dominator, Rebel Yell (right side), Grizzly, Anaconda, Ricochet, and Drop Tower - 1

Visits to Carowinds - 1 (4/3)

Ride List:

Intimidator - 2; Vortex, Carolina Goldrusher, Carolina Cyclone, Hurler, Afterburn, Thunder Road North Carolina, Thunder Road South Carolina, Flying Ace Aerial Chase, Woodstock Express, Nighthawk, Carolina Cobra, Drop Tower, and Woodstock Gliders - 1

Visits to Six Flags Over Georgia - 1 (4/4)

Ride List:

Goliath - 2; Mind Bender - 2; Batman the Ride, Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster, Superman: Ultimate Flight, Ninja, The Great American Scream Machine, Dahlonega Mine Train, Six Flags Railroad, Georgia Cyclone, The Georgia Scorcher, The Monster Mansion, and Shake, Rattle, and Roll - 1

Visits to Dollywood - 1 ( 4/5)

Ride List:

Thunderhead - 2; Mystery Mine - 2; Tennessee Tornado - 1; Blazing Fury - 1

Visits to Holiday World - 1 (5/1)

Ride List:

The Voyage - 14; The Legend - 6; The Raven - 2; Turkey Whirl - 3; Liberty Launch - 2; Eagles Flight - 2; Rough Riders - 1; Gobbler Getaway - 1

Visits to Cedar Point - 2 (5/15, 5/30)

Ride List:

Top Thrill Dragster - 2; ROLLBACK! - 1; Magnum - 6; Blue Streak - 3; Millennium Force - 3; Raptor - 3; Disaster Transport - 1; Maverick - 2; Wicked Twister - 2; Mantis - 1; Skyhawk - 1; Power Tower Space Shot - 3; Tilt-A-Whirl - 2; Dodgem - 1; Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad - 1; Midway Carousel - 1

Records:

Most Rides in One Day: 41 - Cedar Point, September 13, 2009

Most Rides on a Single Coaster in One Day - 14 - The Voyage, May 1, 2010

Most Rides on a Single Coaster in One Day (Enthusiast Event): 12 - Magnum XL-200, September 13, 2009

Most Rides on a Single Coaster in One Day (Non-Enthusiast Event with Special ERT for CP/PP Holders): 11 - Millennium Force, September 13, 2009

Most Rides on a Single Coaster in One Day at Kings Island: 11 - Diamondback, August 16, 2009

Most Rides on a Single Coaster in One Visit at Kings Island: 13 - Backlot Stunt Coaster, October 8 and 9, 2010

Most Rides on a Single Coaster in One Season: 120 - Diamondback, 2009

Most Visits to Kings Island in One Season: 23 - 2009

My Top 5 Roller Coasters:

Steel:

1. Dominator

2. Intimidator 305

3. Batman The Ride at Six Flags Great America

4. Maverick

5. Top Thrill Dragster

Wood:

1. The Voyage

2. Thunderhead

3. The Legend

4. The Beast

5. Son of Beast

Since I've ridden 102 coasters now, I feel like I'm leaving some really good rides out of my counts. So...

Honorable Mention (In no particular order.):

Steel - King Cobra, Diamondback, Firehawk, Flight Deck, Invertigo, Raptor, Mantis, Magnum, Mystery Mine, Intimidator, Afterburn, Vortex (Carowinds), Anaconda, Ricochet (KD), Volcano, Greezed Lightnin', Road Runner Express (SFKK), Batman the Ride (SFOG), Georgia Scorcher, Goliath (SFOG), Mind Bender, Tig'rr, Steel Hawg, Vertical Velocity, Whizzer, The Dark Knight (SFGAm), Iron Wolf, and Superman Ultimate Flight (SFGAm)

Wood - The Racer, The Raven, Hurler (Carowinds), Thunder Road, Grizzly, Rebel Yell, Thunder Run, The Tornado, Georgia Cyclone, Cornball Express, and The Hoosier Hurricane

R.I.P. King Cobra - the coaster that got me to like coasters.