How'd you get over your fear of Roller Coasters

[CoasterDirected]

Wow! Thanks guys, this is becoming pretty popular. 

[RailRider]

As a kid I was never apprehensive about ridding your average family coaster.  Most Summers we would make a trip to Opryland and I rode everything I was able to and once I was finally tall enough to ride the Wabash Cannonball I became very nervous.  I remember standing outside the que watching my Dad and Uncle ride as they got stuck on the lift (which just added to the anticipation) once they got their ride it was my turn.  Best Ride Ever!  

 

I didn't feel this level of anticipation again until my first trip to Cedar Point in 1992 and walking in to the park from Sandcastle Suites only to walk by the Magnum.  That thing absolutely terrified me.  But I was hooked on coasters that day forward.

[TombRaiderFTW]

I feel like I've typed out a long version of this somewhere here, but I can't think of when that was... Oh well.

I was terrified of a lot of things when I was younger, including roller coasters. My family and I went to the park in the mid- to late 90's frequently, and I never wanted to ride anything more intense than The Beastie. I may have ridden Vortex once... If I did, I guarantee it scared me enough to not ride it again. We stopped getting passes by 1998 or 1999, and I didn't visit another park till about 2004, I think. That year we got invited to come with some friends, who I didn't want to think I was afraid. The rest is essentially history.

[MantisMan]

My older sister.

 

If I didn't ride she would have beat the crap out of me.....literally.

[APE]

I cannot remember a time when I was scared of coasters so I'll share what I do remember and that was the complete disappoint when I wasn't tall enough each year to ride Vortex then the year that I was finally tall enough everyone in line cheered when I made the cutoff. I then had to wait what felt like forever for King kobra. I loved that ride once I was able to ride it.

[Stylez]

Back in the day I went to Great America in Gurnee IL.  This was the park of my childhood.  

 

My mom simply put me in line and I road ever coaster in one day.  She did not give me a choice, I just was expected to ride them. After the first one, I was hooked, but still a bit afraid.  By the end of the day, might have been 10, I went on every coaster they had and loved them.  

 

Short:  My mom did not give me the option, she made me ride them.  I did this with each of my kids as well.   

[Joncars05]

I can't remember how old I was maybe 5 or 6 when we went to Kings Island for a trip and I was riding Beastie. It was pretty fun but I remember having a headache afterwards that got worse and worse so I decided that I would never get on another coaster again. I would literally go to parks with friends and not ride anything because I was afraid of getting headaches and not feeling well the rest of the trip. That was until I met my wife (girlfriend at the time) it was about 6 years ago. I was 22. She would go to HW every year for her birthday. She basically told me I was wuss and went on the rides and I would wait for her to get off. She said it wasn't fun without me riding and begged me to ride with her. So I summoned up the courage to hop on a ride and my first big coaster was Legend... I loved it!  After we got off we rode it 2 more times then went back to Voyage to really test my courage. I was blown away with Voyage and its been my #1 coaster since then and I have been a coaster junkie ever since that day!

[upstop]

I could ride almost anything but was afraid to TTD because of the height. Finally rode it last year and the scariest part was the launch. You are only up on the peak for such a brief time. You get a tiny pop of air at the top then down you go. It was really nothing after all to me. In fact I was in the pullout so quickly that it didnt take my stomach or breath at all.

[KI-ORIG-EMP]

I remember it was in the summer of 1967 that I first rode a roller coaster.  I was in the 6th grade and my family and cousins drove down to Coney Island for a day of fun.  We were in front of the Shooting Star and I decided to get in line for it along with my sister and cousins.  I did not really want to ride that ride and I kept saying to myself, "NO!  NO! NO! there is no way that I am going to ride that thing", But I walked in the line as we moved towards the platform to get into the car.  I had sweaty palms and was wanted to turn away and leave, but I went along with the flow and finally was seated in the car.  I was seated in the very first car and as we left the station and I could hear the clanging of the wheels on the track and then the noise from the chain as we started going up the hill and as we past that sign that read, "Don't stand up", I grabbed onto the front bar and hung on for dear life.  But as we reached the top of the hill and turned as we reached the drop of the hill, I could see fate that was in store for me!  But as we crossed that threshold of no return and as I was staring down that drop and my stomach was trying to leave my body, I was screaming for joy!!!  I loved every dip and banging against the side of the car when it changed direction.  As we entered the station at the completion of the ride, I could not wait to get back in line again to have another ride on the Shooting Star!