Wood Poll - This Year's Ride Experiences 2008
The rankings were also run using only this year's riding experiences. These
results are less meaningful as there are MANY pairings of coasters
that no rider had ridden both of this year. As you can see, our poll
respondants had ridden an average of 9.5 wood coasters this year. That sounds
good until it is realized that when there are about 1/3 as many ride
experiences it causes there to be an average of about 1/9 as many people
who had ridden each pair of coasters (this year vs. ever).
Therefore, I want to be very clear that the following results based on
only 2008 ride experiences have a much greater margin of error and are only
included here because they may be of some limited additional interest to
some enthusiasts who want more information on how a particular coaster was
perceived by those who rode it this year.
Of Note:
El Toro has a higher winning percentage among 2008 riders, but T Express
has fewer blemishes (Losses + (Ties/2)) and won the comparison among people who rode both El Toro
and T Express this year 4 - 3. T Express's winning percentage suffers because it has far fewer valid
2008 mutual-rider comparisons.
As an example of how it becomes difficult to put too much stock in these 2008 rider only numbers:
The Voyage has only three mutual-rider comparison losses (which is believable). However, none of them
are to the three rides that finished above The Voyage (it wins over T Express and Boulder Dash and Ties
El Toro). The Losses, to the SBNO (did not run this year!) Big Dipper (Geauga), Colossos, and #56 Rutschebanen.
The types of things that may be meaningful in these results are things like "perhaps Hades was not running as
well this year as it finished #22 among 2008 riders whereas it was #11 overall", or "Boulder Dash was running
better than ever this year", or "I wonder if all those people that rode SBNO coasters this year did so after-hours". ;-)
Also, Timber Terror above Tremors among 2008 riders is interesting.
Average Number of Wooden Roller Coasters Ridden in 2008 = 9.5
RANK COASTER NAME PARK LOC RIDERS W L T WinPct TiBk
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1 T Express Everland KR 14 53 1 1 0.9727
2 El Toro SFGAd NJ 169 135 1 3 0.9820
3 Boulder Dash Lake Compounce CT 80 113 3 3 0.9622
4 The Voyage Holiday World IN 91 123 3 4 0.9615
5 Balder Liseberg SE 17 60 1 5 0.9470
6 Ravine Flyer II Waldameer PA 99 121 7 4 0.9318
7 Colossos Heide Park DE 44 77 6 5 0.9034
8 Phoenix Knoebel's PA 101 117 9 9 0.9000
9 Renegade Valleyfair! MN 30 77 7 10 0.8723
10 Tonnerre de Zeus Parc Asterix FR 33 70 9 3 0.8720
11 Shivering Timbers Michigan's Adventure MI 25 71 8 6 0.8706
12 Raven Holiday World IN 83 108 13 8 0.8682
13 Evel Knievel Six Flags St Louis MO 45 88 12 4 0.8654
14 Kentucky Rumbler Beech Bend KY 28 70 8 9 0.8563
15 Thunderbird PowerPark FI 5 36 2 10 0.8542
16 Avalanche Timber Falls WI 19 66 9 7 0.8476
17 Thunderhead Dollywood TN 78 102 13 18 0.8346
18 Timber Terror Silverwood ID 7 24 2 7 0.8333 4
19 Tremors Silverwood ID 8 25 3 5 0.8333 3
20 Megafobia Oakwood UK 26 26 4 4 0.8235
21 Ozark Wildcat Celebration City MO 13 48 7 9 0.8203
22 Hades Mount Olympus WI 19 69 12 10 0.8132
23 Troy Toverland NL 59 67 13 9 0.8034
24 Cyclone Lakeside CO 5 3 0 2 0.8000
25 Lightning Racer - L Hersheypark PA 130 101 23 9 0.7932
26 Cornball Express Indiana Beach IN 55 84 19 10 0.7876
27 Lightning Racer - T Hersheypark PA 127 100 23 12 0.7852
28 Silver Comet Martin's Fantasy Is. NY 31 74 19 5 0.7806
29 Rampage Alabama Adventure AL 13 52 10 14 0.7763
* Big Dipper (SBNO) Geauga Lake OH 4 14 1 9 0.7708
* White Cyclone Nagashima Spaland JP 3 10 1 7 0.7500 0
32 Comet Great Escape NY 27 65 17 14 0.7500 0
* The Legend Arnolds Park IA 2 1 0 1 0.7500 0
34 Dania Bch Hurricane Dania Beach FL 15 50 17 2 0.7391
35 The Legend Holiday World IN 82 89 29 11 0.7326
36 The Beast Kings Island OH 85 78 25 13 0.7284
37 Thunderbolt Kennywood PA 66 77 27 9 0.7212
38 Yankee Cannonball Canobie Lake Park NH 18 43 13 14 0.7143
39 Rutschebanen Bakken DK 11 15 6 1 0.7045
40 Cyclops Mount Olympus WI 19 55 20 15 0.6944
41 Giant Dipper Santa Cruz Bch Bdwk CA 17 39 17 1 0.6930
* Scenic Railway Dreamland UK 2 10 2 9 0.6905
43 Grand National Blackpool UK 43 40 15 11 0.6894
44 American Eagle SFGAm IL 55 59 25 11 0.6789
45 Twister Knoebel's PA 100 84 37 16 0.6715
46 Jack Rabbit Kennywood PA 65 69 32 12 0.6637
47 Racer Kennywood PA 61 68 34 11 0.6504
48 Coaster Playland BC 6 7 2 8 0.6471
49 Viper SFGAm IL 53 57 29 10 0.6458
50 Loup Garou Walibi Belgium BE 37 45 25 7 0.6299
51 Boardwalk Bullet Kemah Boardwalk TX 19 35 18 14 0.6269
52 Cyclone Astroland NY 63 66 37 16 0.6218
53 Starliner Cypress Gardens FL 19 39 22 17 0.6090
54 Lost Coaster of SM Indiana Beach IN 44 54 35 16 0.5905
55 Screamin' Eagle Six Flags St Louis MO 52 60 41 7 0.5880
56 Rutschebanen Tivoli Gardens DK 15 30 20 9 0.5847
57 Giant Dipper Belmont Park CA 14 34 22 16 0.5833
58 Wild One SF America MD 46 52 36 9 0.5825
59 The Boss Six Flags St Louis MO 52 54 38 15 0.5748
60 Wildcat Hersheypark PA 128 72 54 7 0.5677
61 Thundercoaster Tusenfryd NO 10 13 8 17 0.5658
62 Zeus Mount Olympus WI 19 42 31 14 0.5632
63 Roar SF Discovery Kingdom CA 20 26 19 15 0.5583
64 Vuoristorata Linnamaki Park FI 7 15 12 7 0.5441
65 Cannonball Lake Winnepesaukah GA 14 30 25 6 0.5410
66 Mammut Tripsdrill DE 62 44 37 8 0.5393
67 Big Dipper Blackpool UK 45 30 25 11 0.5379
68 Robin Hood Walibi World NL 41 41 36 11 0.5284
69 Swamp Fox Family Kingdom SC 23 41 36 17 0.5266
70 Great White Wild Wheels Pier NJ 38 47 42 11 0.5250
71 Comet Hersheypark PA 112 60 58 8 0.5079
72 Blue Streak Cedar Point OH 126 59 59 9 0.5000 7
73 Grt Am Scrm Mach SFoG GA 50 46 46 13 0.5000 6
74 Hoosier Hurricane Indiana Beach IN 54 48 50 17 0.4913
75 Leap the Dips Lakemont PA 35 44 47 17 0.4861
76 Jack Rabbit Seabreeze NY 30 40 44 12 0.4792
77 Tornado Stricker's Grove OH 16 35 39 10 0.4762
78 Thunderbolt SF New England MA 84 53 59 12 0.4758
79 GhostRider Knott's Berry Farm CA 43 41 48 14 0.4660
80 Thunderhawk Dorney Park PA 94 47 60 16 0.4472
81 Wild Mouse Blackpool UK 40 20 27 17 0.4453
82 Arkansas Twister Magic Springs AR 7 13 19 16 0.4375
83 Rollo Coaster Idlewild PA 29 42 56 6 0.4327
84 Excalibur Funtown USA ME 9 11 17 10 0.4211
85 Falken Farup Sommerland DK 19 21 34 22 0.4156
86 Racer Kings Island OH 76 38 56 12 0.4151 0
87 Roller Coaster Blackpool UK 41 15 24 14 0.4151 0
88 Regina Tobu Zoo JP 12 22 33 9 0.4141
89 Roar SF America MD 44 32 48 12 0.4130
90 Wolverine Wildcat Michigan's Adventure MI 24 30 47 8 0.4000 3
91 Rebel Yell Kings Dominion VA 75 44 71 20 0.4000 1
92 Thunder Run Kentucky Kingdom KY 27 32 50 6 0.3977
93 Hell Cat Clementon Lake NJ 20 24 39 9 0.3958
94 Hurler Carowinds NC 28 29 49 14 0.3913
95 Le Monstre La Ronde QU 20 30 53 14 0.3814
* Wildcat Frontier City OK 4 4 11 14 0.3793
97 Thunder Road Carowinds NC 23 27 48 11 0.3779
98 Gwazi-Tiger Busch Gardens-Tampa FL 63 35 63 13 0.3739
99 Roller Coaster Lagoon UT 8 5 15 15 0.3571
100 Cyclone SF New England MA 83 40 76 9 0.3560
101 Gwazi-Lion Busch Gardens-Tampa FL 61 32 65 16 0.3540
102 Roller Coaster Great Yarmouth UK 14 11 26 13 0.3500
103 Skyliner Lakemont PA 36 32 65 11 0.3472
* Big Dipper Camden Park WV 3 2 8 9 0.3421
105 Coaster Thrill Ride Puyallup Fair WA 7 2 4 0 0.3333
106 Georgia Cyclone SFoG GA 47 27 64 12 0.3204
107 Dragon Coaster Playland NY 40 32 73 8 0.3186
108 Kingdom Coaster Dutch Wonderland PA 16 19 51 17 0.3161
109 High Roller Valleyfair! MN 31 25 60 9 0.3138
110 Colossus S.F. Magic Mountain CA 56 26 74 24 0.3065
111 Texas Giant SFoT TX 22 16 49 18 0.3012
112 Twister II Elitch Gardens CO 5 3 9 3 0.3000
113 Judge Roy Scream SFoT TX 22 18 55 17 0.2944
114 Outlaw Adventureland IA 5 3 10 4 0.2941
115 The Grizzly Kings Dominion VA 75 33 89 12 0.2910
116 Hurler Kings Dominion VA 69 31 89 11 0.2786
117 Rattler Fiesta Texas TX 17 14 48 13 0.2733
118 Tomahawk Port Aventura ES 18 10 30 2 0.2619
119 Meteor Little Amerricka WI 8 9 42 18 0.2609
120 Pegasus Mount Olympus WI 18 13 53 17 0.2590
121 Son of Beast Kings Island OH 67 22 75 8 0.2476
122 Comet Waldameer PA 89 28 95 8 0.2443
123 Stampida Port Aventura ES 20 7 29 7 0.2442
124 Sea Dragon Jungle Jacks Landing OH 7 5 26 8 0.2308
* Twisted Twins-StellaKentucky Kingdom KY 4 3 25 12 0.2250
126 Zach's Zoomer Michigan's Adventure MI 20 9 53 15 0.2143
127 Timber Wolf Worlds of Fun MO 17 10 55 13 0.2115
128 Scooby Doo Kings Dominion VA 56 21 97 13 0.2099
* Cannonball Waterville USA AL 3 0 3 2 0.2000 0
130 Magnus Colossus Terra Mitica ES 5 0 6 4 0.2000 0
131 Tornado Adventureland IA 6 3 16 2 0.1905
132 Wildcat Lake Compounce CT 76 20 94 3 0.1838
133 Mean Streak Cedar Point OH 118 18 97 8 0.1789
134 Wilde Beast Canada's Wonderland ON 61 15 92 8 0.1652
135 Pegasus de Efteling NL 35 10 61 4 0.1600
136 Rolling Thunder SFGAd NJ 135 19 109 4 0.1591
* Auto BergBahn Prater Park AT 4 1 25 9 0.1571
138 M.Can.Mine Buster Canada's Wonderland ON 64 12 94 11 0.1496
139 Predator Darien Lake NY 46 10 84 10 0.1442
140 Hochschaubahn Prater Park AT 8 5 40 3 0.1354
141 The Bandit Movie Park DE 43 6 58 7 0.1338
142 Triple Hurricane Cypress Gardens FL 18 6 62 8 0.1316
143 Fairly Odd Coaster Kings Island OH 42 7 83 12 0.1275
144 Antelope Gulliver's World UK 5 1 10 1 0.1250
145 Zipper Dipper Blackpool UK 31 4 44 5 0.1226
146 Ghoster Coaster Canada's Wonderland ON 50 8 95 10 0.1150
147 Fairly Odd Coaster Carowinds NC 28 5 77 9 0.1044
148 Teddy Bear Stricker's Grove OH 16 5 71 7 0.1024
* Lil' Dipper Camden Park WV 2 0 12 3 0.1000
* Twisted Twins-Lola Kentucky Kingdom KY 3 1 18 2 0.0952
151 Cheetah Wild Adventures GA 14 3 71 6 0.0750
152 The Grizzly Great America CA 16 0 60 9 0.0652
* Kiddie Coaster Playland NY 2 0 12 1 0.0385
154 White Canyon Yomiuriland JP 9 0 57 4 0.0328
155 Underground Adventureland IA 5 0 16 1 0.0294
156 Little Dipper Kiddieland IL 5 0 34 2 0.0278
157 Anaconda Walygator Parc FR 22 0 75 2 0.0130
158 Coaster-Express Parque Warner Madrid ES 5 0 2 0 0.0000
159 Timberhawk Enchanted Village WA 5 0 4 0 0.0000
The following coasters had too few 2008 riders take the poll:
* New Mexico Rattler Cliff's NM 2 0 0 0 0.0000
* Roller Coaster (S) Joyland KS 1 0 0 0 0.0000
* Cyclone (SBNO) Williams Grove PA 1 0 0 0 0.0000
* Zippin' Pippin (S) Libertyland TN 1 0 0 0 0.0000
* Montana Rusa La Feria MX 1 0 0 0 0.0000
* Jupiter Kijima Korakuen JP 1 0 0 0 0.0000
* Wild Mouse Aussie World AU 2 0 0 0 0.0000
* Scenic Railway Luna Park-Melbourne AU 1 0 0 0 0.0000
* Hullamvasut Vidam HU 2 0 0 0 0.0000
* Wild Mouse Luna Park-Sydney AU 2 0 0 0 0.0000
* Medusa Six Flags Mexico MX 3 0 7 0 0.0000
* Aska (S) Nara Dreamland JP 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Elf Hirakata Park JP 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Sierra Tonante Mirabilandia Park IT 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Cyclone Nicco Park IN 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Zipper Dipper Esselworld IN 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Montezum Hopi Hari BR 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Tree Topper Upper Clements Park NS 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Blue Streak (SBNO) Conneaut Lake Park PA 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Zingo (S) Bell's OK 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Screechin' Eagle(S) LeSourdsville Lake OH 0 0 0 0 0.0000
* Mega Zeph (SBNO) SF New Orleans LA 0 0 0 0 0.0000
For an explanation of the tabulation algorithm and much more about this
poll, visit the website BestRollerCoasterPoll.com