Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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 10/25/2005 2:15:40 PM
What do you think coaster riding/ride riding/amusement park visiting is all about?
I let people discuss before I post what I came up with.
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"I could never design another ride like Hercules." - Curtis Summers
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BobFunland
Posts: 7962
Registered: 8/9/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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10/25/2005 5:29:40 PM
First and foremost, riding is all about fun. Travelling to parks other than my local park is about experiencing what other parks have to offer and trying out different types of rides and stuff.
Yea, its short but I don't feel like getting into it.. I', kinda tired after programming for hours on end last night :snore:
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Mike Adams kicks ass
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PeterD
Posts: 86
Registered: 7/22/2005
Rank: Senior Critic
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 10/25/2005 5:31:41 PM
There are many reasons people ride coasters. My abridged explanation is simple: They’re the safest way to fulfill and person’s desire for adrenaline. For the few minutes that you are strapped in on a coaster, you forget about everything and just are able to enjoy the moment. The whole experience, includng waiting on line, gets your adrenaline running.
Also, unlike some experiences, your time on a coaster is not easy to forget. For me, certain moments on coasters are etched into my memory. Aren’t making memories and having a great time what many of us try to do in life?
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hrrytraver
Posts: 1270
Registered: 7/16/2005
Rank: Platinum Critic
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10/26/2005 1:26:58 PM
at it's base, i think the main appeal of rides is the high one gets from one's own neurochemicals. peterD stated very nicely that it places the rider nearly fully in the present. how often can we honestly say that in this life our minds aren't focused elsewhere (past, future, adrift in lala land...)at a given moment?
but i also view coasters as a sort of neuro-linguistic artform, such as abstract paintings, instrumental music or haute cuisine. instrumental music has no parallel in conventional languages, yet it can communicate to a listener very clearly. for example, a good improvisor in jazz (or any improvising music) is viewed as a story teller, yet, what story can be told without words? obviously, it is a linear communication (because time is linear) that expresses "something" which can be understood and enjoyed by others, but it is beyond what any words can do. likewise, i have read that the masters of indian cuisine have expressed that they are trying to tell a "story" using the huge array of spices and textures in their foods. but how can a meal be a story in any conventional sense? obviously it can't - it's beyond words, and in my opinion a slightly "higher" brain function.
thus i feel that at their best roller coasters (much more than flat rides because coasters are more individualized and change more in the linear sense) can be an abstract but fully tangible "story-like" communication to a human being's nervous system. much like painting is for the eyes, music for the ears, perfumes for the nose, food for the nose and tongue, coasters are an "art" for the physical body and nervous center. when i am really titillated by a great roller coaster (cyclone!!!) i feel it is transcendental and a higher state of being. i do a lot of improvised music, which also gives me a very distinct "high", and can find some similarites in the great, clear feeling i get when everything syncs up and magic occurs.
additionally, from the ground, coasters are marvels of engineering and harness the physical universe in a fascinating way. i can sit and watch a coaster for hours. the most attractive coasters, both wood and steel, are easily up there in visual appeal with the best in sculpture.
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Hostes alienigeni me abduxerunt. Qui annus est?
= I was abducted by aliens. What year is it?
Message updated 10/26/2005 1:30:50 PM by hrrytraver
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Timberman
Posts: 845
Registered: 9/21/2004
Rank: Gold Critic
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10/26/2005 7:09:48 PM
Nicely put. I especially appreciate the Zen aspect of roller coasters. To live in the moment, even for two minutes, is a priceless experience. I was in the vacinity when Tower 2 went down on 9-11, and for a long while, the only time two minutes went by when I didn't think about that day was when I was aboard a roller coaster. They still have that affect on me. Whatever cares or regrets I have about the past or future just go away for that brief time. I'll take them over booze, drugs, therapy, or antidepressants any day.
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RCGenius
Posts: 1180
Registered: 12/23/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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10/29/2005 8:22:27 PM
To me, the art of some great coaster riding's basically about the excitement factor. Guests (coaster enthusiasts & GPs) mostly look for coasters that'll give them that all-around coaster experience that'll be somewhat scary & daunting, but still is very safe & as close as you can get for some extraordinary adrenaline rush & your blood pumping. I also like to ride coasters that're very unique. It has to be so'em that I can't experience at any other amusement park & will always bring me back for more rides.
Visiting amusement parks is just about having a lot of fun. Amusement parks should be a type of place that you can escape from real life struggles sometimes like work, paying taxes, kids going to school, etc. & you can just go there & bring out that inner kid in you. Visiting different amusment parks will also give you some aspects for what types of amusement parks you like to visit, but will also allow you to ride a lot of rides at the same time. Some people like going to huge chain parks like Six Flags, Busch Gardens, Cedar Fair, Paramount, & Disney, others like going to corporate parks like Hersheypark, & some people like visiting traditional parks like Knoebels, Kennywood, Holiday World, & Lake Compounce.
In conclusion, it all depends on what type of person you are in terms of what you think about what visiting amusement parks & coaster riding really is.
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Hercules
Posts: 4037
Registered: 10/13/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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4/24/2006 2:15:24 PM
I just figured I would dig this back up to post this...
http://www.coasterenthusiast.com/discussions/viewtopic.cfm?tid=289
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