The year 2006 has brought us several new wooden coasters, and of great variety. A GCII twister in rural Kentucky; a kiddie coaster in Wisconsin; a gargantuan hybrid in Indiana; the rejuevenation of a classic in the hills of PA; Europes first GCII; and finally, Americas first Intamin, Pre-Fabricated wooden coaster. Some critics say it is not a true woodie, and the basis of which is unclear. The structure is entirely wooden - something the "granddaddy" of wooden coasters, the Coney Cyclone, cannot claim (nor can that new one in Indiana  ). The ride does indeed remind me more of a hypercoaster in terms of the ride delivered, but is even better than any hypercoaster I have been on. However, thats not the qualification standard of a wooden coaster... but I shall digress.
El Toro is also a massive structure of a ride - standing nearly 200 feet tall and sporting a clean, natural look, it is one of the most beautiful roller coasters I have ever since. The structure is thick -- reinforcements on the ride are utterly rediculous. The trains are pretty comfortable, even with a nice staple job, it doesnt leave me struggling for air or legroom like the Intamin hypers do.
Once you depart from the poorly-designed station, you notice that this will be unlike any wooden coaster ever seen in these United States. The ride is smooth, smoother than most coasters and significantly smoother than even the best of GCII. Once you engage the lift, the train takes off. This, to me, is simply unreal. On the steel-tracked hypers I can understand, but something about being on wood makes it unnatural... and just awesome. Once at the top, you slow down a bit as the train has to navigate a turn first, and then you hit the first drop.
The initial plunge is steep, very steep. The steepest of wooden drops out there, it delivers an ass-out-of-your-seat "moment" that is hard to match, certainly more forceful than most first drops produce (if not all that I have done so far). Up the huge second hill you go, and the train flies over the top, propelling the riders out of their seat once again for an unimaginable duration of ejector airtime. Its forceful stuff, a pinned against the lapbar sort of feelings. The third hill is much the same, and then you make your way to the turnaround. The banked turn-n-dive is great to ride and a beauty to look at.
Going "back", there are a couple of good hills to deliver some more air. Not quite as forceful as the initial series, but still far above average for coasters. Then a quick turn to the left and the first-time rider is left emitting an exuberant sound that is probably just as hard to describe as the sensation itself is. The hill is probably the most insane airtime hill I have ever experienced, the negative Gs are just incredible.
Continuing on, the following section is anti-climatic. The twister section is still has some of the best out-of-control execution available on a coaster, but just pales in comparion to the superb first half. Lots of wild laterals, visuals and even a couple more pops of air.
Overall, I could ride this thing all day. It is truely a new sensation that just slaughters the overwhelming majority of existing roller coasters, at least in my mind. Please, someone, build more of these over here!
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