While I make it a goal to try to ride new roller coasters as much as possible, there are other enthusiasts that pride themselves in having 100 or even 1,000 rides on a single roller coaster. Last month, Kings Island celebrated a 70-year old man’s 7,000th ride on Diamondback. Could there be a better testament to B&M’s smooth rides?
Roller Coaster Marathons – A Test of Coaster Riding Endurance
Every year, I hear of a roller coaster marathon where contestants try to outlast each other by riding a coaster for hours and sometimes days. For example, Six Flags Over Georgia recently had a contest where riders were given a season pass if they could endure 10 hours of continuous rides on their old woodie Great American Scream Machine.
On the extreme other end of the coaster riding spectrum, back in 2007 Robert Rodriguez set a Guiness record after 17 days of riding Arrow hyper coaster Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (pictured above). Apparently, he had 5 minute breaks every full hour to eat, shower, and use a restroom.
I couldn’t imagine riding the same roller coaster for even an hour. Especially a looping coaster of any kind. In the ‘G-Force Giants’ episode of Insane Coaster Wars that I was a part of, there was a young girl that was going for a record number of rides on B&M inverted coaster, Afterburn. She rode it 26 times in a row! I’m a big fan of Afterburn and for an invert it’s not the roughest, but those g-forces are no joke. When I’ve filmed there, I’ve been glad that we didn’t have to ride more than 6 or 7 times in a short period of time.
“I Could Ride This All Day” – “Could You Really?”
Many of my favorite roller coasters are intense enough that I wouldn’t want any more than probably a dozen rides in a day. If I had to pick a coaster, it’d probably be a B&M hyper coaster like Apollo’s Chariot. I remember Bert Kriescher from Bert the Conqueror noting how smooth Carowinds’ Intimidator was. “I could ride this all day,” he said. I almost agree, but even that ride’s final helix is forceful enough to make me question that idea.
I would think that the way to go would be something smooth and not too forceful. Geauga Lake’s defunct woodie Raging Wolf Bobs (the re-tracked version I rode) was a great example of ride that’d be on my short list of full-sized roller coasters I’d attempt to ride continuously.
Would you do a roller coaster marathon? What kind of roller coaster or specific coaster would you want to ride in a coaster marathon? Leave a comment below. Image via CC – Flickr User – Ingy the Wingy
August 7, 2012 at 13:12
I'm 44; I think I'm already too old to do a thing like that and not pay the price. The positive Gs on a Vekoma Boomerang are enough to make me see some stars if I'm tired.
If I had to do it, but I could pick any coaster, I'd pick a really tame family ride: the Trailblazer at Hersheypark, say. (More overtly kiddie rides would have the problem of uncomfortable seating.)
August 7, 2012 at 22:12
I'll be 33 soon (on National Coaster Day!) and I'm already finding myself thinking that I'm too old for some of the beatings I'm taking. Like on SFSTL's Boss recently.
A mine train coaster would be a good choice. I hadn't thought about that.
August 8, 2012 at 10:27
Actually, a coaster that I've already mentioned way too many times here, namely Untamed at Canobie Lake, might be a tolerable looper for re-riding. It's extremely smooth and the forces are not great; the initial loop is notable for hangtime rather than Gs. I come off it without feeling beat up at all.
I still probably wouldn't do a marathon on it…
August 8, 2012 at 10:49
…I see Dillon mentioned Dare Devil Dive; similar idea there.
August 8, 2012 at 10:36
…Actually, even when I was much younger, I'd probably have had problems with greyout on repeated looper rides. I had very low blood pressure (it's still low-ish, which is generally a good thing I suppose), and once in college I fainted in the shower just from getting up too fast in the morning.
August 7, 2012 at 13:31
I would definitely be up for doing this someday. I think I could easily do an hour marathon on any B&M hyper, or even something like Millennium Force. Anything with loops would likely be out for me though, even minor headbanging would be devastating after an hour.
August 7, 2012 at 14:03
I've heard about one near me that is now closed: Wild Thing at Valleyfair!. Whoever could stay on the longest in a couple age categories got a car. Ideally, I'd choose a B&M mega-coaster.
August 7, 2012 at 20:39
The car is some nice motivation. And I'd tell myself that my total number of lifetime rides might make me a favorite for such a competition, but I'm pretty sure I'd be hating life after an hour or so. I'm not sure if that says about my coaster fandom.
August 7, 2012 at 14:53
I’m from Toronto so I’d probably choose Behemoth or Leviathan. Probably Behemoth I’d choose.
August 7, 2012 at 15:16
Probably Gemini. Some others I would consider are Rebel Yell, Thunderation, and Magnum XL-200.
August 7, 2012 at 18:12
From the coasters I've ridden, I'd probably have to go with Corkscrew @ cedar point if I had to pick a looping coaster, and Gemini for one without inversions.
August 7, 2012 at 20:28
you could endure corkscrew for hours!! , i bow my head to you, last year when i road that thing it was rougher than mean streak, it just hurt
August 7, 2012 at 21:02
It was my favorite coaster for a long time and it reminds me of my first inversion which was Geauga Lake's Corkscrew (I forgot that it actually had two). For that reason though I've always really enjoyed it and it has never really felt too rough for me. I didn't get a ride on it last year there though. Also very fun to corkscrew right over the midway, have always loved that.
August 8, 2012 at 10:42
Canobie has one of those 1970s Arrow corkscrews (it's actually the second one ever made); I don't find it painful, I think because I'm tall enough to avoid the worst of headbanging, but it definitely knocks you around a little. After I get off of it I feel a little unsteady. Marathon riding would be out of the question.
August 8, 2012 at 15:25
I was there a couple of weeks ago, expecting a migraine. Instead, I found butter smooth, and a surprising amount of airtime. Not what anyone would expect from an Arrow looper.
August 7, 2012 at 19:34
I’m not joking when I say I could go a looong time riding a coaster. My 15 year old body handles it pretty well. I’ve done similar things in the past without any consequence.
August 7, 2012 at 21:30
Millenium force at cedar point or, like you said, Apollo’s chariot. Both are very smooth and without loops.
August 7, 2012 at 21:45
I'd say Magnum XL200 or maybe Kingda Ka. With KK half of the time would be spent at low speeds and the other half would be spent dropping and there isn't too much headbanging. Magnum is just one of my favorites so I'd deal with the bit of roughness on that one.
August 7, 2012 at 22:05
I'm not so sure that Kingda Ka's cheek flapping launches would be so great for your health if you had to endure them over and over and over….
August 9, 2012 at 23:25
One other nice smooth one that I could ride repeatedly would be Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure. That one would probably be easier to do than either of the other two that I mentioned.
August 7, 2012 at 22:39
I want to do a coaster marathon so badly! I am serious that I could ride a coaster for hours and hours and be fine! The only coasters I wouldn't ride in a marathon are rough rides. That would hurt so much. So I would stay clear of any arrow or vekoma loopers, almost any woodie I wouldn't consider unless it is really really smooth, and I definitely wouldn't ride a standup. I could ride pretty much anything else as long as it is smooth and the seats are comfortable. My pick would definitely be Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure. Not only is it my favorite coaster, but it is also very smooth and has very comfortable seats. I am serious when I say that I don't think anyone could beat me if there was a coaster competition on Nitro. I could ride in the front seat of Nitro for as long as I could until someone forced me off. I love that ride!
August 7, 2012 at 22:52
I think "intimidator" at Carowinds would be a good choice for a marathon. I didn't find the G's very punishing. I thought the final helix was relatively tame (especially compared with a number of other coasters). I did wear clear glasses for my night rides and sunglasses for day rides, the speed makes collision with bugs or other detritus risky for your eyes. I found it fun, but not extreme, and if I was feeling well, and didn't have to eat Carowinds junk food I could easily ride it all day.
August 7, 2012 at 23:06
Hmm good question. Some I would love to would be El Toro, Bizarro, TTD, Mil Force, and American Eagle!! AE is a super under rated wooden coaster at my home park. But Bizarro being my favorite, i would ride that one.
August 8, 2012 at 06:38
The thing that makes B&M hypers so rerideable isn't just that they're smooth, they're also not too forceful. I could reride all of them all day long, no porblem. But your average Intamin hyper or launcher? Those things pack a punch, and while I don't have a problem riding them 10 times in a row, I'm not sure how I would do on a marathon. I can imagine the G's eventually becoming too much after a couple of hours.
August 8, 2012 at 07:38
I just rode Dare Devil Dive at SFOG yesterday, and I honestly think I could ride it all day. It's so smooth and comfortable, while the G-Forces aren't really strong. Also, yesterday, I learned, the hard way, that I could not ride Batman the Ride all day. Because, I rode it 5 times in a row (there was no line at all) and after the 5th ride I just felt sick as could be from all the inversions.
August 8, 2012 at 09:43
I'm thinking possible the Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Gemini, Adventure Express, or Racer. The inverted coasters just leave me feeling bad now a days… There is no way I could ever do Magnum XL200 more than twice in a row. That thing beats your body to death. If there were everf a longevity contest on it, I'd sure be there to see the riders after a dozen trips!
August 8, 2012 at 12:27
at only 28 I still think my body wouldn't be to happy marathoning a single coaster. When I was a teenager I took a ride in each seat back to back at Canyon Blaster in the Adventuredome in Vegas, got 30 straight trips on the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz, and racked up pretty good streaks on Timber Terror at Silverwood and the now defunct hometown coaster the Windstorm at the Seattle Center Fun Forest. Anything I would consider nowadays would probably have to be a super smooth B&M, like any of their hyper's or I think I could actually handle Silver Bullet at Knott's. That invert is super smooth and while it has spots where it pulls some g's, nothing is really that intense and I could sit there and ride over and over with a grin on my face.
August 8, 2012 at 20:00
Mantis – Cedar Point would be my choice.
August 10, 2012 at 00:40
You would be sterile after that marathon!
August 8, 2012 at 20:01
I was just at Hersheypark yesterday, and I have four from there, from most to least sure of. First, Lightning Racer! It's an EXTREMELY smooth and fun woodie that never gets old. Second, Great Bear, the smoothest inverted/suspended coaster I have ever been on (and the only one I haven't felt sick after). After every ride, I am ready for more! Third, surprisingly, Fahrenheit. It's not too intense and is extremely fun. Lastly, Stormrunner, a launching coaster with 3 inversions that is pretty intense, but very short.
August 8, 2012 at 23:37
Great Bear is my favorite invert and a great choice. It is also the B&M invert I don't feel sick after and can ride over and over. This year at Hershey I rode Stormrunner for an hour straight and got about 9 rides. If I had to pick a type of coaster to ride all day though it would definitely be a B&M hyper. While at Kings Island we got early entry and were able to ride Diamondback for an hour straight (about 7 rides) and could've kept going and going if we didn't want to ride other coasters.
August 9, 2012 at 20:39
Millennium Force for sure. It's a really comfortable ride.
August 9, 2012 at 22:44
I would go with Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm. It's short, has lap bars only (no head-banging), and is very comfortable. I could ride in the front row cycle after cycle after cycle. Behind Millennium Force, it's probably my favorite coaster.