About The Coaster Critic
I’m a native of Virginia and I got my first taste of roller coasters at Kings Dominion. As a kid I feared them even more than broccoli, but everything changed when on a high school trip I was dragged onto the local legend known as the Grizzly. Somehow being scared to death sparked a strong interest in coasters and I haven’t looked back since. A few years ago I decided to merge my love for theme parks and writing by creating The Coaster Critic’s Blog. I’m big into reviews of all kinds so the blog offers reviews of some of the most popular and interesting roller coasters that I’ve ridden. Currently, I’ve ridden nearly 200 roller coasters at more than 20 amusement parks.

About The Coaster Critic’s Blog
I started the blog in April of 2006 on Blogger. In early 2008, I redesigned it with a rotating header image using photos I had taken on my coaster trips. On January 01, 2009, I re-launched the blog on WordPress. The latest version has a ton of new capabilities and better organized content. Thanks to WordPress, the most powerful blogging platform on the Web. Also, thanks to the creators of these useful plugins: YARP, Social Homes, Bookmarkify, and WP Table. Last, but not least thanks to my wife for supporting me during the redesign process.

Achievements & News Appearances
In 2007, the site received the Best Theme Park Blog Coaster Web Award. An article I wrote on Lake Compounce was re-published to the Boston Globe’s web site. In July 2008, I was quoted in a New York Times article about Pennsylvania’s wooden coasters. In June 2009, I was featured in a news story on Fox Charlotte News. Then, in July I was interviewed by the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily and featured in an article about a local ride’s removal. In 2010, one of my posts was featured in the San Jose Mercury.

Other Sites & Content Published on the Web
In November 2009, I launched Theme Park Syndicate. It’s the Web’s first ever theme park news aggregator. Theme park enthusiasts can easily stay on top of the latest news and developments with just a quick visit as Theme Park Syndicate brings together headlines from all of the top theme park news sites, blogs, and podcasts in one place. I’ve also published content for BlogCritics and Associated Content.

About Joel
Since I’ve got this shiny, new About Page, I figured I’d include some personal information. I moved to Charlotte in 2007 with my wife and daughter. Other than blogging about roller coasters I enjoy listening to music, playing video games, reading, and working out when I get a chance. I enjoy progressive rock and some hard rock, downtempo electronic music, and hip hop that says something (I know that’s rare, but it exists).