[TRAVELS] Best Rides So Far

I am just about one year into my personal coaster renaissance -- actually, five quarters is more accurate -- and have done more benign thrillseeking in that time than I would have imagined possible for someone in my lines of work over that period. The park-hopping has come with some regrettable expenses, such as time with children, activities actually enjoyable to the wife, and jiu-jitsu practice time.

Needless to say, the thoughts that follow are mine, and I would like to think that there is much that separates me from a large number of those overactive coaster enthusiasts. For one thing, I am not overly sensitive to the pain that can come from riding coasters. People talk of all manner of headaches, stiff necks, bruises, snapped tendons and broken cartilage from this or that ride, but I frankly can't remember ever suffering any of those ills. We all know I get beat much worse in sparring at the dojo, especially when I'm short on practice and sleep. (The asswhuppings are all the more painful because -- let us not forget -- I still suck, even after all these years.) In fact, I don't really insist on smoothness in a roller coaster. You might say I even enjoy a little roughness on a ride, perhaps if no more than to know that I'm there.

Second, I am not easily impressed by packaging. I guess this is what the connoisseurs call "theming." I admit that well-coordinated packaging can magically transform a mediocre roller coaster into a good one. Space Mountain remains a sentimental favorite of mine, even if it is no longer the same ride I first enjoyed at Tokyo Disneyland about 25 years ago. But let's face it: Space Mountain is basically one part Wild Mouse to two parts other kiddie coaster with a big dark box and Christmas lights thrown over it. Most other attempts to put rides in a nice package meet with far less success, and instead tend to come off about as contrived as Counting Crows. Meanwhile, for a ride that is already fantastic on its own, good packaging may carry negligible marginal value.

Third, I may not covet airtime quite to the extent that other frequent riders do. I certainly enjoy negative G forces, weightlessness, etc. but haven't really thought enough to make distinctions among "floater" or other varieties of airtime. In my view, there are plenty of other things that a ride can be designed for besides airtime and yet be thoroughly entertaining. Speed for its own sake, for example, is fine with me.

And so I submit my simple opinions as to the best thrill rides that I’ve experienced so far.