8/5 A few coaster thoughts.

It becomes more and more clear that I like vast coasters that stretch out into the landscape. As such, obviously Millenium Force was my favorite at Cedar Point, the large but aging Magnum, and also the Gatekeeper. This was the first coaster we took on the first day on our way in, and the last one on the second day on our way out. The difference was big – while the first ride still had traces of apprehension, the second one was pure, almost geometrical enjoyment.

Another category are the complex fast coasters built on small lots, with Maverick being legendary but for us a totally unexpected surprise. You’re gasping for air as the train rattles to a halt and you try to figure out what just happened. And then also Siren’s Curse. Everybody is, understandably, focused on the spectacular drop with the track that ends in mid-air and then tilts ninety degrees downward, keeping you hanging for five seconds and then releasing you into free fall. What you wouldn’t expect is the long, complex and well-paced track that comes after this drop, which would be a remarkable coaster all on its own.

A surprise, for me, was Steel Vengeance, legendary and considered by many to be the best coaster in the world. I was skeptical because I’m not really into wooden or hybrid coasters, but this one combines the vastness of deep drops, the smoothness of a well-engineered steel track with the stubbornness of a wooden lattice having to carry it. So every inversion or corkscrew is a surprise because among all the other things it is unbelievable – for a fraction of a second, while you are heading into it – how this can be done in a wood scaffolding.

I taught myself, quite deliberately, to ride better. First, it is no longer necessary for me to scream, roar, or laugh loudly to frame the experience as joyful and not allow myself to be afraid. I am simply not afraid of anything anymore. Second, I was able to teach myself explicitly to not duck my head when we seem to be smashing into a beam or scaffolding. We are not. I can tell myself that, and condition myself to trust the engineering. I find it quite remarkable that this is possible even in such split-second moments that are designed to trigger a primal fear.