Your First Looper?
I know I'm not the only coaster junkie on here, so for the others..when did you first have your world turned upside-down?
For the coaster lovers on the site: What was first looping coaster you ever rode? Thanks to James Rao for the inspiration.
Mine was the SooperDooperLooper at Hershey 1n 1977 (just rode it again Saturday!!!) That was followed 1n 1978 by Great Adventure's Lightning Loops and BG's Loch Ness Monster..although I'm unsure which of those I rode first.
*EDIT*..Eerie I mentioned Nessie here before I knew her creator, Ron Toomer, died today.
Scorpion at BGT. Ahh good memories. I remember thinking the loop was so big and you would drop things when you went upside down. I remember being too small to ride any other coasters and I remember them building Sheikra. I remember going on a twenty straight rides. Dang all these good memories make me want to go back to Busch. Maybe ride Cheetah Hunt for the first time and lots of rides on Scorpion.
Corkscrew at Cedar Point, 1976. It's still fun to stand under the two corkscrews and look up at riders upside down above you. When the ride first opened, the Western Cruise ferry boats went past the ride, and the ferry boat captains would make fun of the people waiting 1 1/2 hours to ride a coaster that take 1 1/2 minutes to ride! It was still an amazing experience for 1976, and is still fun to do- and there's never a 1 1/2 hour wait now!
My first looper was not only a double looper Scharzkorpf (or however it is spelled), but was my first EVER roller coaster: Colossus the Fire Dragon at Lagoon.
incredible hulk at IOA. Been on everything in orlando since and everything in tampa and six flags over georgia.
From April C
Posted September 26, 2011 at 2:45 PM
Rock 'n Roller Coaster at DHS.
Rock n'Roller Coaster in 2003
My first one was Mind Bender at Six Flags over GA back in the early 80's. Took me a couple of visits to get my nerve up to ride. First time was in the front and it was awesome!
Corkscrew at Michigan's Adventure (formerly Deer Park Funland) in the late 80s.
Never. I'm chicken.
Montu in 2005
Weird mine was rockin roller coaster to
From James Rao
Posted September 26, 2011 at 6:45 PM
The first looper I ever
tried to ride was Corkscrew at Knotts Berry Farm in 1975... sadly, I was a hair too short. I cried my eyes out, but fell in love with the Calico Mine Ride later that same day - which may be why I am more of a dark ride guy now...
Anyway, the next year, 1976, I rode my first looper: TURN OF THE CENTURY at Marriott's Great America in Santa Clara. In 1980, TURN OF THE CENTURY became THE DEMON, and my favorite coaster for several years (until I rode the ORIENT EXPRESS at Worlds of Fun).
There, that's more about me than you ever wanted to know.
Kumba at BGT
King Kobra at Jolly Roger in Ocean City, Maryland in '88. I love Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loops! Live forever Montezooma!
Wow, I'll be going old school here... My first looping coaster was White Lightning at Carowinds. Second was Nessie at BGW. They got me hooked on coasters.
From Tim Odom
Posted September 27, 2011 at 9:41 AM
My first looper, and first real coaster, was California Screamin' at California Adventure. I was petrified going into that loop.
Thunderbolt Express at Camden Park, Huntington, West Virginia.
Nessie at BGW back in the late 90s, I'd love to go back and ride it
Batman at Six Flags in New Jersey.
Loch Ness in '94.
Rock and rollercoaster 2006.
From chris cona
Posted September 27, 2011 at 6:19 PM
Rock and Roll coaster in 2004
First looper and first coaster I can remember was the incredible hulk at ioa. I remember distinctly my uncle dragging me on the ride when i was young and him saying "you're going to hate me after this" while the *warning* siren was going off and I had no idea what was going to happen. Ever since then, he's been my favorite uncle :) love the coasters now
My first? Well, only the first steel coaster with a loop in the world of course! XD
Revolution at SFMM in the summer of 2003...ah the memories....what a wonderful Middle School Grad picnic we had that day....:)
It was Lightning Loop at Great Adventure before Six Flags bought it.
From Joe Brown
Posted September 28, 2011 at 7:34 AM
wabash cannonball at opryland
Rock n Roller Coaster at DHS, August 1999. I think. I'm pretty sure...
My first looping experience was Flying Daredevil, an Arrow shuttle loop located in the now extint Circus World in Orlando. It was 1980 and I was only 10. I didn't really like the experience, but I felt like the most brave person on Earth!
From Steven D
Posted September 28, 2011 at 2:42 PM
My first was either Silver Bullet at frontier city or the Texas Tornado at Wonderland. I really wish you could review frontier city on theme park insidrr
From James Rao
Posted September 28, 2011 at 4:17 PM
Not to be rude, but what would you say about Frontier City, Steven? It's really not that good of a park. In my mind, just drive another few hours in either direction and you are at Six Flags Over Texas or Silver Dollar City, both far superior parks.
Mind Bender at Six Flags over Georgia or Wabash Cannonball at Opryland, I can't remember which I rode first. And Wabash Cannonball did a corkscrew roll rather than a loop, but it was upside down, so not sure if that counts??
From AJ Hummel
Posted September 28, 2011 at 7:57 PM
Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain back in 2000. Perfect choice as it was the first successful coaster with a loop. However, it would have been Windjammer Surf Racers at Knott's Berry Farm if it had been running when I was there earlier that year.
Pyton at Busch Gardens in Tampa 1973
Mind Bender at Six Flags over Georgia in 1998. I'm somewhat surprised to see this answer for others as well.
From David L.
Posted September 29, 2011 at 7:22 PM
I was 7 years old, and my sisters dragged me on the Mind Bender. I didn't ride another big roller coaster for 3 or 4 years. Today, however, the Mind Bender is one of my favorite roller coasters.
Shockwave at SFOT back in 1996.
Add me to the Mindbender at SFOG list.
Back when I rode it for the first time in 1979, I couldn't imagine a more intense ride. Nowadays, the envelope has been pushed further out, and compared to a monster like Kraken, Mindbender seems like a quaint little ride. I still enjoy riding it though. It brings back fond memories since it is the first and only looping coaster I've ever gotten my wife to ride.
Corkscrew Knott's 1975 soon followed by the Revolution at Magic Mountain in 1976.
Mine was the "Desert Storm" at what was once known as Golf n' Stuff, then changed to Castles & Coasters in Phoenix, AZ at the Metro Center Mall! I paid $7 to ride it one time. But that was all it took. I was hooked.
My first looper was California Great America's Turn of the Century. With two loops and two corkscrews, what a ride! Rethemed as the Demon later, the ride still exists as "the senior member of the rollercoaster contingent at Great America."
From James Rao
Posted October 13, 2011 at 3:00 AM
@Stephanie, go back and read my first post in this thread...about 13 from the top. And realize that it is a small world after all! =)
When i was six my Parents made the decision to take me on Back to The Future, i was so traumatized that i never rode anything Major in any of my subsequent trips, fast forward to the age of 18 and i was in Seaworld with a friend and she was moaning at me to go on Kraken so I did, I've never looked back and although I'm still scared of drop Towers (never ridden TOT!!) and log flumes (especially Dudley do right!) I'l try every Coaster i can!
Mike, I'm with you SDL, same year in fact. A few years later I went out to California just to ride it's sister which is much better.
Thunder Looper at Alton Towers when I was 6. So that woulda been 1989. Lucky for me I was tall for my age and could go on everything. It was a Brownie-guide trip and my mum was one of the helpers. She and me went on with one other girl whilst the rest of the 6-7year olds looked on. It was brilliant, all it did was start in the middle, loop the loop and then rocket up towards the sky one end, then carry-on backwards and do the same thing in reverse...then forwards, then backwards, then forwards...you get the idea.
Not sure why they took it down but it was an honour to ride it while it lasted. Any one else remember this ride???
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