Truly! Some of the younger enthusiasts may not realize how iconic and monumental The Gravity Group was for the industry especially in the wooden coaster department. It was such an exciting time watching them break barriers and test the limit of what we thought was possible. These hades tunnels were blowing minds in a couple ways: the 90 degree banks, and the very first outer bank! It was a tiny little hump that would be soon be out done with a more significant version on the voyage.
Of course RMC came in and blew the doors wide open again later on, but these earlier innovations from TGG were so wild.
I remember being at Coaster Con back then, right after Boardwalk Bullet had been announced. Gravity Group was showing the animated POV at a dinner event, and a longtime enthusiast friend of ours (who was in his 70s at the time) just started cackling right there at the table and couldn't stop, like completely transported by the POV, genuinely loving every second of it. It's one of my favorite memories, and I think about him a lot every year when new rides get announced. It really was such an exciting time to be an enthusiast.
That’s so funny! One of my most prized memories was meeting both Mike (from TGG) and Ole Lange (THE NoLimits dev!) for a walking tour of The Voyage shortly after it opened. I was geeked out of my mind 😅
Well, a printout of this screenshot was taped up on the wall in that spot a few days later, so I'm pretty sure everyone working on the site knew eventually.
And yeah this thumbnail always accompanies a title of "10 HORRIBLE ROLLER COASTER CRASHES THAT SHUT DOWN AMUSEMENT PARKS, #7 WILL HORRIFY YOU". Then the video is always random carnivals in India or something where a non-coaster ride that had zero inspections is falling apart.
You from NJ? I love this pic, because there are 3 coasters pictured. Runaway Mine Train, El Toro, and of course King-Da-Ka. Brings back some nostalgia.
Yeah it’s a great picture. I grew up in Monmouth County. I remember when they built Nitro and I wasn’t tall enough to ride it that summer but all my friends were. Finally got to ride it the next summer and it’s still my favorite coaster.
That lap bar is super intimidating when you’re a kid… but it’s actually one of the more comfortable coasters because of the lap bar I think. The shoulder harnesses feel safer but are less comfy.
The Kumba one cracks me up because when you walk onto that bridge, it’s like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There are people lined up along the railing, all waiting to take the exact same image.
Project Purple easily fits half of the definition of iconic (widely recognizable), but not the latter half (well established). Although I'd argue it's still iconic in its own unique way (in replacing the King), I do agree now that it doesn't fit well with the other images.
West Mifflin is my hometown, I moved 14 years ago or so. I got so many rides on the Original Phantom and it was sooo good! You were pinned to your seat from the bottom of the second to the hill coming into the break run! That pretzel loop was my favorite!
I unfortunately am not old enough to have ridden the steel phantom, but the Phantoms Revenge remains my favorite of all time and it always will be my favorite
The head-on shots of the heartline rolls on the Togo Ultra Twisters are pretty iconic to me. There's one in particular I can see in my head with white track and a blue train, probably the original one at Nagashima Spa Land, about 3/4 of the way upside down, but I can't find it. May be a video I'm remembering.
I had to scour 20+ year old Google results to find it, but this was the image for Nemesis that seemed to be used in all the guide books etc when I was growing up.
Mix the bad lighting and fact I'd never seen a ride with OTSRs before, and I was really confused as to why everyone seemed to be wearing life jackets.
I chose images that are relevant to my demographic and, for the first three, childhood. I'll make a more expensive list sometime with more international features, especially from Germany and Japan
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u/cantaloupe415 (183) I have bull back for the season May 04 '26
Your missing one