Kebab
Giga Poster
The way I look at Rollercoasters is the same way I look at the Music industry. This might sound ridiculous, but don't get me wrong their are substancial comparisons here...
Wooden Coasters started us off with the 'Rock and Roll' of the Rollercoaster industry (what a mouthful!), they focused on one main thing in particular; simple serious fun. Very much like how Elvis gave us catchy melodies and Bluesy riffs, old-school woodies gave us steep drops and basic out-and-back layouts. They're coasters people loved, and to this day, still do, despite the aging.
Like with how 'Rock' became 'Progressive Rock' and 'albums' became 'concepts', the coaster industry needed to take the next big step to revolutionise itself. We eventually saw; the 'Steel Looping Coaster', pushing the boundaries entirely and giving a new element to riding; the 'Suspended Coaster' a prime example of what the future of rollercoasters was to become; and most importantly 'Theming'. Theming became the 'lyrics' of a Rollercoaster, whilst something not really needed at the time, it's the element that made a good coaster 'great'. It was the prime example shown in many World-class Theme Parks, such as Disney and Universal, it brought Rollercoasters into an entirely new form of art.
The next step in revolutionising Rollercoasters (which is currently happening I believe) is hybrids, and I don't mean Woodies with steel supports either. We've hit a point where we can't move forward in new types and designs (take the Wing-Riders for example, a new design, but not groundbreaking), so the next big step is forming hybrid designs. Take Silver Dollar City's Outlaw Run for example, a brand new Rollercoaster designed with intent of combining nostalgia (Wooden feel/look) and the flexibility of a modern Steel Coaster (Inversions/banks). This is boundary pushing **** ladies and gentlemen! It's only a matter of time before we see launched Woodies and Hyper Water Coasters!
What do you think we'll be seeing in years to come? Will we pass the 500 ft mark? Will B&M finally build their true Launched Coaster? I'd like to hear what you think!
Wooden Coasters started us off with the 'Rock and Roll' of the Rollercoaster industry (what a mouthful!), they focused on one main thing in particular; simple serious fun. Very much like how Elvis gave us catchy melodies and Bluesy riffs, old-school woodies gave us steep drops and basic out-and-back layouts. They're coasters people loved, and to this day, still do, despite the aging.
Like with how 'Rock' became 'Progressive Rock' and 'albums' became 'concepts', the coaster industry needed to take the next big step to revolutionise itself. We eventually saw; the 'Steel Looping Coaster', pushing the boundaries entirely and giving a new element to riding; the 'Suspended Coaster' a prime example of what the future of rollercoasters was to become; and most importantly 'Theming'. Theming became the 'lyrics' of a Rollercoaster, whilst something not really needed at the time, it's the element that made a good coaster 'great'. It was the prime example shown in many World-class Theme Parks, such as Disney and Universal, it brought Rollercoasters into an entirely new form of art.
The next step in revolutionising Rollercoasters (which is currently happening I believe) is hybrids, and I don't mean Woodies with steel supports either. We've hit a point where we can't move forward in new types and designs (take the Wing-Riders for example, a new design, but not groundbreaking), so the next big step is forming hybrid designs. Take Silver Dollar City's Outlaw Run for example, a brand new Rollercoaster designed with intent of combining nostalgia (Wooden feel/look) and the flexibility of a modern Steel Coaster (Inversions/banks). This is boundary pushing **** ladies and gentlemen! It's only a matter of time before we see launched Woodies and Hyper Water Coasters!
What do you think we'll be seeing in years to come? Will we pass the 500 ft mark? Will B&M finally build their true Launched Coaster? I'd like to hear what you think!
