![]() Wood coasters will always have a place in the hearts of many, and in parks worldwide. So where does that leave wooden coasters? The new wave of steel coasters will once again reach new heights, as plans for the World’s tallest coaster will break the 500 foot mark. Steel coasters have long since pushed the boundaries of human endurance, taking riders higher and faster than before. Flying Turns was a labor of love for the Knoebels family park, taking around six years to finally open. The last all wooden coaster in Pennsylvania opened in 2013, and it was a classic wooden bobsled. Pennsylvania also leads the country with the amount of classic wooden coasters, with the oldest (still operating) coaster built in 1902, and the majority of the wooden roller coasters built before 1960. We have 115 coasters in the United States alone, with 17 of those coasters being in Pennsylvania. There are more wooden coasters in the United States than any other country on the planet, combined. Still, what is it about wooden coasters that we love so much? Is it the classic clakety-clack of the wood, and the airtime that you get from being in a simple lap bar restraint? Maybe it’s the reminder of a simpler time, before things became more complicated? Whatever it is, there’s a love affair that Americans have with wooden roller coasters. Also the cost of constructing a wooden coaster can be more, as the cost of materials and the labor required skyrockets. While steel coasters require maintenance and care as well, the level of care isn’t near as complex as a wooden coaster. Wooden coasters require a ton of care and maintenance, otherwise they are bumpy, painful rides that hurt more than they thrill. Thanks to companies like Six Flags, and the amazing job that Rocky Mountain Construction does in turning wooden classics into amazing new thrill machines. Last year the company closed Medusa, and Rattler to make huge improvements on the wooden coaster with steeper drops, faster speeds and steel inversions, all while sitting on a wooden frame. The park has also closed it’s classic Cyclone coaster at Six Flags New England, which it will be replacing with a steel version. The trend of turning wooden coasters into steel is one that Six Flags has embraced and is running with in all of it’s parks. Now the ride is closed, and Six Flags will more than likely rebuild it as a steel-wood hybrid with multiple inversions and steeper drops. It literally was the American Coaster that people thought of when they heard the term roller coaster and amusement park. To say it has become an American icon is something of an understatement. It was the “Screemy Meemy” in National Lampoons Vacation, and it was used in several TV shows, including Step by Step, Doogie Howser, Wonder Woman and the A-Team. It was featured as a back drop in the special “Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park”. Colossus opened on June 29th, 1978 as the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world.
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