For a lead-in to this blog, check out my previous one at this link.
Enthusiasm as an Adult
As an adult, my enthusiasm for roller coasters was reignited, but it took time to evolve beyond the nostalgia of my teenage and college years. I hadn’t ever ventured outside of Southern California to explore new coasters in my adult years, so my opinions were still shaped by experiences from over a decade prior. I assumed that each coaster was a creation, designed and built specifically by the park that housed it. This limited perspective kept me from realizing the broader world of coaster design and manufacturing that existed beyond local parks.
That belief started to change when I stumbled upon point-of-view (POV) videos of roller coasters on YouTube. Watching these rides from parks across the country and around the world opened my eyes to the differences in layout, airtime, speed, and intensity. I began to notice recurring names, like RMC, B&M, and Intamin. I learned that manufacturers often had signature styles and models while also working with many parks to enhance guest experiences. These videos helped me understand the engineering behind the thrills and sparked a deeper curiosity about the industry itself.
One surprising discovery was the prevalence of cloned rides. I had no idea that so many roller coasters shared identical layouts, even across different states, countries, or continents. What I once thought were one-of-a-kind experiences (Motezuma’s Revenge) turned out to be part of a larger network of replicated and regurgitated designs. This realization added a new bit of charm to my growing enthusiasm for roller coasters. I began to compare clones and appreciate the subtle differences in ride experience based on location, theming, and maintenance all from my TV, streaming from YouTube.
A turning point came during a visit to Legoland California. While the park was clearly geared toward younger guests, riding the kiddie coasters there reminded me of the excitement I felt in the past on much larger rides. It was a bit of a spark, one that made me crave more intense experiences and pushed me to seek out larger parks with more thrilling attractions. However, convincing friends to join me on trips to Magic Mountain or Knott’s Berry Farm was a challenge, which sometimes made it hard to follow through plans to visit the parks.
Despite the occasional setbacks, I did manage a few solo and small-group adventures. I visited SeaWorld San Diego a couple of times and rode Manta, the park’s main coaster at the time. While it is a decent ride, it felt slow and lacked the excitement I was seeking and missing. These rides on Manta were both underwhelming and yet still inspiring, they helped shape my adult perspective on roller coasters. These were not just “rides”, but they were part of a hobby worth exploring more deeply and intentionally.
My Membership to Six Flags, before the Merger
So back in October 2018, I was brought to SFMM as a birthday gift, because I had been talking about roller coasters so much at home. Before entering the park, we had to purchase our tickets or passes to get in, duh… This is where we were offered the membership option! This membership differed greatly from the daily or season pass that had been available since I could remember. We figured that becoming a member was going to be essentially the same price as the annual pass, while allowing us to pay monthly versus in lump sum. So, we opted for the Gold Plus membership pass.
With a Six Flags membership in hand, we proceeded to visit the park that weekend in 2018 and then increasingly more often, which was totally awesome. We would sometimes go during the week to avoid crowds and on one Wednesday I recall the chance to ride Batman three times in a row without even changing seats. Since then, that is the most rides I have done back-to-back-to-back as I really do desire a breather between rides these days.
Enjoying Roller Coasters as an Adult
Around April or May of 2020, the country and more specifically, the state of California, shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since we were unable to use our membership, we called to cancel, as at the time, CA state leadership had deemed amusement parks off-limits. With Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) closed, we didn’t see the point in continuing to pay monthly.
When we spoke with a customer service agent, she apologized and explained that the park couldn’t operate due to state restrictions. She reminded us that our pass was valid at all Six Flags parks across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with some parks still being open at that time throughout the country. She then offered us a discounted membership rate if we chose not to cancel. We accepted the discounted rate, which remained in effect for more than three years until it reverted to the standard market rate in 2024.
Visiting Parks During the Pandemic
During California’s shutdown, we sought an opportunity to visit other Six Flags parks in states that remained open. This was going to allow us to continue enjoying our membership despite the overreaching CA restrictions. In January 2021 we opted to fly off to San Antonio, TX to ride a few coasters. During that four-day trip, we were able to get two full days in at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and one full day at Sea World San Antonio.
On this trip is where I met Iron Rattler, and when my brain associated it with Twisted Colossus at SFMM. Then I got a ride on Wonder Women: Golden Lasso Coaster, also built and designed by RMC, that ended up being my favorite ride of the day. From these two unique ride experiences, I started to realize at that moment that different manufacturers of had different specialties and styles on their ride builds. With Twisted Colossus and Iron Rattler now being my favorite two roller coasters, I was driven to learn more about them and their maker RMC.
RMC = Rocky Mountain Construction
- An American roller coaster manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho.
- Best known for their I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Construction
We then ventured back up to SFMM when it reopened to visitors. This opening was strange because they required us to wear masks both on- and off-ride, which was bizarre as there was almost no one there. We got to ride West Coast Racers for the first time since we missed the barely two months before CA shutdown. This trip was good and was when I started to really appreciate coasters from Premier Rides who built both West Coast Racers and Full Throttle at SFMM along with Poltergeist at Fiesta Texas.
Premier Rides
- An amusement ride manufacturer based in the United States specializing in launched steel roller coasters.
- Was the first to use Linear Induction Motors (LIMs) on their roller coasters.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier_Rides
Joining American Coaster Enthusiasts
Still holding onto my Six Flags membership, I began to explore what other parks I could access across the U.S. and even internationally. The idea of expanding my coaster experiences beyond Southern California was exciting, especially now that I at once been to Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. Now understanding more about ejector and floater airtime, manufacturers, and ride models, I looked for additional rides nearby SoCal that encompassed them. This lead me to find Joker at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
Around this time, I had tickets to the Metallica 40-year anniversary concert in San Francisco, and I figured… why not make it a coaster trip too? A quick realization revealed that Six Flags Discovery Kingdom was located just up the freeway from San Fran, and it was included in my membership benefits. I called up my buddy Jim and told him to grab a ticket to San Francisco, not just for Metallica, but to ride The Joker while we were there.
He was all-in, and we planned a weekend that combined music and thrills, with two nights of concerts and two days of roller coasters. When we arrived at Discovery Kingdom, it was a cold winter’s day, but that didn’t stop us from getting in line for The Joker as often as we could. The Joker has been one of the park’s standout coasters since it had converted from a wooden to hybrid almost 10 years earlier. I was especially excited because Joker was built by RMC, my favorite manufacturer, known for their ejector and floater airtime along with innovative track designs.
While waiting in line for The Joker, a fellow fan struck up a conversation about airtime. I chimed in, saying airtime was exactly why I loved RMC and had made the trip to Discovery Kingdom to get a ride on The Joker. That’s when he asked me if I was a member of ACE (www.ACEonline.com). I had never heard of it, so I asked, “what is ACE?”. He explained that ACE stood for American Coaster Enthusiasts, a group dedicated to celebrating roller coasters and connecting fans through events, meetups, and shared experiences. His passion for the group and coasters was contagious, and I was intrigued.
When I got home from the weekend trip, I looked up the ACE website and was immediately drawn in. It felt like the perfect fit for someone like me, someone who had rediscovered their love for coasters and wanted to dive deeper into the community. The site offered access to exclusive events, behind-the-scenes tours, exclusive (or early) ride time (ERT) and a network of fellow enthusiasts who shared the same excitement. I signed up for the annual membership and eagerly awaited the chance to participate in some of their scheduled experiences.
Joining ACE marked a new chapter in my coaster journey. It wasn’t just about riding anymore, it was about connecting, learning, and sharing the thrill with others who understood the passion. From that cold day at Discovery Kingdom to the moment I clicked “join” on the ACE website, I felt like I had found my peeps. The rides were still the main attraction, but now there was a whole community behind them, ready to welcome me with short lines and open lap bars.
American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE)
The ACE Advantage = https://www.aceonline.org
From the ACE Website: Whether you are already familiar with ACE, or this is your first exposure, we hope you’ll stay a while. We like to say, “You join ACE for the roller coasters; you stay for the friendships.” Let us show you what we call “The ACE Advantage” and what makes ACE special and unlike any other group out there.
Enthusiasm after the Joining ACE
After joining ACE, my coaster enthusiasm took on whole new heights. I wasn’t just riding coasters, I was learning about them, connecting with others, and diving into the rich history of the amusement ride industry. I started watching documentaries and deep-dive videos on YouTube about historic rides, legendary manufacturers, and the evolution of coaster technology. From the early wooden coasters to the cutting-edge hybrids, I found myself fascinated by how much innovation and artistry goes into each ride. Learning about companies like Schwarzkopf, B&M, and Intamin gave me a deeper appreciation for the rides I had already experienced and made me even more excited for what was ahead.
One of the highlights of my ACE membership was attending an exclusive summer event at Six Flags Magic Mountain in July 2024. It was a scorcher of 95 degrees and the heat blazing from the asphalt was horrid, but the ERT (Exclusive Ride Time) made it all worth it. We got exclusive access to Scream, Batman: The Ride, Twisted Colossus, and Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage after the park had closed that evening. Though it was still very warm, Riding Twisted Colossus in the evening with no lines felt surreal, and the group energy was electric while moving between queues. These ACE events weren’t just about the actual rides because we got a chance to meet the park executives, where they shared future planned park experiences with us.
Across the Country to Ride Coasters
In 2025, I flew out to New Jersey for another ACE event that turned out to be one of the most memorable yet. The trip included three days of coaster enjoyment, starting at Dorney Park in Philadelphia was a great kick off. The park is quaint and comfortable, resembling a mix of SFMM and Knott’s. The park included terrain similar to SFMM and was compact like Knott’s which is the best of both worlds, IMHO. My favorite rides there were Steel Force and Iron Menace, naturally I looked for airtime first and smoothness next.
Side Note: Though Thunderhawk is over 100 years old classic wooden coaster at Dorney, it is terribly rough and perhaps the roughest coaster that I have experienced to date. It could really benefit from the RMC hybrid treatment, or at least a retrack from GCI using their Titan Track.
The second day included a backstage tour of a brand-new coaster under construction at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, giving us a rare look at the engineering and logistics behind the scenes. We were treated to a fantastic catered lunch, and that morning wrapped up with ERT on Nitro and Jersey Devil Coaster. Riding Jersey Devil as the sun was rising with a group of ACE members cheering each other on was something I’ll never forget.
This was also my very first experience on a TRUE HYPER, this one named NITRO. My only previous experience on a ride between 200 and 299 feet was Goliath at SFMM and Xcelerator at Knott’s both of which include almost zero airtime. Now NITRO (Nitro – Six Flags Great Adventure) on the other hand was the FLOATER AIRTIME MACHINE, that I had been seeking since learning of ride elements like 10 years prior.
These events made me feel like I was part of a community that celebrates the thrill, the design, the airtime, and the camaraderie of coaster culture. Beyond the big events, ACE inspired me to take more weekend trips just for the love of the ride. I have made several solo and group visits to Magic Mountain and Knott’s. This was sometimes just to catch a few laps on Full Throttle, Wonder woman, and Twisted Colossus.
I also spent another weekend at Discovery Kingdom when Jim happened to already be in Sacramento for work. We met up and rode Joker again, along with Medusa and Superman: Ultimate Flight. These spontaneous trips became a regular part of my life, and ACE gave me the motivation and network to make them happen. My coaster journey had officially shifted from casual hobby to full-blown passion.
Why I love Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure
Nitro now stands out as one of my all-time favorite coasters thanks to its incredible floater airtime and buttery smooth ride experience. From the moment the train crests the lift hill approaching the first drop, you’re treated to a series of perfectly spaced hills that lift you gently out of your seat. These camelback and bunny airtime hills leave you with that fantastic weightless sensation that coaster fans like me crave. The ride glides effortlessly along the track, with no jarring transitions or rough patches. The experience is pure, uninterrupted heights, speed, and airtime. It’s the kind of ride that feels like flying, and every hill delivers that signature float that makes Nitro so memorable.
What really elevates Nitro above other hyper coasters, for me, are its restraints and layout. The lap bar system is simple, secure, and incredibly comfortable… arguably it is the best restraint available on any ride I’ve experienced, bar none. The out-and-back layout through the wooded terrain adds a picturesque and immersive element, especially as you dive into the forest and re-emerge again. Toward the end, the ride features a helix that’s thrilling without being overwhelming, offering limited positive G-forces that keep the ride intense but still enjoyable. Nitro is the perfect blend of thrill, comfort, and elegance, and it’s a must-ride every time I visit Great Adventure.
The Merger Brought…
Now Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
The merger between Six Flags and Cedar Fair seemed surreal when announced… “That would never happen” is all I could think at the time. Then I realized how both organizations at been impacted by the pandemic, with growing debt. When it actually happened, going off without a hitch which marked a major shift in the amusement park landscape.
As someone who had grown up with Six Flags parks being the most recognized name and recently become more familiar with Cedar Fair. Through ACE and online coaster communities, the news of the successful merger was both exciting and yet left a little uncertainty. The idea of combining the creative forces, resources, and ride portfolios of these two major players in the industry opened the door to new possibilities. With shared innovations, expanded membership benefits, and perhaps even more consistent ride maintenance and park experiences.
For enthusiasts like me, the merger meant speculating about what could come next both good and bad. Would we see Cedar Fair’s signature theming and operations influence Six Flags parks? Could Six Flags bring its aggressive ride development strategy to Cedar Fair properties? The potential for cross-park events, unified loyalty programs, and even ride relocations or collaborations became a hot topic among ACE members. While the full impact of the merger is still unfolding from 16-months ago, it’s clear that the newly formed Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is poised to reshape the future of thrill parks across North America.
The Final Brake Run
As I reflect on this journey from rediscovering roller coasters as an adult, to joining ACE, to traveling across the country for exclusive ride time and backstage tours, I realize how much this hobby has grown into a true passion. It’s not just about the adrenaline or floater and ejector airtime anymore. It’s about the stories, the engineering, the friendships, and the shared excitement that comes with every drop, twist, and launch.
Whether I’m watching POVs of coasters late at night, planning my next weekend trip, or chatting with fellow enthusiasts in line, I feel connected to something massive. Roller coasters have become a way to explore, to learn, and to celebrate the creativity and innovation that goes into making these incredible machines. And with ACE, Six Flags, and the broader coaster community continuing to evolve, I know the ride isn’t over… The ride is just coasting into the next mid-course break run with plenty of ride to go..