Some ACE Basics
ACE, American Coaster Enthusiasts, is the leading roller coaster fan club in America. Founded in 1978 and boasting over 6,500 members, they represent a real force in roller coaster appreciation, advocation, and preservation. ACE recognizes historic roller coasters with 2 main distinctions, ACE Coaster Classics and ACE Coaster Landmarks.
ACE Coaster Classics denote historic wooden roller coasters that offer a riding experience mostly unaltered from when they were originally built. ACE feels these rides preserve a classic riding experience by avoiding unnecessary modernization. These rides remain fun and safe despite their unchanged ride seats and restraints. ACE does list a subset of this award, roller coasters that used to offer classic experiences but have modernized their seats, restraints, or operations to disqualify them from this distinction. 30 roller coasters have received this designation, with another 13 being originally eligible but being disqualified later. Unfortunately 2 ACE Coaster classics have been closed, 2 have been demolished, and 2 disqualified classics have been torn down.
ACE Coaster Landmarks are perhaps more well known. They included wood and steel roller coasters of historic or cultural significance. 48 roller coasters have received this distinction since they started issuing this award in 2002. Only 3 ACE Coaster Landmarks have ever been demolished. Chances are somewhat high that even a casual amusement park guest has ridden an ACE Coaster Landmark. The newest roller coasters to have received this designation include The Raven wooden CCI Coaster installed in 1995 at Holiday World, and Batman: The Ride which is the first inverted roller coaster built by B&M at Six Flags Great America (Chicago) in 1992. 12 exact clones of this ride can be found around the various Six Flags parks, SeaWorld San Antonio, and 3 parks abroad.
I personally have ridden 9 ACE Coaster Classics and 3 rescinded Classics. About half of these roller coasters are full sized installations, but half would be considered medium or small roller coasters intended for children and families. Of these I'd say my favorite would be Cyclone at Coney Island Luna Park in NYC. Although not particularly forceful, I remember appreciating the fast paced ride racing over and through the jungle of wooden supports. I also remember getting a kick out of the old controls. Where a modern roller coaster would have a slick collection of buttons on a console, instead the Cony Island Cyclone has a series of gigantic levers in the ground to release various sets of breaks. I'd given Thunderbolt at Kennywood a close second on this list with it's significant laterals and unique hillside setting offering distant views of Pittsburgh suburbs surrounding the Monongahela River.
My ACE Coaster Landmarks collection is more complete at 23 over 48. There's a much larger variety of ride experiences to consider. I should also note there is a good amount of overlap between ACE Coaster Classics and ACE Coaster Landmarks. By far the best themed ACE Coaster Landmark is the Matterhorn Bobsleds of Disneyland. Built in 1959 by Arrow Development, this ride is the first modern steel roller coaster, utilizing a tubular steel track design that would become the industry standard future steel coaster manufacturers. Although Matterhorn Bobsleds is mostly enjoyable thanks to it's Disney level theming. The ride itself is mostly jostling and bumpy, a rough ride but not the roughest. In my opinion its middle of the pack in the Disney roller coaster line up. It's about on par with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, I rank it over California Screamin'/Incredicoaster, Slinky Dog Dash, Goofy's Sky School, Barnstormer, and Primeval Whirl, but not above Rock'N'Rollercoaster, Space Mountain, or Expedition Everest (or probably Cosmic Rewind, which I have yet to ride).
The wildest ACE Coaster Landmark ride is by far Magnum XL-200, specifically in the magic seat. Magic is real, and it exists in 3rd row of this roller coaster. Normally forces are most pronounced on roller coasters in the front or back of the train, but there's something about the 3rd row of it's trains that does it's best to send you flying into orbit. Magnum XL-200 also built by Arrow Development was the first roller coaster to stand over 200 feet tall and the fastest roller coaster ever at the time of it's 1989 opening. Some people would say it started a time of roller coaster development known as 'The Roller coaster Wars' during which theme parks competed to push the boundaries of roller coaster design and break records for fastest and tallest rides.
My personal favorite ACE Coaster Landmark, also one of my overall favorite roller coasters, would be The Beast at Kings Island. This roller coaster was designed and built in house, something of a rarity for modern roller coasters. Opening in 1979, it is famous for being the longest wooden roller coaster in the world, and the 2nd longest of any roller coaster type. The Beast rides over 7,361 feet of track set in a secluded and densely wooded forest in the back of Kings Island. This ride is a polarizing coaster in the Enthusiast community. A lot of enthusiasts feel like this coaster simply meanders around most of it's layout with little purpose. I however appreciate the sublime experience of rushing through the forest at high speeds. Most can agree though that it's finale, an inclined double helix off the drop of it's second lift hill, is a crazy experience worth a ride. Critics and fans can also typically agree that night rides on The Beast are worth catching.
The ACE Coaster Classics and Coaster Landmark designations add a lot of fun to the hobby of riding roller coasters. They highlight interesting stories in theme park history and help raise awareness of preservation efforts. Although most amusement parks are businesses first, it typically serves them well to respect and care for the history they themselves develop.
It's awe inspiring to think of the countless people that rode those rides before me, to think what their lives may have been like, what sort of world events they were living through, and how different society and technology were for them. Roller coasters unite people past and present over the joy of safe thrills.
