Happy National Coaster Day! Today is the day that we celebrate riding rolling coasters all over the nation! Why? Well, that’s a tricky story. Some say it’s because this was the day that the first coaster was patented. Others say it was because today was the first day that the inverted loop was patented. Does it really matter? Not really. It’s a day we can celebrate roller coasters. What if you don’t really know a lot about roller coasters? Well, we’re here to help!
You want to ride that coaster…you know the one that goes zoom up that thing really fast, and then flips over on that other thing. But how do you sound like you’re not a complete and total coaster noob? Well, we have a list of common coaster terms that will help you sound like a coaster pro!
Woody-This is a wooden coaster. Wooden coasters usually are made of…wood, but have metal pieces holding them together.
Steel-The opposite of wood. Steel is manufactured and usually look more like giant metal skeletons. Steel coasters allow riders to go faster and higher than most wooden coasters
Queue-(pronounced Q):The line that you wait to ride the coaster
Lift Hill-A lot of coasters use this big hill to gain altitude, and gain speed. What goes up, must come down…fast
Inversion-This is the part where you go upside down. There are many types of inversions, such as Immelman’s, Barrel Rolls, and Pretzels…but they all do one thing..they make you go upside down
Loop-This is the big vertical loop that you see on most coasters. It’s a huge loop that is straight up and down.
Train-No, this ain’t a choo choo. The coaster train is the actual thing you ride in. You sit down(or in some cases stand up) and get harnessed in. The train is what takes you through all the loops, inversions and hills
Air Time-This happens when you go over a tall hill. Your butt comes out of the seat, just a little. You get a feeling like you could fall out, but you won’t because you’re secured tightly.
G’s or G Forces-The G’s that someone might talk about are the gravitational forces (or G Force) pushing you back into your seat. It’s caused by your coaster train moving forward. The faster you go, the more you’ll be pushed into your seat.
There, don’t you feel more like a coaster geek already? These are but a few of the terms that you’ll hear on a coaster, but one step at a time. These will get you by at your local theme park, and impress your friends.
We hope you have a great National Coaster Day, and if you don’t get to ride a coaster today, be sure to just throw your hands in the air randomly. I like to do it when I’m going over a bridge. Love that air time!
For more roller coaster and theme park fun, be sure to follow us on Twitter @BehindThrills!
