By Julie D’Aloiso
This community has so much talent and knowledge. Recently I discovered a coaster enthusiast living among us! He is the Member Services Director and Northern Ohio Regional Representative for American Coaster Enthusiasts
I presented some questions to Scott Short who lives in Macedonia:
If you owned Cedar Point, what ride or attraction would I bring back?
I’m going to change this one around a bit and answer it as “if I owned Cedar Point, what ride or attraction would I bring back?” based on the idea that they shouldn’t remove any rides in a perfect world. Cedar Point needs a traditional log flume. Since I started following the park closely, they’ve removed three: Mill Race when they build Raptor, White Water Landing when they built Maverick and Shoot the Rapids which only lasted a few recent seasons. Of those three, I’d love to see White Water Landing come back. It was the best of the lot and a sentimental favorite of mine.
What is your favorite coaster at Cedar Point?
My personal favorite coaster at Cedar Point and anywhere is Magnum XL-200. That was the ride that made me realize how much I love roller coasters. That ride is also a rare breed as it was built during the transition from manual design and calculations to computer aided design and it shows. Magnum is just a little rough around the edges where it gives a great, airtime filled ride that isn’t engineered perfectly down to the smallest fraction of an inch. I love that aspect of this coaster.
How do you feel about Cedar Point closing the Mean Streak?
It is bittersweet. Like Magnum, Mean Streak was one of those coasters that I kind of cut my teeth on so I’ve got a lot of sentimental appreciation for it. I remember waiting in line for hours during its first few seasons and feeling like that was a great accomplishment. Plus, the ride was a lot better in those days before it was tweaked and essentially tamed to what it is today. That being said, I look forward to the future of that site.
Do you think Cedar Point is going to change the Mean Streak into a Wooden/Steel hybrid?
What is coming next for Mean Streak? I haven’t a clue. I do think personally that it will be transformed into a steel coaster by Rocky Mountain Coasters. A shining example of the future would be to look at the New Texas Giant at Six Flags over Texas. The original Texas Giant was the coaster that inspired Mean Streak. In 2010, the Giant closed and it was redesigned as a steel coaster. I’ve been on both versions and it is a worthy upgrade. Deep down, I’d love to see what they do to a larger, longer ride like Mean Streak. As long as another coaster takes its place, I’ll be happy.
Do you want to comment on the recent ride incidents this summer? Are they related or not?
I don’t think the recent string of incidents this summer are related at all. It is really just bad luck that they’re occurring so close to each other. Given the seasonal operations of most parks, any incidents that do occur are most like going to happen from May through September. It is also difficult to say much about these as the true nature of each incident and their causes will never be made fully public. Nonetheless, they are a tragedy and will impact the amusement industry like all incidents do.
How do you feel about the virtual reality (VR) headsets? Will it make is easier for parks to add new thrills to older coasters?
I’m torn on this subject. Never having experienced a VR coaster I can’t say if they are good or bad updates. The public must love them though as Six Flags has rolled out one at almost everyone one of their parks and Cedar Point tried it out on Iron Dragon this summer. I’ve seen mixed reviews from those who have tried them out. If it is a cost-effective upgrade that keeps a ride in operation for a few more seasons, then it is an easy decision for a park to use VR on an existing ride. However, I do fear what will happen in a few years when the novelty wears out.
Tell me about the American Coaster Enthusiasts organization. How many members do you have? What kind of events do you have and who can join?
The American Coaster Enthusiasts, or ACE, is a non-profit organization created in 1978 that brings together people of all walks of life that enjoy roller coasters and amusement parks. Our club has a few appealing aspects to it: arranging several national events every year featuring our week long Coaster Con every June, dozens of regional single-day events scattered around the USA and Canada, a series of newsletters and magazines created just for our members, and an active historical and preservation division focused on documenting the history of the amusement industry along with working with park owners and operators to keep older, unique rides in operation. Our events usually include working with a host park to arrange for Exclusive Ride Time (ERT) on a few coasters before or after the park is open to the public. During this time, attendees just ride and ride and ride. We also arrange for a catered meal and organize other activites throughout the day. Worldwide, we have over 5000 members. If interested learning more about ACE and want to become a member, you can visit http://www.aceonline.org for all the info
How long have you lived in the Nordonia area?
I’ve lived in Macedonia since 2007, so nine years.
Any thoughts on the recent announcement of the final closure of Wildwater Kingdom and Geauga Lake
I’m sad to think the final chapter of this property has probably been written and the owners in Sandusky have decided to give up operations. I’m sure there are perfectly legitimate business reasons for this decision, but it is still disappointing to see what has happened to that park and to know that it will be closing for good after Labor Day. The only saving grace is that the Big Dipper coaster is still standing. When the dust settles, hopefully soon, with any potential new ownership, I can only hope that the Dipper is in their plans.
Scott Short
Member Services Director and Northern Ohio Regional Representative
American Coaster Enthusiasts
