- July 15th, 2014, 5:03 pm
#57720
I've been an active "Coaster Enthusiast", now more commonly referred to as "Coaster Geek", since about 2003. I'm not suggesting any bad connotation on the latter term, on the contrary, I wear my geekdom with pride anytime I find myself conversing with non-coaster peeps about my favorite park or my latest trip to take repeated rides on my favorite rides/coasters. I do find "Enthusiast" to be a bit stuffy and like "Geek" much better as a descriptor. "Enthusiast" just seems so ostentatious. I have always enjoyed roller coasters and rode many when I was younger before I became a full-fledged "Geek". When I look back on my last 10 years of fandom, my reflection is filled with great memories of experiencing world class rides with great friends; All the while learning more and more with each trip and each ride. I've never wanted to dive too deeply, too much into the mire of manufacturers and designers and statistics but have learned a lot about each none-the-less. I have also witnessed the birth of the severe fanaticism that has grown in the online world for all things park and coaster related during this time. The fan community has a veracious appetite for any and all information about the latest coaster or park entity being built, moved, reconfigured, etc. "Carowinds Connection" itself is a living time capsule of that fanaticism expressed in great detail throughout its message boards. While I can see the value in sharing some ideas and feelings about our home park, Carowinds , sometimes I wonder if it's all too much.
There has been a enormous amount of ongoing discussion related to the new coaster that will be arriving in the park in 2015. Literally hundreds of thread posts have been submitted on this site over many months discussing and re-discussing it. Pictures, documents and speculative meanderings litter the boards as those that are posting assert their supposed knowledge on all that is happening with the park. It's as though the most important aspect to getting a new ride is not to actually experience it and ride it but to know everything about it before a single piece of dirt is moved. Am I interested in the new coaster and what it could be? Absolutely! However, the endless speculation and frankly, misinformation that is constantly spewed across the boards does nothing to heighten my personal excitement for the ride. Speaking about myself, A big part of the joy of experiencing a ride for the first time is to approach it with some mystery, some unknowns. I submit to you that there is as much to be appreciated in not knowing so much about a ride as knowing everything about it. I purposely go out of my way to avoid the constant stream of information about new rides and park changes, especially coasters. "Why?", you might ask? Because I want to feel that same thrill that comes over me each time I drive over the crest of the road and see the lift hill off in the distance for the first time. That feeling of awe when the announcement day comes and the park has it's chance to show me something new, something spectacular that I've never seen before! That feeling of approaching the station with everything a new exhilaration. We live in an age where so much information is available instantly for our consumption and as soon as someone, anyone has information about an upcoming ride, its immediately posted and available. When you know too much about a thing, sometimes it's no longer interesting, no longer exciting, no longer...magic.
I'm not naive. I realize that as long as there is something unknown about a new change to the park, there will be a ravenous drive by many to know all they can as soon as possible. I have to fight the urge myself before taking a moment to weigh the personal consequences. I submit to you that you might want to take a moment and consider whether it all goes a bit too far at times. Sometimes it can take some of the fun out of the whole experience. Some wear a badge of pride in arriving on opening day knowing all there is about a new coaster as they board the train. As for me, when that moment comes, I will experience it as a wholly new experience. The ride will come FIRST and THEN I will learn all I can about the details of the ride going forward.
Until that time and until that moment, in all honesty.... I don't want to know.
There has been a enormous amount of ongoing discussion related to the new coaster that will be arriving in the park in 2015. Literally hundreds of thread posts have been submitted on this site over many months discussing and re-discussing it. Pictures, documents and speculative meanderings litter the boards as those that are posting assert their supposed knowledge on all that is happening with the park. It's as though the most important aspect to getting a new ride is not to actually experience it and ride it but to know everything about it before a single piece of dirt is moved. Am I interested in the new coaster and what it could be? Absolutely! However, the endless speculation and frankly, misinformation that is constantly spewed across the boards does nothing to heighten my personal excitement for the ride. Speaking about myself, A big part of the joy of experiencing a ride for the first time is to approach it with some mystery, some unknowns. I submit to you that there is as much to be appreciated in not knowing so much about a ride as knowing everything about it. I purposely go out of my way to avoid the constant stream of information about new rides and park changes, especially coasters. "Why?", you might ask? Because I want to feel that same thrill that comes over me each time I drive over the crest of the road and see the lift hill off in the distance for the first time. That feeling of awe when the announcement day comes and the park has it's chance to show me something new, something spectacular that I've never seen before! That feeling of approaching the station with everything a new exhilaration. We live in an age where so much information is available instantly for our consumption and as soon as someone, anyone has information about an upcoming ride, its immediately posted and available. When you know too much about a thing, sometimes it's no longer interesting, no longer exciting, no longer...magic.
I'm not naive. I realize that as long as there is something unknown about a new change to the park, there will be a ravenous drive by many to know all they can as soon as possible. I have to fight the urge myself before taking a moment to weigh the personal consequences. I submit to you that you might want to take a moment and consider whether it all goes a bit too far at times. Sometimes it can take some of the fun out of the whole experience. Some wear a badge of pride in arriving on opening day knowing all there is about a new coaster as they board the train. As for me, when that moment comes, I will experience it as a wholly new experience. The ride will come FIRST and THEN I will learn all I can about the details of the ride going forward.
Until that time and until that moment, in all honesty.... I don't want to know.
Personally, I've really enjoyed all of the rumors, speculation, teasers, etc. and it's breathed new life into this forum. It hasn't been this active ever. Heck, even I had stopped coming here at one point (let's face it, living in New York there's not much reason for me to take interest in Carowinds anymore, but I certainly am now), but now I can't wait to read the thread every day. 
.