What inspired you to become a roller coaster enthusiast?

Nothing actually. Iv'e been going to SFGAm ever since I was a little kid. I may live about 45 minutes away, but that change anything. And now I'm into amusement parks and roller coasters.

One day it all came to me.

For me, I had gone there several times and loved it, but just this year, something happened and I became obsessed with V2 (as you all know) and that started me loving them all and now I want to go and see other parks like six flags great adventure...I need medusa!

I would say nothing. I just kept on going on roller coasters over and over again, and enjoyed it. :D

^That's kinda how I was.

^cool!! So in other words, you just fell in love with them right away. That's probably how it is with most people. But not all, I think I somewhat inspired my friend this year from my own love for them lol.

Ya my family and I used to always go when I was little. Now I love it

Wanna know mine? This is mine. It all started with just one game, RCT3, and I use to play it almost 3 hours a day.(now an hour & A 1/2). Anyway, so whenever ill finish every rollercoaster, I would test them. Then came the coaster cam. Now when I used coastercam on the coasters, I thought they did'nt look tall from the person view. Then I felt like I wanted to ride rollercoasters. I was in luck, part of my dad's side of the family was gonna take me the next day,(and yes they all have season passes). Then the next day, I rode my first coaster, Viper. I love it. How rickity & how you feal at the first drop, because it was my first time on a roller coaster, I wanted to sit at the back, then I realized that the back was the most extreme part of the train. After my first rollercoaster (which was my first woodie), I rode the Demon, my first inversion coaster, Batman the Ride, my first Inverted coaster. Then the Iron Wolf, my first stand-up. But my next day I came was going to be the best day at SFGAm ever. Me & my cousin Ruby at the next time we came, she said "I dare you & me to go on Raging Bull", then I said "OK". after that ride, I became attracted to rollercoasters and rides so much, I became A rollercoaster enthusiast. And thats what happend!

I love the roller coaster tycoon games!!! I used to always play the first one and make a huge park. It's still fun.

My inspiration was the Demon. Around when I was 7, I went to GAm and saw the Demon's Corkscrews and the train going through it. It was so graceful and loopy, almost like ballet to a gay dude. I simply had to ride it. I had ridden a few tiny coasters with the largest being the Whizzer. I went over to Demon, and went through the line, watching the train go through the 2 vertical loops, and in to the tunnel. I got on to it, row 3:1, and it wa simply amazing. The rush of the first drop, the dizziness of the loops, the lighted tunnel, the waterfall on the Demon's mouth, and the Corkscrews that followed. I simply knew this was awesome, even if I was too young not to be scared. And that's why Demon sort of has a special place in my heart.

I just really got into them in the year 2000, when I went on my first rollercoaster ever, Shockwave. I had so much fun on it, that that day made me want to go back there every year. And this year, I went there the most times ever in my life. Next year I'm gonna see if I can beat this year for the number of times, lol.

Same as MrsVerticalVelocity for me too

My father is my reason for loving roller coasters, and any other rides. Back in 1986, I was 5 years old and my dad always told me when I was 5 years old he'd take me to the biggest fair I have ever been to.

Up until then we'd travel the cities going to festivals and fairs, riding all the rides I could. When I was 4 we went to one place that had all the baby rides, cars in a circle, stuff like that. He asked me, "Tony, do you want to go on that boring ride... Or..." He pointed to the Tilt-A-Whirl, "Do you want to go on that with me?"

I was on the Tilt-A-Whirl in minutes, and to this day we don't know if I loved it or hated it. A chain of events seemed to begin too, where I'd burst into tears on rides which would make the attendent stop the ride to investigate why I was crying. They would ask me why I was crying, and I remember always saying, "I don't want it to end." You have no idea how many free rides I got because of this.

So it was the summer of me being 5, and sure enough, mom and dad took me to the biggest fair I had ever been to. They tell me stories about how much in awe I was, never in my life seeing a roller coaster. My dad and I stood by the Demon's corkscrews as I watched train after train fly through them. My father begin teaching me. "Tony, those are corkscrews, its a type of loop roller coasters travel through."

I immediately begged to go on it. Dad simply replied, "you're not ready yet." So he took me over to the Whizzer. While in line he told me about the ride, and also told me I could hang on, or even put my hands up! I didn't believe him. Sure enough, the next train traveling down the hill half the train had their hands up. He said he'd hang on to me if I felt more safe. To this day he tells me how scared I really was, but that I wanted to do it. Mom sat behind us.

4 rides later my dad informed me that we'd eat, relax for 30 minutes and then it was time for the Demon! My mom was hesitiant, saying I wasn't ready for such a ride. My dad pretty much said I was, and even was allowing time to ride this a few times to prepare for The American Eagle. We rode Demon 6 times, the last time was even the front!

Every year when I go with my parents I ride the Demon with my dad, front seat, because he swears that last time in the front made me the coaster fanatic I am today. He could be right.

From then I began studying everything there is to know about them. All sizes, shapes, types. I worked at Six Flags for the 2000 season, operating Batman: the ride. My biggest year for being at the park was 2001, where I went 41 times in a summer.

I have been going to Six Flags Great America for 21 years. Have never missed a Fright Fest, and began traveling the country with my future wife (25 days and counting till the wedding), family and friends. My whole family are coaster fans, but I am the only ACEr.

Roller coasters truely make me feel alive. I don't need to worry about anything when I am on one, and all my problems, or responsibilities get pushed aside. I can honestly say it is like being free... Free from anything and everything. Just you and the coaster. Nothing else matters.

2 days. See you in line.

~Tony Michaud

For me it was after my first ride on AE. I was about seven and I had never seen a coaster before. I was hesitant to ride it but I did and it scared the crap out of me. As soon as I got home I tried to learn everything I could about roller coasters. On my next visit I rode everything I could and I was hooked for life.