The iconic wooden roller coaster at Playland at the PNE turns 60 this year. Photo Dan Toulgoet
It is one of the most iconic rides at Playland, and it's getting world recognition on an international voter poll.
Ellocoaster compiled its second annual Wood Coaster Poll by polling riders from across the globe, and Playland's iconic wooden coaster made the top 25.
"The average number of wood coasters ridden was 46.5 - a pretty healthy number, considering the increasing scarcity of wood coasters. The world gained four new woodies in 2018, but it also lost four woodies," explains Ellocoaster.
And while there were a number of American roller coasters on the list, B.C.'s famous Coaster made a strong impression.
"While Ontario and Quebec often steal the Canadian coaster spotlight with their giant collections of steel coasters, you shouldn’t overlook the west coast for coaster thrills in the Great White North. Playland’s Coaster runs exactly as it has since 1958 with handbrakes, classic trains, and genuinely terrifying airtime."
Top 25 Wood Coasters in the World
- 25 Tremors - Silverwood, Idaho, USA
- 24 Wodan Timburcoaster - EuropaPark, Germany
- 23 Shivering Timbers - Michigan’s Adventure, Michigan, USA
- 22 Prowler - Worlds of Fun, Missouri, USA
- Wooden Coaster Fireball - Happy Valley Shanghai, China
- 20 Mine Blower - Fun Spot America, Florida, USA
- 19 Gold Striker - California’s Great America, California, USA
- 18 Boardwalk Bullet - Kemah Boardwalk, Texas, USA
- 17 Troy - Toverland, The Netherlands
- 16 Renegade - Valleyfair!, Minnesota, USA
- 15 Goliath - Six Flags Great America, Illinois, USA
- 14 Rampage - Alabama Splash Adventure, Alabama, USA
- 13 Balder - Liseberg, Sweden
- 12 Coaster - Playland at the PNE, British Columbia, Canada
- 11 Ravine Flyer II - Waldameer, Pennsylvania, USA
- 10 Mystic Timbers - Kings Island, Ohio, USA
- 9 Cú Chulainn - Tayto Park, Ireland
- 8 Phoenix - Knoebel’s Amusement Resort, Pennsylvania, USA
- 7 Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce, Connecticut, USA
- 6 Lightning Rod - Dollywood, Tennessee, USA
- 5 The Voyage - Holiday World, Indiana, USA
- 4 Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City, Missouri, USA
- 3 T-Express - Everland, South Korea
- 2 El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey, USA
- 1 Wildfire - Kolmården, Sweden
In 2009, the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) named the Coaster an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark, a designation that is reserved for rides of “historical significance.”
The ride is the only one in Canada to earn the designation and was the first outside of the U.S. The first recipient was named in 2002 and since then a little more than 40 rides have earned an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark plaque.
With files from the Vancouver Courier.
