Boulder Dash (roller coaster)

Boulder Dash
Lake Compounce
Coordinates 41°38′21″N 72°55′28″W / 41.639187°N 72.924540°W / 41.639187; -72.924540Coordinates: 41°38′21″N 72°55′28″W / 41.639187°N 72.924540°W / 41.639187; -72.924540
Status Operating
Opening date May 21, 2000
Cost US$6,000,000
General statistics
Type Wood
Manufacturer Custom Coasters International
Designer Larry Bill
Track layout Terrain, Out and back
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 110 ft (34 m)
Drop 115 ft (35 m)
Length 4,725 ft (1,440 m)
Speed 60 mph (97 km/h)
Duration 2:30
Max vertical angle 59°
Capacity 1800 riders per hour
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
Trains 2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Boulder Dash at RCDB
Pictures of Boulder Dash at RCDB

Boulder Dash is a wooden roller coaster located at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut. It first opened in 2000 and was built by Custom Coasters International. The ride's structure was built with Southern Yellow Pine wood and the track is made of Douglas Fir wood.

This ride has been ranked the #1 Wooden Roller Coaster in the World by the Golden Ticket Awards since 2013.

The trains were built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters.[1]

Statistics and additional information

This 4,672 foot wooden roller coaster uses the Lake Compounce's natural mountainous terrain, complete with trees and boulders within close proximity of the track.[2] The lift climbs the mountainside and then disappears from view. When it reappears, it has completed its first drop of 115 feet[2] and is traveling sixty miles per hour as it crosses over itself and flies over the station. Much of the first half of the ride is hidden as the train climbs and drops along the mountainside.[2] On the last drop, on-ride photos are taken and can be viewed and bought at the photo booth at the end of the exit line. Most of the ride was retracked during the 2007 off season and during the 2008 off season the remainder was retracked. Lake Compounce bought PTC trains from Hersheypark's Wildcat for the 2008 season.

Its layout was inspired by the Rollo Coaster, a small wooden coaster at Idlewild Park (both parks are owned by the same company, Parques Reunidos).

Awards and rankings

Boulder Dash was voted the world's number one wooden roller coaster in 2001 and 2004 by the National Amusement Park Historical Association, and it took the top spot in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards for Best Wood Coaster four times since 2004.[3] It is the longest wooden coaster on the East Coast.

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year20002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016
Ranking 12[4]3[5]3[6]3[7]1[3]2[8]3[9]4[10]5[11]2[12]4[13]4[14]5[15]1[16]1[17] 1[18] 1[19]
Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best wood-Tracked Roller Coaster[20]
Year20002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
Ranking 53242356443344
NAPHA Survey: Favorite Wood Roller Coaster[21]
Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Ranking
2 (tie)[22]
-
-
-
-

References

  1. ↑ Boulder Dash (Lake Compounce)
  2. 1 2 3 "Boulder Dash". Compounce Lake.com. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  3. 1 2 "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 10–11B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 22–23B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 30–31B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 42–43. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 42–43. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 38–39. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 38–39. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  16. ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  17. ↑ "2014 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 38–39. September 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  18. ↑ "2015 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 45–46. September 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  19. ↑ "2016 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 20 (6.2): 46–46. September 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  20. ↑ Hawker, Mitch. "Wooden Roller Coaster Poll 20 Year Results Table (1994–2013)". Best Roller Coaster Poll. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  21. ↑ Surveys - National Amusement Park Historical Association
  22. ↑ Tied with The Beast
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