Enthusiast Not Nearly as Pathetic as Friends Tell Him

Coaster Enthusiast Chi Williams, 32, recently discovered that he is not nearly as pathetic as everyone tells him. Though his obsession with roller coasters has prevented him from learning how interact with others, engage in basic human sanitation, or avoid wearing his shorts pulled up past his nipples, Williams recently uncovered encouraging online evidence that there are many people who are far more pitiful and prone to receiving wedgies.

"Despite inability to converse about anything besides coasters, my sharing useless opinions about coasters with strangers in line who are trying to avoid me, and my nine hours per day spent posting to coaster message boards, I am amazingly attractive and cool," said Williams. "Relatively speaking, anyway."

Williams first directed ARN&R to a website for chain mail fetishists. "It's hard for me to believe my friends think I'm so lame when you look at Lord Randolph's Bristol Renaissance Festival pictorial. I look like Brad Pitt compared to those people! And I may never be able to have sex again...well, ever...after seeing the picture of the guy in the chain mail groin shroud."

"Those people are really stupid, too," noted the enthusiast. "Why are they calling it a Renaissance Festival and wearing armor? That should only be in a Medieval festival. They're in the wrong damn time period."

Williams then suddenly realized the room had gotten very quiet, and he nervously coughed.

"Anyway, there are even more ridiculous people out there than mere coaster enthusiasts," he continued. "Like, have you ever seen the people at Balticon? Man, I especially love the Manic Depressive, the Purple Wench, and the Operatic Courtesan. I don't even know what the hell this conference was, but I'm sure glad I blundered across its website so I can prove to everyone I know just how little of a tool I actually am!"

Finally, Williams proved once and for all that his utter fascination with coasters did not mark him as the most pathetic person in the world, as he called up the website for Knight Con 2004, a massive convention to celebrate all things Knight Rider. As the befuddled ARN&R staff perused the Knight Con's astounding list of activities, including a Miss Knight Contest, a Michael Knight Lookalike Contest, Knight Rider Star Autograph Sessions, Knight Rider Fanfic Awards, and, presumably, a chance to rub scented oils and unguents into David Hasselhoff's back hair, Williams contentedly smiled and pushed his duct taped-glass back into position.

Williams's friends are currently reviewing the evidence to determine if they are willing to alter their stance that Williams is the world's most complete dork.

--JCK (with research by FMB and the Grand Poobah)

Swift Boat Veterans Also Pretty Sure SFMM Is Cheating On Coaster Count

Adding to their controversial claims regarding John Kerry's service in Vietnam, "non-partisan" group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth today denounced Six Flags Magic Mountain for fraudulently inflating its coaster count. Specifically, the veterans' group contends that Superman: The Escape should not be counted as a roller coaster in the park's efforts to claim records.

"I know Six Flags is claiming Superman as a coaster, because I was there," says Jerome Corsi of the group in an advertisement being shown in swing states. "I was there on vacation. Last year. And that's no coaster."

Roy Hoffman, another member, declared, "Six Flags Magic Mountain is not fit to be a flagship park in this coaster chain, because it's lying about Superman. I was there, I saw it, and it doesn't do anything besides going up and then down again. Total one-trick pony. Plus, Flashback never runs so you shouldn't count that."

"Taer it down," he added in a written statement.

Steeplechase Coaster Undergoes Makeover

Blackpool Pleasure Beach announced today that it will be giving a temporary makeover to its Steeplechase roller coaster, as the park seeks to capitalize on the Olympic spirit sweeping the planet during the current Athens Games. The revamp of the ride will only be for the remainder of the current season.

Currently, passengers at Blackpool ride "bareback" on individual horse-themed cars that provide a surprisingly peppy ride. But the temporary retheming will provide riders with a vastly different experience from the current brisk three-track racer. Indeed, the Steeplechase will now be called Equestrian Challenge: Xtreme Dressage.

After mounting their horses, riders will be treated to an exciting experience where they must make their "horse" dance gaily about and gallivant back and forth in markedly silly and unathletic fashion. The riders, say park reps, will definitely not need to worry about breaking a sweat, but those whose ride vehicles make the most prissy maneuvers on the course will receive medals.

Park reps also note that the Steeplechase ride will come to a complete stop midway through the ride. At this point NBC beach volleyball commentator Karch Kiraly will appear in person to reprise his astonishing Olympic comments such as "she loves to gobble those balls up" and "usually you can't go down like that, but the Czechs are slow."

Blackpool officials refused to comment on what the reasoning behind Kiraly's surrealistic presence on Xtreme Dressage could possibly be.

--JCK

Enthusiast Questions Commitment

Veteran enthusiast Jeff Maltos was left questioning his commitment to roller coasters and other amusement park fare after recently returning from an almost 2-week vacation, which involved no coaster rides whatsoever.

Maltos realized his failings near the end of the trip when he passed an amusement park on the way to his hotel. "I mean I saw the roller coasters gleaming there in the sun, heck I even saw some people on a train heading up the hill I was so close, but I didn’t pester my travel partners to stop so I could partake. And these was a Boomerang and an SLC I’d never ridden before, so I missed out on the credits..." at this point his voice trailed off and a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"I just don’t know how I can live with myself anymore," a dejected Mr. Maltos croaked. "I’m deathly afraid to show my face at any coaster club events after such a shameful deed! You sure you aren’t gonna let no one know my real name, right?" he demanded before continuing. (His name has been modified for this story.)

When asked if he was merely being considerate of his fellow travelers by electing to not force them to waste time at an amusement park when there were plenty of other unique activities to be undertaken, he quickly went on the defensive, "Well, what could possibly be more unique than riding a new coaster in a new city; even if it is the same basic ride as elsewhere? I just don’t know what I was thinking." After repeatedly flagellating himself, he curled into the fetal position and wept for several minutes before finally recovering, and emphatically stating: "Never again will I allow myself to pass an opportunity to ride, I promise you that! I just hope none of my enthusiast friends recognizes the guilt in my eyes."

--SM

Carousel Politely Declines Billy Joel's Offer of Help

The carousel from the defunct Nunley's Amusement Park is in danger of being lost, and singer-songwriter Billy Joel stepped in, hoping to save it. But ARN&R has learned that the carousel has politely declined his offer of help, noting that his music "sucks ass" and that it would rather be divided up or destroyed than associated with "anything vaguely connected with that 'We Didn't Start the Fire' song."

"Look, I appreciate the thought," said the carousel in an exclusive ARN&R interview. "But the dude hasn't done anything even remotely respectable since 'The Nylon Curtain,' and even that was no great shakes. His classical stuff is an insult to anyone who actually knows anything about music, and he had the freakin' nerve to name one of his pieces after me. What a drunken dickweed."

The carousel showed interest in finding other celebrity help. "How about James Taylor? He's practically John Lennon compared to Billy Joel. Or maybe the two Johns [of Brooklyn band They Might Be Giants] would help out. Hell, that woman who ran over the people in the Berkshires would be fine. Just not the freakin' Piano Man."

Enthusiast Helpfully Corrects Ride Operator Terminology

In what all involved called "an incredibly giving and generous moment" and "not at all annoying," enthusiast Cameron Krinkland today provided helpful tips to a rider operator at Lake Compounce in Connecticut.

The ride operator, 19-year-old Kristin Bloodgood, had been repeating the same spiel she had repeated all summer: "Welcome to Boulder Dash! When the gates open, please enter the seat row directly ahead of you and place your items on the opposite platform. Thanks and enjoy your ride!"

Krinkland chuckled and shook his head. "Excuse me, miss...is it Kristin?" he said, leering at her nametag. "I heard you refer to 'seat row,' and you probably would want to know that on PTCs, those are called 'benches.' No, don't thank me -- I just want you to be the best and perkiest ride operator you can be." Ignoring Bloodgood's sullen glare, Krinkland continued: "Would you like to see my track record? I've got it right here on my Palm."

In the past, Krinkland has written a letter to the editor of his local newspaper, which had identified a powered children's ride as a roller coaster ("Experts agree that to be a coaster, it must operate on gravity; the 'Dragon Coaster' does not, and you do your readers a disservice suggesting otherwise") and become violent when a young child identified Excalibur at Valleyfair! as a wooden coaster, when in fact the trains ride on steel track.

Reached for comment, Krinkland said that he was considering asking Bloodgood out, stating that "she totally wanted me." Bloodgood, reached for comment, vomited.

Coming Soon to a Theme Park Near You: Joe Dirt: The Ride

Well, they did it. Paramount's Canada's Wonderland has announced their new-for-2005 coaster, The Italian Job Stunt Track. While we certainly don't want to diss the installation of any new roller coaster, unless it's by Vekoma, we're a little dismayed that Paramount is so desperate for movie franchises to turn into amusement park attractions that they selected yet another bland action flick that no one will remember in three years.

In an effort to discourage parks from turning horrible (Tomb Raider: The Ride) or even merely tepid and predictable (The Italian Job Stunt Track) movies into rides, we initiate the punitive action of making the preview page for the new attraction our Site O' the Weak. If we don't do this, it's only a matter of time before someone builds Hudson Hawk: The Ride or Highlander IV: Endgame Experience or Gigli: The Decimation.

Even if we weren't providing this valuable public service, this page could be a candidate due solely to its blatant product placement (Drive a MINI! Your very own MINI! We got lots of money from the makers of the MINI and we're going to cram the little bitches down your f*cking throat!).

--JCK

[Ed. Note: We're assuming JCK had a very good reason for only mentioning the Bad Movie Stunt Track going into Canada's Wonderland and not the one going into Kings Island. Perhaps the PKI preview page will be next week's Site O' The Weak.]

Enthusiasts Enjoy Ride on Mean Streak

In news that must come as an immense shock to any human who was been on more than three roller coasters in his or her entire life, two coaster lovers actually had a very fine time recently during their ride on Cedar Point's Mean Streak. Although most people with any sense whatsoever find the Mean Streak to be unbearably rough, overbraked, and endlessly long and boring, enthusiasts Andrew Pongracz and Rick Bergman defied all known laws of physics in having a perfectly entertaining time on the giant woodie.

"Rick and I had such enjoyable discussions," said Pongracz. "Sometimes we'll be on a roller coaster that's good, and we're just screaming and talking about coasters and stuff. But Mean Streak was so lame and lasted so long, we really got chatting about lots of other interesting subjects and expanded our minds. It was great!"

Pongracz noted that the pair initially admired the view from the ride's lift hill, and discussed the fluctuations of toxicity levels in Lake Erie over the years. After halfheartedly raising their hands for the ride's tepid, hyperbraked first drop, the two launched into a spirited discussion about Albrecht Altdorfer's use of chiaroscuro. Following that, Bergman convinced a dubious Pongracz that first trimester trophoblast cells create immune cell apoptosis by secreting a Fas ligand. At that point, Pongracz switched topics to gourmet cooking, and convinced Bergman that a light citrus glaze would complement the flavor of a rare tuna steak far better than a heavier chipotle coulee or mango chutney.

Pongracz and Bergman then took a break from their little chat to do some reading. Pongracz completed Les Miserables, while Bergman nearly finished Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag Archipelago.

Following the three-hour-long midcourse brake, the two then delved into further academic and artistic pursuits together. According to Bergman, the pair successfully translated the complete works of Sartre into Hindustani, composed a ninety-minute prog-rock masterpiece called "Pug of Assisi," solved Fermat's Last Theorem, and made fun of each other's top ten coaster lists.

Allegedly, Pongracz also found time on the final brake run to note that riding Mean Streak was "like a cross between a rough proctology exam and a night in a Turkish prison."

"I'm so glad that this coaster was so endless and boring, and we had time to accomplish all these things we did," said an elated Bergman. "Just think, if Mean Streak didn't blow then we'd have just spent the last seven hours going 'Wheeeeeeee!' Fortunately, it did blow, and we got to spend all those hours on it broadening our minds. It's my new number one."

--JCK/ALP

Enthusiast Fails Spectacularly to Design Dark Ride Themed After Gounoud's Faust

In what he describes as "an incredible experience," coaster and classical music enthusiast Kirk James failed spectacularly to design an elaborately themed dark ride after attending an presentation of an obscure operatic version of the legendary Faust story.

"I'd seen this kick-ass presentation of the opera at some community college with an amazing viola section, and I started to think, 'Hey, this could work at Islands of Adventure!'" said James in an exclusive ARN&R interview. "So I started some drawings and ended up with a two-inch binder of materials to send down to Universal."

The ride he imagined opened, as did the opera, with Faust wearing, for no identifiable reason, a Klingon mask, only to remove it upon striking a deal with the devil. But instead of launching into, for example, a high-speed coaster-style ride a la "Revenge of the Mummy," reflecting Faust's adventures with the devil on his side, James's design contemplated riders sitting in unmoving seats for approximately seven hours of opera.

James insisted that riders would not get bored, thanks to the surtitles with translations of what was happening on stage. "That makes opera rock, and the kids'll love it! Also, the chick I have in mind to play Faust's girlfriend will smile inappropriately at every moment, including during the time at which she's killing her unborn baby, so that'll be fun too," said James. The ride will conclude with riders taking what James described as "a wild and crazy ride" on an enormous viola bow.

Universal ride engineers, reached for comment, said they did not expect to install the Faust ride at any point during the coming two eons. "But could you have him send in more proposals? That stuff's funny!" they added.

James is reportedly in the process of developing a modified Tilt-A-Whirl to be based on Wagner's Ring Cycle.

Batwing Causes Anal Bleeding, Claims Enthusiast

Batwing, the Vekoma Flyer at at widely-worshipped and beloved Six Flags America, causes anal bleeding, according to an enthusiast who rode it two days ago.

"That thing sucks!" sputtered Antoine Chavez, 30. "There's been blood in my stool all day from riding that piece of crap."

Under thorough examination, it was discovered that Batwing was possibly only an indirect cause of his gory discharge. Apparently the ride caused him severe headaches and neck strain, which led him to take large amounts of Motrin.

"Huh," said Chavez when shown the bottle of the pain reliever. "So you're only supposed to take six tablets in any 24 hour period, eh? Well, I took twenty. But I'm not fully convinced that my butt is hemorrhaging because I don't bother to read labels. I still think Batwing probed me or something."

--JCK