Expedition GeForce #1 for Fifth Time, First Time Since 2005 !

Note: Scroll to the bottom for links to the results for all 400+ steel roller coasters in the poll.

   'Expedition GeForce' has been in the top three steel coasters of each poll conducted since it was first included in the 2001 Poll.
This is the fifth time that Holiday Park's Intamin Steelie has finished in the top spot of the poll, but this is the first year that it has 
finished ahead of #2 'Bizarro' since 2005.  'Expedition GeForce' has also finished #2 four times and #3 twice.

   2012 #2 Six Flags New England's 'Bizarro', still holds the record for most times at #1 with seven.   Either 'Bizarro' or 
'Expedition GeForce' have topped the poll every year since they debuted together in the poll in 2001.  This is even more
remarkable when you consider that only 14 of the top 50 steel coasters even existed in 2001.  This year, mutual riders of the 
top two rides chose 'Expedition GeForce' 21 to 16 over 'Bizarro'.

   'Favorite Wood Coaster' would have finished #1 this year if it were included in the official results, winning all comparisons.  
Riders of #2 'Bizarro' preferred their 'Favorite Wood Coaster' over Bizarro by a 70 to 28 margin.  The European flavored 
'Favorite Wood Coaster' had a closer call, preferred to 'Expedition GeForce' by a much narrower 35 to 32 margin.  

   Six of the top eleven steel coasters were in the Top 10 last year.  Four of the newcomers to the Top 10 are new to the poll this
year: 'New Texas Giant' finished an impressive #3 in its debut in the Steel Poll,  Port Aventura's 'Shambhala' debuted at #6, 
Hersheypark's 'Skyrush' is the #7 steel coaster in the world, and 'Mega-Lite' finally managed enough riders taking the poll this year
to be included in the official results and finished tied for #9.  'Maverick' (which debuted at #10 in 2007) is back in the Top 10 at #9 (tied).

   'New Texas Giant' nearly finished even higher,  losing the mutual rider comparison to 'Bizarro' by a tight 19 to 17 margin.  

   It is interesting to note that 'Texas Giant' finished #2 in the 1994 Wooden Coaster Poll and #1 in the first poll conducted in 1993 
as a wooden roller coaster before falling over the years to as low as #99.

   'Intimidator 305' finished strong at #4 in its second poll, dropping one spot due to the debut of 'New Texas Giant'.   In the very 
close mutual rider comparison between these two, 16 preferred 'New Texas Giant' while 14 preferred 'Intimidator 305'.

   Tobu Zoo's 'Kawasemi' rounds out this year's Top 5.   'Kawasemi' has finished in the Top 10 in each of its four years in the poll, 
twice finishing as high as fourth.

   Although #6 'Shambhala' had 47 riders take the poll, the majority of those riders had limited track records which caused it to 
have valid mutual rider comparisons with only 243 other coasters.  By contrast, 'Kawasemi' had only 16 riders take the poll but 
they were more experienced, giving 'Kawasemi' valid mutual rider comparisons with 348 other coasters.   'Shambhala' and 
'Kawasemi' had no mutual riders take the poll.   It will be interesting to see where 'Shambhala' ranks after it has been ridden 
by more experienced riders in years to come.

   #7 'Skyrush' lost a close 3 to 2 mutual rider comparison to #6 'Shambhala'.    

   Mirabilandia's 'iSpeed' climbed two spots to a best ever #8 finish this year.

   Mirabilandia's 'Katun' repeated at #9 this year (tied).   That makes seven straight Top 10's for Mirabilandia's 'other' coaster. 

   Also in the 3-way tie for 9th are Happy Valley Song's 'Mega-Lite' and Cedar Point's 'Maverick'.   Each of these three had a nearly
identical winning percentage and split mutual rider comparisons with the other two.   "Katun' was preferred to 'Mega-Lite' 3 to 2,
'Maverick' was preferred to 'Katun' 12 to 7,  and 'Mega-Lite' was preferred to 'Maverick' 4 to 1.

   Maverick's result is interesting for a couple of reasons.  It is swimming against the tide of time and newer coasters in that it has
moved up several spots in each of the last two polls.   Also, this is the first year that 'Maverick' is the top rated coaster at Cedar Point. 

   Canada's Wonderland's 'Leviathan' also deserves mention, as it makes its debut at #18 in the World.

   Falling out of the top 10 this year were 'Nemesis', 'Piraten', 'Millennium Force', and Walibi Holland's 'Goliath'.  
   
   Rides were required to have 10 riders take the poll in order to be included in the official results.   To see where rides with 
fewer than 10 people who rated them would have finished based on their few riders are listed in the Detailed Results 
and their mutual rider comparisons are listed in the Mutual Rider Spreadsheet.  

   549 ballots were received this year.  Thank You to everyone who voted.  



    The following chart shows the mutual rider comparisons for the top steel roller coasters.  
Preferences are listed for the people who rode each pair of coasters.  The chart should
be read from left to right along the line for each of the top coasters listed at the left.  For instance, it can 
be seen that #1 Expedition GeForce won the comparison with #2 Bizarro by a 21 to 16 margin.

NOTE: the order they are listed in the spreadsheet is not necessarily the official order of finish.


Note: Scroll to the bottom for links to the mutual rider comparisons for all 400+ steel roller coasters in the poll.

Note that any links below that are not yet active will become active as I have time to complete them.