Wood Coaster Madness

ALL ROUND 3 BRACKETS NOW OPEN FOR VOTING!

The round three ballot (which includes all the round 3 match-ups in all four brackets) is now available for your voting pleasure. Voting will remain open in these brackets until at least 5:00pm EDT on Monday, April 30. As always, the voting procedure (which hasn't changed any throughout the tournament) can be found among the first day's postings to the tournament blog. Click here (link deactivated due to voting being closed) to go to the round three ballot.

NORTHEAST AND INTERNATIONAL BRACKETS ROUND TWO RESULTS

Voting is now closed in round two of the Northeast and International brackets. For each match-up, the "non-qualified" votes were thrown out and the percentages calculated based on the total number of votes that both coasters received. Winning rides are in bold. Here's how the voting went:

NORTHEAST

1. Boulder Dash, Lake Compounce, CT (94%)
16. Wildcat, Hersheypark, PA (6%)

5. J2, Clementon Lake, NJ (13%)
9. Twister, Knoebel's, PA (87%)

4. Comet, Great Escape, NY (44%)
13. Jack Rabbit, Kennywood, PA (56%)

6. Lightning Racer, Hersheypark, PA (62%)
10. Silver Comet, Martin's Fantasy Island, NY (38%)

3. Phoenix, Knoebel's, PA (89%)
8. Wild One, Six Flags America, MD (11%)

12. Excalibur, Funtown/Splashtown USA, ME (29%)
19. Racer, Kennywood, PA (71%)

7. Cyclone, Astroland, NY (53%)
11. Thunderbolt, Kennywood, PA (47%)

2. El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure, NJ (64%)
15. Blue Streak, Conneaut Lake Park, PA (36%)

INTERNATIONAL

1. Balder, Liseberg, Sweden (100%)
9. Falken, Farup Sommerland, Denmark (0%)

4. Megafobia, Oakwood, Wales (38%)
8. Thundercoaster, Tusenfryd, Norway (62%)

5. Grand National, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England (100%)
20. Roller Coaster, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England (0%)

11. Wild Mouse, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England (80%)
18. Big Dipper, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England (20%)

6. Colossos, Heide Park, Germany (100%)
13. Robin Hood, Walibi World, Netherlands (0%)

7. Tonnerre de Zeus, Parc Asterix, France (40%)
12. Stampida, Port Aventura, Spain (60%)

3. Coaster, PNE Fairgrounds/Playland, Canada (100%)
19. Serpiente de Fuego, La Feria, Mexico (0%)

2. Aska, Nara Dreamland, Japan (100%)
14. Regina, Tobu Zoo, Japan (0%)

ANALYSIS

Analysis may be forthcoming if/when I feel up to it, which I don't right now. The only thing I will note immediately is that the four top seeds in each bracket have all survived...until now. The 4-seeded Great Escape Comet lost to the 13-seeded Kennywood Jack Rabbit (by two votes) and the 4-seeded Megafobia lost to the 8-seeded Thundercoaster (also by two votes).

NORTHEAST ROUND THREE MATCH-UPS

1. Boulder Dash, Lake Compounce, CT
9. Twister, Knoebel's, PA

6. Lightning Racer, Hersheypark, PA
13. Jack Rabbit, Kennywood, PA

3. Phoenix, Knoebel's, PA
19. Racer, Kennywood, PA

2. El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure, NJ
7. Cyclone, Astroland, NY

INTERNATIONAL ROUND THREE MATCH-UPS

1. Balder, Liseberg, Sweden
8. Thundercoaster, Tusenfryd, Norway

5. Grand National, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England
11. Wild Mouse, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England

6. Colossos, Heide Park, Germany
12. Stampida, Port Aventura, Spain

2. Aska, Nara Dreamland, Japan
3. Coaster, PNE Fairgrounds/Playland, Canada

MIDWEST / SOUTH AND WEST BRACKETS ROUND TWO RESULTS

Voting is now closed in round two of the Midwest / South and West brackets. For each match-up, the "non-qualified" votes were thrown out and the percentages calculated based on the total number of votes that both coasters received. Winning rides are in bold. Here's how the voting went:

MIDWEST / SOUTH

1. The Voyage, Holiday World, IN (95%)
17. Blue Streak, Cedar Point, OH (5%)

5. Rampage, Visionland, AL (64%)
9. Screechin' Eagle, LeSourdsville Lake, OH (36%)

4. Raven, Holiday World, IN (85%)
13. The Grizzly, Kings Dominion, VA (15%)

6. Kentucky Rumbler, Beech Bend, KY (47%)
10. Cornball Express, Indiana Beach, IN (53%)

3. Thunderhead, Dollywood, TN (89%)
8. The Legend, Holiday World, IN (11%)

12. Georgia Cyclone, Six Flags Over Georgia, GA (63%)
14. Thunder Run, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, KY (37%)

7. Dania Beach Hurricane, Boomers, FL (73%)
11. Viper, Six Flags Great America, IL (27%)

2. Shivering Timbers, Michigan's Adventure, MI (100%)
15. The Beast, Kings Island, OH (0%)

WEST

1. Tremors, Silverwood, ID (90%)
17. Outlaw, Adventureland, IA (10%)

5. Timber Terror, Silverwood, ID (31%)
9. Giant Dipper, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, CA (69%)

4. Ozark Wildcat, Celebration City, MO (78%)
13. Roar, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, CA (22%)

6. New Mexico Rattler, Cliff's, NM (57%)
10. Cyclops, Mount Olympus, WI (43%)

3. Avalanche, Timber Falls, WI (64%)
8. Cyclone, Lakeside, CO (36%)

14. The Legend, Arnolds Park, IA (64%)
21. Screamin' Eagle, Six Flags St. Louis, MO (36%)

7. GhostRider, Knott's Berry Farm, CA (67%)
11. Texas Giant, Six Flags Over Texas, TX (33%)

2. Hades, Mount Olympus, WI (94%)
18. Zeus, Mount Olympus, WI (6%)


ANALYSIS

Well, first of all, voter turn-out was poor. After getting more than 100 votes in round one of each of these brackets, only 32 votes were cast in round two. Moreover, it appears that some votes went unregistered by the ballot's hosting site, as the total number of votes in each match-up (including the "not qualified" votes) aren't adding up to 32. As a result, I'll be looking into another polling site to host round three. If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment on this posting. When/if I do find such a site, you all have to do your part and show up! I want to see at least 70 or 80 votes in round three (which will probably be up and running this weekend) or there may not be a round four. 'Nuff said about that.

Now let us turn our attention to round two of the Midwest / South bracket. There was one upset in the bracket, as the 10-seeded Cornball Express defeated the 6-seeded Kentucky Rumbler by ONE VOTE! Every vote makes a difference, and this match-up proves it. It was clear that it was a difficult decision for many, pitting a unique ride with good airtime and PTCs against a speedy twister with Millennium Flyers.

One ride advanced by a unanimous vote, and it was a little surprising.... The 2-seeded Shivering Timbers swept the 15-seeded Beast. Knowing what a following The Beast has, I'm surprised one or two of its hardcore fans didn't find their way to the ballot. Even so, it would have been no match for the much-lauded Timbers, but it wouldn't have been a shutout. The Voyage, on the other hand, suffered its first vote against it, as one person chose the 17-seeded Cedar Point Blue Streak over the ride that is most likely to win it all. Despite this slight blemish, The Voyage has beaten its first two opponents by a combined vote of 135-1.

Other blowouts included the 4-seeded Raven over the 13-seeded KD Grizzly, the 7-seeded Dania Beach Hurricane over the 11-seeded SFGAm Viper, and the 3-seeded Thunderhead over the 8-seeded Legend (handing Holiday World its first defeat of the tournament).

As for the two remaining match-ups in the bracket, the 9-seeded SBNO Screechin' Eagle fell five votes short of upsetting the 5-seeded Rampage and the 14-seeded Thunder Run lost to the 12-seeded Georgia Cyclone by the same margin.

In round two of the West bracket, there was also one upset. The 9-seeded Santa Cruz Giant Dipper beat the 5-seeded Silverwood Timber Terror by five votes. Personally, I think Timber Terror is the better ride and I'll take PTCs over Morgans any day, but there's much to be said for the charming seaside atmosphere of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. While Giant Dipper isn't a favorite of mine, SCBB is a favorite park, so I can see sentiment for the park boosting the coaster's prestige.

As expected, the 1 and 2 seeds were blowouts...no unanimous votes, but there was only one vote for each opposing coaster in these match-ups. It was 1-seeded Tremors over 17-seeded Outlaw by a 9-1 margin and the 2-seeded Hades defiantly smacking down his boss, 18-seeded Zeus, 16-1.

As for close match-ups, 6-seeded New Mexico Rattler squeaked by Cyclops by a single vote (though by rule, a tie would have been ruled a win for the NM Rattler, as it was the higher seed). There were also three matches where five unanswered votes for the underdog would have led to an upset: the 3-seeded Avalanche over the 8-seeded Lakeside Cyclone, the 14-seeded Arnolds Park Legend over the 21-seeded Screamin' Eagle, and the 7-seeded GhostRider over the 11-seeded Texas Giant. The 4-seeded Ozark Wildcat's 7-2 win over Roar (west) rounded out the match-ups in the West.

With that, half of the match-ups for round three are set. The winners in round two of the International and Northeast brackets will join the following on the next ballot:

MIDWEST / SOUTH ROUND THREE MATCH-UPS

1. The Voyage, Holiday World, IN
5. Rampage, Visionland, AL

4. Raven, Holiday World, IN
10. Cornball Express, Indiana Beach, IN

3. Thunderhead, Dollywood, TN
12. Georgia Cyclone, Six Flags Over Georgia, GA

2. Shivering Timbers, Michigan's Adventure, MI
7. Dania Beach Hurricane, Boomers, FL

WEST ROUND THREE MATCH-UPS

1. Tremors, Silverwood, ID
9. Giant Dipper, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, CA

4. Ozark Wildcat, Celebration City, MO
6. New Mexico Rattler, Cliff's, NM

3. Avalanche, Timber Falls, WI
14. The Legend, Arnolds Park, IA

2. Hades, Mount Olympus, WI
7. GhostRider, Knott's Berry Farm, CA

NORTHEAST AND INTERNATIONAL ROUND 2 BRACKETS NOW OPEN FOR VOTING!

The Northeast and International brackets round 2 ballot is now available for your voting pleasure. Voting will remain open in these brackets until at least 11:59pm EDT on Friday, April 20. As always, the voting procedure (which hasn't changed any throughout the tournament) can be found among the first day's postings to the tournament blog. Click here (link deactivated due to voting being closed) to go to the Northeast and International brackets round 2 ballot.

INTERNATIONAL BRACKET ROUND ONE RESULTS

Voting is now closed in round one of the International bracket. For each match-up, the "non-qualified" votes were thrown out and the percentages calculated based on the total number of votes that both coasters received. Winning rides are in bold. Here's how the voting went:

1. Balder, Liseberg, Sweden (100%)
23. Vuoristorata, Linnamaki Park, Finland (0%)

9. Falken, Farup Sommerland, Denmark (87%)
15. Rutschebanen, Bakken, Denmark (13%)

8. Thundercoaster, Tusenfryd, Norway (83%)
17. Rutschebanen, Tivoli Gardens, Denmark (17%)

4. Megafobia, Oakwood, Wales (89%)
29. Scenic Railway, Dreamland, England (11%)

16. King Solomons Mines, Pleasureland Southport, England (38%)
20. Roller Coaster, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England (62%)

5. Grand National, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England (94%)
31. Runaway Coaster, Rotunda, England (6%)

11. Wild Mouse, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England (95%)
22. Roller Coaster, Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, England (5%)

18. Big Dipper, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England (78%)
25. Cyclone, Pleasureland Southport, England (22%)

6. Colossos, Heide Park, Germany (100%)
32. Sierra Tonante, Mirabilandia Park, Italy (0%)

10. Loup Garou, Walibi Belgium, Belgium (40%)
13. Robin Hood, Walibi World, Netherlands (60%)

7. Tonnerre de Zeus, Parc Asterix, France (82%)
30. Hochschaubahn, Prater Park, Austria (18%)

12. Stampida, Port Aventura, Spain (60%)
21. Le Monstre, La Ronde, Canada (40%)

3. Coaster, PNE Fairgrounds/Playland, Canada (82%)
27. Mighty Canadian Mine Buster, Canada's Wonderland, Canada (18%)

19. Serpiente de Fuego, La Feria, Mexico (71%)
24. Wilde Beast, Canada's Wonderland, Canada (29%)

14. Regina, Tobu Zoo, Japan (100%)
26. Elf, Hirakata Park, Japan (0%)

2. Aska, Nara Dreamland, Japan (100%)
28. White Cyclone, Nagashima Spaland, Japan (0%)


ANALYSIS

With only 33 total votes in the bracket at the close of voting, the International bracket is a division where every vote counted. Even so, most match-ups were blowouts in spite of the relatively smaller sample size. 13 out of the 16 rides defeated in the bracket received two votes or less, with four of them getting shut out.

Unanimous victories came in the 1 vs. 23-seed, where top-seeded Balder blanked Vuoristorata (a Finnish ride that's now finished in the tournament [groan]); the 6 vs. 32-seed where Colossos pitched a 13-vote to nothing shut out (the biggest shut out in the bracket) against bottom-seeded Sierra Tonante; the 14 vs. 26-seed where Regina scored a 5-0 victory over Elf; and the 2 vs. 28-seed where Aska defeated White Cyclone by the same margin.

The widest total margin of victory in the bracket was 18 votes, which came in the 11 vs. 22 seed match-up (ironically, one of the three match-ups that was not altered to make the International bracket more accessible to voters). The 11-seeded Blackpool Pleasure Beach Wild Mouse beat the 22-seeded Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach Roller Coaster 19 votes to one (and if I'm not mistaken, I believe I may represent the sole dissenting vote...I know for sure it was a tough decision for me).

There were only two upsets in the bracket. The 16-seeded King Solomons Mines was upended by the 20-seeded BPB Roller Coaster by a 5:3 margin. I personally liked Southport's King Solomons Mines better than BPB's Wild Mouse (more airtime, IMO), but the people have spoken and the wooden mouse that's still operating moves on. The other upset came in the BenNeLux title fight between 10-seeded Loup Garou and 13-seeded Robin Hood. The Dutch leader of merry men vanquished the Belgian werewolf, nine votes to six.

Of note is the fact that every Blackpool Pleasure Beach coaster in the tournament won its match-up. Seeing as Megaphobia is in Wales, the four BPB rides are also the only English coasters left in the tournament. They will face off against each other in the next round, and the remaining two will go at it in the round after that, meaning one (and only one) of the four will make it to the Sweet 16.

The only other exceedingly close match-up worth comment was in the 12 vs. 21-seed, which pitted Spain's Stampida against Quebec's Le Monstre. It took a long time for this match-up to receive any votes, due to the geography of the competitors. When all was said and done, five people came forward claiming that they rode both coasters, with three of them going for Stampida and two of them choosing Le Monstre. It's actually fortunate, from a tournament perspective, that Stampida won, as the winner in this match-up was destined to face Tonnerre de Zeus in the next round. I suspect more people have ridden both of those coasters than have ridden Le Monstre and TdZ, so it should make for some good voting. For the full story of what is to come, have a preview look at the...

INTERNATIONAL BRACKET ROUND TWO MATCH-UPS

1. Balder, Liseberg, Sweden
9. Falken, Farup Sommerland, Denmark

4. Megafobia, Oakwood, Wales
8. Thundercoaster, Tusenfryd, Norway

5. Grand National, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England
20. Roller Coaster, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England

11. Wild Mouse, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England
18. Big Dipper, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, England

6. Colossos, Heide Park, Germany
13. Robin Hood, Walibi World, Netherlands

7. Tonnerre de Zeus, Parc Asterix, France
12. Stampida, Port Aventura, Spain

3. Coaster, PNE Fairgrounds/Playland, Canada
19. Serpiente de Fuego, La Feria, Mexico

2. Aska, Nara Dreamland, Japan
14. Regina, Tobu Zoo, Japan

# posted by Jason @ 2:00 AM 0 comments

MIDWEST / SOUTH AND WEST ROUND 2 BRACKETS NOW OPEN FOR VOTING!

The Midwest / South and West brackets round 2 ballot is now available for your voting pleasure. Voting will remain open in this bracket until at least 11:59pm EDT on Thursday, April 19. As always, the voting procedure can be found among the first day's postings to the tournament blog. Click here (link deactivated due to voting being closed) to go to the Midwest / South and West brackets round 2 ballot.

NORTHEAST BRACKET ROUND ONE RESULTS

Voting is now closed in round one of the Northeast bracket. For each match-up, the "non-qualified" votes were thrown out and the percentages calculated based on the total number of votes that both coasters received. Winning rides are in bold. Here's how the voting went:

1. Boulder Dash, Lake Compounce, CT (96%)
32. Dragon Coaster, (Rye) Playland, NY (4%)

16. Wildcat, Hersheypark, PA (68%)
17. Roar, Six Flags America, MD (32%)

5. J2, Clementon Lake, NJ (56%)
28. Jack Rabbit, Seabreeze, NY (44%)

9. Twister, Knoebel's, PA (76%)
24. Comet, Hersheypark, PA (24%)

4. Comet, Great Escape, NY (84%)
29. Sky Princess, Dutch Wonderland, PA (16%)

13. Jack Rabbit, Kennywood, PA (73%)
20. Cyclone, Six Flags New England, MA (27%)

10. Silver Comet, Martin's Fantasy Island, NY (74%)
23. Thunderbolt, Six Flags New England, MA (26%)

6. Lightning Racer, Hersheypark, PA (92%)
27. Rollo Coaster, Idlewild, PA (8%)

8. Wild One, Six Flags America, MD (73%)
25. Leap the Dips, Lakemont, PA (27%)

3. Phoenix, Knoebel's, PA (100%)
30. Big Dipper, Camden Park, WV (0%)

14. Yankee Cannonball, Canobie Lake Park, NH (37%)
19. Racer, Kennywood, PA (63%)

12. Excalibur, Funtown/Splashtown USA, ME (57%)
21. Skyliner, Lakemont, PA (43%)

11. Thunderbolt, Kennywood, PA (74%)
22. Thunderhawk, Dorney Park, PA (26%)

7. Cyclone, Astroland, NY (76%)
26. Wildcat, Lake Compounce, CT (24%)

15. Blue Streak, Conneaut Lake Park, PA (60%)
18. Great White, Morey’s Piers, NJ (40%)

2. El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure, NJ (84%)
31. Cyclone, Williams Grove, PA (16%)


ANALYSIS

After a wild West bracket, things settled down quite a bit in the Northeast, with only one upset and three near-upsets. The upset came in the 14 vs. 19 seed, where the Canobie Lake Yankee Cannonball fell to the Kennywood Racer by 11 votes (better than a 3:2 margin). The Yankee Cannonball is perhaps the more thrilling ride, but with Kennywood generally considered the better park and the "fun factor" of the Racer, it was enough to pull off the victory.

There were three close calls for top seeds in match-ups as well. First the 15-seeded Conneaut Lake Blue Streak won by just nine votes over the 18-seeded Great White in Wildwood, NJ. 12-seeded Excalibur was in a neck-and-neck race with the 21-seeded Lakemont Skyliner. Early on, an upset was looking possible, if not probable. In the end, though, Excalibur pulled away by five votes and was ultimately preferred by nearly a 3:2 margin. The biggest surprise was the 5-seeded J2 (a Jack Rabbit sequel) having to fight off advances from an original Jack Rabbit, the 28-seeded ride at Seabreeze in NY. It should have been a mismatch, but the high-seeded J2 ended up winning by just four votes. I guess what some call "intense" others think of as "rough," and vote accordingly.

Interestingly, the match-up most likely to yield an upset didn't for the first time so far this tournament. The 16-seeded Hersheypark Wildcat defeated its 17-seeded GCI sibling Roar (east) by 21 votes (better than a 2:1 margin). Both rides have not aged well, but perhaps a general preference for Hersheypark over SFA combined with anticipation for Wildcat's forthcoming new trains made an upset too much of an uphill battle for Roar to handle.

The bracket had its fair share of blowouts, the most impressive of which was the 3-seeded Knoebels Phoenix 44-vote to nothing sweep over the Camden Park Big Dipper. Either there's a lot of anti-Big Dipper sentiment or Phoenix is looking like a strong contender to make it to the Sweet 16 or perhaps even the Elite 8. Other thrashings included 1-seeded Boulder Dash's dismantling of the 32-seeded Rye Dragon Coaster by a 25:1 margin, the 4-seeded Great Escape Comet's better than 5:1 margin of victory over the 29-seeded Sky Princess, the 6-seeded Hersheypark Lightning Racer's thumping of the 27-seeded Idlewild Rollo Coaster by better than a 12:1 margin, and the 2-seeded El Toro's better than 5:1 margin of victory over the SBNO 31-seeded Williams Grove Cyclone.

Other interesting match-ups included a battle between two coasters that originally opened in 1927: the 7-seeded Coney Island Cyclone vs. the 26-seeded Lake Compounce Wildcat. In the early going, it was looking like there might be an upset as the Wildcat was nearly dead even with "the granddaddy of them all." Respect for the Cyclone won the day, in the end, as it actually ended up on top by better than 3:1.

The 11 vs. 22-seed match-up was a battle of Pennsylvania thunder, that being the higher-seeded Kennywood Thunderbolt taking on the lower-seeded Dorney Park Thunderhawk. Unlike the Wildcat, Thunderhawk never even got close in the early going. Thunderbolt won by nearly a 3:1 margin.

Both of Six Flags New England's entries went "one and done" in the tournament (though admittedly, both were underdogs going in). The 13-seeded Jack Rabbit made it a clean sweep for the Kennywoodies downing the 20-seeded SFNE Cyclone and the 10-seeded Silver Comet disposed of the 23-seeded SFNE Thunderbolt. Both victories came by a nearly 3:1 margin.

In the "just-for-fun" bonus question asking which new-for-2007 wood coaster voters were most looking forward to riding, it was really no contest. The Knoebels Flying Turns got more than half the votes (41 in total). Since I'm in the majority on this, I dare say most of you have good taste. In the end, Renegade and Boardwalk Bullet were nearly tied for second place with 17 and 16 votes respectively. One can only wonder how these coasters will fare if I decide to hold another edition of Wood Coaster Madness sometime down the road.... In case you were wondering, five of you were either looking forward to another ride more than any of these three or had no opinion on the issue.

Of note is the fact that eight of the 15 rides in Pennsylvania represented in the bracket have advanced to round two--not bad considering that three of the match-ups put PA rides up against each other. Even more remarkable is the fact that none of the eight rides to advance will face each other in round two, meaning that the final eight rides in the bracket may all be from the state of Pennsylvania. This, alas, is doubtful, as six of the eight rides to advance are underdogs in their round two match-ups. See for yourself in a preview look at the....


NORTHEAST BRACKET ROUND TWO MATCH-UPS

1. Boulder Dash, Lake Compounce, CT
16. Wildcat, Hersheypark, PA

5. J2, Clementon Lake, NJ
9. Twister, Knoebel's, PA

4. Comet, Great Escape, NY
13. Jack Rabbit, Kennywood, PA

6. Lightning Racer, Hersheypark, PA
10. Silver Comet, Martin's Fantasy Island, NY

3. Phoenix, Knoebel's, PA
8. Wild One, Six Flags America, MD

12. Excalibur, Funtown/Splashtown USA, ME
19. Racer, Kennywood, PA

7. Cyclone, Astroland, NY
11. Thunderbolt, Kennywood, PA

2. El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure, NJ
15. Blue Streak, Conneaut Lake Park, PA

WEST BRACKET ROUND ONE RESULTS

Voting is now closed in round one of the West bracket. For each match-up, the "non-qualified" votes were thrown out and the percentages calculated based on the total number of votes that both coasters received. Winning rides are in bold. Here's how the voting went:

1. Tremors, Silverwood, ID (85%)
32. Wildcat, Frontier City, OK (15%)

16. Mega Zeph, Six Flags New Orleans, LA (44%)
17. Outlaw, Adventureland, IA (56%)

5. Timber Terror, Silverwood, ID (79%)
28. High Roller, Valleyfair!, MN (21%)

9. Giant Dipper, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, CA (85%)
24. Arkansas Twister, Magic Springs, AR (15%)

4. Ozark Wildcat, Celebration City, MO (78%)
29. Timberhawk, Enchanted Village, WA (22%)

13. Roar, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, CA (51%)
20. Giant Dipper, Belmont Park, CA (49%)

10. Cyclops, Mount Olympus, WI (70%)
23. Judge Roy Scream, Six Flags Over Texas, TX (30%)

6. New Mexico Rattler, Cliff's, NM (78%)
27. Zippin' Pippin, Libertyland, TN (22%)

8. Cyclone, Lakeside, CO (82%)
25. Tornado, Adventureland, IA (18%)

3. Avalanche, Timber Falls, WI (91%)
30. Roller Coaster, Lagoon, UT (9%)

14. The Legend, Arnolds Park, IA (52%)
19. Timber Wolf, Worlds of Fun, MO (48%)

12. Roller Coaster, Puyallup/Western Washington Fair, WA (38%)
21. Screamin' Eagle, Six Flags St. Louis, MO (62%)

11. Texas Giant, Six Flags Over Texas, TX (57%)
22. The Boss, Six Flags St. Louis, MO (43%)

7. GhostRider, Knott's Berry Farm, CA (91%)
26. Roller Coaster, Joyland, KS (9%)

15. Zingo, Bell's, OK (30%)
18. Zeus, Mount Olympus, WI (70%)

2. Hades, Mount Olympus, WI (89%)
31. Rattler, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, TX (11%)


ANALYSIS

The West bracket yielded more interesting results than did the Midwest / South bracket. Let's start with the three upsets. In the ever-unstable 16 vs. 17 seed match-up, the low seed pulled it out again as the Adventureland Outlaw beat the SBNO Mega Zeph by four votes (as you may note, the only upset in the Midwest / South bracket came in the 16 vs. 17 seed match-up). The second most likely match-up to yield an upset also did so, as the 18-seeded Zeus showed no mercy to 15-seeded fellow "Z" coaster Zingo. It wasn't even close...talk about kicking a ride while it's down, given Zingo's dismemberment at it's current location. The big shocker, though, came in the 12 vs. 21 seed match-up as the 12-seeded Puyallup Roller Coaster was sent packing in the first round at the hands of the Screamin' Eagle. Despite the fun factor and classic simplicity of it's trains, I guess Roller Coaster just couldn't overcome the fact that nobody can ever pronounce "Puyallup" correctly.

In addition to the three actual upsets, there were two more match-ups that came within three or less votes of becoming upsets number four and five in the West bracket. The 20-seeded Belmont Park Giant Dipper would have advanced with just two more votes over the 13-seeded Roar (west) and the 19-seeded Timber Wolf was just three votes away from knocking off the 14-seeded Arnolds Park Legend.

On top of that, the West bracket will likely go down as the only first round bracket in the tournament to not advance a coaster unanimously. In fact, the least number of votes any ride received in this bracket was four (the 30-seeded Lagoon Roller Coaster, which fell to the 3-seeded Timber Falls Avalanche).

All this would indicate that the West may be one of the most wide-open brackets in the tournament, perhaps prone to even more upsets going forward. On the other hand, there were a fair number of blowouts, mostly in the more uneven match-ups. Examples include the top-seeded Tremors beating the 32-seeded Frontier City Wildcat by a nearly 6:1 margin, the 9-seeded Santa Cruz Giant Dipper taking down the Arkansas Twister by a similar margin, the 7-seeded GhostRider destroying the 26-seeded Joyland Roller Coaster by nearly a 10:1 margin, and the 2-seeded Hades downing the 31-seeded Rattler by nearly an 8:1 margin.

Another notable match-up was the 11-seeded Texas Giant against the 22-seeded Boss. Texas Giant, which in its heyday was capable of being a number 1 coaster on many folks lists, had to hold off an aggressive attack by the Boss, a ride that many scorn for its poor trains and roughness. The Giant came out on top, but only by a margin of eight votes.

Another Six Flags Over Texas coaster, the 23-seeded Judge Roy Scream had been giving the 10-seeded Cyclops a run for its money in the early voting, but much like The Beast in the Midwest / South bracket, Cyclops pulled away, finally beating the Judge by a convincing 25-vote margin.

It's interesting to note that the state of Wisconson was added to the West bracket at the last minute in order to make the mathematics of this tournament feasible. It would seem to turn out that that addition has really strengthened the competition in the West, as all four Wisconsin coasters invited to compete won their first round battles with pretty impressive percentages (70% or better for each). That won't happen in round two, as inter-park rivals Zeus and Hades will go up against each other. This and other information follows in a preview look at the...

WEST BRACKET ROUND TWO MATCH-UPS

1. Tremors, Silverwood, ID
17. Outlaw, Adventureland, IA

5. Timber Terror, Silverwood, ID
9. Giant Dipper, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, CA

4. Ozark Wildcat, Celebration City, MO
13. Roar, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, CA

6. New Mexico Rattler, Cliff's, NM
10. Cyclops, Mount Olympus, WI

3. Avalanche, Timber Falls, WI
8. Cyclone, Lakeside, CO

14. The Legend, Arnolds Park, IA
21. Screamin' Eagle, Six Flags St. Louis, MO

7. GhostRider, Knott's Berry Farm, CA
11. Texas Giant, Six Flags Over Texas, TX

2. Hades, Mount Olympus, WI
18. Zeus, Mount Olympus, WI

MIDWEST / SOUTH BRACKET ROUND ONE RESULTS

Voting is now closed in round one of the Midwest / South bracket. For each match-up, the "non-qualified" votes were thrown out and the percentages calculated based on the total number of votes that both coasters received. Winning rides are in bold. Here's how the voting went:

1. The Voyage, Holiday World, IN (100%)
32. Twisted Twins, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, KY (0%)

16. Gwazi, Busch Gardens-Tampa, FL (47%)
17. Blue Streak, Cedar Point, OH (53%)

5. Rampage, Visionland, AL (73%)
28. Rebel Yell, Kings Dominion, VA (27%)

9. Screechin' Eagle, LeSourdsville Lake, OH (73%)
24. Starliner, Miracle Strip, FL (27%)

4. Raven, Holiday World, IN (91%)
29. Hurler, Kings Dominion, VA (9%)

13. The Grizzly, Kings Dominion, VA (76%)
20. Swamp Fox, Family Kingdom, SC (24%)

10. Cornball Express, Indiana Beach, IN (73%)
23. Great American Scream Machine, Six Flags Over Georgia, GA (27%)

6. Kentucky Rumbler, Beech Bend, KY (83%)
27. Racer, Kings Island, OH (17%)

8. The Legend, Holiday World, IN (85%)
25. The Villain, Geauga Lake, OH (15%)

3. Thunderhead, Dollywood, TN (93%)
30. American Eagle, Six Flags Great America, IL (7%)

14. Thunder Run, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, KY (63%)
19. Hoosier Hurricane, Indiana Beach, IN (37%)

12. Georgia Cyclone, Six Flags Over Georgia, GA (77%)
21. Cannonball, Lake Winnepesaukah, GA (23%)

11. Viper, Six Flags Great America, IL (71%)
22. Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain, Indiana Beach, IN (29%)

7. Dania Beach Hurricane, Boomers, FL (86%)
26. Tornado, Stricker's Grove, OH (14%)

15. The Beast, Kings Island, OH (64%)
18. Big Dipper, Geauga Lake, OH (36%)

2. Shivering Timbers, Michigan's Adventure, MI (88%)
31. Thunder Road, Carowinds, NC (12%)

ANALYSIS

Unlike the other brackets in which some interesting upsets appear to be in the offing, the Midwest / South Bracket voting went pretty much as expected. The only upset in the bracket was in the pairing most likely to generate one, the 16 vs. 17 seed match-up, where the Cedar Point Blue Streak was narrowly voted better than either track on Gwazi. Even so, at 53%-47%, it was narrowest margin of victory in the bracket.

What was most definitely not a narrow victory was the 1-seeded Voyage's 114 vote to nothing destruction of Twisted Twins. The Voyage, the winner in Mitch's poll, is favored to win it all. If this tune-up against a ride that was, admittedly, on the bubble for getting into this tournament is any indicator, only a Sanjaya-esque pro-mediocrity campaign will likely stop it from taking home the (virtual) trophy in this tournament.

I guess whether CCI or GCI, the dueling coasters can't catch a break....

Other runaways included the 4-seeded Raven taking down the 29-seeded KD Hurler by better than a 10:1 margin, it's 6-seeded Holiday World neighbor The Legend defeating the 27-seeded Villain by nearly a 6:1 margin, the 3-seeded Thunderhead over the 29-seeded American Eagle by a better than 14:1 margin, and the 2-seeded Shivering Timbers earning it's high seeding by thwacking the lowly 31-seeded Thunder Road by a little better than a 7:1 margin (though not the unanimous outcome that was seen in the 1 vs. 32 seed).

The 9 vs. 24 seed match-up was a battle of rides not currently operating--the LeSourdsville Lake Screechin' Eagle vs. the Miracle Strip Starliner. Starliner made it close early, but the best woodie in Ohio (IMO) beat the soon-to-be central FL ride by almost a 3:1 margin.

Another interesting match-up was the all-Georgia competition between the 12-seeded Georgia Cyclone and the 21-seeded Lake Winnie Cannonball. While I personally voted in the minority, citing more comfortable trains and a nice traditional park setting as offsetting any benefits of the more thrilling but less comfortable (and more corporate) Georgia Cyclone, the majority of you sent the Georgia Cyclone into the next round by better than a 3:1 margin. With it's park neighbor The Great American Scream Machine soundly defeated by Cornball Express by nearly as wide a margin (and the Wild Adventures Cheetah not even being invited to the big dance), it will be the sole representative for the state of Georgia in round two.

The 7 vs. 26 seed battle placed two hard-to-get-to coasters up against each other. One is in extreme southern Florida and the other is at a park that's only open to the public two or three days a year. While I dare say that Stricker's Grove has a much better atmosphere than Boomers, the Dania Beach Hurricane is the much better ride. At least I think so, and most of you do as well, since it won by a better than 6:1 margin.

Lastly, the 15-seeded Beast, which was in a dead heat and even trailing by a vote or two briefly to the 18-seeded Geauga Lake Big Dipper pulled away big time by voting's end, winning the match-up 73 votes to 41 (personally, I was rather rooting for the upset there, but so it goes). The Beast has it's fan base, it's clear, but in the next round it'll be up against the 2-seeded Shivering Timbers. Can it pull off the huge upset? Your votes will decide that.

Hey, what a nice segue into this preview look at the...

MIDWEST / SOUTH BRACKET ROUND TWO MATCH-UPS

1. The Voyage, Holiday World, IN
17. Blue Streak, Cedar Point, OH

5. Rampage, Visionland, AL
9. Screechin' Eagle, LeSourdsville Lake, OH

4. Raven, Holiday World, IN
13. The Grizzly, Kings Dominion, VA

6. Kentucky Rumbler, Beech Bend, KY
10. Cornball Express, Indiana Beach, IN

3. Thunderhead, Dollywood, TN
8. The Legend, Holiday World, IN

12. Georgia Cyclone, Six Flags Over Georgia, GA
14. Thunder Run, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, KY

7. Dania Beach Hurricane, Boomers, FL
11. Viper, Six Flags Great America, IL

2. Shivering Timbers, Michigan's Adventure, MI
15. The Beast, Kings Island, OH

INTERNATIONAL BRACKET NOW OPEN FOR VOTING!

The International bracket ballot (for which the revised version was implemented) is now available for your voting pleasure. Voting will remain open in this bracket until at least 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, April 14. As always, the voting procedure (which hasn't changed any from the previous three brackets) can be found among the first day's postings to the tournament blog. Click here (link deactivated due to voting being closed) to go to the International bracket ballot.

Please vote in an as many match-ups as you are qualified to vote in in each bracket. Hurry, though -- the Midwest / South bracket closes voting on Monday, April 9 at 11:59pm EDT (or very shortly thereafter).

NORTHEAST BRACKET NOW OPEN FOR VOTING!

Yup, the Northeast bracket is officially up and running, and will remain so until at least 11:59pm EDT on Thursday, April 12. Hopefully, everyone knows the voting procedure by now. If not, you'll find it in the batch of postings from March 27. If so, click here (link deactivated due to voting now being closed) to pick your favorites in the Northeast bracket. As usual, vote only in those match-ups in which you have ridden BOTH coasters featured.

Also, this is your last chance for comment on the proposed revisions to the International bracket. Barring the presentation of any compelling reason to stick with the original configuration, I will implement the revised version when I post it in a few days.

Happy voting to all!