Sunday, April 15, 2007
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
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 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 
