Boulder Dash (roller coaster)

Boulder Dash
Lake Compounce
Coordinates	41°38′21″N 72°55′28″W / 41.639187°N 72.924540°WCoordinates: 41°38′21″N 72°55′28″W / 41.639187°N 72.924540°W
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.

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 and is expected to run them on the Boulder Dash 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
Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
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]

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best wood-Tracked Roller Coaster[19]
Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Ranking	5	3	2	4	2	3	5	6	4	4	3	3	4	4

NAPHA Survey: Favorite Wood Roller Coaster[20]
Year	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Ranking	2 (tie)[21]	-	-	-	-

References

1. Boulder Dash (Lake Compounce)
2. "Boulder Dash". Compounce Lake.com. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
3. "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
4. "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
5. "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
6. "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
7. "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 10–11B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
8. "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 22–23B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
9. "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 30–31B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
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 24, 2015.
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 24, 2015.
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 24, 2015.
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 24, 2015.
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 24, 2015.
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 24, 2015.
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 24, 2015.
17. "2014 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 18 (6.2): 38–39. September 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
18. "2015 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today 19 (6.2): 45–46. September 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
19. Hawker, Mitch. "Wooden Roller Coaster Poll 20 Year Results Table (1994–2013)". Best Roller Coaster Poll. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
20. Surveys - National Amusement Park Historical Association
21. Tied with The Beast

External links

• Boulder Dash Article and Photos