One might think of roller coasters as uniquely American, but they are actually a Russian invention dating back to the early 1800s, when wooden tracks would send sleds down ice hills during harsh winters. Today, coasters are thrilling riders around the world, inducing vomiting from Indiana to Istanbul. With the help of BestRollerCoasterPoll.com, which rates coasters every year, here are 10 of the world’s best.

No. 1
The Voyage
Holiday World
Santa Claus, Indiana

Wooden coasters, with their creaks and sways, are just meaner than the sleek rides provided by steel coasters, and The Voyage is the best wooden coaster of them all. With three drops of over 100 feet, the Voyage goes underground eight times and is among the world’s tallest and longest wooden coasters.

No. 2
Superman: The Ride of Steel
Six Flags New England
Springfield, Massachusetts

You will believe you can fly. Named the world’s best steel coaster three years in a row, The Ride of Steel hits speeds of 77 mphand has a drop of 221 feet.

No. 3
Expedition GeForce
Holiday Park
Hasslock, Germany

A four-time winner of best coaster in the world, GeForce weaves in, around and under a number of huge trees. Turns produce 4.5 Gs of force and moments of weightlessness. Holiday Park is located just off the Autobahn.

No. 4
Troy
Toverland
Sevenum, Netherlands

Like the Trojan horse, Troy is made completely of wood. With speeds exceeding 75 mph to compliment huge drops, it provides a multitude of thrills.

No. 5
Balder
Liseberg
Goteberg, Sweden

Balder was once named the most thrilling wood coaster in the world, and with a big drop at 70 degrees, it’s easy to see why. It’s a pretty gutsy ride for a park whose mascot is a green rabbit.

No. 6
Millennium Force
Cedar Point
Sandusky, Ohio

A new coaster for a new millennium, MF opened in 2000 and does not disappoint. With a top speed of 93 mph and a 300 — you read that right — foot drop, this coaster is only for the bravest riders.

No. 7
El Toro
Six Flags Great Adventure
Jackson, New Jersey

This wicked ride has the world’s steepest drop for a wood coaster at 76 degrees. Combine that with a 19-story drop, and you just may want to bring an extra pair of drawers for the scariest two minutes of your life.

No. 8
Eejanaika
Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan

The second fourth-dimension roller coaster built taller, faster and longer than the first in California, Eejanaika will spin you in your seat, 360 degrees forward and backward while you soar through three track inversions. The name of the ride says it all: Eejanaika can be translated into “Hey, what the hell!”

No. 9
Thunderhead
Dollywood
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

OK, the Dolly Parton-roller coaster jokes are too easy, but the Thunderhead is all kinds of serious. Winding through the Tennessee forest and between two mountains, it’s a fast and thrilling ride that has held up over time.

No. 10
Nemesis
Alton Towers
Staffordshire, England

Another one of those evil inverted coasters, compliments of the Brits. Set in a rocky trench, it features an alien theme as it flies you past bloody waterfalls, a really nice touch. Atmosphere really makes this ride work.

Whether your tastes run towards steel or wood coasters, or if you need speed or big drops, there are plenty of coasters around the world that will thrill and scare you. Even as new coasters employ the newest technology to entertain, a number of the “old timers” in amusement parks worldwide still deliver classic rides.

Source:www.BestRollerCoasterPoll.com

Submitted By: Victor Medina