A roller coaster enthusiast who has ridden nearly 500 different coasters shared his top picks in a viral TikTok post, which has garnered 4.6 million views since July 25.
Jacob, a 22-year-old theme park marketing professional who posts under the username @jacob_backall, curated a slideshow of his 30 favorite roller coasters drawn from a personal experience of trying 492 different roller coasters so far across multiple continents.
The top 10 ranking features all roller coasters in the U.S., including in Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee.
“I grew up outside of Philadelphia and I recently graduated from the University of Tampa in Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations,” Jacob, who did not share his last name, told Newsweek.
“Using these acquired skills, I share my passion by working on the marketing team for one of the largest theme park chains in North America, home to dozens of world class coasters. I also take pride in updating my coaster travels through my personal socials @jacobbackall on Instagram and TikTok.”
@jacob_backall on TikTok and Instagram
His passion for roller coasters began in 2012 with a visit to Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
“That day I rode the Wild Mouse. Not a big coaster, but it had me hooked. It changed my life. I was so curious about the way it made its way around the track and how the systems worked to control it,” he said.
Jacob said his fascination grew quickly.
“Ever since that one day, I’ve become a human encyclopedia for roller coasters, learning and memorizing the heights, speeds and stats of every roller coaster I could find on the internet, and trying to conquer as many of them as I could,” he said.
The first roller coaster he ever rode that went upside down was Hydra the Revenge, also at Dorney Park.
“I choose to start with that one because it went upside down the most time in the park, seven times, and currently at that time held the inversion record in North America,” he said.
Despite his comfort with extreme rides today, Jacob recalled one that once gave him pause: “I remember Intimidator 305 (now known as Pantherian), a 305-foot roller coaster at Kings Dominion in Virginia, had me a bit frightened at first, and to be honest I think that’s the only time I’ve ever felt nervous before trying a new ride. I must have been 9 or 10 years old around then, so I’ve basically become immune to all those feelings of anxiety around big drops and loops.”
Among the coasters in his top 30, Jacob’s favorite is Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point.
“My favorite roller coaster of all time, Steel Vengeance, is a 205-foot RMC hyper hybrid roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Opening originally in the 1990s as Mean Streak, the old rough wooden coaster was given new life in 2018 with its transformation into arguably the greatest roller coaster of all time.”
The TikToker has a particular preference for RMC Hybrid roller coasters.
“A hybrid roller coaster in a traditional sense is a coaster with wooden supports and twisted steel track,” he explained. “When an old wooden roller coaster gets rough and no longer draws the crowds it used to, RMC, Rocky Mountain Construction, a legendary roller coaster manufacturer based out of Idaho rips off the wooden tracks, adds steel tracks to enhance the height, speed and whip factor of the coaster, thus transforming old rides into a modern beasts of an attraction.”
For Jacob, the best roller coasters are not necessarily the tallest or fastest.
“For most true roller coaster enthusiasts, the factors that make up a truly good roller coaster aren’t the height and speed; it’s a creative layout with consistent pacing, having unique elements that flow into one another without rough transitions. The most important quality of a coaster for me personally is airtime, that’s the feeling where you’re being lifted up out of your seat and feel multiple times lighter as the forces of gravity weaken on you.”
Now at 492 different roller coasters and counting—with over 5,000 total rides including re-rides—Jacob is just eight coasters away from a major milestone.
“With eight more coasters I haven’t ridden yet left to go before I hit 500, I’m sure by the end of the year I’ll finally meet that goal. Then it’s on to 1,000.”
Along the way, Jacob said the community of fellow enthusiasts has been a rewarding part of the experience.
“I have made many great friends over the years through my travels and you’d be surprised how many others there are with my same unique hobby,” he said.
Top 30 Best Roller Coasters, According to Man Who’s Tried 492
- Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point in Ohio
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal Islands of Adventure in Florida
- Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa in Florida
- Fury 325 at Carowinds at the border between North and South Carolina
- Stardust Racers at Epic Universe in Florida
- Pantherian (formerly Intimidator 305) at Kings Dominion in Virginia
- Skyrush at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania
- Lightning Rod at Dollywood in Tennessee
- Maverick at Cedar Point
- Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia
- Guardians of the Galaxy at EPCOT in Florida
- Batman Gotham City Escape at Parque Warner in Madrid, Spain
- Twisted Timbers at Kings Dominion
- Wildcats Revenge at Hersheypark
- El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey
- Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in Texas
- ArieForce One at Fun Spot America Atlanta in Georgia
- Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City in Missouri
- The Beast at Kings Island in Ohio
- GhostRider at Knott’s Berry Farm in California
- Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal Islands of Adventure
- Twisted Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California
- Wicked Cyclone at Six Flags New England in Massachusetts
- Wind Chase (formerly Storm Chaser) at Kentucky Kingdom in Kentucky
- Storm Runner at Hersheypark
- Top Thrill Dragster (reopened as an updated version called Top Thrill 2) at Cedar Point
- Steel Curtain at Kennywood in Pennsylvania
- Taron at Phantasialand in Germany
- X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain
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