Let’s take a moment to appreciate that we have Carowinds in the Charlotte-Metro area.
<Pause for your moment to appreciate that we have Carowinds in the Charlotte-Metro Area>
If you don’t know what Carowinds is, Carowinds.com says it’s “the premiere entertainment and thrill ride amusement park in the Carolinas!”
Fourteen of Carowinds’ sixty rides are roller coasters that provide various thrill levels to the park visitors of families, kids, and anyone in between. My girlfriend and I went to Carowinds last weekend and rode six of the coasters. Here is my ranking of the coasters we rode, from my favorite to least favorite.
ONE: Fury 325
Two words, “Hot Damn!” This one made my palms sweat! This was my first time riding the tallest and fastest coaster in North America, and it gave me brilliant and delightful anxiety from the first 325-foot heartdrop.
TWO: Copperhead Strike
Hands down, this ride has the best gimmick out of all the coasters, with its moonshine theme. The train accelerates from zero to 42 miles per hour into a corkscrew right out the gate and then rockets through several upside-downs and close-to-the-ground maneuvers. I swear the train and my breathing paused for a second during the upside-downs, which provided an extra whomp to the thrill.
THREE: Vortex
For over 30 years, this red roller coaster has been going thrill-strong, with stand-up seats providing a different exhilarating experience.
FOUR: The Flying Cobras
This coaster begins with a slow backward climb up the track and then releases you toward several upside-downs. And then, once the train reaches the end of the track, you’re jetting backward again to the starting point. It was cool because we got an up-front seat for this one.
FIVE: Hurler
This one was all about nostalgia for me. I remember when the wooden Hurler debuted in the mid-nineties when Thrill Zone was Wayne’s World. Party on, Carowinds.
SIX: Carolina Goldrusher
Fun fact: The Carolina Goldrusher is the oldest Carowinds roller coaster. This classic ride is quick and has some small thrills, which is excellent for kids and adults. I put this one last only because of the lower thrill level.
So that was my ranking of the six Carowinds coasters we rode last weekend. When we return, we still have Afterburn, Carolina Cyclone (closed the day we went), Kiddy Hawk, Nighthawk, Ricochet, Thunder Striker, Wilderness Run, and Woodstock Express to hit up.
This was my girlfriend’s first time at Carowinds, and I hadn’t been (besides to Winterfest) in over a decade or maybe longer. I know I have been on some of these eight other coasters before, but I don’t remember them. I expect this list to get revised as we ride them.
Would you rank these differently? What is your favorite Carowinds coaster? Please let me know on Instagram (@stormstrouper) or email me at stormstrouper.writing@gmail.com.