Mathematics instructor Chris Talone travels to different countries finding the most thrilling, new coasters in the world. He is currently involved in a roller coaster club that allows him to visit closed parks and walk on the tracks of a roller coaster with others who love coasters as much as he does.
After riding 634 different roller coasters located in 121 separate amusement parks dispersed among 11 different countries, the thrill of riding roller coasters has become a big part of Talone’s life. His passion has led him to ride some of the most intense roller coasters in the world along with leading him to visit off the map places. This summer, Talone got the chance to visit Sweden to ride the roller coaster “Wildfire” in Kolmården Wildlife Park. This roller coaster was ranked one of the top ten in the world.
Talone spent hours watching the ride being built on online live streams as he has done during the building of several other coasters. In addition to traveling to Sweden, Talone visited Dalliwood, TN to ride a coaster called “Lightning Rod,” the world’s fastest wooden coaster. He also went to Cologne, Germany, to ride the “Taron,” a low and fast Game of Thrones themed ride.
Talone’s love for roller coasters was sparked far before this summer though. Talone said that his excitement for rollercoasters began when he was seven years old. In 1976, an advertisement for the opening of the ride “Revolution” at Magic Mountain was released.
Talone said that he was determined to ride this roller coaster, and when his mother finally agreed, he was elated.
“Mom, some day I am going to ride every roller coaster in the world,” Talone said after stepping off of the first looping roller coaster in modern times.
When Talone was finally old enough to travel, he could fully live out his dream of riding every roller coaster.
“Sometimes I’ll go to a foreign city and people ask me ‘did you do this or that’, and I respond ‘no, I went to an amusement park.” Talone said. Talone said that people think he is crazy, but that does not get in the way of living out his dream. Talone commented on why he is so passionate about roller coasters.
“The adrenaline rush of the drops, the beauty of the structures, and the awe at the physics behind them… There is no feeling in the world to me like going up the lift-hill on a coaster I haven’t been on. It is a high that I can’t describe,” Talone said.
