Swedish theme park Liseberg has set a new world record for a roller coaster.
This is not a record for a coaster track, but for a specific trip on one of the park's coasters this morning. So what is the record?
The highest average age for riders on a roller coaster - 80.1 years. Today's record was set on the park's Valkyria - which already held a European record as the continent's longest Dive coaster.
"Achieving the world record was fantastic, but the most important thing was that we could demonstrate seniors' right to have fun and experience excitement," Liseberg PR and Communications Manager Mårten Westlund said in a release issued by the park.
I wonder now what the previous record-holder was for this category. Maybe Arthur Levine and I when we were the only riders on a Jurassic World VelociCoaster train during its press preview? (Just kidding - maybe.)
For a detailed recent trip report from Liseberg, including a ride on Valkyria, please read Russell Meyer's Time for a European summer roadtrip, starting at Liseberg.
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Wait. What? Robert, was that a not-so-subtle dig at my old fartness? Actually, I hope I can continue riding coasters into my 80s (which is still quite a few years away, ahem).
- Arthur
Some years ago I saw a video of a woman celebrating her 90th birthday with a ride on Diamondback. I do think that aging makes it more difficult to marathon coasters. When I was in my sixties I enjoyed 10 consecutive rides on El Toro but now that I'm 73 I doubt that I could do it without feeling miserable. A professional athlete could do it easily but most of us are nowhere as well conditioned.
For the record, Arthur has out-ridden me at every coaster media event we've both attended. I have to tap out way before Arthur ever does. But I am afraid that we are the old guard at this point, being among the remaining few who started covering parks when the years started with "19."
I'm 61 and a coaster fanatic. I am finding some coaster types I can't handle anymore, mainly B&M flying coasters and any coaster with excessive headbanging. I can ride most other B&M looping coasters if I take Dramamine ahead of time. Now, I can see myself riding RMCs, B&M dives, wings, hypers and Gigas and modern coasters like Velocicoaster, for many years to come.
Heck, I'm almost 30 and most coasters are one and done for me...
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I know if I'm still around when I'm 80+, I want to still be riding roller coasters.