If you’re reading this, then you are obviously taking a break from the family, turkey, and all of the other food to return to a hobby (dare I say addiction?) you obviously love. Then again, maybe your family and the stories were starting to get to you, and your overly stuffed stomach wanted some relief. All joking aside, Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and eating way too much…and of course being thankful for all of those things. However, we all know we’re thankful for our family, friends, and food, and I know I don’t want to read another blog about the reason for Thanksgiving. So in this most thankful edition of RCPro: Blogged I’m going to venture outside of the realm of normal and give thanks to some unique but important people, ideas, and creations in the world of amusement parks.
  
To truly be thankful for anything about the roller coaster, we have to go back several centuries to Russia. Yes, that’s right, I am thankful for the Russians! They created “Russian mountains,” large slopes coated with ice that they went sledding on. Those hills soon became multiple hills, eventually resembling the simple switchback railways of the late 1800s. Without the Russians and their search for a winter thrill, we may not have the rides we enjoy today, or even this blog! So thank you, Russia, for being the original thrill seekers and leading the innovation.
 
Now, having paid homage to our foreign predecessors, I have a rather unique and fun group I would like to thank; the environmentalists. You see, even though we have cut down countless trees (many in the south of our own country) in our never ending search for more adrenaline rushes, they have yet to attempt to bar our thrilling pastime throughout the history of the wooden roller coaster. I cannot imagine a world without forest-killers like the Beast and Son of Beast, whose structures required mind blowing amounts of wood. At the same time as the environmentalists come to realize the amount of publicity they have missed over boycotting very popular tourists destinations, I hope they also realize the “green” side of the beloved Gravity Group. Our friends there have already saved countless trees through their innovation of the hybrid wooden coaster; one that uses a steel structure and a wooden track, likely cutting out almost 80% of the wood needed for most wooden roller coasters. Now, if you’ll stay out of my way at Holiday World while I go ride the Voyage…

Speaking of Holiday World, I am thankful for independently run parks that still keep that wonderful charm, classic wooden roller coasters with minimal restraints, and most importantly, the freshly made homemade French fries! Knoebel's is reviving the Flying Turns, and…well, I think that’s about it! We all appreciate and love your dedication to the classic rides and experiences, and look forward to many nostalgic experiences for years to come.

One cannot talk of roller coasters without Ron Toomer, or at least on of the many rides that he designed. This is the man who brought us the wonderful (and brutal) hand-made transitions on rides like Vortex, and later rides that defied all logic from amusement giant Arrow. Without you we may very well have never experienced many adrenaline rushes, or gone to new heights on your steel monsters. My you and your designs – now laid to rest by S&S – rest in peace in the roller coaster graveyard of many parks, knowing that your are remembered and revered by enthusiasts who never knew you, though through your creations have come to admire your work.

So this Thanksgiving, remember not just the family, friends, and food. Remember all of the things in the industry we all love, the rides we marathon an insanely pointless amount of times (I myself am around 200 on maXair), and the employees we aggravate by acting like know-it-alls. Yes, it may be wacky, and I may have a dry, sarcastic, and boring sense of humor, but give thanks thankfully. If you can count how many times I used the word “thank” and any derivative, then be thankful you can count. Enjoy the turkey, absurd amounts of food, and the adrenaline rush you crave this off-season. From all of us at RCPro to all of you, our valued readers, have a happy Thanksgiving…now go back to the family and food!