GG vs. GCI

Has Gravity Group passed Great Coasters International as the premier wooden coaster designer? Who do you think is the better of the two designers?

the question and the choices make no sense together...

No. Because GG has only built 1 coaster and GCI has only built 9, with the first one not even 10 years old yet.
Neither contructor has had the time yet for their coasters to age for a long time and all that mumbo jumbo.
GG's first coaster is nice and all, but GCI really introduced the extremely twisted woodies and even developed their own trains.

[Kev]

why does one have to be better than the other? couldn't we just say that they are both great?

If I had to pick one it would be GCI. They have many proven designs while GG only has one. I agree with FN as we should wait to see which one is the better one. Only time will tell.

IMO, it is hard to compare the two firms. GCI introduced revitalized the classic twister, and GG seems to create more hybrid coasters. Also, as others have stated, both are very new to the coaster world. I can't really pick, as they are both amazing in their own ways.

GG, theres no comparison. After riding 3 GCI coasters, 2 have been mediocre, if not bad. I found Lightning Racer to be a very fun ride, while being extremely far from intense, Roar @ SFMW was one of the worst wooden coasters I've ridden, and Wildcat @ HP was a crazy airtime machine. The 2 GCIs I've ridden with Mellennium Flyers have been incredibly tame and "controlled".

Now, look at what the Gravity Group has already proved just what they can do... with only 1 coaster! They proved their coasters could have TONS more airtime than GCIs (meaning GCIs after their debut coaster, since after Wildcat I think they forgot what airtime was and that its a good thing to put on wooden coasters), that they can actually design a layout without scribbling on a sheet of paper and calling it "designing" a coaster, and that their coasters have an added force called laterals (has GCI realized that this force actually EXISTED? [:O])

Not to mention GG uses real wooden coaster trains instead of ripoff Church trains that are light, cheap, and use the most shitty restraint system wooden coasters have ever seen. It would be nice if GCI could use spring loaded restraints but I guess thats just another thing they fail to add to the "wooden experience".

GCIs are some of the most beautiful coasters though.

^If you rode "Thunderhead", you would quickly find that all of your complaints about GCI are no longer valid. I do agree about Wildcat, and Roar though.

I vote for Gravity Group. GCI is good, but their coasters are much more "programmed" than CCI/GG rides. The guys from CCI really know how to make the world's best wood coasters, and they have demonstrated with Hades and The Voyage that they haven't lost any of their creative juices. GCI is just learning. Thunderhead and Lightning Racer are GCI's first really notable rides, while the team from CCI owns all but one of the spots on the top 5 wood coaster list. There is just no comparison.

Don't forget about Ozark Wildcat!

Airtime on a GCI...


Check out the twisting/spiraling drop!


More pictures found here; http://www.themeparkreview.com/sdc2005/cc1.htm

Thunderhead looks to be the second best GCI IMO, but there is NO way it can beat Wildcat. It only took me 2 of GCIs Millennium Flyer running coasters to realize everything else with these trains are going to feel the same, be almost equally intense and have the same forces. Lightning Racer is constantly praised as being one of the best wooden coasters and people actually expect me to ride all of GCIs coasters before I form an opinion about the company. I heard from enthusiasts that Roar was a great ride. I rode it, and it sucked. And after hearing so many claims that Lightning Racer was one of the best, I thought my opinion about GCI would change.

Its just a constant chase of "Ride this, you'll like GCI" *Ride it and don't think much of it*, "The ride this, its an amazing GCI, you'll love this manufacturer after you ride this coaster" *I ride it and keep my opinion*. Now people are saying that I'll like GCI if I ride the next coaster! I think this process of "ride one more and you'll like GCI" has already proved that it doesn't change my opinion. When I see GCI changing their style, I'll THEN believe that GCI could be better than what I already think of the company.

[hyyyper]

dunno, all woodies are the same to me, if they are togo, vekoma, cci, gg, gci or ggicccgi
i don't care, i'm not really into woodies

^BLASPHEMY! Death to the infadel! (jk, hyyyper, you're entitled to your opinion)

and IntaminFan... just so you know, Lightning Racer is complete crap compared to Thunderhead. Thunderhead is even better than The Raven IMO. The speed is nonstop, the airtime is complete ejector at least 6 times, and the coaster gets faster and faster through the whole ride. I could barely breathe at the end... it is such a good ride.

I haven't been on Hades yet so I can't say but I think that looks better than anything GCI has. I rode Roar at SFA and thought that was fun but then again Hades looks beastly especially on that new Rob Alvey movie. I think that is the number 1 woodie, but then once agian I haven't rode it yet so I'm just guessing on pics and movies.

Originally posted by cjd

^BLASPHEMY! Death to the infadel! (jk, hyyyper, you're entitled to your opinion)

and IntaminFan... just so you know, Lightning Racer is complete crap compared to Thunderhead. Thunderhead is even better than The Raven IMO. The speed is nonstop, the airtime is complete ejector at least 6 times, and the coaster gets faster and faster through the whole ride. I could barely breathe at the end... it is such a good ride.

Yeah, I'm sure its better than the other GCIs with Mellennium Flyers. I'm just not the kind of person who likes GCIs as much as real wooden coasters, and I think they fail to provide an intense and forceful experience. No matter how much better Thunderhead is, the exact same GCI principles are applied. GCIs are just too controlled and weak, no matter how quick the pacing is and twisted the layouts are, they just are a modernized wooden experience. And unless GCI changes their style, their coasters are very limited in providing a new experience in each design.

^I do aggree... I'd much rather ride in a PTC train than a Millennium Flyer. (Of course, I'd rather ride in a Millennium Flyer than a Gerstlauer...)

I've only been on Stampida and the Blackpool woodies and all i can say about Stampida was it sucked! It's made by CCI, but it is slow and really not that fun. However the Blackpool Woodys are pure classic. So in other words i cant answer the poll as i havnt ridden either manufactor

I don't think thats CCI's fault. I doubt CCI really wanted it to be an intense design, and the trim brakes all the way down the first drop don't help the speed/pacing at all...

I cant answer, ive ridden neither, BUT to me, whenever i see a GCI i think it looks like a steel coaster made from wood. Only Ozark Wildcat and Thunderhead appeal to me as much as CCIs and GG coasters. Of course we havent really seen what GG can do yet so it is hard to judge, but i suppose you can say GG is basically CCI really, as its basically the same team of engineers. But it seems GG are going to be slightly more daring and unique than even CCI, Well, thats how it seems from what we've seen from Hades and the design of the Voyage anyway.

Originally posted by IntaminFan397

I don't think thats CCI's fault. I doubt CCI really wanted it to be an intense design

The same can be said about Lightning Racer. Hershey never intended it to be a 'balls to the wall' type of woodie.
They themselves rate it lower than Wildcat in thrills.

Only GCI I've ridden was Gwazi, and that was pretty decent, but Thunderhead and Ozark Wildcat both look really intense...yet, c'mon...it has to be Gravity Group/CCI. With just one coaster to their name, Gravity Group created one of the most original traditional wooden coasters out there in Hades.

And the Voyage really doesnt look to be anything less than great.

Unlike other companies, its almost a surefire with these guys. They design with intensity and class in mind. It shows in everything they do and if Hades wasnt enough proof, I think The Voyage will definatly prove they are out to kill. (well, not riders)

Originally posted by Fornication Nation

Originally posted by IntaminFan397

I don't think thats CCI's fault. I doubt CCI really wanted it to be an intense design

The same can be said about Lightning Racer. Hershey never intended it to be a 'balls to the wall' type of woodie.
They themselves rate it lower than Wildcat in thrills.

Well then, seems to me like GCI never intended to be a 'balls to the wall' company! Now how does that compare to CCI/GG? Family coasters vs. Intense wooden coasters. Easy choice for me.

I don't think I'd call Ozark Wildcat or Thunderhead family coasters...and CCI has built it's share of smaller family woodies...

Family woodies, that sounds naughty [;)]

I personally think that GCI has the capability and if you really want something extreme, they will. It seems like they started out with some intense designs, then ventured the way of more controlled but rider friendly rides.

CCI has some "tame" rides of their own but they arent as frequent. Ozark and Thunderhead are great examples of out-of-controlness still controlled. Quite an awesome ride even though I am a huge CCI/GG whore.

[coolbeans326]

I say GG, GCI has some pretty looking rides, but I've never actually been on one thanks to the crappiness of Six Flags Marine WOrld (close half of the rides down the day I come will you? *shakes fist at them*) But from looking at pictures of both GCI and GG, GG looks like way more fun. Just looking at thier drawn up designs that are on the site, they look like rides that would be the star attraction at a park if they are well maintained.