Boulder Dash Review & History, Lake Compounce CCI Wood Coaster | Best Roller Coaster in New England!
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- Опубликовано: 19 сен 2024
- Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce has been voted annually as one of the world's best wooden roller coasters. This Custom Coasters International creation has a unique setting on a wooded mountainside. Riders whiz past boulders and trees while being treated to a bevy of airtime and laterals. And I think it's still the best coaster in New England. Find out why in this review!
Video Credits
Boulder Dash 2001 POV (psyclonesteve)- • Boulder Dash, Lake Com...
Boulder Dash 2019 POV (New Jersey Coasters)- • Boulder Dash in-betwee...
Rollo Coaster POV (Idlewild)- • Idlewild's Rollo Coast...
Shivering Timbers 1998 POV (Sean Flaharty)- • Shivering Timbers POV ...
Shivering Timbers 2019 POV (Coaster Thrills)- • Shivering Timbers On-R...
Background Music
Epic Action Cinematic by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / Heroes- • Epic Action Cinematic ...
It’s fun to see the coaster footage you upload, because I know a review is coming the next day for that ride!
Glad you like that schedule.
I live just half an hour from Compounce and it’s a huge part of my childhood and will always have a special place in my heart
Nice!
This year the plants are growing into the track even more, & it’s even more “Boulder Dash” then ever! I Got the first ride of 2021 as well !🥃
Nice!
This is one of the most astounding coasters I've ever ridden, though admittedly I haven't ridden a huge number.
I still feel kind of guilty about it, because my spouse went on with me and it was really too much for her. That was around 2012, so it was the era of the triple-up, though it maybe wasn't as rough as it would be later. I think the invisibility of the outbound leg made it hard for her to realize just what a gigantic coaster this is--though the most intense air is actually on the visible inbound leg by the lake.
The triple up got bad in its last 2 years.
Just rode this masterpiece today. Four times. The foliage is at its peak and it was a gorgeous day, what a ride. The most beautiful coaster experience I have ever had the pleasure to be a part of.
It's incredible.
I'm actually going to ride it for the first time in a couple weeks. Super excited!
Have fun!
A night ride on this is literally magical
Agreed!
Just rode this yesterday. FANTASTIC. The first drop now has Titan Track and it's wonderful.
That part is super smooth.
Boulder Dash makes me happy to call Lake Compounce my home park!
I'm glad to have it nearby.
This is my home town park as well I ride it with workers
makes me think of the ultimate over here in the uk, going fast past the trees while low to the ground is amazing
Sure does!
Looking at the POV again, I've really been sleeping on this ride. It looks basically like the beast if it had a ton of amazing forces
Exactly!
Yeah ik right? I never payed attention to Boulder dash but now I’m intrigued
Great review! I always love wooden terrain coasters that go through the woods - a night ride on Boulder Dash is definitely up high on my bucket list
Thanks!
I rode this opening year during the Halloween festival... FIrst time I attended the park is was about 39-42 outside and I was bundled up in a heavy jacket and gloves, because of low attendance that night in 4 hours i Got probably 20+ credits, if not more.
I was so impressed by this coaster, I came back, from the Allentown, PA area with a friend and his side hoochie momma, I told them you have never experienced anything like this... we had warmer weather that weekend so while we only rode it maybe 5 times, it was 5 more awesome credits, I didn't return for sometime, but around 03 I went back with my first wife and she enjoyed the daylight rides but the nighttime scared the hell out of her, and she refused to ride it again at night...
My last visit was before the GCI re-tracking and reprofiling, and the ride was rough as hell... I haven't been back since and as I get older my body cannot handle taking more than 1 ride, so I am waiting for the next big re-track event before I ride BD again. However it was my favorite wooden coaster for a long time, that has obviously gone back to Phoenix, but I have never experienced Voyage... and El Toro made it impossible for us bigger guys to get in and cancel any Gravity Group rides as the new trains and restraints will not be good for anyone larger than 225lbs. (i'm 275 at 6'2"
Still though at its debut BD was the most impressive coaster built, and even today I consider it was better than The Beast which I have always felt was extremely overrated
There's a rumor it may get some Titan track, which would help the ride get smoother.
I go back and forth between whether I prefer front or second-to-back. The ride's roughness has yet to bother me, and at times I feel like it helps the already wild ride feel wilder. But that visual of tearing through the woods in the front row is downright unbeatable.
Also, Mega Zeph has a trick-track, technically making it the last CCI standing with one. And Villain got bulldozed before its trick-track could get replaced.
I didn't realize those two also had trick track. CCI really went crazy with that element towards the end.
Same.
Congrats on your engagement. Idk if I missed that in the past.
Thank you! I've been engaged for 6 months at this point.
Hey - I'm going through your massive back catalog and I finally found a coaster I disagree with you on a bit. Boulder Dash has an elite layout, but it's just too rough to be the top coaster in New England. I know that you ride in the very front, but it's not practical to do that if you're with a group of six riders. The coaster is still enjoyable, but the roughness, even in the front seat, keeps me from finding this coaster to be truly elite. I still very much enjoyed this coaster, but any time the roughness has me thinking about it during the ride, it detracts from the experience for me. Great work on this review as always.
I agree the ride isn't perfect, but the front row ride does everything I could want.
Love this coaster and the review! 100% accurate and in depth. I like its night rides better than beasts for sure. I know you disagree but my favorite seat is the second to last because it is smoother and I like the airtime more. Front is my second favorite. It is way smoother.
I've ridden in the second to back, but I've still found it bumpy and the airtime isn't as good as the front for me.
@@CanobieCoaster I found the airtime towards the back to be the best, and as somebody who isn’t bothered by roughness (even wildcat at the same park was enjoyable for me) I feel like the Boulder hill makes the ride.
I love this ride. I wish I could've gotten more than 2 rides on it. First ride was in the back, 2nd train of the day, half empty, so while it was a little bumpy, it wasn't bad at all. But massive crowds quickly arrived on an extremely crowded Wednesday, and Boulder Dash had a full queue early. Later, I sucked it up for one more ride, waiting in the hour+ line, and I did front row, since it wasn't any longer of a wait for it. I love the mountain setting, as I'm a sucker for the mountains. The airtime was very good, even if it wasn't anything special. If the park wasn't so packed that Wednesday, I'd probably rank this ride higher.
No chance at a night ride that day, closing in the afternoon. And because of the crowd, I left early to get extra time at an empty SFNE, getting more rides there in 45 minutes than I did in 5 hours at Lake Compounce.
Lake Compounce and throughput do not go together. Between all the coasters running just one train and the flume, rapids, and dark ride not running much more than that, lines move slow.
Boulder Dash is and will most likely always be my #1 coaster, even after riding a bunch of amazing coasters in the past 3 years. I like it better than Shivering Timbers, I like it better than Steel Vengeance, hell I like it better than Voyage. It was my first major coaster when I was 7/8 years old. I had just ridden Wildcat before riding this, and Wildcat is a terrible ride, so I remember thinking this would be just as bad as Wildcat, but it was amazing, I immediately fell in love with wooden coasters. I rode this a lot between the ages of 7 and 10 and the ride seemed to get better every time I rode it. I really want to get back to Lake Compounce to ride it again, it’s been nearly 10 years since I rode it last, and the fact that it’s been my #1 for that long (even after riding so many elite coasters between then an now) just shows how special this coaster is.
That makes sense why you're nostalgic for it.
For me, the very back is the best on Boulder Dash. Night rides on it during the Halloween event are incredible!
I prefer it in front, but night rides are incredible in any row.
I love this roller coaster. I marathoned Boulder Dash when it still had its triple up, and I could more than tolerate the roughness. Those final hills give some insane, sustained ejector airtime when Boulder Dash is fully warmed up.
I've only gotten floater on the return run, but the airtime is very good.
@@CanobieCoaster I think this ride runs differently on certain days.
Lake Compounce became my new home park this year and I hadn't gotten a front row ride until this year and I agree with you 100% those ejector moments are just so much better in the front
I love this ride up front.
I rode it once, the year it opened. The only rollercoaster I’d been on before that was the Wildcat, also at Lake Compounce, about 10 years earlier. I hate the big drops, which is why I don’t normally ride coasters. But the first big hill on Boulderdash really didn’t look like the typical drop to me, so I decided to try it and was glad I didn’t i didn’t get the intense drop feeling in my stomach probably because it banks a bit and goes around a curve. I remember it getting rought about halfway through with like 3 hills in a row that made me dizzy, but otherwise I liked it.
Boulder Dash uses the terrain so well.
CCI says we can make an airtime machine. CCI also says we can make a lateral machine. CCI also says we can make a terrain monster. But LC made CCI say you know what, screw it, let's mix all if those together into one. Boulder Daah is definitely a true masterpiece from CCI, I love airtime and lats and putting that on Beast is what this ride is. The park would be way different without this thing. And I hope whenever I go, I get a night ride cause night rides look pretty good too.
I really think this is their masterpiece.
The trick track on BD was actually really mild and kind of a dead spot, which is why they replaced it. Unlike Shivering Timbers, the TT only rolled to the right instead of left and right. The rail would actually pick up off the ledger slightly, so this was essentially a straightaway.
The triple up was great when it opened but aged very poorly due to a support that wasn't well placed, dictated by by a foundation set in a boulder causing it to sit too high.
Two other CCI rides opened with trick tracks, Villain at GL and Megazeph at Jazzland/SFNO. I believe these only rolled in one direction as well, leaving ST as the only traditional trick track. Interesting that none of these elements are left.
It was surprising how many CCIs got some version of trick track in the end. I agree that triple up was awesome the first few years.
As someone whos home park is idlewild and grew up riding rollo coaster as my first coaster, I can't wait to ride this someday!
Meanwhile I need to ride Rollo Coaster.
@@CanobieCoaster it has a decent moment of floater in the back row, but that's it. I do like how it has manual brakes, which isn't common anymore. Originally there were no restraints, but in 2016 an accident happened where a kid fell off because he was probably standing up during the ride, so they added lapbars and these weird things on the side that look like Mickey mouse's ears
Just rode this yesterday July 6th 2022, and I was riding this when it was brand new as a younger person. It’s a great coaster, it used to be a bit smoother, HOWEVER now needs a new track and a new train with round wheels, it’s painfully rough like a jack hammer. I need a spine replacement and a dentist now.
I wish this got fully retracked, but not by the company who did Wildcat.
I went on it once back in 2018 or 2019 and it was really fun and I loved it!!
Nice!
I hope to get out to the New England parks soon - Boulder Dash definitely has a fantastic setting
Sure does!
Just went on boulder dash yesterday for the first time. I had never been on a roller coaster before so my stomach went into my throat a couple times. Even though it scared me shitless, i still loved it.
Glad you loved it!
Thank you for the review. I’ve never been to the area but if I can swing it, I’ll make a trip to NYC to see my beloved Mets and take in Nickelodeon, Lake Compounce and SFNE
That sounds like a good trip.
I love coasters and I love nature so I will have to try this one out, even though the roughness sounds like a turn off. I’m not a fan of rough coasters.
Ride it up front.
My 3 rides in 2017 were awesome. This thing is top 5 out of 189 for me. Barely top 5, but top 5 regardless. This ride has two awesome sections (terrain & airtime) and although it's air isn't powerful, it does a superb job chaining moments of air together. It's not smooth, but not unbearably rough to the point it's not ridable.
Up front, it's very smooth still.
Watching this in 2024 after riding
fascinated to see what state BD was in before the titan track
it runs so fast now that only 1 or 2 spots of airtime are floater still, now it’s almost entirely ejector.
Also amazing that it ever ran 2 trains as that never happens now
Didn’t even know it HAD a 2nd train
It still has mostly floater airtime for me, but good and plentiful floater.
Villain at Geauga lake also had a trick track, Boulder dash and Shivering Timbers weren’t the only ones
It was also pointed out Mega Zyph had one. I still don't think any remain.
@@CanobieCoaster As far as I know (if you don’t count that wired out of place “straight” section on the boss) none are left on CCI’s
I just rode this on Saturday, and I only got to ride once, so I went for the back. Apparently I made a huge mistake. Still a fun ride, but it's disappointing to have missed a much better experience.
I hope you can make it back!
No, back has better airtime, and if you don’t care about roughness, back is where to be, especially for the hill that goes over the boulder
I went in 2017, and got a ride near the back; bumpy AF LOL. Unfortunately the roughness and shuffling overshadowed any preferred coaster forces (though the visuals are stunning). Now I know to ride Boulder Dash in the front. IMO people hate on Wildcat too much; it's not a world beater by no means, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it's reputation.
Wildcat was bad with the old trains, but worse with the new ones for me.
Just rode it this weekend.
Nice!
My second favorite roller coaster
Nice!
...I hadn't heard about the accident in 2017! I remember Canobie stopped running two trains on the Yankee Cannonball after a similar collision, which can make the lines pretty long.
Yankee Cannonball had manual brakes. Boulder Dash is set-up to run two trains, but the park chooses not to to save on wear and tear. The issue transferring the train on the track was operator error.
Ya, I almost went there on one of the weekends it was 'down.' Luckily a friend enthusiast told me the news and spared me the trip. I'd wait till '18 and '19 to ride Boulder Dash. LUCKY!
Wait...so it's better than Wicked Cyclone?
In the front, yes.
Seems like a great coaster for the titan track
I'd prefer that over RMCing if they need to do extensive trackwork sometime in the future.
@@CanobieCoaster that’s what I was thinking. Just because of the track record of the two.
Maybe with the titan track they will operate the ride with two trains more often!
I'm hopeful. Especially since this ride now offers Speedy Pass.
I just road this ride over the weekend. Holy cow this ride does not let up you dropped on the first Hill and I don't think you lose speed. Haha 🤣
I love it!
I also think the roughness is partly due to the trains. I don't think the wheels are in the best shape, nor are they replaced as often as they should be. These trains were bought as beaters from Hershey to use while the rides red and yellow trains were being rebuilt. Things didn't go as planned and these became used full time. I think if they went out to PTC for a full rebuild they would run a lot nicer.
New wheels/trains could also help. The two trains colliding a few years ago couldn't have helped.
very cool
Sure is.
Am I weird for liking rough woodies? I mean, I couldn’t stop laughing on a wheel seat on this ride.
To each their own. I prefer smooth rides.
This one one of my bucket list coasters, but it sounds like it's really hard to get a good feel for it (lots of rerides). I'm hoping to time my first visit with a park group this summer for ERT.
Definitely go for the front.
I can't believe the one time I was in the area in 2001, I didn't get to ride this. It would have been so smooth back then in the back too. I remember ghostrider in 2000 and it was incredible, and in 2007 I thought I would need back surgery.. CCI coasters just dilapidate and get rough so quickly. I never want this to be RMC converted, but I wouldn't mind the whole thing getting topper track so it's smooth. Change nothing else.
Front row still rides like a dream.
It was smooth back then. I was a ride operator, operating BD during its first 2 years.
I'd love to see GCI come in and either give this a GhostRider treatment or more likely some Titan track. Boulder Dash is such a great ride, but sometimes it just beats you up. It's difficult to marathon for sure.
That would help the ride longterm.
They already did that in 07-08. It's just overdue for a retrack regardless of who does it. Wood tracks are typically good for 7 years or so, and BD is now at 14 for most of the ride.
@@boulderdashcci I wasn't sure the last time it was retracked, so thx for the info. Would love to see the ride get a big retrack again and return it to its former glory
RMC could do some really cool stuff with this ride if givin the chance .
They could. Although if the park were to invest in something like that, I'd prefer them to build a a second elite coaster to compliment Boulder Dash.
I’ve heard that the ride actually got titan track on the first drop
Yes, it was added there.
I agree completely
Nice!
How are Boulder dash night rides compared to lighting Rod nights ride? (Only coaster In the woods I’ve had a night ride on)
Comparable in terms of the level of darkness.
I think Wicked Cyclone and Superman look like the best rides in New England over Bolder Dash- but I still have yet to ride them!
Boulder Dash in the front row beats them.
For me personally, Superman and WC are far superior, and I did ride front row on Boulder Dash.
I absolutely love Wicked Cyclone. I gotta give the other two New England coasters another chance though.
You can not compare any of these rides: apples, oranges and a GORILLA. lol Which one beats you to a pulp? CORRECT - the orange! P =]..
I haven’t been here but I’m surprised you like this more then Wicked Cyclone in the front
I prefer Superman to Wicked Cyclone as well.
I like to imagine what lake Compounce would’ve been like if Hersheypark still owned it
It would've been weird!
I also think the best coaster on the east coast is kingda ka
Wow!
I wonder what cedar fair would have done if they bought the park instead of kennywood.
It would be interesting.
@@CanobieCoaster maybe they would’ve built a Morgan hyper coaster
best coaster in new England really I think that the best coaster in new England is superman the ride
Boulder Dash front row barely beats it.
@@CanobieCoaster barley? I hate those superman trains because of my big feet and the way the bar painfully hugs you. Still like the ride though.
Did you see that they ran two trains this weekend?
I did! I hope it continues on busy days.
when i went to the off season tour lake compounce did in march, they said that they intended on running 2 trains on boulder dash this entire season, but between the couple times ive been to the park this year so far, they only have been running 1, with the other one just sitting on the ground, so idk what they are even doing.
Boulder Dash was down opening weekend due to the new control system not being ready. I imagine two train operations, if it happens, will start in the peak of summer. I believe the green train is on the transfer track now.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah I was there for opening weekend
@@CanobieCoaster We were there Labor Day weekend on Saturday and they were only running the green train. The operator heard me say "one train ops!" to my husband and told us that they only put the other train on the track if the line of people waiting reaches the small archway right after the big Boulder Dash entry that you pass under. The place was super busy and it felt like ops were slow, but we still didn't wait longer than 20 minutes to ride.
We made the mistake of riding in the very back, though- now I know why that stall was empty and we could get right on once we got up to the station. Not only relentless, but like getting pummeled. My boobs actually came out of my bra. I hurt so much I was done for the day (and I'm normally the weirdo who has to ride every Vekoma Boomerang she sees). It really does beat you up in the back! Haven't felt anything like it since riding Hercules at Dorney Park- the coaster that ruined woodies for me for years.
Imagine this, if you own lake compounce what new roller coasters would you add?
They badly need a family coaster. A spinner would be perfect.
Anyone have any issues with weight or size restrictions?
Boulder Dash is very accommodating.
Wooden roller coasters and trick-track don't go together?!? What sort of roller coaster does trick-track go with?😂 I do like the double up replacement element on Shivering Timbers but I also miss the trick track.
Trick track works on RMCs since they are smooth enough.
8:38 when I was there it was running 2 trains and I went labor day 2021
Awesome! I've heard that has become more consistent on busy weekends this year.
@@CanobieCoaster also it was a great ride and cracks my top 30
I want to ride this
It's amazing.
Boulder dash feels out of control. It feels like it’s gonna come flying off the track, one of my favorite rides
I love it.
Former employee of the park. I haven't been on it since one of my fellow members was decapitated by the roller coaster
That was a tragedy.
@@CanobieCoaster yes it was
also there when the 5 yr ola d drowned in the water park and the kid that was pulled underneath the ride.. that place was like a lawsuit waiting to happen and it did
The Haunted Graveyard has had to move to Quassy this year. We will no longer be with Lake compounce unfortunately. Just couldn’t agree on a new contract.
Lake Compounce is supposed to be doing a small Halloween event of its own this year.
Lake Compounce only has a day one scheduled thus far, but at least Graveyard stayed nearby!
@@CanobieCoaster I’m hoping we can make it just as good as we were at LC, it’ll be new for everyone including us actors
Do you know if it will be as long?
@@CanobieCoaster we usually start the last weekend in September but we’ll be starting a couple weeks late this year. So the second weekend in October through Halloween
They need to pull the millennium flyers off jack rabbit and move them onto this. Since that ride ran better with ptc trains anyway it would be a win win.
Do you mean Wildcat?
@@CanobieCoaster sorry yea
Controversial Opinion I think this ride should get Some GCI Titan track
I wouldn't be opposed to that.
Rode it this Saturday, very underwhelming, didn’t even feel safe. Sat front, didn’t get any airtime; anywhere.
That's odd you got no airtime.
I’m thinking I rode it too early in the day. Though it flew through the first half, then slowed to almost a stop for the turn around. In every video I see it is still hauling through the turn around.
@@fyctroy3749 Riding it later in the day in the back is airtime packed, but slightly rougher
I have to wonder how many times this coaster has given a squirrel a heart attack. “WHAT THE FU-“
Probably daily!
Quickly, what is the most times you’ve ridden Boulder dash in one day?
Probably 15-20 times.
@@CanobieCoaster cool! I went on the September 27 when the park was dead and got 22 rides, could have gotten more if it wasn’t our first visit. I recommend that! Also, I found the back had better airtime, but that’s just me.
Me: Sees Title
Also Me:
But what about Superman or Wicked Cyclone?
Ehhhhhhhhh Boulder Dash still leads.
Boulder Dash front row is better than Superman (barely) and Wicked Cyclone.
@@CanobieCoaster back row Boulder Dash kicks Superman’s ass though tbh.
@@coasternamegenerator5611 yea I like the back better as well. The second to back is my favorite because it is smoother.
@@gabesama9154 oh yeah that’s fair. 2nd row of any car on that ride will beat the crap out of you. It’s just a thing with those trains.
7:35 refusing to ride your favourite coaster? 🥲
That triple up was brutal the year before it was fixed.
@@CanobieCoaster so is The Smiler but will ride still 🙃
Best coaster in new england? That's interesting. I agree its a great woodie, but I disagree. Superman and Wicked cyclone are the two best, it doesn't matter which. To steel coasters that consistently make it into the top 50 steel coasters of all time, and Superman also has numerous golden tickets. But, to each his own; this is still a great ride.
Boulder Dash in the front row beats those two rides, but they crush Boulder Dash in any other row.
@@CanobieCoaster that seems fair, I definitely think it’s still 3rd in New England even after that.
6:36 lol I think that might take the cake as the worst official pov I've seen a park put
Lake Compounce's official POVs are really old. They don't post many videos. I'm glad New Jersey Coasters had a modern one available.
Superman is the best
Based on my rides this year, I'd agree with that now.
First
Nice!
Couldn't make it through the trash Broll at 9 min. Ruined the video
Sorry you didn't like that footage. I was limited on the footage available for this ride.