What is Coaster101? We ask ourselves that question every day. For starters, the website was launched on June 15, 2005. While the site has undergone numerous visual changes, our goal has remained the same—to be a reliable and consistent website dedicated to the amusement industry. We cater to a wide variety of coaster lovers. That means if you are a novice coaster rider planning the perfect vacation, Coaster101 is for you. If you are a die-hard coaster fanatic who eats, sleeps, and breathes coasters, Coaster101 is for you. We like to write about a wide variety of topics related to roller coasters and the amusement industry. This is a site where a technical article about different track styles might be found next to a video of a fun day at Dollywood. If it’s related to the amusement industry, you can find it here.. Below is a little more information about the individuals behind Coaster101.
Interested in joining the team? Click here.
The Team
John Stevenson
Hello, my name is John Stevenson and I am the creator of Coaster101. I like to say that I’ve been a coaster enthusiast since birth. My first rollercoaster was Chaos at the now-closed Opryland USA in Nashville, TN. Since then I’ve ridden around 75 coasters at various parks across the country. My favorite coaster is Sheikra at Busch Gardens Tampa but my favorite has been known to change! I started Coaster101 in June of 2005 as a way to share my love of coasters with the online community. I am a student at the University of Memphis seeking a degree in journalism with a concentration in advertising. Thanks for visiting the site and I hope you like what you see. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Nick Weisenberger
Hello, my name is Nick Weisenberger, and I am a co-administrator for Coaster101. I’d like to thank John for giving me this wonderful opportunity. I graduated from the University of Toledo with a degree in mechanical engineering and now work as a CAD Engineer. My childhood love of trains evolved into a fascination of roller coasters and thrill rides. After riding over one hundred different coasters my favorite, by far, is the Voyage at Holiday World. In August 2009, I participated in the Coasting for Kids Ride-a-thon at Cedar Point where I endured 10 hours on Gemini (that’s 105 laps) and helped raise over $10,000 for Give Kids the World charity. Feel free to discuss any aspect of the amusement industry with me in the forum. See you on the midways!
Amy Gleeson
Hey there, I’m Amy Gleeson, a writer for Coaster101. I’m currently in my fourth year of University, at the University of Windsor, where I am studying English and Creative Writing. I am 21 years old, passionate about writing, photography, travelling, and theme parks, of course! My ultimate dream is to travel the world and go to as many parks as possible. I absolutely love wooden coasters, my favourite being The Beast, at King’s Island. My favourite steel coaster is probably Millennium Force. Not only do I live for the speed and flight of coasters, I just really love the entire environment of a theme park. Its like being in another world completely, with every human sense assaulted by colours and sounds, and yet, as busy and overwhelming as it is, its one of the only places I can truly relax and be myself. I’m so happy to be writing for Coaster101, and I can’t wait to share my experiences with you! Feel free to e-mail me anytime with questions, suggestions, or general comments at amygleesonwrites@gmail.com.
Ashley Carver
Hi, my name is Ashley and I’m a writer for Coaster 101. I am a graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University with a bachelors degree in English. I have been riding roller coasters and thrill rides since before I was five years old, and I have been crazy about them since I discovered my first roller coaster book. I live in sunny south Florida where I am fortunate to not have to travel far to experience some of the best theme parks in the U.S. My favorite park is Universal Studios, and my favorite ride is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. My ideal job would be to travel around the world and write about parks. I love talking about thrill rides and amusement parks so don’t hesitate to contact me! My email is arcarver061619@gmail.com.
