I haven't had much success story-scouting lately, I follow the trail of articles that hold much promise, but turn out to be so-so and not worth recommending.
This article is missing a bit of storytelling oomf, but it can't hurt to expand one's understanding of the evolution of a 20th century cultural icon.
I love that roller coaster design is a profession for engineers who could be earning a fortune if they followed the expected path, but instead decided to drop off the career treadmill and dedicate their working lives to a childhood fascination.
The standout character in the story is Ron Toomer, who left a job as a NASA engineer to become one of the standout roller coaster designers of his time. But poor old Ron suffered from motion sickness and didn't actually enjoy roller coasters. Shame he didn't feature more in this article.
Another nice detail is that while the technology has evolved to the point that they're now developing a magnetic track that makes the cars levitate, there is still a fondness - and market - for the good old fashioned wooden roller coaster track.
And here's a lovely quote from German cultural critic Siegfried Kracauer:
"Here we are, borne aloft in beatitude, zooming ahead in a race that may imply death, but also appeasement."
The Business of Building Roller Coasters
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