American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) is a non-profit organization focusing on the enjoyment, knowledge, and preservation of roller coasters as well as recognition of some as architectural and engineering landmarks. Dues-paying members receive the quarterly magazine RollerCoaster! and bi-monthly newsletter ACE News. Amusement parks have also invited members to exclusive ride events at amusement parks as well as sneak peek events at new roller coasters under construction.
The organization maintains an online database of roller coasters including ride specifications and archives of published news articles. The club also recognizes historically significant roller coasters with ACE Coaster Classic and ACE Coaster Landmark statuses.
History Organization founders Roy Brashears, Paul Greenwald and Richard Munch met at a roller coaster riding marathon event promoting the 1977 movie Rollercoaster at the Rebel Yell roller coaster (now called Racer 75) at Kings Dominion amusement park in Doswell, Virginia. The three discovered they shared the same passion for roller coasters and decided to form a club that would allow others that shared the same interests to join. They organized Coaster ConI the following year at Busch Gardens Williamsburg theme park in June 1978. On the final day of the event during a business meeting, the name American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) was chosen as the club's name. Coaster Con events have been held annually ever since.
Structure The organization is almost entirely run by volunteers, with the exception of an independent contractor who runs certain day-to-day operations regarding mailings, receipt of event payment/membership dues and merchandise. ACE members are required to pay annual membership dues that are available in individual, couple, family and corporate packages. The organization fulfills one of its primary goals of providing education through its publications. Other goals include promoting the conservation, appreciation, and enjoyment of roller coasters and their place in history as architectural and engineering landmarks.
ACE is governed by an executive committee of five officers and seven directors. Four of the officer positions are directly elected and one indirectly elected by the club's membership. These officers are the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and immediate past president. The seven directors are appointed by the president and approved by a majority vote of the remaining officers. The region director oversees a system of ACE regions, which sponsors events and publishes regional websites and email newsletters.
ACE Regions California Northern Canada (except British Columbia) Eastern Great Lakes (Ohio and Michigan) Europe Florida Heart of America (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and southern Illinois) Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) Midwest (Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia) New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) New Jersey New York North Central (Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota) Northwest (Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington) Other Countries Pacific Southwest (Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and southern California) Pennsylvania Eastern Pennsylvania Western Rocky Mountain (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) South America South Central (Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas) Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) Western Great Lakes (Wisconsin and northern Illinois)
Events The national organization sponsors the annual Coaster Con convention, international tours, seasonal conferences, and a conference focused on coaster preservation.
Coaster Con Coaster Con, usually features one to as many as six theme parks where exclusive ride time is made available to members on selected coasters outside of times when the park is open to the public. Coaster Con also features photo and video contests, carnival games competitions, as well as an annual business meeting, banquet (with presentations, awards, industry keynote speaker, and auction to benefit ACE's funds), workshops, discussion groups, displays, and memorabilia sales tables.
No. Dates Host parks 1 June 9–11, 1978 Busch Gardens Williamsburg 2 June 15–17, 1979 Kings Island 3 June 26–29, 1980 Kennywood 4 June 25–30, 1981 Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags AstroWorld, Fair Park 5 June 24–27, 1982 Hersheypark 6 June 23–26, 1983 Elitch Gardens, Lakeside Amusement Park 7 July 11–15, 1984 Crystal Beach Park, Canadian National Exhibition, Seabreeze Amusement Park 8 June 27–30, 1985 Lincoln Park, Rocky Point Amusement Park, Whalom Park, Mountain Park 9 June 26–29, 1986 Six Flags Over Georgia, Lake Winnepesaukah 10 June 22–28, 1987 Six Flags Magic Mountain, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California's Great America 11 June 21–25, 1988 Geauga Lake, Cedar Point, Boblo Island Amusement Park 12 June 21–25, 1989 Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Clementon Lake Park 13 June 20–25, 1990 Six Flags Over Texas, Wonderland Park 14 June 16–20, 1991 Kennywood 15 June 21–25, 1992 Kings Dominion 16 July 5–9, 1993 Worlds of Fun, Joyland Amusement Park 17 June 4–11, 1994 Belmont Park, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California's Great America 18 June 18–23, 1995 Carowinds, Family Kingdom Amusement Park, Myrtle Beach Pavilion 19 June 1–3, 1996 Lakeside Amusement Park 20 June 6–13, 1997 Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens Williamsburg 21 June 21–24, 1998 Kennywood, Idlewild, Sandcastle Waterpark 22 June 20–24, 1999 Six Flags Fiesta Texas, SeaWorld San Antonio 23 June 18–23, 2000 Kentucky Kingdom, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari 24 June 17–22, 2001 Hersheypark, Williams Grove Amusement Park, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Philadelphia Toboggan Company 25 June 16–21, 2002 Six Flags Magic Mountain, Adventure City, Knott's Berry Farm 26 June 15–20, 2003 Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Kings Dominion 27 Cedar Point, Memphis Kiddie Park, Geauga Lake 28 June 19–24, 2005 Six Flags Great America, Little Amerricka, Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park 29 June 18–24, 2006 Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Old Town, Magic Kingdom, Cypress Gardens, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 30 June 17–23, 2007 Kings Island, Stricker's Grove, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, Beech Bend 31 June 15–20, 2008 Six Flags Over Georgia, Wild Adventures 32 June 21–26, 2009 Silver Dollar City, Worlds of Fun 33 June 20–25, 2010 Kennywood, Idlewild and Soak Zone, Conneaut Lake Park, Waldameer & Water World 34 June 19–22, 2011 Six Flags Over Texas, Sandy Lake Amusement Park 35 June 17–22, 2012 Dollywood, Carowinds 36 June 16–21, 2013 Six Flags New England, Canobie Lake Park, Palace Playland, Funtown Splashtown USA 37 June 15–20, 2014 California's Great America, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Gilroy Gardens 38 June 21–26, 2015 Six Flags Great Adventure, Storybook Land, Morey's Piers 39 June 19–23, 2016 Six Flags St. Louis, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari 40June 18–22, 2017 Six Flags Fiesta Texas, ZDT's Amusement Park, SeaWorld San Antonio 41June 17–22, 2018 Six Flags America, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Kings Dominion 42June 16–21, 2019 Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm 43June 20–26, 2021 Hersheypark, Dutch Wonderland, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Knoebels Amusement Resort 44June 19–24, 2022Cedar Point, Kennywood 45June 18–23, 2023Dollywood, Carowinds46June 16–21, 2024California's Great America, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk47June 15–20, 2025Six Flags Great America, Little Amerricka, Indiana Beach48June 21–26, 2026Six Flags New England, Lake Compounce, Great Escape49June 20–25, 2027Silver Dollar City, Mid America Adventure
Awards
ACE Coaster Classic The ACE Coaster Classic award was developed in the early 1990s at a time when changes and modernizations in the design, equipment, and operation of wooden roller coasters threatened to replace the traditional wooden coaster experience. The award is given to coasters that continue to adhere to the characteristics of the classic wooden coaster while providing a safe ride. To be eligible for ACE Coaster Classic status, a coaster must meet the following criteria: Traditional lap bars that allow riders to experience so-called airtime, the sensation of floating above the seat, must be installed. Individual, ratcheting lap bars do not meet this requirement. Riders must be able to slide from side-to-side in their seats. A coaster with any restraint or device that restricts this freedom, like seat dividers between riders, does not meet this requirement. Riders must be able to view upcoming drops and thrills. A coaster with headrests on every seat or the majority of seats that restrict this view does not meet this requirement. Riders must be free to choose where they sit. A coaster where riders are assigned seats before boarding does not meet this requirement.
The amusement park or theme park operating a roller coaster that is recognized as ACE Coaster Classic is usually presented with a custom plaque. The plaque typically states:
It has been noted, however, that most wooden roller coasters usually have disqualifying ratcheting lap bars, seat dividers, headrests and seatbelts to prevent people from trying to stand up during the ride. For example, Rolling Thunder at Six Flags Great Adventure had traditional one-piece buzz bars which met the Coaster Classic requirements, but it is not a Coaster Classic because of headrests and seat dividers being added in 1981 to prevent people from standing up during the ride, and seatbelts were added to the trains later in 2009. It also had seat-specific gates on the platform, which also does not meet Coaster Classic criteria.
Although the Coaster Classic award is traditionally given to wooden roller coasters, there is one steel roller coaster that has been awarded Coaster Classic status, Montaña Suiza at Parque de Atracciones Monte Igueldo. This roller coaster follows the characteristics of a traditional scenic railway, but because the track is constructed of metal rails bolted to a concrete trough, it is classified as a steel roller coaster.
Coasters awarded , there are 28 coasters worldwide with ACE Coaster Classic status, 19 in North America, 8 in Europe, and one in Australia. 22 of them are currently operating.