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Heading to Lake Compounce for my first time, I had absolutely huge expectations for Boulder Dash. After all, it had been rated the best wooden coaster in the world by Amusement Today. Ive been more of a steel coaster guy, and most of my top ten coasters are behemoths built by Intamin or B&M. So, I decided that I must go up to Lake Compounce and ride Boulder Dash. Well, the ride did not disappoint. It is phenomenal! As much a work of art as a thrill ride, Boulder Dash is a relentless ride that keeps up from start to finish. It actually gets faster as the ride goes on, something that very few coasters achieve. Boulder Dash has everything one would want in a wooden coaster. The lift hill is exciting as it ascends into the woods. The first drop isnt sensational, but its good enough to get the ride going. In the back of the train there is significant floater air on the first drop. After that, every hill is perfectly constructed to produce air and sustain speed. About halfway through the trip out, there is one hill that is significantly bigger than the previous few. On this hill there is great airtime and at the bottom the train ducks underneath a rock formation. The track is unbelievably integrated into the woods. A minimal number of trees were removed, and the footers are drilled into rocks and tree stumps. The natural surroundings make the coaster unique and give a heightened sense of speed and a feeling that the train is out of control. The return trip is just as good as the trip out, as the train flies along the shore of the lake. The setting is just perfect, situated in the woods between a mountain and a lake. Another thing I loved about Boulder Dash is that it is very smooth, but still rough enough to let you know its there. When I was at Lake Compounce, I only got to take two rides on Boulder Dash because it was my first time at the park and I wanted to experience as many different rides as possible. However, my ride in the last car was significantly better than in the front, so ride in the back. The lines were never long throughout the day. The ride ops were friendly and in the afternoon there were two trains running. Everything about Boulder Dash is perfect. It is a fantastic coaster, and the uniqueness and interesting setting make it one of the best Ive ever ridden. Boulder Dash is now my favorite wooden coaster, and Im sure that with more rides it would climb even higher on my list.
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