Photo: Mike Bare. View full-sized image.
No Coaster Con (NCC), ACE’s lead event of 2026 — the first and still-going-strong midwinter celebration for coaster and park enthusiasts — was held at the Hyatt Place Hotel conference center in Rosemont, Illinois, on January 17. A total of 163 members and guests savored a 10-1/2-hour day of 19 presentations and camaraderie with fellow enthusiasts and ACE’s many amusement industry friends.
Lead conference coordinators (and ACE Western Great Lakes assistant regional representatives) Scott Heck and Jackie Hodge, along with master of ceremonies Marty Moltz, welcomed everyone and explained the housekeeping rules.
Photo: Mike Bare. View full-sized image.
The event kicked off officially with welcoming remarks by jovial jokemeister Marty Moltz, who remarked that this year’s NCC offered the biggest program in event history. Noting that this was his 40th year as master of ceremonies and noting his age (81 years), he commented: “I went into an antiques auction the other day, and as I just walked in, three people put in a bid on me.” Conference Coordinators and ACE Western Great Lakes Assistant Regional Representatives Scott Heck and Jackie Hodge offered their own welcomes, adding that this is NCC’s 45th anniversary year.
ACE’s operations director, Aric Austermann, provided an ACE update and listed upcoming ACE events for 2026.
Photo: Mike Bare. View full-sized image.
ACE Member Update
First up was an ACE member update from Operations Director Aric Austermann. Some highlights he noted:
- ACE received $40,000 in donations and granted $25,000.
- ACE created the Centennial Coaster Award for coasters that have hit the 100-year mark. The first award went to the Giant Dipper in Belmont Park in San Diego, California.
- ACE Roller Coaster Landmark plaques were awarded to Shockwave at Six Flags Over Texas, American Eagle at Six Flags Great America and Vuoristorata at Linnanmäki in Finland.
- 2026 is an election year in which members will elect a president, vice president, treasurer and secretary.
Cedar Point's Tony Clark enthusiastically reported on the Siren's Curse tilt coaster.
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Cedar Point and Kings Island
The always ebullient Tony Clark (regional manager of public relations for Six Flags) reviewed some highlights. First, Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio). Regarding his experience riding Siren’s Curse, Clark declared, “I will tell you, it's the most terrifying experience I've ever had at Cedar Point” but went on to say, “the guest reaction has been nothing short of spectacular.”
Clark also mentioned the extensive work done by Zamperla on Top Thrill 2 and its exemplary performance in 2025. In 2026, the Arrow coaster Corkscrew will celebrate 50 years!
Upcoming events include Winter Chill Out in February, Coaster Mania, Boardwalk Nights and Halloween weekends.
Moving on to Kings Island (Mason, Ohio), Clark mentioned Coaster Stock and noted that 2026 will be the last year for Grand Carnival. Haunt will return, along with Winterfest.
In ride news, the Grand Carousel from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company celebrates its 100th anniversary. Kings Island is working with The Gravity Group to retrack 800 linear feet of The Beast. And despite rumors to the contrary, the Vekoma shuttle coaster Invertigo will reopen this year.
Randy Geisler, Bob Prentki, Marty Moltz and Scott Heck discussed the history and their roles in directing NCC over the years.
Photo: Mike Bare. View full-sized image.
45th No Coaster Con — A Look Back
Randy Geiser, Marty Moltz, Richard McClowry, Bob Prentki and Scott Heck led a panel discussion, detailing the history of NCC (or ACE Midwinter Conference, as it was first called when it was an ACE national event). ACEers in the Chicago area originated the idea in 1981 for a middle-of-winter gathering that included presentations and speeches and a time to appreciate the shared love for coasters and amusement parks. There is too much history to include in this event report, so look for a separate article on the history of NCC in an upcoming ACE News post.
Zippin Pippin’s 15th Birthday
Heck remarked that 15 years ago at NCC, the opening of the Bay Beach (Green Bay, Wisconsin) woodie Zippin Pippin was announced. A video was shown featuring Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt, Project Manager Stephan Lacourse and others. Elvis even made an in-person appearance (played by the late ACEer Ray Pacelli), since the original Zippin Pippin at Libertyland in Memphis, Tennessee, was Elvis Presley’s favorite roller coaster.
Matthew Bjorklund and Peyton Morgan from Lost Island highlighted their single-rail Fire Runner coaster.
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Lost Island
Matthew Bjorklund (ride operations assistant manager) and Peyton Morgan (ride operations manager) represented Lost Island in Waterloo, Iowa. Founded in 2022, it is one of America’s newest theme parks. Lost Island is divided into five different lands and offers four roller coasters.
In park news, trees will be added in 2026 to help provide shade, plus two pavilion structures over two of their ride queues. Expect new merchandise at the gift shops.
In ride news, Lost Island's single rail coaster, Fire Runner, from Rocky Mountain Construction, achieved the 2025 USA Reader's Choice Award for the top new theme park attraction for 2025. The Awatti Battle (splash battle) attraction added more themed elements, as well as new targets. As for new rides, the park’s carousel will be opening in 2026.
In park events, look for the Fire Runner 5k in June 12, Cinder Fest and fireworks in July and dates in July and August when the park will be open till 9:30 p.m.
Holiday World
Eric Snow (vice president and chief marketing officer) presented for Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, and began by recapping ride anniversaries of 2025: Cheetah Chase (five years), Thunderbird (10), Wildebeest (15), The Legend (25) and The Raven (30) — and free, unlimited soft drinks (25)! The big anniversary: Holiday World will celebrate 80 years of operation in 2026.
For the 2025 season, Holiday World introduced redesigned entry portals for its themed sections. These new structures (created by 3dx Scenic) replaced the original portals that had marked the entrances to the Christmas, Halloween and 4th of July sections for the past 40 years.
As for 2026 and events, ACEers who want to ride The Voyage at night should attend Friday Nights Live, which run from mid-August to the end of October. “Holidays in the Sky,” the drone and fireworks show will return in 2026, and a new food and wine festival, Summer Wind Down, will debut. Happy Halloween Weekends will return with the 12-acre corn maze that includes 30 life-size dinosaurs.
Six Flags Great America's Rachel Kendziora noted that her park's 50th anniversary is in 2026.
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Six Flags Great America (and Valleyfair too)
Rachel Kendziora (regional manager, public relations), Katherine Gapinski (public relations coordinator), Benjamin Shanahan (digital content coordinator) and Kevin Shaw (operations manager) brought news from Valleyfair (Shakopee, Minnesota) and Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois). Both Valleyfair and Six Flags Great America are celebrating 50th anniversaries in 2026.
Some Great America highlights of 2025: Wrath of Rakshasa debuted, and the park was co-host for Coaster Con 47! Raging Bull was repainted, and some enhancements were made to Demon.
For Great America’s 50th anniversary, an all-new night-time spectacular will include a stage show, parade, specialty food and beverage offerings, an anniversary retail store and a museum, plus an anniversary brick program.
In ride news, Whizzer is getting some new track and Raging Bull new stairs.
Roller Coaster DataBase
Duane Marden boasted that Roller Coaster DataBase (RCDB) is 30 years old, founded in 1996. He added, ”. . . if you think about websites, that's before Google, that's before Facebook, that's before even you knew this term called social media.”
Marden pointed out, “We’ve almost hit 13,000 roller coasters, and almost 130,000 photos on the site. . . . RCDB is almost running 900 requests every minute, which, for a hobby website, is kind of rock and roll.” Frequent questions to the website are what is a roller coaster, why is this one listed, why isn't that one listed. The answers can get complicated, especially when considering water rides that have coaster-ish elements.
In personal news, Marden got married in December 2024, and Judge Marty Moltz conducted the ceremony.
Deno Vourderis reported that Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park donated books to local charities, libraries and orphanages (inspired by Dolly Parton’s example).
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Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park
Deno Vourderis, co-owner of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park in Brooklyn, New York, began by thanking ACE for inviting him to speak at NCC and for his recent selection as an ACE honorary member.
He also thanked Dollywood and Dolly Parton in particular as a person who inspires everyone to do their best. He added, “I think we can all agree that when we don't know what to do, we don't know what's right and wrong, we just say, what would Dolly do?” And one of the things Dolly does that Deno’s also does is to donate books to local charities, libraries and orphanages.
Deno next spoke about the huge casino and hotel and convention center complex that was proposed for Coney Island and would have overwhelmed the amusement area. When a New York State senator presented the idea of making the Wonder Wheel a New York State Landmark (it’s already a city landmark), Vourderis replied that Deno’s wouldn’t accept it unless the casino vote failed. The vote failed. On the day of the presentation of state landmark status, Vourderis said, “Coney Island isn't a place, it's a people. … It's a privilege to have a piece of history, and to be able to continue a piece of history. … especially in times when people are fighting over the littlest things, this is a place that brings people together.”
Kris Rowberry, with the NRCMA, showed off the re-erection of Canobie Lake's Corkscrew structure on NRCMA’s property.
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National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives (NRCMA)
Kris Rowberry, who is now a full-fledged board member of the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives (NRCMA), updated attendees on the NRCMA’s latest projects.
Regarding equipment that NRCMA acquired in the last year, Rowberry mentioned Canada’s Wonderland’s Time Warp, Carowinds’ Nighthawk and Six Flags Over Texas’ La Vibora. In addition, the museum received the first shipment from Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. (PTCI) of cars that PTCI had been storing in its facility for years. Other additions were cars from Bakken’s Rutschebanen, Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s Wild Mouse, an Anton Schwarzkopf coaster ride model, Six Flags Great Adventure’s Kingda Ka and Six Flags Great America’s Iron Wolf.
The NRCMA acquired the Canobie Lake Park Corkscrew coaster structure (closed in 2021) and re-erected it outside its facility. Eventually, the structure will be part of the parking lot, and visitors will be able to drive under it.
Upcoming at the NRCMA will be Spring Cleaning in March, a post-Spring Con visit in May, Back to the Museum in July (“it's our big enthusiast event, you get to see our progress, you get to sit at the Buzz Bar”) and Night at the Museum in October.
Dollywood's Wes Ramey previewed his park's new-for-2026 major attraction, NightFlight Expedition.
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Dollywood
Wes Ramey, public relations director for Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, began his presentation by thanking the enthusiast community for spreading the word about what happens in the parks. 2025 was Dollywood’s 40th season, an occasion for Herschend management and Dolly Parton to talk about how the park and partnership had come about. In a television interview, Parton’s answer to why she wanted to have an amusement park was to bring people to the area so they could experience the beauty of the Smokies for themselves and to employ people in the area so that those who come to see the Smokies could also see the friendliness of the folks who live there.
In 2025 Dollywood was named the number one TripAdvisor park in the country and won the Golden Ticket Award for Best Family Attraction for Big Bear Mountain. The Dreamsong Theater was turned into the Imagination Playhouse, Blazing Fury reopened on July 4 after some refurbishment work and the Harvest Festival and Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival closed out the year’s events.
As for 2026, the largest addition to Dollywood will open: NightFlight Expedition, which uses the Mack Rides GmbH rocking boat system. Ramey added, “We are calling it a family hybrid adventure coaster, so it's going to be a pretty thrilling attraction for all age ranges.”
The I Will Always Love You Festival kicks off the season in March, and the Flower and Food Festival returns in April. Summer Celebration runs June through early August. Harvey's Boo Bash will take place during the Harvest Festival, and Smoky Mountain Christmas will close out the year. Look for the coaster event Thrills in the Hills in September 25 and Coaster Fest in November.
Kentucky Kingdom's Logan Sanderson showed off the park’s new 2026 coaster, Flying Fox, a suspended Vekoma.
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Kentucky Kingdom
Kentucky Kingdom, another Herschend park, was represented by Logan Sanderson, the marketing manager. This theme and water park in Louisville features five coasters (soon to be six), including two woodies: Woodland Run and Kentucky Flyer.
In 2025, Discovery Meadows opened, with 14 family rides and attractions, one of the largest renovations since the park joined Herschend in 2021.
For 2026, Kentucky Kingdom will be adding Flying Fox, a Vekoma suspended family coaster, which will be the first new coaster since Kentucky Flyer. Events include Floral Frenzy, the Bluegrass and Booms fireworks, Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom and the return of Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom with more than 1.5 million lights.
Indiana Beach's park mascot, IB Crow, with IB park enthusiast Marty Moltz.
Photo: Mike Bare. View full-sized image.
The 45th anniversary NCC swag bag given to attendees contained all the goodies the presenters brought to NCC.
Photo: Randy Geisler. View full-sized image.
A Documentary About Indiana Beach
The Crow media team (Chuck and Luke Pullen and Matt McLindon) have created a documentary on Indiana Beach (Monticello, Indiana) that they’ve been working on for six years. They showed a trailer for their documentary, which covers the 100 years of Indiana Beach (the park opened in 1926), “including some tough times when it was feared the park would close.”
The Pullens have a background in television and are both from northwest Indiana. When the park announced in 2020 that it would be closing, they wanted to document what was going to happen to the park. They eventually met Gene Staples, who agreed to let them hang out with him at the park and follow efforts to keep the park open. The park’s 100th anniversary is 2026, so they want to finish the documentary in time for that.
After concluding their presentation, Chuck Pullen announced that they had brought a special guest, park mascot IB Crow, who graciously posed for photos with attendees.
COTAland
A first-time presenter, Matt Hughey, vice president of park operations at COTAland, was eager to share news of the park’s opening. COTAland is a new theme park that is part of Circuit of the Americas, a Formula One motor racing track in Austin, Texas. In addition to the racing, mini golf, live music and go karts already present, COTAland will offer roller coasters and family attractions.
Palindrome will be the first infinity shuttle coaster in the U.S. and the only steel coaster to go over an active road. Circuit Breaker, Texas' only tilt coaster, opened in 2025. Other coasters are Texas Wildcat, a Schwarzkopf/Stengel Wildcat; Big Apple, a Wacky Worm; and Skyflyer from SBF Visa.
In the racing category, Hughey mentioned Hot Lap, in which riders can team with a race car driver and be driven at 150-plus mph around the racetrack.
Although some rides have run for special occasions already, COTAland will officially open in late spring/early summer.
Gravity Group's Thomas Gilmore and Michael Graham displayed a model of their company's precut track.
Photo: Mike Bare. View full-sized image.
The Gravity Group
Michael Graham (engineer and principal) and Rides Manager Thomas Gilmore represented The Gravity Group. Gilmore was wearing a Gravity Group T-shirt that had the company’s creed on the back, which states the company’s commitment to wood coasters.
Gilmore said, “We're doing new rides, but the majority of our business is upgrading track.… Since 2019, we have a total of 44 engineered pre-cut track projects, with over 26 different rides, so if we're talking about saving roller coasters… we have definitely saved 26 rides.” He held up a model of the company’s 3D combo track, which combines both horizontal and vertical cuts.
Key projects in 2025 for The Gravity Group: The Raven at Holiday World, Wildcat at Lake Compounce, Woodland Run at Kentucky Kingdom, Mighty Canadian Minebuster at Canada’s Wonderland and The Beast at Kings island.
Wild Adventures
Other first-time presenters were Public Relations Specialist Asher Raymond and Director of Marketing and Sales Adam Floyd from Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia. Wild Adventures is also part of the Herschend Family Entertainment group, and although the park has been around since 1996, many people only know of it because of the 2009 film “Zombieland.”
Wild Adventures is a theme park, waterpark, zoo and concert venue and now has a campground. The park’s new slogan for 2026 is “No One Funs Like Us.” The park has 35 multigenerational rides, including six roller coasters: Boomerang, Marsh Mayhem, Outpost Express, Swamp Thing, Swampwater Snake and Twisted Typhoon.
In addition to seasonal events, Wild Adventures now has an ACE event on May 2 that will include behind-the-scenes tours, some animal encounters and a possible auction of some parts from Cheetah, their defunct wood coaster.
Silver Dollar City
Sawyer Nichols (publicity and influencer relations) from Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, had news from the park and its additional properties as well. One of those is the showboat Branson Bell, which is the largest vessel on a landlocked lake in America and offers cruises and a show and is getting a “facelift” this year.
The park is partnering with Great American Family to shoot a Christmas movie in the park that will debut in November. Work on the massive Silver Dollar City Resort is nearing completion. An all-new Stars Lights and Christmas Nights Parade will debut during the park’s Christmas festival with new floats and a re-envisioned storyline.
Silver Dollar City is partnering with the Marvel Cave Mining Company, which has resumed operations in the cave, but details on what’s happening are slim. A February announcement would tell more on what’s happening in Marvel Cave! [We now know.]
Sawyer reminded everyone that Silver Dollar City would be co-host (along with Six Flags St. Louis) for ACE’s Coaster Con 49 in 2027.
PTCI's Janine Rebbie Matscherz and Tom Rebbie noted that the Viper coaster train from Six Flags Great America was in their shop this winter for some TLC rehab.
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Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc.
Tom Rebbie (president/CEO) and Janine Rebbie Matscherz (operations manager) from PTCI began their presentation with, “We got a lot going on at the company. And one of the things is, I turn 71 next month,” said Rebbie. PTCI is 122 years old in 2026; Rebbie has been there for 48 of them and is the longest-tenured president.
As for PTCI’s activities in 2025, PTCI was a presenter at Coaster Stock 2025 and later Rebbie was inducted into the Pennsylvania Amusement Parks and Attractions Association Hall of Fame. PTCI was also at Coaster Con 47, organizing the Rubber Ducky Regatta, which has raised more than $10,000 for ACE’s Preservation Fund. PTCI exhibited at the IAAPA Expo and is the oldest exhibiting company at the Expo.
At PTCI right now are 14 jobs in for rehab: Kemah Boardwalk’s Boardwalk Bullet, Six Flags Over Georgia’s Great American Scream Machine, Six Flags Great America’s Viper and Little Dipper, Cedar Point’s Blue Streak, Dorney Park’s Thunderhawk, Arnolds Park’s Legend, Six Flags Great Escape’s Comet and Wild Waves’ Timberhawk.
Tom Rebbie and Janine Rebbie Matscherz shared one of Tom’s "Things I See.".
Photo: Mike Bare. View full-sized image.
Tom also shared “Things I see” (odd things, funny things, interesting images seen in his travels and online) that he finds amusing or of note.
More than 160 attendees and guests were treated to 19 informative presentations at No Coaster Con.
Photo: Randy Geisler. View full-sized image.
As NCC came to an end, Moltz thanked attendees and encouraged them to attend other ACE events. Heck asked them to pick up their 45th-anniversary swag bags and announced that NCC raised $1,450 for ACE’s Preservation, Archives and NRCMA funds.
— Randy Geisler
The hard-working NCC event crew, left to right, front row: Ann Jennings, Renee Haugen, Julie Jennings, Marty Moltz, Mike Bare. Middle row: Gary Dreyer, Scott Heck, Jeremy Wdowicki, Bonnie Heck. Back row: Chris Jennings, Perry Haugen, Jordan Ferris and Jackie Hodge.
Photo: Randy Geisler. View full-sized image.
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