Welcome to Thrillseeker, a blog written by a coaster enthusiast, for general amusement park goers. Thrillseeker will have updates twice a week, ranging from tips & tricks for park-goers to park reviews to help you decide where to travel to next. But before we get into things, I want to explain a little about me.
My name is Nick Koss. I am a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater studying Marketing with a minor in Communications. I have been a fan of amusement rides and water slides my entire life, having visited numerous waterparks and carnivals during my early years. In 2005, I visited my home park of Six Flags Great America and was became instantly hooked. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t until 2012 that I finally got a Six Flags season pass.
From that point on, I have made countless trips to over 25 parks throughout the United States and Canada, riding a whopping 151 roller coasters. Since 2014, I have spent at least 30 days in theme parks each year. Additionally, from 2012 to 2015, I made a video series on YouTube, showcasing my adventures around the country and reviewing some of the different rides I have ridden.
Some of my proudest accomplishments within the industry are not the rides I’ve ridden and the parks I’ve visited, but rather the people I’ve met and the content I’ve been able to create. Over the years, I have met and interacted with hundreds of coaster enthusiasts and park professionals, most of which I hold close friendships with today. In 2013, I started a small media group with friends, Cutback Productions (named after a roller coaster element; I’ll explain later), delivering park content to viewers via YouTube. Since then, I have been able to make two short documentaries and a short featurette, among other projects. Through these projects, I have created a relationship with the Six Flags Great America marketing team and other park officials.
The biggest intent of this blog is to relate to fans of theme parks who may not be the most avid park-goer; those who visit parks on an annual basis, but don’t necessarily know much about the park beyond what’s in front of them. Personally, my dream job is to work in the marketing department for a regional theme park chain, so this blog will help me connect to potential guests of parks I visit. I don’t plan to use very much coaster “mumbo jumbo” in this blog. My goal is to make the content I’m writing about easy to understand for those who don’t follow the industry. I plan to talk about some personal experiences, but also relate that back to content readers are interested in.
So please, join me as we take on this ride together.
Again, welcome to Thrillseeker!