A Whittier man takes his 20,000th Xcelerator ride

[Darkbeer]

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1550718.php

From the first time Richard Krieger got into the seat of Knott's Berry Farm's new roller coaster, he knew it was unlike others.
Xcelerator took him to speeds of up to 80 mph almost instantly.
He was shot 205 feet into the air and went sailing sideways, momentarily feeling a sense of weightlessness.
It was 62 seconds of bliss for the Whittier man.
On Saturday, Krieger got to enjoy Xcelerator for the 20,000th time, by far a record for the attraction that was introduced almost four years ago, said Jennifer Blazey, spokeswoman for the amusement park.
A small crowd of friends and park employees gathered in front of the thrill ride that morning to witness Krieger's feat.
Krieger climbed into the front seat of the hotrod car, with friend Nancy Davidson by his side exclaiming, "LET'S GO!"
And go they did.
"It had that thrill, that speed. I got attached, I kept coming back," said Krieger, 61, a day before his big ride.
Krieger's first trip on Xcelerator took place on a Tuesday in July 2002, he said.
When Krieger's not working at part-time jobs such as passing out fliers for a real estate company, he makes a 30-mile round-trip bicycle trek from his home in Whittier three or four days a week and often stays until closing, minus rainy days and the busy vacation season.
To get to his milestone, he rode some 60 times a day, once reaching his personal one-day record of 124.

[tloolgb]

Wow. I wish I could retire & do that.

[CoasterMatt]

There's somebody living his dreams - Kudos Richard!

[barfownz]

20,000! I bet he has an Annual Pass. I'm guessing He is retired, so he goes to Knotts daily.

[Alchimedes]

Some of the rewards of retiring, doing whatever you want.

[mousercise]

Wow! I wonder if they made him wait in line (probably not on the slow days) and how he kept track of this.