Boardwalk Bullet Review Kemah Boardwalk INSANE Gravity Group Wooden Coaster

With a world record number of crossovers, Boardwalk Bullet packs in one heck of a ride into what is a ridiculously small amount of space. The result? One of the greatest wooden roller coasters ever built!
Support the channel and purchase your Coaster Studios t-shirts at www.coastershirts.com!
You can also check out our other Coaster Studios branded merchandise here: shop.spreadshirt.com/coasterst...
Follow Coaster Studios on social media!
Facebook: / coasterstudios
Twitter: @coasterstudios
/ coasterstudios
Instagram: coaster_studios
Got a question for Taylor? Want to share a cool photo you took? Send all comments, questions, and concerns to [e-mail]
Coaster Studios is now on Discord! Join the chat now: / discord
Want to mail us something? Send it to:
Coaster Studios
P.O. Box 1354
Midlothian, VA 23113
MY GEAR:
Sony a6500
18-105mm lens
70-350mm lens
Rode VideoMic Pro
MOZA AirCross Gimbal
Canon G7x Mark II
GoPro Hero 7 Black
AT2020
Check out articles I've published to HuffPost here: www.huffingtonpost.com/author/...
Coaster Studios logo designed by Kristopher Werner.
www.kristopherwernerdesigns.com
Twitter: @kwernerdesigns
Instagram: @kristopherwernerdesigns
Thanks to Casey Rentmeester for creating the Coaster Studios intro and outro!
© Coaster Studios. All rights reserved. No part of this video can be reproduced or redistributed without permission from Taylor Bybee, Coaster Studios owner and creator. For permission requests, see email above. Use without consent with or without credit is in direct violation of copyright law. Cropping out the Coaster Studios watermarked logo is strictly prohibited.

[@maxhagenauer24]

It is actually crazy how they managed to fit that whole ride in that small space, Gravity Group did an amazing job and deserve tons of credit for this this.

[@SunshineStateCoasters]

And Martin & Vleminchx!! Gravity Group did design it yes, but M&V built it on site and despite the fact they had issues at the start, it worked out awesome in the end!! Both companies (and Kemah Boardwalk) deserve A LOT of credit for building one of the best wooden coasters ever!!

[@maxhagenauer24]

@@SunshineStateCoastersTrue

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

That’s what’s gravity group is good at lol

[@elwoodblues9613]

The smaller the space, the more intense the ride. And Boardwalk Bullet is *intense.* It feels faster than it really is.

[@trevorunderwood245]

I live north of houston, so this is technically my "home park" and have been on this coaster more than any other ride. It is CRIMINALLY underrated and I absolutely love it. I'm so glad you had a great experience on it. Love your channel!

[@triple7marc]

What’s the best row/seat for it? I’m riding in 2 weeks and will probably only have the chance to ride it once.

[@theheardtheorem]

Marc W. You’ll find a way to ride it more than once...trust me. It’s great in both the front and the back. I might give a slight edge to the front because of the insane amount of crossovers on this ride. Being in the front adds an extra element of fear because you haven’t seen the people in front of you clear all those beautiful wood beams!

[@triple7marc]

theheardtheorem I’ll try to get two rides on it! The only problem is I have a multi-hour drive before Kemah Boardwalk AND after Kemah Boardwalk, with Kemah Boardwalk only being a stop on a cross-country road trip, so I don’t know if I’ll have time. I just hope the lines aren’t super long.

[@gplez91]

I feel like you’re one of maybe 3 coaster channels that have enough coaster content to make it through this quarantine.

[@CoasterStudios]

gplez91 I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon! The daily content will go on!

[@jamesbarrett4539]

Coaster Studios hooray

[@frostking79]

Where do you find the time for all for all of this. I imagine this 8 mins probably took at least a hour or two to record, edit, etc. And you do this nearly every day. Kudos for that.

[@triple7marc]

@@frostking79 My guess is since it's his job, he makes the time for it just like others make time for their own jobs, which probably require much more than an hour every day.

[@theheardtheorem]

John Lorton I would add The Chain Lift to that group. They have their own quirky style and definitely have a few opinions that are outside the mainstream for enthusiasts, but are very pragmatic guys.

[@ATLSloan]

That google earth view really does a great job showing just how crammed/compact that ride really is. Couple with the outstanding pacing and you have one killer woodie

[@Jetliner]

There's so much track you can't even see within the structure either, it's insane.

[@jessbian3385]

I live in Texas, I just hit this up this weekend, along with Switchback and Stingray, and this is far above the other wooden coasters in this state. Of 136 coasters, this is my favorite wooden coaster, it was truly insane.

[@KackUp94]

I love how the whole structure just shakes as the train goes along

[@kylebohler2452]

The Boardwalk Bullet made me a coaster enthusiast immediately. I had never really experienced a major coaster before and had no idea what to expect. It was a night ride like this and in the back row. I urge everyone to do your first ride on this at night, you won't believe how aggressive it feels.

[@CoasterHour]

I love fast-paced wooden coasters in the dark, so Boardwalk Bullet sounds right up my alley! Great Review, sounds like that refurbishment is doing wonders for that ride.

[@tylarlozano1229]

Coaster Hour You won’t be disappointed at all by this thing, I rode it 28 times when I was there in January, about two thirds of the rides I got on it were at night, I never wanted to get off of it!

[@TravisCyprien]

Thank you guys for doing the review. It was much needed. Going to miss operating this coaster and always love riding it. Much improved over the years. One of the very few left. Words from a Former Kemah Boardwalk Operator and Boardwalk Bullet Operator 2014-2019. Thanks guys!

[@cacougar2904]

I never even heard of this roller coaster before your videos on it. Now I really want to go and ride it. It looks amazing.

[@charlesprictor2698]

This went immediately on my bucket list after seeing the POV of this coaster!!!

[@madamk1818]

I love Gravity Group's catalog of rides so far, and this one is no different!

[@matthewtaylor1785]

I’ve been on this in the day, and trust me, you still don’t know where you’re going. This thing is insane and if it was at a bigger park it would get a lot more credit and love like it deserves.

[@bbolin5626]

Amazing review. Kemah Boardwalk is my home park even though I live about 70 miles away and boardwalk bullet is one of my favorite wooden coasters.

[@Haazza]

Wow I've never even heard of this ride until now which is a shame its not talked about enough

[@patrickhamos2987]

if you're a coaster fan it's a must-ride. Rode it on a hot sunny day and it was amazing

[@TonyKimtheamusementparkfan]

The Gravity Group did an excellent job designing these wooden coasters :) Sometimes we don't give them enough credit for a lot of their rides, like Boardwalk Bullet. They are often overlooked by the likes of GCI and even RMC, but The Gravity Group is right up there :) I mean I would love to ride this wooden coaster one day, because I really do like wood coasters quite a lot. Kemah Boardwalk has done an incredible job at maintaining this ride since 2007, since of course, Martin and Vleminckx did not construct the ride very well when it opened, leading to jenky track work, and not allowing the trains to travel at its full speed. All the retracking the park has done, and all the money they've put in to renovate it is amazing, and I'm glad the ride is running as great as ever as Gravity Group designed it to be! Plus, The Gravity Group did an amazing job at just engineering this ride into that 1 acre of land, because Idk who else could have come up with such a ride. GCI maybe, but I think The Gravity Group are the kings of compact wood coasters. Great job, Gravity Group, because this ride is definitely one of your top coasters :)

[@alecnederveld4179]

Gravity Group: How many crossovers do you want Kemah Boardwalk: Yes

[@nicholasborkowski3589]

KB needed more crossovers like Christopher Walken needed more cowbell

[@integritycoasters7482]

I love the look of this ride

[@lessardo87]

I love them grammar of thou comment

[@randomporpoise]

I’ve never ridden it but it looks like a wooden RMC raptor lol

[@worldwidesports5k]

I promise I'll give you $100 not to ride that death trap rollercoaster, I thought i was gonna die on that piece of sh....t rc don't even think about it. it goes 51 mph on 92 ft drop. never again for me.

[@randomporpoise]

if its a death trap then its more fun!

[@worldwidesports5k]

@@randomporpoise when can I meet you there??? I wanna see you ride it.

[@TheCycloneHunter]

@@worldwidesports5k Wicked Cyclone goes 55 with an 107 foot drop. Does that make it a death trap?

[@jessieh0928]

It’s fun! Riding in the front is smoother, but if you want more intense, ride in the back!

[@SchrodingersCat8813]

Damn it Taylor, I was gunna skip this when I go to TX just cause it is a bit out of the way and it'd basically be for this one ride. Now I gotta go lol I heard of it and it looked cool but had no idea it was this nuts

[@crooked-halo]

Brian Lopez - Boardwalk Bullet is so good you'd be better off skipping Six Flags, Fiesta Texas and Sea World and going to Kemah and ZDTs. Switchback at ZDTs is another killer Gravity Group ride, halfway between San Antonio and Galveston. Whatever you do, since you'll probably be in San Antonio anyway (and Tx. Stingray kicks serious ass) do not fail to stop at ZDTs for several hours on Switchback, it's right off I-10 and easily a top 20 wood coaster!

[@shadowprince4482]

I've been a coaster fanatic most of my life and somehow I had never even heard of this ride until like a week ago. It looks amazing and is definitely on my coaster bucket list. Makes me wonder what other amazing coasters slipped past my radar.

[@wolfspirit4148]

This was my first ever true big roller coaster I have riden even though my home park is SFOT. I love this ride for how crazy it is but for some reason I have gotten rides where I leave the ride with a headache. Overall it's a pretty amazing coaster for how compact it is but it does seem massive compared to the other structures in the area.

[@Jason-sj2xm]

Yes! Ive been waiting for this review!

[@cal2686]

The lack of being able to see it before boarding makes it a lot more mysterious and fun the first time you go on! It was amazing!! I wish I could forget it and ride it for the first time all over again.

[@mr.noride7226]

People talk about other roller coasters having crazy head choppers, but Boardwalk Bullet be one big head chopper.

[@StamfordBridge]

This review makes me so happy. So nice to hear someone else regard this coaster the way I do.

[@StamfordBridge]

And I have always said this is the best coaster in Texas!

[@j-mikedecker7279]

Yes!!! Finally a review of this coaster from you!!! I absolutely love this ride!!

[@TonyKimtheamusementparkfan]

ElToroRyan would approve of this Boardwalk Bullet review :D

[@coocoodog1232]

I live just down the road from it, like within biking distance. (i'd never bike over that bridge though, but I have biked up to the base of it) I hadn't gone since before the pandemic and I just went a few days ago. It was so good to be back there and riding it again. I had no idea it has such a legendary status in the coaster community.

[@arloproduction4795]

It reminded me of the end of ghostrider but more compact

[@tyler0262]

glad you finally got a chance to ride the bullet, as a native seeing this rollercoaster survive 3 hurricanes and a boatload of tropical storms just makes it that more impressive. i remember riding it as a kid the day before ike hit and it was absolutely insane actually ridding a rollercoaster and seeing a massive hurricane in the background.

[@randomdailylifetexas4418]

Definitely out this on your bucket list! You don’t wanna miss out!

[@so0meone]

This was my first roller coaster, it's a fantastic ride and if you haven't ridden it, GO. Taylor's not exaggerating here, Bullet really is that good

[@ashleystone2143]

I'm a former operator of this ride and it was painful when I worked it. We used to fight over who would do the test ride in the morning because it hurt so bad! The water would touch the supports sometimes. It was also a pain in the ass to find lost items!

[@jeffeffery8181]

"I try to stay quiet filming POVs" we need more people like you Taylor

[@EagleRyan14]

I just got my first rides on this last night, and I totally agree that it’s an elite coaster. I called it a mini wooden steel vengeance when I got off! 😂 Gravity Group for the win! It was hauling!

[@sliceszofmango5209]

Love your vids

[@devino1264]

Let it warm up, amazing ride. First rides during the day aren’t as good, but still very fun anytime. Great work as always Taylor!

[@SilentPro46]

This is the first coaster I've ever ridden and the one that took my fears of roller coasters away. This coaster will always have a special place in my heart

[@oberthewhat]

This coaster is a close second on my list for Texas coasters. I was absolutely blown away when I got on it for the first time. My ride was also at night. I cant wait to get back!

[@oberthewhat]

@flat out heck I’d say iron rattler! Back row!

[@bobthebear1246]

Looks amazing!! 😍

[@OklahomaCoasterFan]

Just rode it tonight, and WOW! 461 coaster credits for me now, I didn't think anything of this scale could impress me this much. 6 rides at night, after a heavy thunderstorm! If anything, you undersold this ride. It is incredible! I'm struggling to sleep now because of it, excited to ride it again in 12 hours.

[@matthewdhewlett]

My favorite coaster ever! And my wife's 100th coaster credit!

[@isaaccastro5866]

This was my first rollercoaster i rode when i was in 5th grade back in 2014 when we went to a field trip this one is so nostalgic

[@jerrysanders1851]

Words right out of my mouth, when I first rode the coaster in June of last year!

[@MrDmcty1]

I LOVED THIS RIDE! When my cruise ship was docked in houston i took the trip! and sat in the back seat, my GOODNESS!

[@pproteinc]

I love this ride. Reminds me of GhostRider at night flying through the structure

[@wolfbyte3171]

In 2007/08, I was part of a camp that went to Houston to visit the Johnson Space Center. One night, we went to Kemah boardwalk, and I went on the Bullet. The thing I really remember was how *bumpy* it was, especially for a wooden coaster. During the picture part, I have a photo where it looks like I'm doing an air fist pump, but in reality I was flinching from a hard bump.

[@TriplePinesStudios]

Hey man I love your coaster reviews i always Watch your videos before I go to a park or on a roller coaster PS I watched your Dollywood video the weekend before I went and I loved it

[@contrast6140]

I was there on new years eve last year and loved it. I got 6 rides 4 in the back row and this is a top 3 coaster for me.

[@joeyquinn212]

After watching this review, I immediately put it on my bucket list.

[@DieselDucy]

I may ride this thing tomorrow.

[@lucasdunn5462]

I live like 5 minutes from here and this is so much fun

[@iamlauren6249]

Oh how I love Gravity Group

[@MrCollerRoaster]

Great review! I would love to ride this coaster!

[@BlotRorschach]

"Let's make the first element a trick track double up taken at 50 mph." -Gravity Group, probably

[@tylarlozano1229]

It’s my #1 coaster I’ve ridden so far, really glad to hear you got a major kick out of this thing. I personally think they should keep the PTC trains on this thing, the laterals on this thing are really dang good and the PTC trains really brought them out for me, especially at night.

[@bryanswain8720]

I agree with your review, it’s one of my top coasters too. A friend and fellow coaster addict and I visited on a whim while in Galveston expecting to get maybe 2 rides and ended up getting 5 in before the park closed.

[@josueguevara2308]

I've been on this a lot and it's very cool

[@shinx0509]

It’s a truly amazing ride

[@shinx0509]

By the way it’s just as awesome during the day 😎

[@patrickhamos2987]

I rode this for the first time last week , and it's easily one of the best coasters I've been on in my long life! What a blast! Absurdly fun. And all for FIVE BUCKS! with no general admission fee! next time I'm in the area, I'm planning an evening devoted to riding this thing 3-4 times.

[@integritycoasters7482]

That night ride POV

[@tigerrocks503chase8]

Goldstriker: I am the most twisty wooden coaster. Boardwalk Bullet: Hold my beer.

[@cmwaves]

I’ve ridden it and live near it: it’s awesome

[@triple7marc]

I’m going on a non-coaster road trip from Florida to California, and was ecstatic to find out that Boardwalk Bullet is only around 30 minutes out of the way. It wouldn’t have been on my radar if it hadn’t been for this video and I’m riding it in exactly 2 weeks!!

[@anthonyblack9097]

Gravity group is sicker than gci if you ask me. Don't get me wrong gci is killer.

[@cawilliams188]

I am seriously considering a Texas Trip after quarantine. Would be great to get out there and get some credits like Boardwalk, Switchback, Iron Shark, Texas Stingray and actually have some time to enjoy myself.

[@ev7d167]

Tells you that size doesn't really matter

[@StamfordBridge]

I marathoned this during the day and had no sense that it was that close to the water. Boardwalk Bullet is just its own self-contained universe.

[@dominickmenifee8958]

I stay in the Houston area and with this being an hour away from where I stay, this thing is phenomenal. Believe it or not, I got 14 rides in a single visit in 2018 I wanna say, and that was because I went when the boardwalk opened. but I am not joking!!! Also, this was my first rollercoaster back in like 2010. @coasterstudios

[@lessardo87]

the POV used here reminds me of a night ride I got on Millennium Force because of the pacing and the lack of light.

[@jameshill9615]

i have ridden it, but i think it was before the refurbishment. Also when your standing in the station and that train goes by, I thought the station was gonna fall.

[@unaialonsoalvarez704]

Good video, I love you

[@peterg644]

Can you post that back row pov Pls?

[@Stephenp503]

I got the third ride of the day, and it was hauling even before it was warmed up.

[@KennyRyman]

Great Video...

[@Stephenp503]

5th car, front row, right side. On the train that I got, that lap bar was particularly loose, and it's impossible to get stapled. When the ride operator tightens the seatbelt, a simple tug can loosen it quite a bit. You can easily disguise loosening it by making it look like you are trying to see how secure it is. I was lucky to figure that out, and that was the most insane ejector airtime I have ever experienced! The second drop was some Iron Rattler quarry dive level airtime.

[@landonellison4160]

I rode this yesterday and the airtime was insane in my two rides on it that were both in the back

[@XscreamThrills]

Im surprised to hear how impressed you were with Boardwalk Bullet. Guess I'm adding it to my roster with my next Texas trip! 👍

[@chandamutale4264]

This woodie is absolutely bonkers at night. I went on it twice, once in the day and again after the sun went down, and the difference is night and day.

[@AceAviations2]

There's one thing that I find kind of interesting about this ride, if you compare an aerial picture of the ride to a legendary lost woodie it seems to have an uncanny resemblance to it. What legendary lost woodie am I talking about? none other than the Rye Playland Airplane Coaster, I mean the aerial comparison is pretty striking. Yes it lacks the 'death sprials' but it seems to deliver on crazy latterals that the one partial POV of that monster (footage of the Airplane Coaster exists, look up 'swampfoxer' for it and a LOT of other lost coaster footage, you'll thank me later). I'm not sure if this ride was inspired by the Airplane Coaster but if it was in some way I'm surprised that it wasnt a GCI, but either way I feel that this ride could be amazing with Millennium Flyers however unlikely that is to happen (I feel that Timberliners would look HORRIBLE on this ride). I personally see the spirit of the Airplane Coaster in Boardwalk Bullet due to the super compact and twisted layout, I don't know if I'm alone in that but there's just something about this ride that does it for me more than any actual GCI.

[@jasonelston2707]

Taylor Bybee: I like this coaster better than Steel Vengeance's second (or third) half. Coaster Enthusiasts: *Heavy Breathing*

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

I’m surprised we don’t have something similar to this in other American parks I would love to experience that sharp turn and that sharp first airtime hill

[@duderRechthat]

I could swear this is a preselect rollercoaster layout within Roller Coaster Tycoon 1/2. Or/and that i build one like this to safe space in my park :D

[@FreeJaffa92]

Hey didn’t Wildcat at Lake Compounce (LC) go from PTC trains to timber liners? I bring it up because I’ve heard that the problems LC has had with Wildcat came from the much significantly higher weight putting way more force on the track.

[@kingoliver5663]

It looks really cool! I hope it's still gonna be there by the time Grand Texas Theme Park opens up.. that's the only way a flight to the Houston area would be worth it. And if only SFAW was still open.

[@triple7marc]

In my opinion, "Boardwalk Bullet" is the best name ever given to any roller coaster, maybe behind (or tied with) "Steel Eel" at SeaWorld San Antonio. Just fantastic.

[@thomz4625]

Wow I had never even heard of this ride. Makes me wonder how many great coasters are being slept on for not being in well-known parks.

[@DoesNotInhale]

There is such a lack of terrain coasters, but by and far the most lacking is coasters that go through their support systems extensively. I wonder if its a lot more expensive to build on a compact profile like this (I imagine that to be true given their rarity). When I was hella little always playing roller coaster tycoon i'd specifically build coasters in this format and would just try and imagine how intense it'd be to be rushing past all that wood, the close quarters drastically increasing your sense of speed all the while giving you a rush from near misses and zero ability to expect whats next.

[@arkitect156]

Did you release the back row pov? I haven't seen it

[@theaverageDon]

The first drop actually reminds me of the intensity on the drop after the second lift-hill on The Beast

[@crooked-halo]

Excellent video! I agree with everything said, especailly about those two, bent rabbit hops after the amazing first drop. Sorry you didn't get to ride more than 4 times. I went in late February 2021 and rode around 40 times in one day/night. But I do live in Ft. Worth. This is now my #2 coaster behind Phoenix. It's incredibly intense yet smooth and re-rideable. Boardwalk Bullet is almost beyond description it's so thrilling. When I rode it in 2010 it was very rough, nearly unrideable. The refurbishment has drastically changed it. Anyone going to Kemah remember that ZDTs and the awesome Switchback aren't far away, and it's on the way from/to Sea World and Fiesta Texas!

[@CoasterStudios]

This is a Boardwalk Bullet review, not a Switchback review, so that is why I didn't mention it. I actually rode Switchback the same day as this! I only rode BB 4 times because we went at the end of the night, and the park closed before we could ride it any more.

[@SmileBullet]

Crooked Halo ok

[@crooked-halo]

@@CoasterStudios Hey, sorry for my comment last year! I was dealing with a life crisis and so was rude and insensitive. I edited the above and deleted the second comment completely.

[@riparianlife97701]

My favorite woody.

[@Jetliner]

My rides were spring break last year and even then I didn't think it was slow or rough (besides one bump on the first drop). A lot of the best offride perspectives are the ones you get while in the queue/exit path. I rank the Bullet as my #1 wood, only somewhat due to hometown bias.

[@adamramsey5939]

Secondary channel replying to my main, for some reason I put my offride footage on the secondary. Yeah, it's super hard to get proper good shots of this ride that aren't through 3 layers of fencing/supports.

[@SerperiorFox]

I’ve watched other POV’s of boardwalk bullet and it seems when you where riding it the ride was going faster than usual.

[@CoasterStudios]

Serperior Fox I am not surprised by this- it just came out of a huge refurbishment, so now it should be running better than ever!

[@David-gj9qr]

I rode this a couple times maybe 1 or 2 with my cousins during my visit to Texas. It was fun but I didn’t like it because I remember experiencing a lot of roughness. My cousins loved it though and rode it during the rain a couple more times at night when we were about to leave. I didn’t realize that this coaster could possibly be loved by an enthusiast because all I remember is it being rough. I’m glad I got to experience it for myself though, Kemah boardwalk was the only “theme park” we visited because riding coasters wasn’t our original goal, it’s just something I wanted to do. Edit: someone mentioned that it’s smoother at night but I only experienced it during the day and like I said it was extremely rough for me and I didn’t like it because of that. I kind of wish I got to experience at night but it started raining towards the night. My cousins got two more rides at night because they didn’t mind the rain. This would explain why they loved it though because they rode it at night

[@crooked-halo]

David Baines _ Boardwalk Bullet, for most of it's life, has been horribly rough, almost un-rideable. It was tearing itself to pieces. But now after a MAJOR refurbishment it's smooth, but incredibly intense and violent, yet very re-rideable. It's like a brand new coaster! I rode in 2010 and it was horrible. Now it's my #2 coaster among 150+ wood coasters I've ridden.

[@aidandfilmspart2929]

To me it looks like a CCI woodie on steroids because of how cool it looks. Its just insane how much airtime you can fit in such at small space. This need more attention that it does.

[@andyroman8223]

I should have probably ridden this when I was in houston :(

[@maybelauryn2346]

I I don’t really like roller coasters but this one was scary and fun and scream inducing

[@trevornbaschmid8168]

I was in Huston for the final four in 2016 but was a half an inch short of riding