Great Coasters International, Inc. (GCI) is a roller coaster manufacturer based in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, founded in 1994 by Mike Boodley and Clair Hain Jr. Boodley had previously worked as a designer for Custom Coasters International, while Hain had built a reputation as a master wooden coaster builder, and together they set out to build a new generation of wood coasters known for smooth, high-speed rides.
GCI’s first coaster, Wildcat, opened at Hersheypark in 1996, and the company has since built roughly three dozen coasters across North America, Europe, and Asia. Its rides became known for tight, twisting layouts, curved drops, and airtime-filled hills, with the company later developing its own Millennium Flyer trains. Since 2014, Skyline Attractions has handled design and engineering for GCI’s projects.
Stats at a Glance
- Founded: 1994
- Headquarters: Sunbury, Pennsylvania, USA
- Founders: Mike Boodley and Clair Hain Jr.
- Specialty: Wooden roller coasters
- First coaster: Wildcat at Hersheypark (1996)
- Coasters built: About 30+ worldwide
- Notable design: Millennium Flyer trains
- Engineering partner: Skyline Attractions (since 2014)
A Reputation Built on Wood
GCI carved out its niche by focusing almost exclusively on wooden coasters at a time when many manufacturers were shifting toward steel. Its rides are recognized for sweeping, curved drops and twisting layouts rather than the long straight runs common on older wood coasters, giving them a sense of speed and unpredictability. Elements like station fly-bys and fly-throughs, where the train appears to rocket past or under the loading platform, became something of a company signature.
The company’s Millennium Flyer trains, featuring cushioned seats and individual lap bars, helped make its coasters more comfortable than many older wooden designs, contributing to their strong reputation among enthusiasts and regular appearances in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards rankings.
Notable Rides and Global Reach
Coasters like Lightning Racer at Hersheypark and Gold Striker at California’s Great America, which peaked at 7th place in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards wooden coaster rankings the year after its 2013 debut and has continued to place among the world’s top wooden coasters since, helped establish GCI’s name in North America. In 2006, the company expanded internationally with Thunderbird at PowerPark in Finland, and it has since built rides across Europe and Asia as well.
In more recent years, GCI has continued to innovate, developing the Infinity Flyer train system in 2018, capable of handling coasters with inversions, and refurbishing or re-tracking existing wooden coasters built by other manufacturers alongside its new construction projects.
Explore more: Browse more roller coaster manufacturers.
Notable Great Coasters International Coasters on ThrillZing
- Mystic Timbers — Kings Island
- Wicker Man — Alton Towers
Browse every ride profile in our roller coaster guides.
Great Coasters International FAQs
What is Great Coasters International known for?
GCI is known for building wooden roller coasters featuring curved drops, twisted layouts, and a strong sense of speed, along with its comfortable Millennium Flyer trains.
When was Great Coasters International founded?
GCI was founded in 1994 by Mike Boodley and Clair Hain Jr. in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.
What was GCI’s first roller coaster?
GCI’s first coaster was Wildcat, which opened at Hersheypark in 1996.
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Photo: WillMcC / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.