My name is Chas Godbey, and I never planned on becoming a coaster enthusiast. My older brother Scott practically dragged me onto Screechin' Eagle at Americana Amusement Park. What started as one ride quickly turned into a lifelong passion for roller coasters.
For most of my life, I was a casual coaster fan. I enjoyed riding whenever I had the chance, but it wasn't something I actively followed. I can remember making trips to Cedar Point with my brother Joe and enjoying the rides, but at the time I never imagined roller coasters would become such an important part of my life.
Life took an unexpected turn in 2017 when I was diagnosed with Stage 3C colorectal cancer. What followed was a long battle that included surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and recovery. Through it all, my wife Kelli was by my side every step of the way. The experience changed my perspective on life and taught me not to take time, experiences, or family for granted.
Years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself spending more time at home like everyone else. That's when I discovered the online coaster community through YouTube videos, ride POVs, rankings, and enthusiast channels. What started as a way to pass the time quickly reignited my passion for roller coasters and introduced me to a whole new side of the hobby.
Like many software developers, when I wanted a way to track my rides, I built one. What started as a small project on my personal website was simply a way for me to keep track of the coasters I had ridden and the memories that went along with them.
During trips to Kings Island, my sons Jayden and Noah noticed I was updating my coaster list every time we got off a ride. Before long, they wanted a way to track their own credits too. What started as a simple tool for myself quickly became something our family was using together.
Around that same time, my friend Drew saw what I was building and encouraged me to think bigger. He invested in the CoasterCredits.com domain and challenged me to prove that the idea had potential. That vote of confidence gave me the push I needed to stop thinking of it as just a personal project and start building something for the coaster community.
What began as a simple way to track my own rides slowly evolved into CoasterCredits.com—a place where coaster enthusiasts can keep track of their credits, preserve memories, and share their journey with others.
Today, I'm still building Coaster Credits one feature at a time. Whether you have 5 credits or 500, you're welcome here. Thank you for being part of the journey.
Ride On,
Chas "ChazyG" Godbey