Back Lot Stunt Coaster
Specific Type: Family Multi-Launch
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Kings Island, which is nestled in the woods of Kings Mills, Ohio is about to have a robbery of epic proportions pulled off. Not really, but the park’s newest attraction comes straight out of a movie in which that very scene was depicted. The new attraction making its way into Paramount’s Kings Island is based on the 2003 motion picture, The Italian Job. The Paramount Park chain is already famous for making their movies into rides, with rides such as Hurler, Outer Limits Flight of Fear [now simply Flight of Fear], and their many Top Gun coasters. The entire idea for this ride comes from the finale sequence from the movie and was created to give guests the feeling of being a Hollywood stunt driver. The ride comes from the minds at Premier, just one year after the creation of Revenge of the Mummy for Universal Studios. Park guests are treated to a once in a lifetime experience as they race through movie sets created for the Italian Job. The Italian Job Stunt Track will make its debut in the Spring of 2005 at Kings Island. A second version of the ride also debuted around the same time in another park in the family, Paramount's Canada's Wonderland. The ride boasts three launch sections sending riders racing through the twisted turns of its gray track.
Future stunt people enter the ride crossing over a bridge with a recreation of a Los Angeles aqueduct underneath it. They enter the ride station and board one of three Mini Coopers painted in red, blue, or white. These minis are not the standard Mini Coopers everyone is familiar with. These cars are “tricked out” with everything including a booming audio system. Once the restraints are secure, the minis are blasted out of the station and head up a parking garage ramp. Once at the top, the cars dive down a drop. At the bottom, the minis swerve to avoid the group of police cars waiting to catch riders. The cars speed through the course and into a highly over-banked turn. At the end of the turn, the track turns into a mock up of the LA freeway. The cars pound through a few bunny hills and then the track turns into an area meant to be a park. The cars speed through the park and then do a famous scene from the Italian Job. They race down the stairs into the subway, and yes, riders do feel the bumps. The minis race through a turn and then shot into an area with a helicopter hovering overhead. At this point the cars are stopped and riders are subjected to the wrath of the helicopter. It shots a few explosive things in the area causing minor explosions, then it hits something big. The explosion blasts the car through a smog filled tunnel and through the front of a sign board. Rides scream downward as the fly into the aqueduct they crossed over entering the ride. Water effects splash, misting riders. The minis race through a final turn and roll back into the station. In 2006, the park changed ownership as purchased the entire chain of Paramount theme parks. Paramount retained the rights to any names associated with the company's productions and so many rides where stripped of their former names. The Italian Job Stunt Track was one such ride and now thrills riders under the name of Back Lot Stunt Coaster. As well as the re-name, all official MINI Cooper branding was removed resulting in comparatively bland looking ride vehicles. Still, this coaster can thrill and continues to test park patrons to see if they have what it takes to make it in the movies as a stunt driver. |
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