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The first wooden coaster that included a loop is now a memory as Son of Beast at Kings Island Amusement Park has been completely torn down. In an era that is bringing back wooden coasters going upside down and involving multiple inversions, the father will now be only a memory. Kings Island officially brought down the lift hill this past week which was the final piece in the puzzle. According to Cincinnati.com, workers brought down the 215 foot lift hill. The project took over two months to complete and the next phase of the future has begun.
According to the article, Cedar Fair had spent three years weighing all of the options on what to do with the massive structure. The ride had been closed for a few years after several problems over the course of its history. The ride started with a loop but was soon taken out after there was a change in the trains. There were numerous lawsuits and court hearings which took its toll on the ride and the company. The park ultimately decided to close the ride and then the next phase was what to do with the structure. After three years of planning, they decided to tear the structure down and develop the land for a new ride coming in the future. Park relations director Don Helbig said in a statement, “There’s plenty of room to work with and we’re excited about that opportunity as we look towards the future.” The park has claimed that is will have to do extensive planning for what will be added in its place, but the tear down has created about 12 acres of open space to work with. The park offered pieces of the ride to the public as mementos for up to $99. According to the park, the sales were decent and the memory of the ride will live on. Even though the ride will become a distant memory, the coaster world will always remember the first looping coaster that transformed the way the world looks at woodies today.
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Cedar Fair company, one of the largest amusement-resort operators in the world, has announced that they have sold Knott’s Soak City in San Diego. According to a press release by CedarFair.com, they have sold the water park to a subordinate of SeaWorld parks and entertainment. The sale of the park will have no impact on other properties owned by Cedar Fair in California.
According to an article by nbcsandiego.com, SeaWorld pans to add animals to Knott’s Soak City and to make substantial renovations during the next few months. The park will also feature a new enclosed acrylic slide that will allow riders to see the animals underwater. “Having animals in our Aquatica parks adds an educational component to a water park visit that is both unexpected and enriching,” said SeaWorld president Jim Atchison. Knott’s Soak City will be turned into the 3rd Aquatic-branded park in the nation along with SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld Orlando. “For this particular property, a unique opportunity presented itself to team with SeaWorld to offer a premium product to its guests in the San Diego region,” said Matt Ouimet, president and chief executive officer. The profit of this sale will be reinvested into the core assets of the company, including the refreshment of Cedar Fair’s Sandusky, Ohio hotel properties. The god of the underworld is going to be taking a spin next season at Mount Olympus Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin. The wooden coaster known as Hades is going to be adding a 360 degree roll and a 135 degree over banked turn. The park has decided to change the name along with the layout. The new name for the ride is Hades 360 and when complete, will become a structural marvel.
According to a report released from the park, the ride will transform to become the first all-wooden coaster to have an upside down roll. This is not the first wood coaster to have an upside down element, as the Son of Beast at Kings Island had a loop when it was built. The loop was taken out after the stress and other factors caused it to be weak. Coincidentally, Son of Beast is being torn down as this story is being written. The report goes on to state that along with the new elements will be the addition of a new, state-of-the-art roller coaster train. The manufacturers state that the train is supposed to give the rider a feel as if they were on a steel coaster. These elements will only add to the records already set by the coaster as it holds the record for the longest underground wooden coaster in the world. Gravity Group, who is designing the coaster trains, said in a statement, “Hades 360 will be the first to deliver an awe-inspiring wooden coaster thrill all while in the vast world of Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park.” The ride will include the roll, the 135 degree overbanked turn, a 90 degree turn in complete underground darkness, and speeds up to 70 mph. “The Hades 360 transformation will exceed far beyond any mortal’s expectations. This innovation is so new in the amusement industry; it has never been done before” a spokesman for Gravity Group stated. |
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