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Park News
www.parkworld-online.com
Kings Island’s
Evel Knievel
new coaster
rides again !
‘Intense and aggressive’ ride
Six Flags St Louis, Eureka, Missouri, has introduced the $7 million Evel
Knievel wooden coaster. The ride was unveiled recently during a special
planned for Cincinatti park
ceremony attended by friends and family of the late daredevil motorcyclist,
who died last year.
Kings Island, near Cincinnati, Ohio, is building the biggest attraction in its 36- In keeping with the theme, the Great Coasters International (GCI)
year history, a 5,282ft-long mega coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard. The ride, attraction offers the type of intense, high-adrenaline thrills one would
named Diamondback, will make its debut in April 2009. associate with Kneivel. The 2,700ft ride experience begins with an 80ft first
The trains will feature the same open-air stadium-style seating that was drop at a 90-degree left turn angle, which is answered with a 55ft double
introduced this season on Behemoth at sister park Canada’s Wonderland, down drop. This is followed by 16 hills with camelbacks, a 40ft fan curve
giving all riders an unobstructed view of what lies ahead. Kings Island will be and multiple high-banked turns at up to 67-degree angles. Standing 82ft
the first park in the United States with such trains. tall and traveling 50 mph, this intense coaster crosses over itself 14 times
Built at a cost of $22 million, Diamondback will be the tallest and fastest of while making frequent and tight directional changes.
15 coasters at Kings Island. It will be located in the western themed Rivertown Evel Knievel boasts two 24-passenger trains featuring GCI’s Millennium
area of the park and will travel over flat land, woods, water and rocks. The Flyer design sporting the red, white and blue colours that Evel himself wore
ride will stand 230ft at its highest point with a first drop of 215ft at a 74- proudly during his remarkable career. Monitors throughout the queue line
degree angle. Speeds of up to 80 miles per hour will be reached. The ride is play clips of some of the rider’s greatest jumps and a series of billboards
to feature 10 vertical drops including plunges of 193, 131, 129, 110 and walk guests through the timeline of his legendary career.
106ft; two helixes, one at 323 degrees and the other at Evel Knievel brings the total number of roller coasters at Six Flags St.
287 degrees; and a spectacular splashdown ending. Louis to eight.
The total ride experience will last more than three
minutes.
Evil Knievel:
“This ride is big – real big – intense and
The Coaster
aggressive,” says Kings Island vice-president and
general manager, Greg Scheid.
Zookeeper
held captive!
George the Gorilla and Zookeeper have
been making guest appearances this
summer at Chessington World of Adventures
near London. The “two-in-one” mascot by
Rainbow Productions follows the success a
character called Frankenvamp introduced to
the park last season. Both costumes feature
a “live” artist captive inside the main
character, which both delights and baffles
park guests.
RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS
COSTUME CHARACTER SPECIALISTS
Looking to add even more value and entertainment
to your visitor experience?
Contact us about developing your own eye-catching mascot.
Or book personal appearances from a choice
of over 90 famous cartoon characters.
Rainbow Productions Ltd.
Unit 3, Greenlea Park, Prince George’s Road
London SW19 2JD, UK (T)+44(0)2082545300
(F) +44 (0)20 8254 5306 (E) info@rainbowproductions.co.uk
www.rainbowproductions.co.uk
SEPTEMBER 2008 11
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