Taller.
Faster.
More extreme.
It seems when it comes to roller coasters and water slides, the sky is the limit.
With the roller coaster capital of the world right in our own backyard with Cedar Point, records fall like the leaves from the trees in autumn around here as the park announces yet another record-shattering attraction.
But a fatal accident last weekend on the world’s tallest water slide — the Verrückt — at Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas that claimed the life of the 10-year-old son of a state legislator has prompted some discussion nationally over whether some ride records should ever be broken.
Cedar Point declined to comment on what the future holds for new extreme attractions there.
Late Sunday, a cable disconnected from one of its previous record-breaking coasters — the Top Thrill Dragster — prompting two riders to seek medical evaluation at the park’s first aid station. The park said “the safety of our guests and associates is our No. 1 priority.”
When it opened in 2003, the Dragster was the “tallest” and “fastest” in the world, only to lose the title to a rival two years later.
This past season brought the Valravn.
The coaster broke six world records: tallest dive coaster (223 feet), fastest (75 mph), longest (3,415 feet), most inversions (three), longest drop (214 feet) and having the highest inversion (165 feet).
The park has not yet announced its plans for 2017, but has hinted — with a giant flip-flop saying “something’s afoot” — that they will likely involve its Soak City water park.
Cameron Jacobs, media relations manager for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, said the tragic accident in Kansas City was a rare occurrence.
“The safety of our guests is our industry’s No. 1 priority,” he said. “We estimate that more than 85 million people safely enjoy water parks in the United States each year and incidents like this are extremely rare.
“Safety is a partnership between the water parks and the people who visit water parks. IAAPA encourages all guests to strictly follow all park posted instructions or rider safety guidelines.”
Coaster fan Scott Short, who lives in Macedonia and is the Northern Ohio regional representative and member services director for the American Coaster Enthusiast club, said rides have evolved over the years with more safety features engineered into the attractions to allow the “envelope to be pushed” every season.
He points out that roller coasters now considered “starter rides” at Cedar Point — like the Corkscrew and Gemini — were once record-holders back in the day.
“I don’t think we’ll ever reach that point for roller coasters,” Short said. “Parks will always want to build the tallest and fastest ride of a specific type. Just look at the coasters in Ohio.
“Almost every coaster at Cedar Point opened as a record breaker.”
But water slides, Short said, are a different matter.
“Since most [water] rides are just a person, slide, sometimes a tube or raft and a flowing stream of water, designers can only go so far in height and speed in my opinion and still be safe,” he said. “We might be at that point.”
And serious accidents can happen even on non-extreme coasters. On Friday, a 3-year-old boy remained hospitalized a day after falling from the Rollo Coaster at IdleWild and SoakZone in Ligonier, Pa., near Pittsburgh. The park’s rides cater more to smaller children than Cedar Point’s thrill-themed attractions; the cars on the Rollo have restraining bars, go 10 to 25 mph and reach a height of 27 feet.
Regulatory process
In Ohio, whether a new attraction is ready and safe to ride is up to inspectors at the state Department of Agriculture’s Division of Amusement Ride Safety.
When a park like Cedar Point dreams up a new attraction, agency spokesman Brett B. Gates said, the state really doesn’t become involved until the park is ready to open the ride.
“[We are] generally made aware of plans for a new attraction by the park, but the requirement is that the company contact the agency when the ride is ready to operate,” Gates said. “Once constructed, the department commissions the ride and conducts a full inspection to ensure it is built to manufacturer’s specifications and conforms to ASTM [American Society for Testing and Materials] standards before opening.
“The ride cannot legally operate until that inspection is complete.”
When it comes to rides, Short said, he is old school and likes older, bumpy, wooden roller coasters or “aggressive” steel coasters that offer a lot of air time where riders float out of their seats.
“Newer rides, while being loads of fun, are sometimes too perfectly engineered and they lose some of that punch,” he said. “They might look impressive but there’s not much substance there. Others, however, want the perfectly engineered rides that are glass smooth and give a consistent ride every time.
“Like cars, books, movies and music, everyone has different tastes.”
Overlooked coasters
There are a lot of great coasters out there, Short said, that are often overlooked.
“A coaster definitely does not need to be a record breaker to be a good ride,” he said. “You don’t have to go far to find one like this. Waldameer Park in Erie, Pa., has a midsized wooden coaster, the Ravine Flyer II, that isn’t the world’s tallest, longest or fastest, but it delivers a fast and wild ride that I could sit on all day.”
If he could sit on a ride all day, Short said, he would likely pick a former record breaker at Cedar Point: the Magnum XL-200
“[It] is the shining example of the biggest isn’t always better,” he said. “Sure, it opened as the tallest and fastest in 1989, but as rides grew bigger, Magnum was still there delivering a great ride now just like it did when it opened. There’s just something about the aggressive air time Magnum gives its riders that can’t be found in too many other rides.
“Plus, its location right on the beach gives excellent views of Lake Erie,” he explained. “Also, this was the ride that made me a coaster enthusiast. I was a little hesitant to ride coasters when I was younger, especially the bigger ones, until I rode Magnum. After that, I was hooked.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547. Visit his amusement park blog Airtime on Ohio.com or follow it on Facebook or on Twitter @CraigWebb68.