Akron Coasters

Akron Roller Coasters

words by > Paris Wolfe

GOING TO EXTREME

*Ohio’s high-speed roller coasters provide thrills for even the bravest daredevils.

In 1884, Americans got their first coaster thrill rolling six miles per hour along 600 feet of track at Coney Island’s Switchback Railway. Barely a kiddie coaster by today’s standards, the Switchback turned on America’s adrenaline switch. Just five cents per ride, the 50-foot-high double-coaster earned inventor La Marcus Adna Thompson hundreds of dollars per day.

More than 120 years later, today’s coaster designers are challenging both physics and physical endurance. And to ride with the big dogs, Ohio is the place to be. The Buckeye State has 46 roller coasters, including more top-10 coasters than any other state. Twenty-six of those scream machines are at two amusement parks within 90 minutes of the Akron Canton Regional Airport—Geauga
Lake & Wildwater Park (www.geaugalake.com ) in Aurora, and Cedar Point (www.cedarpoint.com) in Sandusky.

Ohio’s impressive coaster collection may have something to do with elevation envy. Mostly flatland, Ohio’s mountains are made of wood and steel. Geauga Lake (10 coasters) is the rugged Rocky Mountains, while Cedar Point (16 coasters) is the record-setting Himalayas. Coaster riders may sit, stand or lie down. Some cars ride above the track; others hang below. Riders might rattle over wooden framework or sail smoothly across steel rails.

On Ohio’s north coast, Cedar Point is on a peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. The park’s newest coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, was the world’s tallest, at 420 feet, and fastest, at 120 mph, when it debuted in 2003. (In 2005, it was trumped by Kingda Ka, a coaster at New Jersey’s Six Flags that’s a mere 12 yards taller and 8 miles per hour faster.) When Top Thrill Dragster opened, critics questioned whether it was safe for civilians to drop 42 stories at more than twice the average speed limit. Thankfully, when Popular Mechanics magazine took the question to a flight surgeon for the US Air Force Thunderbirds, he said the g-forces were fine for a healthy person.

Before taking on the Dragster, visitors should warm up on smaller hills. But beware—the “warm-up coasters” aren’t for wimps. Three steel-track bad boys at the 136-year-old park took turns setting height and speed records in their day. Nearly middle-aged now, the 30-year-old Gemini has two parallel tracks dropping riders 60 mph down a 125-foot hill. Magnum XL-2000 (1989) speeds it up to 72 mph from a 205-foot summit. And the final practice trip races 93 mph from the 310-foot peak of Millennium Force. Millennium Force, by the way, still ranks in the world’s top 10 as the 5th fastest and 6th tallest.

Cedar Point’s wooden coasters add a lurch factor to gravity defiance. Fans say wood coasters are more “alive” than steel thrillers. Maybe it feels that way because they use a lap bar that lets riders “float” above the seat while dropping them downhill. The 1964 classic Blue Streak (78 feet, 40 mph) and the 1991 Mean Streak (161 feet, 65 mph) create serious airtime as they clickety clack down the tracks.

Of course, coasters are more than height and speed.

Cedar Point’s Wicked Twister is the world’s tallest and fastest “double-twisting” coaster. The Mantis is one of eight stand-up coasters in the United States. And the Raptor and Iron Dragon hang riders under the track—the first with six inversions, the second with a softer, swaying motion. For children and the adrenaline-averse, the park offers some milder choices, including Jr. Gemini, which transports riders at the same speed as the first roller coaster ever: just 6 mph. Three vintage coasters include the world’s first triple-loop Corkscrew, the freewheeling Wildcat and the peppy Mine Ride.

While Cedar Point appeals to the brave and foolhardy, Geauga Lake promises an entirely different list of thrills and firsts. The crown jewel for coaster enthusiasts is the Big Dipper, a classic coaster. But be warned: The 65-foot summit and 32 mph top speed aren’t as mild as they sound. Riders hover above the seats as the cars bank, turn and dip down on this 80-year-old wooden coaster.

Modern kicks abound as well. Riders lie down and fly like Superman—sans cape—on X-flight. The Dominator is the world’s longest floorless coaster. Steel Venom, Headspin, Thunderhawk and Double Loop feature variations of twisting, spiraling and looping—sometimes backward. And the Beaver Land Mine ride slows it down for the family.

While roller coasters dominate their skylines, both parks offer much more. Geauga Lake boasts a total of 50 rides, and Cedar Point has 68, as well as water parks. And if the two northern parks are just a warm up, head to southwestern Ohio on your next trip to check out the 13 coasters—including two of the world’s longest—at Paramount King’s Island (www.pki.com), located 30 miles from Dayton.

Over the past 125 years, thrill ride designers have perfected the art of eliciting screams from eager adrenaline junkies. And there is no better place in the world to experience this art in action than at Ohio’s groundbreaking amusement parks. So, strap in, hold tight, and prepare for the ride of your life.

Where to stay

Geauga Lake

The Geauga Lake Hotel
800 North Aurora Rd, Aurora
330-562-9151

Aurora Inn & Mario’s International Spa
30 Shawnee Trail, Route 82, Aurora
877-353-8160

Bertram Inn Aurora
600 N Aurora Rd, Aurora
866-878-1980

Comfort Inn & Suites
9172 Market Square Dr, Streetsboro
866-657-1164

Cedar Point

Castaway Bay
2001 Cleveland Rd, Sandusky
419-627-2106

The Breakers
One Cedar Point Dr, Sandusky
419-627-2106

Breakers Express
1201 Cedar Point Dr, Sandusky
419-627-2106

Sandcastle Suites Hotel
One Cedar Point Dr, Sandusky
419-627-2109

The Lighthouse
One Cedar Point Dr, Sandusky
419-627-2106