Advertisement
WATCH: The world’s longest wooden roller coaster is getting longer
Updated: 10:10 AM EDT Mar 31, 2022
An Ohio roller coaster is preparing to break its own record.The Beast, which first opened in 1979 as the world’s longest wooden roller coaster, has held that distinction ever since and this year, will best its own record by two feet.When Kings Island amusement park opens in May, The Beast will move from a 7,359-foot coaster to a 7,361-foot ride due to offseason re-tracking and reprofiling work, including the addition of a steeper drop, from 45 degrees to 53 degrees.“When you look at roller coaster records, they’re being beat all the time,” said Kings Island Vice President and General Manager Mike Koontz in a press release. “But there’s one record that no park in the world has been able to beat for more than 40 years, until now, and that’s the record for the longest wooden roller coaster.”Along with the expanded track, which spans 1.4 miles, the revamped Beast includes a 125-foot-long underground tunnel at the bottom of a 137-foot drop, eight banked turns, and speeds up to 64.77 mph. The amusement park will celebrate its 50th year in operation this year.
An Ohio roller coaster is preparing to break its own record.
Advertisement
The Beast, which first opened in 1979 as the world’s longest wooden roller coaster, has held that distinction ever since and this year, will best its own record by two feet.
When Kings Island amusement park opens in May, The Beast will move from a 7,359-foot coaster to a 7,361-foot ride due to offseason re-tracking and reprofiling work, including the addition of a steeper drop, from 45 degrees to 53 degrees.
“When you look at roller coaster records, they’re being beat all the time,” said Kings Island Vice President and General Manager Mike Koontz in a press release. “But there’s one record that no park in the world has been able to beat for more than 40 years, until now, and that’s the record for the longest wooden roller coaster.”
Along with the expanded track, which spans 1.4 miles, the revamped Beast includes a 125-foot-long underground tunnel at the bottom of a 137-foot drop, eight banked turns, and speeds up to 64.77 mph.
The amusement park will celebrate its 50th year in operation this year.
