MasonBuzz.com

Thrilling memories by many fans came plunging to the ground as Kings Island’s Son of Beast roller coaster went out with a bang and a cloud of dust.

Work crews brought down the final section of the $10 million coaster — its 215-foot lift — with cables Tuesday afternoon nearly two months after work began to dismantle the ride to make room for future park expansion.

• Five questions for KI’s Don Helbig on SOB demolition
• Photos: Son of Beast demolition
  
• Photos: KI through the years
• Things you may not know about KI

Son of Beast was heralded as the world’s tallest, fastest and only looping wooden roller coaster when it opened in 2000. The track climbs to a 218-foot peak, followed by a 214-foot drop; its trains would reach speeds of 78 mph.

But its history was troubled from the start. A string of accidents, closings, repairs, five lawsuits, settlements and one trial would ultimately shutter the ride.

Officials from Kings Island’s parent company, Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. and park management spent three years weighing all possible alternatives before ultimately deciding to raze Son of Beast, said Don Helbig, park spokesman.

Dismantling the ride — and its 53 concrete pilings, about 6,000 feet of steel track, 50,000 pounds of nails, 225,000 bolts and 1.65 million board feet of wood — proved no easy feat.

Different parts of the ride may be salvaged and reused and the park may keep the station for use in the Wolf Pack maze during Halloween Haunt, said Helbig.

Officials don’t yet know what they intend to do with the 12 acres that Son of Beast will vacate in the park’s north end.

“Once the ride has been removed, probably in early 2013, we’ll begin the process then of surveying the land and looking at all the ideas and different concepts and all the things we can do,” said Helbig.  “There’s plenty of room to work with and we’re excited about that opportunity as we look towards the future.”

Fans can take home a piece of the shuttered ride.  KI is offering limited edition plaques featuring a piece of track from the coaster for $99.99. The park is also selling authentic pieces of the wood structure for $49.99 and structural bolts for $24.99.  To order, call 513-754-5776 between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F.

 Loading ...

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: cedar fair, demolished, dismantled, don helbig, kings island, lift, looping wooden roller coaster, roller coaster, Son of Beast, video, wooden roller coaster

Kings Island is offering limited edition plaques with a piece of track from Son of Beast for $99.99. Photo provided

Fans of Kings Island’s Son of Beast roller coaster now have the chance to take home a memento of the shuttered ride.

The Mason theme park announced today it is offering limited edition plaques featuring a piece of track from the coaster for $99.99. The park is also selling authentic pieces of the wood structure for $49.99 and structural bolts for $24.99.

• Video: KI’s Son of Beast comes down
• Five Questions for KI’s Don Helbig on SOB demo
• Photos: Son of Beast dismantling

Son of Beast was heralded as the world’s tallest, fastest and only looping wooden roller coaster when it opened in 2000. The track climbs to a 218-foot peak, followed by a 214-foot drop; its trains would reach speeds of 78 mph.

But its history was troubled from the start. A string of accidents, closings, repairs, five lawsuits, settlements and one trial would ultimately shutter the $10 million ride.

Construction crews began work last month to demolish the troubled coaster.

It will take several months to fully dismantle the $10 million ride, which includes 53 concrete pilings, about 6,000 feet of steel track, 50,000 pounds of nails, 225,000 bolts and 1.65 million board feet of wood, said park spokesman Don Helbig.

Officials don’t yet know what they intend to do with the 12 acres that Son of Beast will vacate in the park’s north end.  Once the ride is removed, crews will begin surveying the land and evaluating ideas.

“There’s plenty of room to work with and we’re excited about that opportunity as we look towards the future,” said Helbig.

To order, call 513-754-5776 between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: cedar fair, demolished, dismantled, don helbig, kings island, looping wooden roller coaster, plaques, roller coaster, Son of Beast, track, wooden roller coaster

Son of Beast was heralded as the world’s tallest, fastest and only looping wooden roller coaster when it opened at Kings Island in 2000. The track climbs to a 218-foot peak, followed by a 214-foot drop; its trains would reach speeds of 78 mph.

As the dismantling of the coaster gets underway, questions remain about what will happen to all those parts and the 12-acre space the ride leaves behind.

KI spokesman Don Helbig speaks with Masonbuzz about how the massive coaster will be brought down and how fans might be able to get a memento of the ride.

• See new photos of the ride being dismantled

QUESTION: How long did it take to construct Son of Beast and how long will it take to dismantle it? 

ANSWER: It took 15 months to construct it. (Demolition) started in mid-September and it’s probably going to take till early 2013 to totally dismantle the ride.  The dismantling of the ride started in the middle of the structure and they’ll work toward the back end.  One of the last pieces they’ll break down is the big lift, which is 215-feet high, and you’ll see that within the last several months.  That will be the last part they’ll take down.

Q: How is the ride being brought down?

A: There’s a lot of different ways they’re going about bringing the ride down.  One way is they’re cutting different pieces of the ride and they’re kind of pulling it to bring the ride down.  They may use the wrecking ball in some areas.  In some other parts of the ride, it may be the same way it was built, where they’re just going to undo the bolts.  It depends on what section of the ride they’re in and how much structure is there.  They may keep the station for the Wolf Pack maze (in Halloween Haunt).  It’s one of our most popular mazes.

Q: Many fans are disappointed that the ride could not be saved.  What’s your response to them?

A: We know the ride had its fans who were very interested to see what would happen to the ride.  We appreciate their interest in the ride and they kept in touch with us the past three and a half years to get an update on what would happen to the ride.   After a thorough evaluation of all the alternatives, the decision was made to dismantle the ride for future expansion.

Q: Any idea on what that future expansion might entail?

A: We’re really going to have to wait until the ride comes down.  Once the ride has been removed, probably in early 2013, we’ll begin the process then of surveying the land and looking at all the ideas and different concepts and all the things we can do.  There’s plenty of room to work with and we’re excited about that opportunity as we look towards the future.

Q: What will happen to all of the parts?  Some fans have suggested you make them available as mementos. 

A: Different parts of the ride may be salvaged and reused.  We received a lot of phone calls and emails from fans interested in getting a piece of the ride, whether it’s a piece of wood or track.  Once the ride is dismantled  or more of it’s down, we’ll look at that and we’ll probably make some pieces available and will have that information at a later date.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: cedar fair, demolished, dismantled, don helbig, kings island, looping wooden roller coaster, roller coaster, Son of Beast, wooden roller coaster

Eight seconds.

That’s how long it took to reduce a sizable chunk of Kings Island’s Son of Beast roller coaster into a twisted heap of metal and wood.

You might say the troubled coaster, once a signature feature at the park and the only looping wooden coaster anywhere, went out with a bang.

Crews brought down the $10 million coaster with cables Tuesday a little more than a week after work began to dismantle the ride to make room for future park expansion.

• Photos: Crews begin dismantling Son of Beast
• Photos: KI through the years
• Things you may not know about KI

Son of Beast was heralded as the world’s tallest, fastest and only looping wooden roller coaster when it opened in 2000. The track climbs to a 218-foot peak, followed by a 214-foot drop; its trains would reach speeds of 78 mph.

But its history was troubled from the start. A string of accidents, closings, repairs, five lawsuits, settlements and one trial would ultimately shutter the ride.

Officials from Kings Island’s parent company, Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. and park management spent three years weighing all possible alternatives before ultimately deciding to raze Son of Beast, said Don Helbig, park spokesman.

“We weren’t satisfied with the ride’s performance,” he said.

Son of Beast will be taken down “the same way it went up” – in sections, Helbig said. He is unsure what will happen to its parts.

It will take several months to fully dismantle the ride, which includes 53 concrete pilings, about 6,000 feet of steel track, 50,000 pounds of nails, 225,000 bolts and 1.65 million board feet of wood, he said.

Officials don’t yet know what they intend to do with the 12 acres that Son of Beast will vacate in the park’s north end.

“We’re going to have a lot of room to work with for future expansion,” said Helbig.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: cedar fair, demolished, dismantled, don helbig, explosion, kings island, looping wooden roller coaster, roller coaster, Son of Beast, wooden roller coaster

R.I.P. Son of Beast.

Crews this week began dismantling the wooden roller coaster at Kings Island to make room for future park expansion.

It will take several months to fully dismantle the $10 million ride, which includes 53 concrete pilings, about 6,000 feet of steel track, 50,000 pounds of nails, 225,000 bolts and 1.65 million board feet of wood, said park spokesman Don Helbig.

That’s enough timber to lay down a path from Kings Island in Mason to Chicago’s Wrigley Field, he notes.

Son of Beast was heralded as the world’s tallest, fastest and only looping wooden roller coaster when it opened in 2000. The track climbs to a 218-foot peak, followed by a 214-foot drop; its trains would reach speeds of 78 mph.

But its history was troubled from the start. A string of accidents, closings, repairs, five lawsuits, settlements and one trial would ultimately shutter the ride.

High winds collapsed part of the coaster during its construction in January 2000. Then, construction troubles delayed its opening.

The ride had opened for just a day when officials found a rough 15-foot section of track during an inspection.

Kings Island removed the ride’s signature loop after a July 2006 accident that hospitalized 27 people. Lawsuits followed and the ride re-opened in July 2007.

Then, in 2009, the park voluntarily closed the ride after a woman reported she was injured on it.

At that time, state inspectors said they had been called to check on the coaster six times in its history — more than any other ride in Ohio during the same period. But park officials kept the coaster closed even after a state investigation of the woman’s complaint found no irregularities with the ride.

Officials from Kings Island’s parent company, Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., conferred with park management and ultimately decided to raze Son of Beast “to make room for future park expansion,” a statement said, without further elaboration.

It took officials three years to weigh all possible alternatives, Helbig said, but they were unable to find a solution to the coaster’s issues.

“We weren’t satisfied with the ride’s performance,” he said.

Son of Beast will be taken down “the same way it went up” – in sections, Helbig said. He is unsure what will happen to its parts.

Officials don’t yet know what they intend to do with the 12 acres that Son of Beast will vacate in the park’s north end.

“We’re going to have a lot of room to work with for future expansion,” said Helbig.

Janice Morse contributed

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: close, dismantle, kings island, lawsuit, mason, roller coaster, rollercoaster, safety, Son of Beast, wooden roller coaster

Janice Morse reports:

What a predicament: Kings Island is taking apart its Son of Beast roller coaster – and will need to figure out what to do with 53 concrete pilings, about 6,000 feet of steel track, 50,000 pounds of nails, 225,000 bolts and 2.25 million board feet of wood.

Those were the components that made up Son of Beast, which was heralded as the world’s tallest, fastest and only looping wooden roller coaster when it opened in 2000.

But now, after safety and operational concerns mothballed the ride in 2009, the coaster is slated for demolition later this summer.

• Photos: Son of Beast

Son of Beast will be taken down “the same way it went up” – in sections, Don Helbig, spokesman for the amusement park said Friday.

In news releases and a Facebook posting, Park officials announced their decision to dismantle the ride.

Helbig was unsure what would happen to its parts. “That’s something we’ll have to take a look at,” he said.

Workmen will spend months taking apart the roller coaster; no date for the work to begin was revealed.

And if officials know what they intend to do with the 12 acres that Son of Beast will vacate in the park’s north end, they’re not saying.

Helbig said some coaster fanatics are sure to mourn Son of Beast’s demise, considering its place in the annals of coaster history; it set five records. While some riders loved it for its speed, others thought the ride was too rough and just plain wasn’t enjoyable.

The track climbs to a 218-foot peak, followed by a 214-foot drop; its trains would reach speeds of 78 mph. But its history was troubled from the start. While the ride was under construction in January 2000, high winds collapsed part of it, and construction troubles delayed its opening.

In 2006-07, Son of Beast remained closed for nearly a year after at least 27 people were injured in an accident. Lawsuits followed. The ride was reconfigured; its signature loop was removed, shortening its track, which was originally 7,032 feet long.

Then, in 2009, the park voluntarily closed the ride after a woman reported she was injured on it. At that time, state inspectors said they had been called to check the coaster six times in its history – more than any other ride in Ohio during the same period. But park officials kept the coaster closed even after a state investigation of the woman’s complaint found no irregularities with the ride.

No train has traveled on the coaster’s tracks since 2009, Helbig said, not even for testing purposes.

Officials from Kings Island’s parent company, Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., conferred with park management and ultimately decided to raze Son of Beast “to make room for future park expansion,” a statement said, without further elaboration.
It took officials three years to weigh all possible alternatives, Helbig said, but they were unable to find a solution to the coaster’s issues.

“We weren’t satisfied with the ride’s performance,” he said.

Patrons’ questions about Son of Beast’s future seemed to have faded in recent months, but “our guests were looking for a decision,” Helbig said.

On cincinnati.com, Russ Toelke posted: “Bummer to see it go…Of course, it always had problems after it opened, and I always wondered whether they should have just started all over.”

Another commenter, Terry Wilson, wrote: “Only (rode) it once and had a season pass for a long time, it was just too rough and it wasn’t fun at all. Great idea, poor results.”

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: close, dismantle, kings island, lawsuit, mason, roller coaster, rollercoaster, safety, Son of Beast, wooden roller coaster

Members of a German theme park club visited Kings Island this week and got a behind the scenes look at The Beast roller coaster. Provided photo

Long considered among the best roller coasters in America, the Beast’s fame precedes it on a global scale it would appear.

The popular Kings Island attraction, which has held the record as the world’s longest wooden roller coaster since it was built in 1979, attracted a group of German enthusiasts this week.

A large group from the Freundeskreis, Kirmes und Freizeitparks (FKF), which translates to “Circle of Friends of Fun Fairs and Amusement Parks”, visited the park on Tuesday and enjoyed a behind-the-scenes your of the Beast.

The nonprofit organization founded in Hamburg, Germany organizes annual trips to theme parks abroad.

The Mason amusement park, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, is open daily through Aug. 26.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: circle of friends of fun fairs and amusement parks, Freundeskreis, german, germany, ki, kings island, Kirmes und Freizeitparks, roller coaster, the beast, wooden roller coaster

Kings Island’s The Beast roller coaster is one of seven “must-try” roller coasters, according to Details magazine.

The monthly men’s magazine asked Dave Altman, the president of American Coaster Enthusiasts, to compile the ultimate roller coaster bucket list.  The Beast comes in at number four on the list.

Here’s what Details had to say about the Mason amusement park’s popular coaster:

When it first opened in 1979, the Beast was the world’s longest wooden coaster, at 7,539 feet. And it still is. Only the first lift hill can be seen from the queue line, since the majority of the expansive ride, covering 35 acres, is situated in the woods surrounding the park. The four-minute, ten-second ride features two lift hills, three tunnels, and a 540-degree helix finale along its disorienting course. Even though the coaster celebrated its 32nd anniversary in 2011, it is still a perennial favorite on most coaster enthusiasts’ top 10 lists.

See which other roller coasters made the cut here.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: american coaster enthusiasts, coaster, dave altman, details, kings island, mason, roller coaster, the beast, wooden roller coaster