![]() Following its completion in 1989, Kinzel was one of the first people to ride the coaster, boarding the train after one test cycle. Magnum XL-200 was announced on August 16, 1988, and construction began shortly thereafter. Construction and opening Įntrance sign introduced on Magnum's 20th anniversary in 2009 Funds from Cedar Fair going public on the New York Stock Exchange in April 1987 were used to fund the ride. The original proposal was to cost $7.5 million, but was raised to $8 million after the height was extended to 200 feet (61 m). "XL" and "200" were added for "extra-long" and standing at least 200 feet (61 m) tall, respectively. The name Magnum XL-200 was chosen because Magnum, P.I. That got Cedar Point's management interested in breaking the 200-foot (61 m) barrier, partly because of the publicity to be gained from building the first roller coaster to do so. Arrow and Ron Toomer proposed a 187 feet (57 m)-tall coaster, to best the then-largest roller coaster drop on Shockwave at Six Flags Great America. Arrow was also working on the new Iron Dragon at the time. They chose Arrow, due to the weakness of the dollar at the time, which eliminated overseas production. Cedar Point asked for proposals from TOGO, Dinn Corporation, Intamin and Arrow Dynamics to build a roller coaster without inversions or over-the-shoulder restraints. It had been 10 years since the last major addition, Gemini, was introduced. Kinzel wanted to introduce a similar coaster that emphasized steep drops and negative g-forces over inversions and spins, which were common at the time. In 1988, Kinzel saw a report on CNN about the opening of a new coaster in Japan called Bandit at Yomiuriland that emphasized height and speed but had no inversions. Dick Kinzel took over as president and CEO of Cedar Fair, the company that operates the park, in 1986. History īy the mid-1980s, Cedar Point had grown into a successful collection of roller coasters and other smaller rides on the shores of Lake Erie. Magnum XL-200 continues to rank among the top 50 steel roller coasters as of 2022, it was ranked 25th in the world. Amusement Today 's Golden Ticket Awards ranked the ride as the best steel roller coaster each year from 1998 to 2000. Magnum XL-200 held the title of tallest roller coaster in the world until 1994 when The Big One opened at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the United Kingdom, as well as the title of longest drop and fastest speed until surpassed two years later by Steel Phantom at Kennywood Park outside of Pittsburgh. More than 40 million people had ridden Magnum by 2009. Some have credited Magnum with starting a period in the industry known as the roller coaster wars, in which amusement parks competed with one another at a rapid pace to build the next tallest and fastest roller coaster. When it opened in 1989, it was the tallest, fastest, and steepest complete-circuit roller coaster in the world as well as the first hypercoaster – a roller coaster that exceeds 200 feet (61 m) in height. *Steel Phantom was rebuilt as Phantom's Revenge.Magnum XL-200, colloquially known as simply Magnum, is a steel roller coaster built by Arrow Dynamics at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Kennywood is also one of only thirteen trolley parks in the United States that remains in operation. Along with Rye Playland Park, it is one of only two amusement parks designated as a National Historic Landmark. The amusement park features various structures and rides dating back to the early 1900s. The company later sold Kennywood, along with four other parks, in 2007 to Parques Reunidos, an international entertainment operator based in Spain. Henninger and Andrew McSwigan, both of whom later formed the family-owned Kennywood Entertainment Company. The park first opened on May 30, 1899, as a trolley park attraction at the end of the Mellon family's Monongahela Street Railway. Kennywood is an amusement park located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just southeast of Pittsburgh.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |