The Beast (roller coaster)
| The Beast | |
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The Beast's lift hill and brake run
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| Kings Island | |
| Park section | Rivertown |
| Coordinates | 39°20′25″N 84°15′58″W / 39.3402°N 84.2660°WCoordinates: 39°20′25″N 84°15′58″W / 39.3402°N 84.2660°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | April 14, 1979 |
| Cost | $4,000,000 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood – Sit Down |
| Manufacturer | Kings Island |
| Designer | Al Collins, Jeff Gramke, John C. Allen |
| Track layout | Terrain |
| Lift/launch system | 2 Chain lift hills |
| Height | 110 ft (34 m) |
| Drop | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Length | 7,359 ft (2,243 m) |
| Speed | 64.78 mph (104.25 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 4:10 |
| Max vertical angle | 45° |
| Capacity | 1,200 riders per hour |
| G-force | 3.6 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 36 riders per train. |
 Fast Lane Plus only available |
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The Beast at RCDB Pictures of The Beast at RCDB |
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The Beast is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. When it opened in 1979, it was the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. The Beast is still the longest wooden coaster in the world and the longest roller coaster in the US. It spans more than 35 acres (14 ha) utilizing the surrounding terrain for many of its elements. It also features a lengthy ride time that lasts more than four minutes.
The Beast has been consistently rated one of the top roller coasters in the world since its debut, having earned a solid reputation among roller coaster enthusiasts. After more than 30 years, it remains one of the most popular attractions at Kings Island and has accommodated over 45 million riders – third-most at the park.
Originally, Kings Island wanted to re-build a replica of the Shooting Star roller coaster previously located at Cincinnati's Coney Island. Coney Island was Kings Island's predecessor, and the Shooting Star was immensely popular there before it was demolished in 1971. The idea to rebuild the Shooting Star was eventually shelved in favor of building a terrain roller coaster that utilized the park's naturally occurring wooded hills. The Shooting Star was eventually rebuilt at Canada's Wonderland as a replica called the Mighty Canadian Minebuster.
The Beast opened on April 14, 1979, as the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. It is often credited as the first modern-day wooden roller coaster to generate a marketing campaign. From elaborate animated commercials to countless television spots, the ride eventually became famous worldwide. The Beast originally featured three underground tunnels. By its second season, the second and third underground tunnels were joined. Also after its first season, two enclosed tunnel structures were added to the double helix finale, one of the most well-known features of the ride. Kings Island’s Director of Construction, Maintenance, and Engineering Charles Dinn oversaw the ride's construction and later formed his own construction firm in 1982. Originally called the Dinn Corporation and later known as Custom Coasters International, the construction firm went on to build more than a dozen roller coasters across the United States.
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Wikipedia