Vortex was a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio, United States. Designed and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics at a cost of $4 million, the ride officially opened to the public on April 11, 1987. Vortex debuted as the tallest, full-circuit roller coaster in the world with a height of 148 feet (45 m). It was also the first coaster to feature six inversions.
| Vortex | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Kings Island | |
| Location | Kings Island |
| Park section | Coney Mall |
| Coordinates | 39°20′27″N 84°15′51″W / 39.340724°N 84.264219°W |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | April 11, 1987 |
| Closing date | October 27, 2019 |
| Cost | $4,000,000 USD |
| Replaced | The Bat |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Dynamics |
| Model | Custom Looping Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 148 ft (45 m) |
| Drop | 138 ft (42 m) |
| Length | 3,800 ft (1,200 m) |
| Speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Inversions | 6 |
| Duration | 2:30 |
| Max vertical angle | 55° |
| Capacity | 1,600 riders per hour |
| G-force | 3.9 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train. |
 Fast Lane was available | |
 Must transfer from wheelchair | |
| Vortex at RCDB | |
Vortex occupied the same location in the park once held by The Bat, the world's first suspended roller coaster. Tied to the coaster's debut, attendance at Kings Island exceeded 3 million in 1987 for the first time. It accommodated more than 46 million guests throughout its lifespan, making Vortex one of the most frequently-ridden attractions in park history. It closed permanently on October 27, 2019.
History
editOn May 30, 1986, Kings Island announced that they would be adding a new roller coaster for the 1987 season. For the design and construction of the attraction, Kings Island turned to Arrow Dynamics, an industry-leading manufacturer at the time.[1] It would sit in the former location of The Bat, the world's first suspended roller coaster, which was removed after the 1984 season.[2] The defunct coaster's line queue and train station were retained and reused for the new ride.[3][4]
Construction began in early June 1986 when The Bat's area was cleared.[5] The following month, Kings Island announced that they would be naming the new coaster Vortex.[6] The park invested over $4 million in the ride, which required 750 tons of steel to construct.[7] It opened to the public on April 11, 1987,[8] and helped the park exceed 3 million visitors for the first time in its history.[7][9] At its inauguration, Vortex briefly set two world records among full-circuit roller coasters. It was the tallest at 148 feet (45 m) and featured the most inversions with six.[8] Both were surpassed the following year with the debut of Shockwave at Six Flags Great America.[8][10]
On September 27, 2019, the park announced plans to close Vortex permanently on October 27, 2019.[11][12] Area Manager Don Helbig stated that the coaster had reached the end of its service life.[11][12] During its lifespan, Vortex accommodated over 46 million riders, ranking it seventh in Kings Island's history as of 2019[update].[11]
While Vortex was demolished, the trains were taken to Carowinds so that Carolina Cyclone could use them as replacement parts.[13]
On September 29, 2020, Kings Island announced that they would be selling pieces of Vortex for $198.70. The pieces would be sold in 1.5-inch slices, capped with metal plates and mounted in a display stand.[14]
Ride experience
editInversions
edit| Inversion | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vertical Loop |
| 2 | Vertical Loop |
| 3 | Corkscrew |
| 4 | Corkscrew |
| 5 | Part 1 of Batwing element |
| 6 | Part 2 of Batwing element |
Layout
edit
As the train left the station, it dipped slightly, taking a hard right into the beginning of the lift hill. After ascending slowly and reaching the top, the train dipped several feet into a tester hill, immediately making a right hand turn into a 138-foot (42 m), 55-degree drop. The train then ascended into a left-hand turn that was slightly banked, as the track leveled out. After turning roughly 180 degrees, the track straightened briefly before descending into a sharp left turn that took riders through two vertical loops. Following the vertical loops, the train ascended and made a 180-degree turn to the right into a mid-course brake run, slowing the train nearly to a complete stop. The train then dropped into a pair of corkscrews, the second of which threaded through the gap directly between the previously-encountered vertical loops. The train then went through a right hand turn and a boomerang, that inverted riders two additional times. There was an on-ride camera in the dip of the boomerang at its midpoint. The train then entered its final maneuver – a 450-degree ascending clockwise helix – that generated positive g forces before the train hit the final brake run. The train made a final right-hand turn before returning to the station.
Incidents
editOn July 2, 2011, a computer detected damage to Vortex's chain lift as a train was pulling out of the station. The ride was stopped and all passengers were able to safely exit. The ride remained closed for several weeks while a replacement part was on order.[15]
References
edit- ^ Neus, Elizabeth (May 31, 1986). "New coaster for Kings Island". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ "Kings Island saying 'bye bye' to 'The Bat'". Telegraph-Forum. November 7, 1984. Retrieved October 31, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Random Facts". KingsIslandCentral.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ "KIExtreme.com". @2003-2012 KIExtreme. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ^ "Kings Island begins work on new coaster". The Times-Mail. June 6, 1986. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- ^ "Park has name for newest baby". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 20, 1986. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ a b Richardson, Rachel (April 17, 2014). "Kings Island's biggest and baddest". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Vortex at Kings Island". COASTER-net.com.
- ^ "Kings Island tops 3 million". Mansfield News Journal. Associated Press. October 6, 1987. p. 4-B. Retrieved October 7, 2018 – via newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Vortex at visitkingsisland.com". Cedar Fair Parks. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ^ a b c Helbig, Don (September 27, 2019). "Kings Island to Retire Vortex After 33 Seasons". Kings Island. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "Vortex roller coaster closing at Kings Island after 33 seasons". WCPO. September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
- ^ "Carolina Re-Cyclone: Creating new trains from an old classic". Carowinds.
- ^ "Kings Island's Vortex coaster gave its last ride nearly a year ago. Now, you can own part of it".
- ^ Goldsmith, Ethan (July 13, 2011). "Kings Island Closes Vortex to replace part". Fox 19. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
External links
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