Diamondback (Kings Island)
Diamondback | |
---|---|
Status | Operating |
Opening date | April 18, 2009 |
Cost | $22 million |
General statistics | |
Type | Steel |
Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
Model | Hyper Coaster |
Track layout | Out and back |
Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
Height | 230 ft (70 m) |
Drop | 215 ft (66 m) |
Length | 5,282 ft (1,610 m) |
Speed | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
Inversions | 0 |
Duration | 3:00 |
Max vertical angle | 74° |
Capacity | 1,620 riders per hour |
G-force | 4.2 |
Height restriction | 54 in (137 cm) |
Trains | 3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 32 riders per train. |
Website | Official website |
Restraints | Lap Bar |
Fast Lane available | |
Must transfer from wheelchair | |
Diamondback at RCDB |
Diamondback is a
History
Construction of Diamondback began on October 11, 2007, with the removal of a tree.[3] Swan Lake was drained and filled with concrete before opening day in 2008; this would become the location of Diamondback's splashdown element.[4] Kings Island started teasing visitors during the Fourth of July weekend in 2008 with signs saying, "Ride Sally ride" and "Steep incline ahead."[5] Diamondback was announced on August 6, 2008 as the largest investment in Kings Island history. The ride was topped off with the 230 foot (70 m) lift hill on October 30. The last piece of track was installed on January 26, 2009.[6] Testing began the following month.[7] Diamondback officially opened on April 18, 2009.[8] Diamondback reached a milestone of one million riders in July 2009,[9] and another milestone of ten million riders in July 2014.[10]
First rider auction
On February 3, 2009, Kings Island announced they would hold an auction for the first riders on Diamondback. The winners of the auction would be given a commemorative first rider ticket, a special gift from the park, and an admission ticket. All proceeds from the auction would go to A Kid Again non-profit organization, formerly known as Adventures for Wish Kids.[11] The first rider auction raised $102,000. The first eight trains, or the first 256 seats were auctioned off. The average bid was $398 per seat.[12][13]
Ride experience
After the
Characteristics
Diamondback is the first hyper coaster to feature a
Diamondback operates with three open-air stadium style steel and fiberglass trains. The trains are the same prototype trains seen on
The steel track is 5,282 feet (1,610 m) in length and the height of the lift is approximately 230 feet (70 m).[2] The ride has red track and mushroom brown supports, although from 2009-2022, the supports on the lift hill and second hill were painted yellow and the rest of the supports were painted tan.[14] The track was fabricated at the Ohio-based Clermont Steel Fabricators.[17]
Awards
Diamondback won the award for "Best New Attraction in 2009" from the
Year | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ranking | 7[20] | 7[21] | 11[22] | 10[23] | 14[24] | 4[25] | 11[26] | 9[27] | 8[28] | 10[29] | 14[30] | 19[31] | 17[32] |
References
- ^ a b c "Diamondback to tower over Kings Island in 2009". The Coaster Critic. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Diamondback Statistics". Kings Island. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ "Did you know?". Kings Island. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ a b "Kings Island history". Kings Island Central. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ "Diamondback to strike Kings Island for 2009". Coaster-Net. Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
- ^ "Diamondback track complete". Kings Island. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
- ^ "Diamondback testing". Kings Island. February 27, 2009. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Diamondback (Kings Island)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
- ^ "Diamondback gives 1,000,000th rider". Kings Island. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
- ^ "Kings Island: Racer coaster tallies its 100 millionth rider". The Indianapolis Star. July 28, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "Let the bidding begin!". Kings Island. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ "Diamondback first rides auction tops $100,000!". Kings Island. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- ^ "Roller coaster opens in Ohio". Associated Press. April 18, 2009. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
- ^ a b "Diamondback POV". Coaster Force. 2009. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ "Track layout and train information". Kings Island. 2009. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- ^ "Diamondback Roller Coaster Trains Get New Seats". Kings Island.
- ^ "Diamondback Built in Clermont". Clermont County, Ohio. Archived from the original on August 13, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
- ^ "NAPHA 2005–2011 Survey Results". National Amusement Park Historical Association. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
- ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2009" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
- ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 32–33. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
- ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 34–35. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
- ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 38–39. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
- ^ "Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 36–37. September 2012.
- ^ "2013 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 34–35. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013.
- ^ "2014 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 46–47. September 2014.
- ^ "2015 Top 50 steel Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 49–50. September 2015.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archivedfrom the original on November 15, 2021.
- Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archivedfrom the original on September 12, 2022.