Don Helbig

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Don Helbig (born in Cincinnati, Ohio) is best known as a Kings Island enthusiast who holds several riding records at the park, including a Guinness world record for the most nonconsecutive rides on a roller coaster. [1] He later became the public relations manager for Kings Island in 2007. [2] [3]

As of 2014, Helbig has taken over 12,000 rides on The Racer, generally recognized as a world record. [4] Helbig was hired as the Kings Island public relations manager in 2007. He has also been a broadcaster and media relations director working in professional ice hockey, winning the American Hockey League's Ken McKenzie Award in 2003. During his years in pro hockey, Helbig worked for the Cincinnati Tigers, Cincinnati Cyclones, Carolina Monarchs, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and the Albany River Rats. He also spent one season as the broadcaster for the Albany Conquest of the af2. [1]

Helbig began his pursuit of setting records on the Racer on June 15, 1981. Employed at the time as a novelty vendor for the Cincinnati Reds, he found free time during a Major League Baseball strike that lasted nearly two months. Initially, Helbig wanted to attain the single day park record for rides on the Racer, which was previously 96 set in 1976. On August 9, 1981, he broke the record finishing the day with 97 rides. On September 1, 1982, he broke his own record with 111 rides. Years later on September 2, 1987, he established the current record of 112. In addition to the single-day riding record, Helbig also pursued the goal of reaching 10,000 nonconsecutive rides – a feat he accomplished by 1990. [4]

The endeavor brought attention from the national news media on his milestone rides (1,000, 2,000, etc.). Helbig continued to ride the Racer almost daily throughout the 1980s, accruing a single-season high of 2,211 rides in 1982, while mixing in more than 3,000 rides on the legendary Beast roller coaster and enjoying Kings Island's live shows. He is a member of American Coaster Enthusiasts and wrote reviews of amusement park books for the club's quarterly newsletter.

In 2004, Kings Island held a "Don Helbig Day" in honor of his 1,000th visit to the park. [5] Helbig has appeared live on Good Morning America, been on Entertainment Tonight , and has been featured in the pages of numerous newspapers and media outlets including Star Magazine and USA Today .

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The Racer is a wooden, racing roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed by the legendary John C. Allen, The Racer made its public debut at the park's grand opening in 1972. It was thrust into the national spotlight after being featured in an episode of the popular TV sitcom The Brady Bunch in 1973 and is often recognized for playing a vital role in the roller coaster renaissance of the 1970s. The Racer inspired similar designs in other roller coasters, such as Racer 75 at Kings Dominion and the now-defunct Thunder Road at Carowinds. The Racer is also one of the few original Kings Island attractions still in operation today.

This is a timeline for Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio.

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Banshee (roller coaster) Inverted roller coaster at Kings Island

Banshee is an inverted roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, it was the biggest investment in park history at the time, costing $24 million to construct. With 4,124 feet (1,257 m) of track, Banshee opened to the public on April 18, 2014, as the longest inverted roller coaster in the world. The ride also became the third fastest inverted coaster at 68 miles per hour (109 km/h), matched by Steel Venom at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota. It was also well-received, ranking every year in the top 50 of Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards since its opening.

Mystic Timbers Wooden roller coaster at Kings Island

Mystic Timbers is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Constructed by Great Coasters International and designed by Skyline Design, the roller coaster opened in the park's Rivertown section on April 15, 2017. Mystic Timbers is the park's fourth wooden coaster, and its opening allowed Kings Island to reclaim the title of having the most wooden roller coaster track of any amusement park in the world with 18,804 feet (5,731 m). During its marketing campaign, the ride's finale element in an enclosed shed was kept secret until the ride's debut. In the annual Golden Ticket Awards by Amusement Today, it was awarded "Best New Ride" in 2017.

Orion (roller coaster) Steel roller coaster at Kings Island

Orion is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Orion became the seventh giga coaster in the world when it opened to the public on July 2, 2020. It is the largest investment in Kings Island's history, costing an estimated $30 million. The coaster stands 287 feet (87 m), features a 300-foot drop (91 m), and reaches a maximum speed of 91 mph (146 km/h). It is situated in the Area 72 section of the park on a site formerly occupied by Firehawk.

References

  1. 1 2 John Lachmann. Don Returns - Don Helbig is Back at the Scene of his World Record." Cincinnati Post. October 2, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Knip's Eye View: Coaster fan races toward 1,000th Kings Island visit". Cincinnati Enquirer. May 22, 2003. Retrieved 6 February 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. ↑ "Kings Island opens April 20: As '08 season roll in, coaster veteran holds his dream job at theme park". Dayton Daily News. April 11, 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2012.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  4. 1 2 Hodson, Margaret (June 18, 2014). "The Racer: An Interview With Record-holding Roller Coaster Enthusiast Don Helbig". Candor News. Retrieved July 8, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ↑ Coaster fan marks 1,000th visit. The Cincinnati Enquirer . July 23, 2004.
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