SlingShot (Cedar Fair)

Last updated
SlingShot
Cedar Point SlingShot towers and ride in motion (1594).jpg
View of an active SlingShot ride from the Gemini Midway at Cedar Point.
Cedar Point
AreaGemini Midway
StatusClosed
Soft opening dateJune 2014
Opening dateJuly 2, 2014
Kings Island
AreaOktoberfest
StatusRemoved
Opening date2002
Closing date2022
ReplacedKing Kobra
Replaced byCargo Loco
Carowinds
AreaCarousel Park
StatusOperating
Opening date2015
Canada's Wonderland
AreaAction Zone
StatusOperating
Opening date2015
Ride statistics
Manufacturer Funtime
Model Sling Shot
Speed62 mph (100 km/h)
Vehicles1
Riders per vehicle2
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)

SlingShot is a reverse bungee ride manufactured by Funtime and featured at several Cedar Fair amusement parks, including Cedar Point, Carowinds, and Canada's Wonderland. The first installation opened at Kings Island in 2002, but the park retired the ride in 2022. An additional fee is required to ride, which is separate from park admission.

Contents

History

Slingshot at Cedar Fair park locations first opened at Kings Island in 2002. A similar installation opened at Cedar Point in 2014. [1] [2] It was built by Funtime. [3]

The ride utilizes a fluctuating price structure, where the cost increases or decreases depending on the day of the week. Riders can also purchase an on-ride video recording for an additional fee. [4]

Ride

Video of SlingShot at Cedar Point

Kings Island

SlingShot opened in 2002 and was located in the Oktoberfest area of the park. [5] The capsule launched 275 feet (84 m) into the air reaching speeds up to 100 mph (160 km/h). [6]

In May 2022, Kings Island made the decision to retire SlingShot permanently, citing that the reason was to "make way for future plans". [5] The news came less than two months after a teen was killed in Florida on a drop tower ride manufactured by the same company. [7] WSAZ confirmed that the Ohio Department of Agriculture had looked into other rides in Ohio that were also manufactured by Funtime, including SlingShot at Kings Island. [8]

Cedar Point

Sign above SlingShot sales booth with one of the ride's towers visible in the background. Cedar Point SlingShot sign (1585).jpg
Sign above SlingShot sales booth with one of the ride's towers visible in the background.

SlingShot is 360 feet (110 m) tall and is located on the Gemini Midway, next to the Gemini. Riders in a two-person capsule are attached to cables and a patented spring propulsion device incorporating up to 720 specially designed springs. The capsule is launched 360 feet (110 m) into the air at 62 miles per hour (100 km/h) and bounced up and down until it comes to rest at the launch point. [3] The ride is the second highest at Cedar Point, about 70 feet (21 m) shorter than Top Thrill Dragster and 50 feet (15 m) higher than Millennium Force. [1] [9]

Carowinds

SlingShot located in the Carousel Park area. The capsule is launched 300 feet (91 m) into the air at speeds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). [4]

Canada's Wonderland

SlingShot is located in the Action Zone area. The capsule is launched 295 feet (90 m) at speeds up to 100 km/h. [10]

Related Research Articles

Cedar Point is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It opened in 1870 and is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the US behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point, which is owned and operated by Cedar Fair, is the flagship of the company's amusement park chain. Known as "America's Roller Coast", the park features 16 roller coasters, which ranks third among amusement parks in North America behind Six Flags Magic Mountain (20) and Canada's Wonderland (18). Cedar Point's normal operating season runs from early May until Labor Day in September, which is followed by weekend-only operation through Halloween during an annual event known as HalloWeekends. Other amenities and attractions featured within the park include a one-mile-long (1.6 km) beach, an outdoor water park named Cedar Point Shores, an indoor water park named Castaway Bay, two marinas, and an outdoor sports complex called Cedar Point Sports Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Parks</span> Former amusement park owner and operator

Paramount Parks was the operator of Paramount's Kings Island, Paramount's Kings Dominion, Paramount's Great America, Paramount's Carowinds, and Paramount Canada's Wonderland, which annually attracted about 13 million patrons. National Amusements-owned Viacom assumed control of the company as part of its acquisition of Paramount Pictures in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada's Wonderland</span> Amusement park in Vaughan, Canada

Canada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a 134-hectare (330-acre) amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Great-West Life Assurance Company, it was the first major theme park in Canada and remains the country's largest. Cedar Fair purchased the park from Paramount Parks in 2006, and they have owned and operated the park since then. In 2019, it was the most-visited seasonal amusement park in North America with an estimated 3.9 million guests. The park still retains this record, with an estimated 3.8 million guests in 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings Dominion</span> Amusement park in Virginia

Kings Dominion is an amusement park in the eastern United States, located in Doswell, Virginia, twenty miles (30 km) north of Richmond and 75 miles (120 km) south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the 280-acre (1.1 km2) park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, and features more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including 13 roller coasters and a 20-acre (8.1 ha) water park. Its name is derived from the name of its sister park, Kings Island near Cincinnati, and the nickname for the state of Virginia, "Old Dominion."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carowinds</span> Amusement park

Carowinds is a 407-acre (165 ha) amusement park primarily located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park opened to the public on March 31, 1973. Carowinds straddles the state line between North and South Carolina, adjacent to Interstate 77, with a portion of the park located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. It was constructed at a cost of $70 million following a four-year planning period led by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall. Carowinds also features Carolina Harbor, a 27-acre (11 ha) water park that is included with park admission. Annual events include the Halloween-themed S-Carowinds and the Christmas-themed WinterFest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swing ride</span> Type of amusement ride

The swing ride or chair swing ride is an amusement ride that is a variation on the carousel in which the seats are suspended from the rotating top of the carousel. On some versions, particularly on the Wave Swingers, the rotating top of the carousel also tilts for additional variations of motion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reverse bungee</span> Modern type of fairground ride

The reverse bungee is a modern type of fairground ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypercoaster</span> Height class for roller coasters

A hypercoaster is a roller coaster with a height or drop measuring at least 200 feet (61 m).

This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks that are currently owned or operated by Cedar Fair. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that had a significant impact on the parks or park operations, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy. The term incidents refers to major accidents, injuries, or deaths that occur at a park. These incidents were required to be reported to regulatory authorities due to where they occurred. They usually fall into one of the following categories:

  1. Negligence on the part of the guest, such as refusal to follow specific ride safety instructions.
  2. A guest deliberately breaking park rules.
  3. A guest's known, or unknown, health issues.
  4. Negligence on the part of the park, either by a ride operator or maintenance staff.
  5. Negligence on the part of the attraction's manufacturer
  6. An Act of God or a generic accident that is not a direct result of an action or inaction on anybody's part.
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action Theater</span> Motion simulator ride

The Action Theater is a motion simulator ride that debuted in 1993. It is currently only operating at California's Great America. Located formerly at Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, Kings Dominion and Kings Island. The attraction was previously known as "Paramount Action F/X Theater" before being renamed following the purchase of the Paramount Parks chain by Cedar Fair in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VertiGo (ride)</span> Defunct thrill ride

VertiGo was a thrill ride located at Cedar Point and Knott's Berry Farm. Both the rides opened in 2001 and both were designed by S&S Worldwide. After an incident at Cedar Point, both rides were demolished for the 2002 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drop Tower (Cedar Fair)</span> Drop towers at Cedar Fair parks

Drop Tower, formerly known as Drop Zone: Stunt Tower, is the name of five drop tower amusement rides located at Cedar Fair amusement parks in the United States and Canada. Each installation varies in size and capacity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WindSeeker</span> Swing ride at several Cedar Fair parks

WindSeeker is a 301-foot-tall (92 m) swing ride at several Cedar Fair parks. The rides are Wind Seeker models manufactured by Mondial. They opened for the 2011 season at Canada's Wonderland in Ontario, Cedar Point and Kings Island in Ohio, and Knott's Berry Farm in California. Carowinds in North Carolina and Kings Dominion in Virginia opened their WindSeekers in 2012. The first four each cost US$5 million, while the remaining two each cost $6.5 million. Cedar Fair relocated the Knott's Berry Farm WindSeeker to Worlds of Fun in 2014, where it reopened as SteelHawk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xtreme Skyflyer</span>

Xtreme Skyflyer is a Skycoaster at several Cedar Fair parks. The Carowinds and Kings Island models opened in 1995, while the Canada's Wonderland and Kings Dominion models opened in 1996 followed by California's Great America which opened their model in 1997. In order to ride the attraction, guests must pay an extra fee. As of 2020, this attraction changed from its 48" height restriction to 42" across all parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinosaurs Alive! (attraction)</span> Defunct animatronic dinosaur attraction

Dinosaurs Alive! was an animatronic dinosaur themed area which formerly operated at several amusement parks, but has since been closed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fast Lane (Cedar Fair)</span> Line queue system offered at Cedar Fair amusement parks

Fast Lane is an optional, pay-per-person line queue system offered on select rides at Cedar Fair amusement parks. The system provides shorter lines, and guests who want access must pay a fee in addition to general park admission. They are given a wristband for identification, and an unspecified, limited number are sold each day to control wait times. First piloted in 2011 at Kings Island, the system was rolled out to the rest of the Cedar Fair chain in 2012. An upgrade called Fast Lane Plus featuring additional rides is available at some parks.

Funtime is an amusement ride manufacturer based in Dölsach, Austria and Bundall, Australia. The company manufactures rides such as the Sling Shot, Star Flyer, and Vomatron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boo Blasters on Boo Hill</span> Cedar Fair dark ride

Boo Blasters on Boo Hill is an interactive family dark ride designed and manufactured by Sally Corporation. The ride opened in 2010 at four Cedar Fair amusement parks — Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, and Kings Island. The ride was a slight alteration and replacement of Scooby-Doo! and the Haunted Castle after Cedar Fair chose to remove all Hanna-Barbera branding from each of their parks by 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fury 325</span> Steel roller coaster at Carowinds

Fury 325 is a steel roller coaster located at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, Fury 325 opened to the public on March 28, 2015. It features a 6,602-foot-long (2,012 m) track that reaches a maximum height of 325 feet (99 m), making it the fifth-tallest roller coaster in the world and the tallest overall among roller coasters that use a traditional chain lift hill. Riders experience speeds of up to 95 mph (153 km/h), winding through high-speed curves and passing over and under the park's main entrance. Beginning in 2016, Fury 325 has consistently ranked as the world's best steel coaster in the annual Golden Ticket Awards published by Amusement Today.

Eruption was a 250-foot tall S&S Sky Sling slingshot attraction that opened in April 2003 at Frontier City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The same ride opened in spring of 2003 at Six Flags Great Adventure. Standing at 250-feet tall, it was the tallest thrill-ride in Oklahoma. It was the successor to the two S&S Sky Sling VertiGo rides at both Cedar Point and Knott's Berry Farm which were both closed and removed two years prior. It operated at Frontier City until its closure in 2012.

References

  1. 1 2 Glaser, Susan (July 1, 2014). "Cedar Point's new SlingShot ride to debut Wednesday". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  2. Haidet, Ryan C. (July 1, 2014). "Cedar Point announces price to ride SlingShot". WKYC. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "SlingShot". Cedar Point. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "SlingShot Thrill Ride | Carowinds".
  5. 1 2 "'Sling Shot' ride closes permanently at Kings Island, as the park makes way for future plans". Cincinnati Enquirer . May 21, 2022. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  6. "Sling Shot". Kings Island. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  7. "14-year-old dies in fall from amusement park ride". The Associated Press. March 25, 2022. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  8. Payton, Joseph (May 19, 2022). "WSAZ Investigates | Kings Island removes Slingshot ride". WSAZ NewsChannel 3. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  9. Geftos, Tony (July 4, 2014). ""Slingshot" extreme ride now open at Cedar Point". WTVG. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  10. "Catapult Ride | SlingShot | Canada's Wonderland".