Front Row Point of View (POV) of The Beast at Kings Island in Mason, OH. Watch in Full HD 1080p!
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Opening date: April 14, 1979
Type: Wood
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: 65 mph (105 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.
Originally, the park wanted to re-build a replica of the Shooting Star roller coaster previously located at Cincinnati's Coney Island. Cincinnati's Coney Island was the predecessor to Kings Island and the Shooting Star was immensely popular at the park until the ride was demolished in 1971. The original idea to rebuild the Shooting Star was back-burnered in favor of a terrain coaster utilizing the park's natural wooded hills. The Shooting Star was indeed rebuilt, but not at Kings Island. A replica was constructed at Canada's Wonderland 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 coaster to generate a marketing campaign. From elaborate animated commercials to countless television spots, the ride became famous worldwide. Because so many people have heard about The Beast, it is one of the most well-known roller coasters in the world. Charlie Dinn, Kings Island's Director of Construction, Maintenance, and Engineering at the time, spearheaded the The Beast's construction project. Dinn later formed his own construction firm, Dinn Corporation, in 1982 that went on to build ten more notable coasters across the country. The firm eventually became Custom Coasters International.
The Beast originally featured three underground tunnels. By its second season the second and third underground tunnels had been enclosed into one long one so that an access road could be built. Also after its first season, an enclosed tunnel structure was built over the final helix.
In 2000, the park opened the Son of Beast, a "sequel" to The Beast. Son of Beast was the tallest, fastest wooden roller coaster, and until 2006 was the only looping wooden coaster in the world. The loop was removed after the 2006 season for maintenance reasons following an accident. It was also the second longest wooden roller coaster, designed so that The Beast retained its longest wooden roller coaster record. Son of Beast closed in 2009 following another incident, and in July 2012, it was announced that the ride would be dismantled and removed from the park later that year.
In popular culture, R. L. Stine wrote a novel which featured the roller coaster and was named after it, simply titled The Beast. The book also had a sequel called The Beast 2.
The 2009 season was the coaster's 30th year running since its opening. With Diamondback built, the entrance of The Beast is back where it used to be in 1979. Most of the tracks and supports have been replaced in the double helix, creating a smoother ride.
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