It is the attraction with the highest “wow” factor at any amusement complex. On August 16, National Roller Coaster Day, ride one and get a delight every minute! Relive your childhood anticipation of a sluggish, rickety climb way, way up the loopty-loop and a rapid descent way, way down.
A ride that was popular in the 1920s can still make us giddy in this era of high-tech sophistication. Discover the latest in cutting-edge roller coaster technology that will still give you goosebumps without having to wait in queue!
The background of National Roller Coaster Day
During the 1920s, roller coasters reached their peak popularity in the United States, before sliding out of favour by the middle of the century. Nevertheless, for the approximately two minutes that you are on the ride, the high highs and low lows of a whirling, curvy roller coaster can make you forget about your problems. You can experience the same thrills and chills as your ancestors or even great-grandparents on a roller coaster ride. No matter how winding or whirling a roller coaster is, its design has remained essentially unchanged since the turn of the century. Carts with wheels travel along parallel, side-by-side tracks. Over time, “bells and whistles” such as the figure 8 coaster, underfriction wheels, and even jumping roller coasters have been introduced.
Thus, the old has become new again. Roller coaster designers are always searching for innovative ways to keep people safe and entertained. If fear is preventing you from riding a roller coaster, have no concern! There are new state-of-the-art innovations such as lap belts and harnesses that are electronically secured over passengers’ shoulders or waists and hold until released by the operator of the roller coaster on most roller coasters. Because the objective is to have safe, worry-free fun, there are also signs indicating the precise height or weight requirements for riders, as well as prohibited and permitted items. Russian roller coasters are made of timber with icy ramps that people slid down while frequently injuring themselves. Early roller coasters in Russia were so popular that wheels were added to the carriages so that people could ride during the summer as well as the winter.
From the early 1900s to just before the Great Depression, the prevalence of roller coasters increases, with innovations such as the world’s first looping coaster. Between the harsh economic realities of the Great Depression and World War II, when metals and land were essential to the war effort, the prevalence of roller coasters declines. Four years after the opening of the Southern California theme park, Walt Disney’s imaginative Matterhorn coaster debuts.
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Activities on National Roller Coaster Day
Gather your fortitude and go for a ride
Even though the fundamental design has changed little over time, these are not the roller coasters of your grandparents! On National Roller Coaster Day, if you’re near Sandusky, Ohio, ride Steel Vengeance, which was voted “Best New Ride of 2018” for its “high-speed, hyper-hybrid roller coaster that flips riders four times.” At Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, travellers on the death-defying Steel Curtain roller coaster will experience nine inversions at 75 mph. Therefore, go ahead and ride — we defy you!
Enjoy a virtual rollercoaster journey.
Having trouble mustering the courage to actually travel a roller coaster? That’s not an issue because, in today’s digital world, a virtual roller coaster ride can provide all the thrills and spills. Since their introduction in 2015, many virtual reality (VR) roller coaster rides at various amusement parks have their own structures. However, if you can’t wait to experience a ride, you can attempt the Steel Vengeance ride online.
Learn the background of roller coasters
Some individuals cannot ride a roller coaster without first learning more about them. Visit the library on National Roller Coaster Day and peruse some books about the history of roller coasters. It’s intriguing!
5 OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE ROLLER COASTERS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO FACE YOUR FEARS TO RIDE
Visit Vaughn, Ontario, to experience the Yukon Striker, which features a three-second (!) hold at the summit of the ride over a 90-degree drop, followed by a 245-foot plunge into a tunnel below ground.
Steel Vengeance, a super hybrid roller coaster at Cedar Point Park, is one of the world’s quickest, with a top speed of 74 mph and a track length of 5,740 feet.
New Jersey is home to one of the tallest roller coasters in the world.
At the Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in New Jersey, the Kingda Ka roller coaster, which rises approximately 45 stories or 456 feet in the air, provides breathtaking exhilaration.
It is known as the Superman: Escape from Krypton roller coaster and incorporates a 100 mph backwards launch up 415 feet. If you dare, you can ride it at Six Flags Magic Mountain north of Los Angeles.
The Intimidator at Kings Dominion in Virginia will turn your hair white with its 85-degree first plunge.
NATIONAL ROLLER COASTER DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | August 16 | Wednesday |
| 2024 | August 16 | Friday |
| 2025 | August 16 | Saturday |
| 2026 | August 16 | Sunday |
| 2027 | August 16 | Monday |
