Wednesday, May 31, 2000

Awaited Son of Beast plagued by delays

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But fans say coaster worth 'every minute'

By Kevin Aldridge and Amy Higgins
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        MASON — Son of Beast was roaring along Tuesday, but it's been a mostly bumpy ride so far for Paramount's Kings Island's highly touted new attraction.

VISITORS RIDE SON OF BEAST TUESDAY. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        In the four weeks since its debut, the giant, looping wooden coaster has spent more time on the sidelines than the front lines. Park officials shut down the coaster just one day after it opened April 28 after discovering a rough 15-foot section of track during an inspection.

        And when it finally reopened last weekend, heavy rains kept the coaster from opening on time Sunday. Eager thrill-seekers stood in line for nearly six hours before the first rides were given.

        “All the rain we got on Saturday and Sunday delayed our normal inspection process,” said park spokesman Jeff Siebert. “Usually, it takes our crews about four hours to walk all 7,000-plus feet of the coaster then another hour or two of testing. So the delay on Sunday really had nothing to do with coaster itself.”

        While Son of Beast's numerous shutdowns and de lays have been frustrating for many visitors, it hasn't had much effect on attendance, park officials say.

        On Tuesday, the ride drew long lines of guests who seemed nonchalant about the big ride's problems.

        “I came out to the park earlier this season when the ride was down, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed,” said A.J. O'Bryan, 18, of Englewood near Dayton. “But after riding it today, I don't care that it was down before, because it was well worth the wait. I would've waited all day if I had to.”

        Matt Hussmann, 18, of Miamisburg, called Son of Beast “awesome” after riding it for the first time Tuesday. He said the shutdowns and delays never worried him, especially since he was a season-pass holder.

        “I figured I'd get on it sooner or later,” he said. “So I wasn't too upset when it wasn't open before.”

        For Zachary Noble, 14, the ride from Stoutsville to Mason was almost as long as his wait in line.

        “I waited about an hour and 45 minutes for this, but it was worth every minute,” he said. “It's fast, scary and it shakes you up.”

        Dennis Spiegel, president of International Theme Park Services, a local designer and builder of theme parks, said most of the people visiting Kings Island so far are local and season-pass holders. Not having the Son of Beast won't keep them from coming back when they'll have another chance to ride it later in the season, Mr. Spiegel said.

        He added that weeks of tweak ing the ride and Sunday's weather closure are still not enough to affect the season this early.

        “If it delays into mid-June, that's when the tourist market starts, that's when it will have an impact on the season,” Mr. Spiegel said. “Certainly, it will affect their marketing.”

        But delays and shutdowns of new rides apparently are not unique to Kings Island. Park officials at Cedar Point in Sandusky had to close its newest mega-coaster, Millennium Force, for a day last week because of computer problems.

        “It's not an unusual thing, particularly with a wooden coaster, to have these type of adjustments and situations occur,” said Mr. Spiegel. “It's more prevalent with wooden coasters, but it happens with steel coasters too.”

        Most of Son of Beast's adjustments typically have been smoothing rough areas of the track, according to park officials. Mr. Spiegel likened those adjustments to realigning the sight on a gun, “so you make sure you hit what you want to hit.”

        Kings Island spokesman Bill Mefford added: “Anytime you have a new ride with new technology, you're going to have to work some of the bugs out in the beginning.”

        Enquirer reporter Reid Forgrave contributed to this report.

       

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