Cedar Point Announces Plans To Debut New Ride

Sandusky, OH -- What else would you expect from the park voted "Best Amusement Park in the World?" Cedar Point amusement park/resort, which has introduced such world-class rides as the award-winning Magnum XL-200, the scream-inducing RipCord Skycoaster and the epic Millennium Force "giga-coaster," will take park-goers to a whole new level of excitement when it debuts its latest thrill ride, VertiGo, in the Challenge Park activity complex later this summer. (VertiGo, like all Challenge Park attractions, will have a separate fee.)

Cedar Point's latest scream machine is one of the newest and wildest ride concepts in the amusement industry from creative genius Stan Checketts and the team at S & S Power, Inc., Logan, Utah - the same company that manufactured Cedar Point's own Power Tower. Passengers are secured in seats that are attached to a specially designed, triangular-shaped ride carriage. Then, using compressed air and attached steel cables, riders are launched nearly 300 feet into the air at speeds reaching 50 mph! Passengers then descend back to Earth before coming to a gentle stop. Riders are secured in individual harnesses to provide as much movement as possible to experience the sensation of free flight. This first-of-a-kind thrill ride can accommodate up to six people per launch. The ride structure consists of three gigantic towers standing an amazing 265 feet tall, making it one of the tallest structures on the Cedar Point Peninsula.

As if that isn't enough, riders will have the ability to choose from three different outrageous ways to experience VertiGo: Hot Rocket - where riders remain in the upright position throughout the entire ride; Cosmic Flip - where riders begin in the upright position, then as the ride reaches its climax, the seats will rotate forward 150 degrees to provide a "nose-dive" sensation as the carriage descends toward the ground; or, Big Bang - where riders are flipped forward 150 degrees shortly after launch and travel through the apex and a majority of the return to the ground in the upside-down position.

This ultimate thrill vertical attraction will be one of the first ever built in the world and will be located next to the RipCord Skycoaster in Challenge Park (adjacent to the amusement park). The price will be $15 per rider with savings of $10 for singles, $14 for doubles and $15 for groups of three for a Double Dare ticket, which will include rides on both VertiGo and RipCord thrill rides. VertiGo riders must be at least 52 inches tall. Admission to Cedar Point is not required. (Paid reservations are suggested.)

"This ride is incredible!" stated an excited Dick Kinzel, president and CEO of Cedar Fair, L. P., the parent company of Cedar Point, after he reviewed the latest creation from Stan Checketts. "I first saw Stan's idea for VertiGo in Atlanta at the IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) Convention and Trade Show, and I told him that we couldn't wait until 2002 to add this ride to Cedar Point ... we want it this summer! You always wonder what wild ride or attraction that Stan is thinking of next. He is definitely a pioneer when it comes to amusement park rides in the 21st century."

S & S Power, Inc. is the world's leading manufacturer of vertical thrill rides. With a brief, but well-chronicled, history that dates back to 1989, S & S Power, Inc. has introduced the amusement industry to rides such as Turbo Drop, Space Shot, Cedar Point's own Power Tower and now the new VertiGo.

"I love working with the people at Cedar Point, especially Dick Kinzel," quipped Stan Checketts. "Cedar Point is known around the world for having the 'best of the best' when it comes to fun family entertainment and great thrill rides. Dick just loves to see the looks on guests' faces when they see the unbelievable new attractions that await them at the park."

Construction on VertiGo is in its final phase at the historic amusement park and a thorough testing process will take place before the ride opens to the general public later this summer. Additional details and updates on VertiGo will be released as they become available.

For more information about VertiGo or Cedar Point, guests can check out the No. 1 rated amusement park Web site online at www.cedarpoint.com.