Blue Streak (Cedar Point)

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Blue Streak

Initial drop on Blue Streak
Location Cedar Point
Type Wood
Status Open
Opened May 23, 1964
Manufacturer Philadelphia Toboggan Company
Designer Frank F. Hoover & John C. Allen
Model Out and Back roller coaster
Lift/launch system chain lift hill
Height 78 ft (24 m)
Drop 72 ft (22 m)
Length 2,558 ft (780 m)
Max speed 40 mph (64 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 1:45
Max vertical angle 45°
Capacity 1300 riders per hour
Height restriction 4 ft 0 in (120 cm)
Blue Streak at RCDB
Pictures of Blue Streak at RCDB

Blue Streak is a wooden roller coaster following the out and back design, and is the oldest operating roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. According to park officials, the roller coaster has given over 54 million rides since its inception in 1964.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

In the 1950s, Cedar Point was suffering from decline of popularity, especially since it had not gotten a new roller coaster in over a decade. The park was near permanently shutting down, and was in desperate need of a headline attraction. By the 1960s, new rides started to appear again on the peninsula, but a huge (at the time), headlining ride was still needed, and thus the Blue Streak roller coaster was born. The first roller coaster at the park in nearly 20 years opened, a wooden roller coaster, on May 23, 1964.

Blue Streak was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (now Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters), and named after "The Blue Streaks", the nickname of the Sandusky High School athletic teams.[2]

Today, even after 43 years on the peninsula, the ride thrills hundreds of thousands of riders each year. The ride is considered one of Cedar Point's best, and is in many coaster enthusiasts' lists of favorite wooden roller coasters (it was, in fact, ranked as the 48th best wooden coaster in 2007 in the Golden Ticket Awards).

[edit] Relinquishment of ACE Coaster Classic title

Blue Streak was considered an ACE Coaster Classic until 1995 when the bench seats were replaced with divided seats, individual lap bars, and headrests. Blue Streak was not always the sky blue color it is today; when it opened, the wood was unpainted. In 2004, the original steel lap bars were replaced with more comfortable molded plastic ones. In general, wait times usually can be between 10-30 minutes, being most busy during early afternoon.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Blue Streak. Cedar Point. Retrieved on 2006-07-21.
  2. ^ Blue Streak. PointPics.com (2007-01-13). Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
  3. ^ Blue Streak. ThePointOL.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.

[edit] External Links

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Roller coasters at Cedar Point
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