Mantis (roller coaster)

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Mantis

119-foot (36 m) loop on Mantis
Cedar Point
Coordinates 41°28′57.75″N 82°41′12.75″W / 41.4827083°N 82.6868750°W / 41.4827083; -82.6868750Coordinates: 41°28′57.75″N 82°41′12.75″W / 41.4827083°N 82.6868750°W / 41.4827083; -82.6868750
Status Operating
Soft opening date May 9, 1996
Opening date May 11, 1996
Cost US$ 12,000,000
General statistics
Type Steel – Stand-up
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer Werner Stengel
Model Stand-up roller coaster
Track layout Twister
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 145 ft (44 m)
Drop 137 ft (42 m)
Length 3,900 ft (1,200 m)
Speed 60 mph (97 km/h)
Inversions 4
Duration 2:40
Max vertical angle 52°
Capacity 1,800 riders per hour
Height restriction 54 in (137 cm)
Trains 3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Mantis at RCDB
Pictures of Mantis at RCDB

Mantis is a Bolliger & Mabillard stand-up roller coaster at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. When it opened on May 11, 1996, it set several stand-up roller coaster records and firsts, including height (145 feet (44 m)), speed (60 miles per hour (97 km/h)), and steepness (52°). When the coaster was announced, the ride was going to be named Banshee.[1] However after some people spoke out about its negative connotations, the name was changed to Mantis.[2]

History

Cedar Point announced Banshee on September 8, 1995 as the tallest, fastest and steepest stand-up roller coaster. Just five days later, Cedar Point announced that the name would be changed due to negative connotations with the word Banshee.[1] On November 14, 1995, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company filed a trademark for the name Mantis.[3] It was officially announced on November 17 that the new roller coaster would be named Mantis.[2] Construction continued though the winter and the ride was topped off on January 9, 1996.[4]

Media day for Mantis was held on May 9, 1996 then it opened to the public on May 11. Trim brakes were added half way down the first drop in 1997 to lessen the positive G-force. The entrance to Mantis used to be located in what is now the Millennium Force entrance plaza but when Millennium opened in 2000, the entrance was moved to the other side of the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad tracks to where it is today.[5] The ride was originally painted with purple supports, yellow and red track with unpainted rails. It was repainted for the 2003 season and the rails were painted red.[6][7]

Name controversy

The original name for this ride was to be Banshee, but the name was quickly changed when Cedar Point realized the full negative connotations of the word banshee.[1] All 'Banshee' stickers, pins and other promotional materials that had been released were recalled. Many of the original souvenirs and materials were burned or destroyed.[8] Some t-shirts featuring the original Banshee logo can still be found.[9] The shirts were sent out to season pass holders for 1996 who purchased their season passes early. Shortly after dropping the Banshee name, Cedar Point renamed the coaster to its current name of Mantis.[1][2] As the coaster's name was changed, so was its logo, to a praying mantis.[10] Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom adopted the Banshee logo for its hypercoaster, Steel Force, which opened in 1997.[11] The "Banshee" name has been resurrected for use by a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster that is currently under construction at Kings Island.[12]

Ride experience

Mantis is located at the end of Celebration Plaza. The entrance to Mantis used to be located in what is now the Millennium Force entrance plaza but when Millennium opened in 2000, the entrance was moved to the other side of the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad tracks to where it is today.[5] The ride travels over the Iron Dragon roller coaster and more than 20% of the ride is located over water.[2][13]

Layout

The Diving Loop of Mantis

The ride starts when the train makes its way up the 145-foot (44 m) lift hill. Once the train reaches the top, it makes a little dip, and then goes through a right-hand turnaround, leading into the first drop. Riders then drop 137 feet (42 m) at a 52 degree angle, reaching a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Coming out of the first drop, the train travels into the first inversion, a 119-foot (36 m) vertical loop. Next, Mantis heads into its next inversion - a 103-foot (31 m) diving loop. Following this, the train enters a non-inverting, highly banked 360 degree turn. Following the 360 degree turn, riders enter a 83-foot (25 m) inclined loop - a standard loop at a 45 degree angle. From here, the ride makes an up-hand turn into the mid-course brake run. At this point, riders drop straight into a Corkscrew, and finish off with a figure-eight. The train then enters the final brake run, and heads back into the station.[11][13][14]

Track

The steel track is approximately 3,900 feet (1,200 m) in length and the height of the lift is approximately 145 feet (44 m).[11] When the coaster first opened, it was painted with purple supports, yellow and red track with unpainted rails. Mantis was repainted for the 2003 season and the rails were painted red. In 1997, a trim brake was added to the first drop.[5]

Trains

Mantis currently operates with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train has eight cars that have four seats in a single row for a total of 32 riders.[11] Mantis originlly operated with three trains but the park later reduced operation to two trains due to the trains "stacking" on the brake run.[15] Riders are secured by an over the shoulder harness.[11] Although Mantis is a stand-up roller coaster, there is a small bicycle seat riders can lean on.[16]

Records

Mantis set several records among stand-up roller coasters when it opened in 1996 including height at 145 feet (44 m), speed at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), and steepness at 52°.[17] It was also the first stand-up roller coaster to feature a diving loop.[17][18] It preceded Dragon Khan, another B&M coaster, at PortAventura as having the tallest vertical loop in the world. Also, it was the first roller coaster in the world to feature an inclined loop.[17][19]

Preceded by
Dragon Khan		 World's Tallest Vertical Loop
May 1996–April 1997 		Succeeded by
Chang

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Cedar Point changes coaster's name". The Bryan Times. September 14, 1995. Retrieved October 19, 2012. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Cedar Point finds new name for roller coaster". Sunday Times-Sentinel. November 19, 1995. Retrieved October 19, 2012. 
  3. ↑ "Mantis Trademark". Legal Force. Retrieved October 21, 2012. 
  4. ↑ "Cedar Point Mantis Roller Coaster Top Off January 9, 1996". Cedar Point. Retrieved October 19, 2012. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "PointBuzz history". PointBuzz. Retrieved October 16, 2012. 
  6. ↑ Rodgers, Joel. "Mantis gets new paint". Retrieved October 19, 2012. 
  7. ↑ "Mantis (CP Rundown)". CP Run Down. Retrieved December 27, 2012. 
  8. ↑ Rodgers, Joel. "Steel Force logo with Mantis history". Coaster Gallery. Retrieved December 28, 2012. 
  9. ↑ "Cedar Point Banshee T-shirt". WorthPoint. Retrieved December 27, 2012. 
  10. ↑ "Mantis photo gallery at Ultimate Roller Coaster". Ultimate Roller Coaster. Retrieved December 27, 2012. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Marden, Duane. "Mantis  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 19, 2012. 
  12. ↑ https://www.visitkingsisland.com/banshee/the-evidence/wail-of-the-banshee-blog/blog-article/Title
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Mantis POV". Cedar Point. August 2, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2012. 
  14. ↑ "Mantis ACN review". American Coasters. Retrieved October 20, 2012. 
  15. ↑ "Mantis at Top Coasters". Top Coasters. Retrieved October 20, 2012. 
  16. ↑ "What is a stand-up roller coaster?". The Coaster Critic. August 25, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2012. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 "Mantis at Coaster-Net". Coaster-Net. Retrieved October 20, 2012. 
  18. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Roller coasters with a Dive Loop". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 20, 2012. 
  19. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Roller coasters with an Incline Loop". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 20, 2012. 

External links

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