Mean Streak

Mean Streak
Mean Streak after its first turn
Cedar Point
Park section	Frontiertown
Coordinates	41°29′10.50″N 82°41′35.75″W / 41.4862500°N 82.6932639°W / 41.4862500; -82.6932639Coordinates: 41°29′10.50″N 82°41′35.75″W / 41.4862500°N 82.6932639°W / 41.4862500; -82.6932639
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 11, 1991
Cost	$7,500,000 USD
General statistics
Type	Wood
Manufacturer	Dinn Corporation
Designer	Curtis D. Summers
Track layout	Twister
Lift/launch system	Chain lift
Height	161 ft (49 m)
Drop	155 ft (47 m)
Length	5,427 ft (1,654 m)
Speed	65 mph (105 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	2:45
Max vertical angle	52°
Capacity	1,600 riders per hour
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	3 trains with 7 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 28 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Mean Streak at RCDB Pictures of Mean Streak at RCDB

Mean Streak is a wooden roller coaster built by Dinn Corporation at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It opened to the public on May 11, 1991, as the wooden roller coaster with the world's tallest lift and the longest drop.^[1] Although the height record was only held for one season, it is still one of the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coasters.^[2][3][4] It is located in the Frontiertown section of the park behind the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad station.^[5]

With a duration of 2 minutes and 45 seconds, the Mean Streak had the longest ride time of any roller coaster in the park until 2000.^[6] It is also one of only two wooden roller coasters operating at Cedar Point; the other is the Blue Streak, located at the front of the park.^[7]

History

Mean Streak with Maverick in the foreground

The ride was announced in late 1990 and was officially named "Mean Streak" on October 24, 1990.^[8] Construction on Mean Streak continued throughout the winter and spring.^[9][10] Mean Streak opened to the public on May 11, 1991^[11] and media day was held on May 22.^[12] In 1994, trim brakes were installed on the first drop, slowing the ride down.^[12] In September 2010, a small 5-foot (1.5 m) section caught fire. The fire was contained to that section and no other damage was reported. The ride was originally set to shut down for the remainder of the season for maintenance anyway.^[13]

Over the years, Mean Streak has been retracked several times. Some retracking has been completed by Martin & Vleminckx.^[14] Prior to the 2012 operating season, many sections of track after the first drop were replaced. This was the most major work done on the ride since it opened.^[15] Also, in 2012, a portion of the queue was removed to make room for a new building. The building is located in the infield of Mean Streak and is used for the HalloWeekends haunted house, Eden Musee. It is used for storage during the offseason and summer.^[16]

Ride experience

After leaving the station, the train passes through the storage tracks and makes a U-turn to the right, before ascending the 161-foot-tall (49 m) lift hill. After cresting the top of the hill, the train drops 155 feet (47 m) at a 52-degree-angle, reaching a top speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). While dropping, riders go through a set of trim brakes on the first drop. Riders then go through a 123-foot-tall (37 m) twisted turnaround followed a small airtime hill then another twisted turnaround. The train then travels over the lift hill and dips down to the right. After that, the train travels through the rides structure and goes down another hill, turning to the left into the mid-course brake run. The train then dips down to the left into another airtime hill. Riders then go through several small airtime hills and turns in the ride's structure followed by the final brake run.^[17] One cycle of the ride lasts 3 minutes and 13 seconds.^[11]

Characteristics

Manufacturer

Mean Streak was only one of 12 roller coasters manufactured by Ohio-based Dinn Corporation before dismantling in 1992.^[18] It is a Twister model.^[19] It was manufactured at a cost of $7,500,000.^[1] The ride was designed by Curtis D. Summers.^[11]

Track

Mean Streak's first turnaround

The wooden track is approximately 5,427 feet (1,654 m) in length and the height of the lift is approximately 161 feet (49 m).^[11] When the coaster first opened, the ride did not have a trim brake on the first drop. A trim brake was installed in 1994, slowing the wear and tear of the track.^[12] It was constructed from 1.7 million board feet (4,000 m³) of treated southern yellow pine.^[1]

Trains

Mean Streak operates with three Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters trains, colored red, gold and green.^[19][20] Each train has seven cars with riders arranged two across, in two rows, for a total of 28 riders per train. Riders must be 48 inches (120 cm) tall to ride and are secured by an individual ratcheting lap bar and seat belt.^[11] During the 2011–2012 offseason, all three trains were sent to the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters headquarters where they were refurbished and received maintenance.^[20]

Records

When Mean Streak opened, it broke three records among wooden roller coasters. It was the wooden roller coaster with the world's tallest lift and the longest drop.^[21] As of 2013, Mean Streak has the fifth tallest lift, the sixth fastest speed, the fourth longest track-length and the fourth longest drop.^[3][2][22]

Reception

Writers from The Pantagraph stated that the ride is "the best kept-secret at Cedar Point" as it is located at the very back of the park.^[23] The ride was also featured on the Today show in 1992 in connection with the 100th anniversary of roller coasters.^[24]

Mean Streak has been ranked as one of the most popular wooden roller coasters in the world. It has been ranked in the top 50, seven times since the Golden Ticket Awards were introduced in 1998. The ride has not ranked the other eight seasons.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mean Streak.

• Cedarpoint.com - Official Mean Streak page
• Photo gallery at Coaster-Net
• Mean Streak Photo Gallery at The Point Online
• Opening day interview and footage