Rougarou (roller coaster)

Rougarou

A train coming out of the loop following the first drop
Previously known as Mantis (1996–2014)
Cedar Point
Coordinates 41°28′57″N 82°41′14″W / 41.482583°N 82.687353°W / 41.482583; -82.687353Coordinates: 41°28′57″N 82°41′14″W / 41.482583°N 82.687353°W / 41.482583; -82.687353
Status Operating
Opening date May 9, 2015 (2015-05-09)
Cost US$12,000,000
Replaced Mantis
General statistics
Type Steel – Floorless Coaster
Manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer Werner Stengel
Model Floorless Coaster
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 1800 riders per hour
Height restriction 54–78 in (137–198 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
Rougarou at RCDB
Pictures of Rougarou at RCDB

Rougarou is a floorless roller coaster located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the roller coaster originally opened in 1996 as a stand-up roller coaster called Mantis, which at the time was the tallest, fastest, and longest of its kind in the world. Cedar Point had planned to name the ride Banshee, but due to negative publicity following the announcement, the name was later changed to Mantis.

In September 2014, Cedar Point announced the pending closure of Mantis scheduled the following month. The park later revealed that Mantis wouldn't be removed but would be transformed into a floorless roller coaster design for the 2015 season. It reopened as Rougarou on May 9, 2015.

History

On September 8, 1995, Cedar Point announced plans to build a new roller coaster, which would open as the tallest, fastest, and longest stand-up roller coaster in the world.[1] The ride was to be named Banshee after the mythical wailing ghost in Irish folklore.[2] In the days following the announcement, there was some negative reaction from the public regarding the term Banshee, which in the dictionary is described as a female spirit that warns of an impending family death.[2][3] On November 14, 1995, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company filed a trademark for the name Mantis, which later became the ride's official name.[2][4] As a result of the name change, its logo was also changed to resemble a mantis.[5] The discarded name would later be reused for Banshee at Kings Island which opened in 2014.[6]

Construction on the new roller coaster began in the off season and was completed on January 9, 1996.[7] More than 20% of the track was built over water.[2][8] Cedar Point held a "Media Day" for Mantis on May 9, 1996, and the ride officially opened to the public on May 11, 1996.

On September 2, 2014, after weeks of leaking clues that a major announcement was forthcoming, Cedar Point released a statement that Mantis would close on October 19, 2014. According to the park, the roller coaster had given over 22 million rides since its debut.[9] However, Cedar Point revealed on September 18, 2014, that Mantis wouldn't be removed, but instead would be converted into a floorless roller coaster complete with new trains, new colors, and a new theme.[10] It reopened as Rougarou, the name of a legendary creature in French folklore that draws comparisons to the mythical werewolf, on May 9, 2015.[11][12]

Ride experience

Rougarou's 119-foot-tall (36 m) vertical loop, when it was Mantis
Car going into corner after loop on Rougarou

Layout

The ride starts when the train makes its way up the 145-foot (44 m) lift hill. Once the train reaches the top, a small "pre-drop" (as described by manufacturer Bolliger and Mabillard) is followed by a 180 degree turn, 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, the train rises into a 103-foot (31 m) dive loop. Following this, the train enters a non-inverting, highly banked 360 degree turn that is located over the station. Following the 360 degree turn, riders enter a 83-foot (25 m) inclined loop - a standard loop tilted at a 45 degree angle. From here, the ride makes an up-hand right turn into the mid-course brake run. At this point, the track drops into a Corkscrew, and finish off with a figure-eight turn. The train then enters the final brake run, and heads back into the station.[8][13][14]

Trains

As Mantis, the ride operated with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train had eight cars with four seats in a single row supporting a total capacity of 32 riders.[13] Mantis originally operated with three trains but the park later reduced operation to two trains due to the trains "stacking" on the brake run.[15] Riders were secured by an over-the-shoulder harness.[13] Although Mantis was a stand-up roller coaster, there was a small bicycle seat riders could lean on.[16]

For its transition to Rougarou, the ride received three new floorless trains which allows riders' legs to dangle freely above the track, as there is no floor between rows.[17] Each has the same 32-rider configuration as the previous trains on Mantis. Riders are also secured by an over-the-shoulder harness with an interlocking seatbelt.[13][17]

Records

Mantis set several records among stand-up roller coasters when it opened in 1996. It set the world record for height at 145 feet (44 m), speed at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), and length at 3,900 feet (1,200 m).[1] It was also the first stand-up roller coaster to feature a dive loop and an inclined loop.[1][18][19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mantis at Coaster-Net". Coaster-Net. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Cedar Point finds new name for roller coaster". Sunday Times-Sentinel. November 19, 1995. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Cedar Point changes coaster's name". The Bryan Times. September 14, 1995. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Mantis Trademark". Legal Force. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Mantis photo gallery at Ultimate Roller Coaster". Ultimate Roller Coaster. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Largest Amusement & Waterpark in the Midwest | Kings Island". www.visitkingsisland.com. Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  7. ↑ "Cedar Point Mantis Roller Coaster Top Off January 9, 1996". Cedar Point. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  8. 1 2 "Mantis POV". Cedar Point. August 2, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  9. ↑ Glaser, Susan (September 2, 2014). "Cedar Point to close stand-up roller coaster Mantis; additional plans for 2015 will come later". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  10. ↑ Haidet, Ryan (October 20, 2014). "Cedar Point closes Mantis roller coaster forever". WKYC. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  11. ↑ Glaser, Susan (September 18, 2014). "Rougarou floorless roller coaster will replace stand-up Mantis at Cedar Point in spring 2015". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  12. ↑ Creager, Ellen (April 26, 2015). "Extreme ride: New Cedar Point coaster is floorless". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Marden, Duane. "Mantis  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Mantis ACN review". American Coasters. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Mantis at Top Coasters". Top Coasters. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  16. ↑ "What is a stand-up roller coaster?". The Coaster Critic. August 25, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  17. 1 2 Glaser, Susan (September 19, 2014). "The same Mantis track with new trains: Is Cedar Point's Rougarou roller coaster really new?". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  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.
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