WildCat (Cedar Point)

WildCat
Cedar Point
Park section Celebration Plaza
Coordinates 41°28′54″N 82°41′6″W / 41.48167°N 82.68500°W / 41.48167; -82.68500Coordinates: 41°28′54″N 82°41′6″W / 41.48167°N 82.68500°W / 41.48167; -82.68500
Status Removed
Opening date 1979 (1979)
Closing date 2011 (2011)
Replaced Jumbo Jet
Replaced by Luminosity — Ignite the Night!
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf
Designer Werner Stengel
Model Wildcat/65m
Track layout Metal track in an overlapping and interlocking figure-eight configuration
Lift/launch system Chain lift
Height 50 ft (15 m)
Length 1,837 ft (560 m)
Speed 40 mph (64 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 1:25
Capacity 900 riders per hour
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
WildCat at RCDB
Pictures of WildCat at RCDB

WildCat was a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio that closed at the end of the 2011 season. On May 2, 2012 Cedar Point management announced that the WildCat would be removed to allow for expansion of the Celebration Plaza, citing that the coaster was reaching the end of its useful life. WildCat was disassembled prior to opening day 2012 and scrapped.[1]

History

WildCat opened at Cedar Point in 1979.[2] It was the 65m variant of the Schwarzkopf Wildcat model where small cars (each holding four passengers) take many tight turns and small hills that produce negative g-forces as well as strong lateral forces. Riders were required to be at least 48" tall and be able to climb down vertical ladders in the case of an emergency evacuation. Riders were secured by a seatbelt and lapbar. At the end of the ride, riders were given a visual signal by the operator to extend their arms and hold on, as the train stops extremely quickly.[3] It was the second Cedar Point ride to use the WildCat name following the 1970 installation, Wildcat, which was an identical 65m Schwarzkopf Wildcat.[4][5]

WildCat is the only roller coaster in Cedar Point that has been relocated since being built. WildCat had been in two previous places before settling in its final location, across from Iron Dragon. WildCat gave more than 25 million rides since its debut.[3] Although this figure-8 designed coaster is a park favorite, ridership declined over the years from over 500,000 riders in 1996 down to 300,000 riders in 2008.[3]

On May 2, 2012, Cedar Point announced the permanent removal and dismantling of the WildCat roller coaster prior to the opening of the 2012 season for the expansion of Celebration Plaza.[1] WildCat was demolished and scrapped before the season started.

Incidents

On May 16, 2008 during the opening weeks of the season, WildCat suffered a "roll back". A car traveling up the lift hill did not make it all the way up and rolled back down, hitting another car. This incident injured nine guests, 8 were treated at the first aid station in the park, one was treated and released at Firelands Memorial Hospital.[6][7] Due to this accident, the ride was closed for a month. It reopened late June 2008 after a section of track was replaced.

Around 5:00PM on June 5, 2011, two cars of the WildCat collided injuring seven people. No serious injuries were sustained. Three people were taken to Firelands Regional Medical Center as a precaution and four were released from the first aid station without further treatment. The crash was classified as an "incident" by the US Department of Agriculture.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Celebration Plaza Expansion". Cedar Point. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  2. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Wildcat  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "Wildcat". Cedar Point. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  4. ↑ "List of Cedar Point roller coasters".
  5. ↑ RCDB.com listing for 1970 Wildcat
  6. ↑ "WildCat closed after several guests were injured". The Point Online/Sandusky Register. 2008-05-22. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  7. ↑ "Nine Park Goers Have Wild Ride on Wildcat". The Morning Journal. 2008-05-24.
  8. ↑ "Cedar Point's WildCat reopens". Sandusky Register. 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
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