Cedar Point announces VertiGo attraction for Challenge Park

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

Stan Checketts of S&S Power, the guy who built the park's Power Tower, is insane. His latest idea is called VertiGo, and it will launch riders nearly 300 feet in the air.

Three 265-foot towers will surround a six-passenger triangular carriage attached to cables that connect to the towers. Compressed air will quickly lift the carriage off the ground, yanking it to the sky at speeds of 50 mph. The ride then gently brings people back to the ground.

Riders can experience VertiGo in one of three ways:

Hot Rocket: Where riders remain upright the entire ride.
Cosmic Flip: Where riders start upright, then the seats rotate forward 150 degrees at the apex and nose-dive toward the ground.
Big Bang: Where riders are flipped forward 150 degrees shortly after launch and travel much of the ride upside down.

"This ride is incredible," says Dick Kinzel, CEO of parent company Cedar Fair. "I first saw Stan's idea for VertiGo in Atlanta at the IAAPA Convention and Trade Show, and I told him we couldn't wait until 2002 to add this ride to Cedar Point... we want it this summer!"

"I love working with the people at Cedar Point, especially Dick Kinzel," says Checketts. "Dick just loves to see the looks on guests' faces when they see the unbelievable new attractions that await them at the park."

Vertigo will open later this summer, at a cost of $15 per rider and discounts for larger groups.

Link: Guide to The Point

Related parks

Cedar Point

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Beastnum, where on earth did you find prices for the SFMM version of it? They still haven't made an announcement yet that they are even putting the ride in, as far as I know, let alone mentioned what they are going to be charging for it.

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Willow? Yes, my name is Willow. Would you stop pecking on me on this big droooopppppppppp......

How often to they have to fill the tanks. I mean they must have something that can recharge them as they go because it take a lot of pressure to shoot hundreds of pound into the air.

Stan Checketts is the coolest guy I don't know personally. He is crazy. You have to love some of the stuff he is doing. What will we see next, an air thrust 4d?

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I don't care how you get here,
by plane , car, train, just get
here and ride this giant.

$15 for a 30 second ride?
jeez and I thought their food was expensive. I'm sorry but that's insane

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http://troysrct.tycoonplanet.com/

SFGAManiac, That's not that expensive at all compared to the skycoasters everywhere. At my home park of PKD, the skycoaster is over $25 a ride. I think $15 for a pay ride like Vertigo is pretty cheap and should be a lot of fun. Hopefully it will blow skycoasters away. I can't wait to ride one.

I herd that this Stan guy is a real AIR-head.

LOL,thats cool can't wait to check out the big bang.:)

Actually.. this is how it works...

There are two sets of cables.. The main one attaches to the air cylinder and goes up to abotu the 90 foot level and over the pulley there to a silver "racetrack". On this track is a connection to the cable that runs up over the top and back down to the car.

When fired.. the main cable is shot up through the main tower, causeing the "dog" to come DOWN the silver track, pulling cable #2 along with it, hence causeing the liftoff. The cable then rotates under the main pulley at the base and back into the the main air chamber till the apex is hit, then the process reverses to cause a downward motion..

There are construction pics over at my site and I will be adding closeups up the 'racetrack' that I took but still haven't posted.. been busy...

Working on a diagram of the above actions also...

http://norden1.com/~rlarock/s&s.html
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MF 2000 - 269 laps
MF 2001 - 103 laps (as of 7/19/01)
June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100

I'm guessing this is going in the Challenge Park section of Cedar Point, funny, I stayed at Hotel Breakers on Tuesday and Wednesday and didn't even think of looking for construction. Not just that, none stuck out to be seen easily. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.

Instead of having the "new ride" in cedar point's adventure park, they should add it to their regular park. They have enough room for it. And plus, even though the price they are charging is cheap for this kind of ride, they would probably get more riders on it without a charge & with its queneing lines in the park. Either way, it sounds like alot of fun!

oops, i ment challenge park, not adventure park.

SFGAManiac, have you ever seen the prices of a skycoaster???? At all parks they're around 30$ for one person. This is pretty cheapo I'd say.

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Kerry - Bright Man of the Elite Eight

Weel I guess well be able to see construction of VertiGo. My friends and are going on the 28th.

RGB, nice photo essay. I felt like I was there myself. You might consider it as a profession.

This will be an awesome ride. Im going to cedar point next summer ill definately ride this 1...

As if Space Shot wasn't enough. WOW.

"If I designed a ride that EVERYONE wanted to ride, that would be an elevator and that's NOT an amusement ride." - Stan Checketts. Stan IS the man, I still can't wait to get my first ride on Hypersonic. For a job with S&S, I'd even be willing to live in UTAH...

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rollergator - intent on improving the "guest experience" - coming soon to a park near you

That's gonna rock!!!!
The Big Bang sounds insane

Just think at $15 a pop and 6 people per ride, it will make $90 every time it blasts off! I think they could charge $10 and still make a killing.

Anyway...hooray for S&S and another great ride! I've seen the prototype work and it will be a great ride!

Ok, I may have just missed it along the way, but have there been or are there any conceptual drawings or something similar of what this ride actually IS? I know by reading the description, it's a slingshot ride of some sort, but it almost sounds 'controlled'. I have yet to see any conceptual art on the ride, so is there any to be found?

Just curious....

Chris

Sounds awesome, I think 2001 will be a good time to visit CP again. S&S rules, The thing sounds like it will be a winner at the point.

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