SANDUSKY — Cedar Point visitors can expect a new attraction in 2018 — a remodeled wooden and steel roller coaster on the site of the retired Mean Streak ride.
Park officials offered journalists and others a tour on Tuesday of the construction area, which is nestled in the northwest corner of Cedar Point. Although Tony Clark, the park spokesman, would not confirm specifics about the new attraction, workers could be seen securing a burgundy steel track to the wooden ride.
When it premiered at Cedar Point’s “Frontier Town” in 1991, Mean Streak was the tallest wooden coaster in the world. Over the years, the ride gained a reputation among park visitors for an excessively bumpy ride, ultimately prompting park officials to close the attraction in September.
“The [new] ride is going to be a much smoother experience,” said Jason McClure, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. “That’s what we heard from guests when they rode Mean Streak — ‘It’s fun. It’s thrilling. But man, it hurt a little.’”
He added: “We want a ride that people will ride again.”
VIDEO: Cedar Point closes 'Mean Streak,' prepares new attraction
Cedar Point employees would not elaborate further on what to expect, but Mr. Clark said the park will announce specifics about the ride by the end of the regular 2017 season on Sept. 10.
Scott Short, member services director of American Coaster Enthusiasts, was invited on the site tour and said the incomplete steel track alone revealed additions that would revolutionize Mean Streak.
“The first drop is probably going to be 90 degrees, the way it looks,” he said. “They put in inversions and quicker little turns and things like that, so it’s going to be a much different ride.”
Mr. Short also said he recognized an on-site truck belonging to Rocky Mountain Construction, an Idaho company that sells the technology to convert wooden roller coasters into wooden-steel hybrids.
But Cedar Point officials did not retire Mean Steak with the plan of repurposing the ride, Mr. McClure said.
“First thought was, alright, big piece of land, let’s take this thing out, and we’ll move on to something new, something bigger, something different,” he said.
After collaborating with the demolition crew, Cedar Point officials landed on the idea for a ride that would incorporate Mean Streak’s older wooden foundation, thus maintaining the rustic aesthetic of the “Frontier Town” section of the park.
“Mean Streak’s been a vital part of the skyline here for more than 25 years,” Mr. McClure said. “To be able to maintain that while improving the ride experience is just going to be great.”
Cedar Point, the signature amusement park of Cedar Fair LP, has 17 coasters. Cedar Fair owns 11 amusement parks and two outdoor water parks across the United States and Canada, including Kings Island near Cincinnati.
Contact Antonia Ayres-Brown at abrown@theblade.com or 419-724-6368.
First Published July 19, 2017, 4:00 a.m.
