Rougarou (roller coaster) explained

Rougarou
Logodimensions:200px
Previousnames:Mantis (1996–2014)
Location:Cedar Point
Section:Millennium Midway
Coordinates:41.4826°N -82.6874°W
Status:Operating
Year:2015
Cost:US$12,000,000
Previousattraction:Mantis
Type:Steel
Type2:Floorless Coaster
Manufacturer:Bolliger & Mabillard
Designer:Werner Stengel
Model:Floorless Coaster
Lift:Chain lift hill
Height Ft:145
Drop Ft:137
Length Ft:3900
Speed Mph:60
Inversions:4
Duration:2:40
Angle:52
Capacity:1800
Restriction In:54-78
Trains:3
Carspertrain:8
Rowspercar:1
Ridersperrow:4
Virtual Queue Name:Fast Lane
Virtual Queue Image:Cedar Fair Fast Lane availability icon.svg
Virtual Queue Status:available
Rcdb Number:7

Rougarou, formerly known as Mantis, 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 for the following month. The park later revealed that Mantis would not 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.[3] On November 14, 1995, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company filed a trademark for the name Mantis, which later became the ride's official name.[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 an inverted roller coaster that opened at Kings Island in 2014.[6]

Construction on the new roller coaster began during the 1995-1996 off-season and was completed on January 9, 1996.[7] More than 20% of the track was built over water. Cedar Point held a "Media Day" for Mantis on May 9, 1996, and the ride officially opened to the public on May 11, 1996.

Over the years, Mantis became known as a rough ride and its popularity began to decline.[8] 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 would not 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

Layout

The ride starts with a slight left-turn and then the train begins to climb up the 145feet chain lift hill. Once the train reaches the top and passes through the pre-drop, the track makes a 180-degree right turn, leading into the first drop. Riders then drop 137feet at a 52-degree angle, reaching a top speed of and enter a 119feet vertical loop. This is immediately followed by a 103feet dive loop, a non-inverting overbanked turn directly above the station, and an 83feet left-leaning inclined loop. From here, the track makes an uphill right turn into the mid-course brake run. Off the midcourse brakes, the track drops into a Corkscrew, and finish off with a figure-eight turn. The train then enters the final brake run, and then makes a right turn, passing through the transfer track before returning to the station.[13] [14] [15]

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. Mantis originally operated with three trains but the park later reduced operation to two trains due to the trains "stacking" on the brake run.[16] Riders were secured by an over-the-shoulder harness. Although Mantis was a stand-up roller coaster, there was a small bicycle seat riders could lean on.[17] Following the closure of Mantis, a portion of the trains were retained for parts while the rest were scrapped.[18]

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.[19] 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.

Records

Mantis set several records among stand-up roller coasters when it opened in 1996. It set the world record for height at 145feet, speed at 60mph, and length at 3900feet. It was also the first stand-up roller coaster to feature a dive loop and an inclined loop.[20] [21]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mantis at Coaster-Net. Coaster-Net. October 20, 2012.
  2. Web site: Cedar Point finds new name for roller coaster. Sunday Times-Sentinel. October 19, 2012. November 19, 1995.
  3. News: Cedar Point changes coaster's name. The Bryan Times. October 19, 2012. September 14, 1995.
  4. News: Mantis Trademark . Legal Force. October 21, 2012.
  5. Web site: Mantis photo gallery at Ultimate Roller Coaster. Ultimate Roller Coaster. December 27, 2012.
  6. Web site: Largest Amusement & Waterpark in the Midwest Kings Island. https://archive.today/20130809034349/https://www.visitkingsisland.com/banshee/the-evidence/wail-of-the-banshee-blog/blog-article/Title. dead. August 9, 2013. www.visitkingsisland.com. June 1, 2016.
  7. Web site: Cedar Point Mantis Roller Coaster Top Off January 9, 1996. September 10, 2012 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/48-6gowqD_s . December 21, 2021 . live. Cedar Point. October 19, 2012.
  8. Web site: Squashing the Mantis – The Observer.
  9. News: Cedar Point to close stand-up roller coaster Mantis; additional plans for 2015 will come later. Glaser. Susan. September 2, 2014. The Plain Dealer. September 3, 2014.
  10. News: Cedar Point closes Mantis roller coaster forever. Haidet. Ryan. October 20, 2014. WKYC. October 23, 2014.
  11. News: Rougarou floorless roller coaster will replace stand-up Mantis at Cedar Point in spring 2015. Glaser. Susan. September 18, 2014. The Plain Dealer. October 20, 2014.
  12. News: Extreme ride: New Cedar Point coaster is floorless. Creager. Ellen. April 26, 2015. Detroit Free Press. August 4, 2015.
  13. Web site: Mantis POV. Cedar Point. October 20, 2012. August 2, 2012.
  14. Mantis. Cedar Point. 7. October 19, 2012.
  15. Web site: Mantis ACN review. American Coasters. October 20, 2012.
  16. Web site: Mantis at Top Coasters. Top Coasters. June 6, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151119225318/http://www.topcoasters.com/database/roller-coaster/13/13-mantis. November 19, 2015.
  17. Web site: What is a stand-up roller coaster?. The Coaster Critic. October 20, 2012. August 25, 2008.
  18. Web site: Cedar Point removes Mantis coaster trains from attraction - Ohio.com.
  19. News: The same Mantis track with new trains: Is Cedar Point's Rougarou roller coaster really new?. Glaser. Susan. September 19, 2014. The Plain Dealer. November 23, 2015.
  20. Web site: Marden. Duane. Roller coasters with a Dive Loop. Roller Coaster DataBase. October 20, 2012.
  21. Web site: Marden. Duane. Roller coasters with an Incline Loop. Roller Coaster DataBase. October 20, 2012.