The Coney Island Cyclone is an historic wooden roller coaster, that opened on June 26, 1927
in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City.
On June 18, 1975, Dewey and Jerome Albert, owners of Astroland Park, contracted to operate
it under an agreement with New York City.
It was completely rehabilitated and opened to enthusiastic crowds on July 1, 1975.
Since that time, Astroland Park and the Albert family has invested millions of dollars in
the upkeep of the Cyclone.
After Astroland closed in 2008, Carol Hill Albert, president of Cyclone Coasters, continued
to operate it under a lease agreement with the city.
In 2011, Luna Park took over operation of the Cyclone.
It was declared a New York City landmark on July 12, 1988, and was placed on the National
Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1991.
Early history The success of 1925's Thunderbolt and 1926's
Tornado led Jack and Irving Rosenthal to buy land at the intersection of Surf Avenue and
West 10th Street for a coaster of their own.
With a $100,000 investment, they hired leading coaster designer Vernon Keenan to design a
new coaster.
Harry C. Baker supervised the construction, which was done by area companies including
National Bridge Company and Cross, Austin, & Ireland.
Its final cost has been reported to be around $146,000 to $175,000.
When it opened on June 26, 1927, a ride cost only twenty-five cents, about $3.50 when adjusted
for inflation in 2012 compared to the actual $9 per ride for the 2013 Season.
In 1935, the Rosenthals took over management of Palisades Park.
The Cyclone was put under the supervision of Christopher Feucht, a Coney Island veteran
who had built a ride called Drop the Dips in 1907, and then doing minor retracking work
on it.
It continued to be extremely popular; one of its many stories is from 1948, when a coal
miner with aphonia visited Coney Island.
According to legend, he had not spoken in years but screamed while going down the Cyclone's
first drop, saying "I feel sick" as his train returned to the station.
He prompty fainted after realizing he had just spoken.
Preservation By the 1960s, attendance at Coney Island had
declined.
The crowds were getting more rowdy each season.
In 1967 NYC decided that an extension to the New York Aquarium and its wholesome family
and educational agenda would be a better use of the Cyclone property.
The city started procedures to claim the property by eminent domain.
The then owners, East Coaster Corporation, tried to fight the city but lost.
During this time they did minimal long-term maintenance, and only enough to keep the ride
operating safely.
Their last court battle was the compensation for the ride.
At one point they measured every beam, girder, and component of the ride to show the cost
of materials was higher than the city's proposed compensation.
In 1971, the Cyclone was bought by the City of New York for one million dollars.
It was operated under contract by East Coaster Corporation while the city worked with the
NY Aquarium on plans to redevelop the site.
There was a lack of long-term maintenance by the city.
In 1972, when the plans to expand the New York Aquarium were publicly announced, people
reacted to the proposed demise of the last Coney Island wooden roller coaster.
A successful "Save the Cyclone" campaign ensued and the city changed its plans.
The city now owned the Cyclone and leased the operation of the ride in a sealed bid.
Astroland amusement park won the bid for $57,000 per year.
During the 1974 off-season Astroland's owners had the Cyclone refurbished, and it reopened
on July 3, 1975.
In 1978, it was featured in the film version of The Wiz as the home of its version of the
Tinman, and its size compared with the rest of Oz raised to enormous proportions.
In the 1980s, events such as the Mermaid Parade and Sideshows by the Seashore brought visitors
back to Coney Island and the Cyclone.
Despite the closing of Astroland Park on September 7, 2008, the Cyclone will remain in operation
due to its status as a New York City landmark.
The ride along West 10th Street, 40°34′30″N 73°58′39″W) is now owned completely by
the Parks Department.
The former concession stands, built into the structure of the roller coaster, are formerly
home to the Coney Island History Project, which was moved to a space near the Wonder
Wheel, and a still remaining souvenir stand selling Cyclone based shirts, hats, and on-ride
photos.
The Cyclone was declared a city landmark in 1988 and a National Historic Landmark in 1991.
Legacy
In 1977, Richard Rodriguez set a marathon record of 104 hours.
Rodriguez was only 19 years old when he broke the record.
Currently, as of June 2013, he holds the record for the longest marathon on a roller coaster
with 401 hours on the Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the United Kingdom.
The Cyclone's 70th birthday was celebrated in 1997 with a tightrope walk by Tino Wallenda
between the ride's two highest points; that year, a single ride cost four dollars.
The track today is 2,640 feet long and a 85-foot drop at its highest point; the first drop
is at a 58.1 degree angle.
Each of the three trains is made up of three eight-person cars, but only one train can
run at a time.
The ride's top speed is 60 miles per hour and it takes about one minute and fifty seconds.
As of June 28, 2008, the current cost was eight dollars with a five dollar "reride"
option.
The "re-ride" option also gives riders the ability to choose their seats.
In addition, a souvenir booth located near the exit sells photos of passengers taken
at the first drop.
In 2011 the adjacent Luna Park had taken over management of the Cyclone, and as of 2012
it currently costs $8 to ride and the "reride" policy has been eliminated.
Luna Park in 2012 started a major refurbishment of The Cyclone, which is planned to take five
years and take place during the off season, allowing for regular season operation.
The refurbishment is under control by Great Coasters International.
It is an ACE Coaster Classic and Coaster Landmark; it has also been honored by baseball's Brooklyn
Cyclones as the source for their team name.
Awards Deaths
On May 26, 1985, a 29-year-old man was killed while riding the Cyclone.
He stood up and struck his head on a crossbeam.
On August 23, 1988, a 26-year-old man was killed after falling from the Cyclone.
The man was a maintenance worker and was the only passenger at the time, riding in the
back seat of the train during his lunch break.
Apparently, he eluded the safety bar and was seen standing up as the train began its descent
down the first hill.
He fell 30 feet and landed on a crossbeam of a lower section of track.
He was killed instantly.
The ride was closed following the incident, but was reopened a day later after safety
inspectors concluded that the ride was safe.
On July 31, 2007, a 53-year old man suffered several crushed vertebrae in his neck while
riding the Cyclone.
He died four days later after surgery due to complications of his injury.
Replications The popularity of the Cyclone has inspired
several replica coasters that share a similar layout.
Until 2005, there were four replicas of the Cyclone at Six Flags parks.
Two of these have been demolished: the Psyclone at Six Flags Magic Mountain and the Texas
Cyclone at Six Flags Astroworld.
Two replicas still run, however, and they are the Georgia Cyclone at Six Flags Over
Georgia and Viper at Six Flags Great America, both of which are mirror replicas.
Overseas, replicas of Cyclone include the Bandit at Movie Park Germany, the White Canyon
at Yomiuriland, and the Aska at Nara Dreamland, which was also in Japan.
In popular culture In the movie The Sting II, with Jackie Gleason,
a chase scene is used on the loading dock and ride of what appears to be the Cyclone.
However, the scene was actually filmed on the Santa Cruz roller coaster, the Giant Dipper.
Production had the trains and dock made over to appear identical to the Cyclone.
The band Mercury Rev made a song about the roller coaster on their debut album Yerself
Is Steam.
The Cyclone is featured prominently in the 1979 action thriller The Warriors.
The Cyclone was used in the 1988 action movie Shakedown where Richie Marks fights with a
hitman while riding it.
The Cyclone made an appearance in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV, but it's called
the Screamer.
It also appears to be SBNO.
The Cyclone was mentioned in Captain America: The First Avenger.
Singer Beyoncé shot a portion of a music video for the song "XO" on the roller coaster
in August 2013.
The band Parachute also featured an image of the Cyclone on their debut album Losing
Sleep.
References
External links Cyclone History