Own a piece of KI’s Son of Beast
Fans of Kings Island’s Son of Beast roller coaster now have the chance to take home a memento of the shuttered ride.
The Mason theme park announced today it is offering limited edition plaques featuring a piece of track from the coaster for $99.99. The park is also selling authentic pieces of the wood structure for $49.99 and structural bolts for $24.99.
Son of Beast was heralded as the world’s tallest, fastest and only looping wooden roller coaster when it opened in 2000. The track climbs to a 218-foot peak, followed by a 214-foot drop; its trains would reach speeds of 78 mph.
But its history was troubled from the start. A string of accidents, closings, repairs, five lawsuits, settlements and one trial would ultimately shutter the $10 million ride.
Construction crews began work last month to demolish the troubled coaster.
It will take several months to fully dismantle the $10 million ride, which includes 53 concrete pilings, about 6,000 feet of steel track, 50,000 pounds of nails, 225,000 bolts and 1.65 million board feet of wood, said park spokesman Don Helbig.
Officials don’t yet know what they intend to do with the 12 acres that Son of Beast will vacate in the park’s north end. Once the ride is removed, crews will begin surveying the land and evaluating ideas.
“There’s plenty of room to work with and we’re excited about that opportunity as we look towards the future,” said Helbig.
To order, call 513-754-5776 between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F.