SANDUSKY, Ohio – Flying you through the air at Cedar Point in 2013 is GateKeeper, the longest winged roller coaster in the world.
“GateKeeper will be unlike any other ride in the park,” said Cedar Point GM John Hildebrandt, who said it will be the longest winged roller coaster in the world, boasting the longest drop.
“We believe GateKeeper will maximize thrills,” said another Cedar Point official at Monday’s big reveal.
Officials at the amusement also park said taking flight on GateKeeper will feel like “you’re riding on the wing of an airplane.”
“Your feet dangling free, your body moving as though it were one with the train. I have ridden a winged roller coaster and it is a unique thrill. It is a thrill,” said Hildebrant.
GateKeeper will change the entrance of the park, with guests walking underneath it to get inside.
“GateKeeper won’t have the roar of Raptor, but will generate a few screams as it flies by,” Hildebrant said. “GateKeeper will make a bold statement.”
The ride will fly guests through twists and turns and upside down at speeds exceeding 60 mph.
Construction is already under way. Parts are set to arrive in mid-October. Steel erection is slated to begin in November. The ride will likely be open for action next season.
The Swiss company, Bollinger and Mabillard, is constructing the coaster. It’s the third ride in the amusement built by the company. Raptor and Mantis were the first two.
