Latest news with #TonyClark
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Siren's Curse at Cedar Point got stuck again! What an expert says about the frequent stops
Maybe five times is the charm? For the fifth time since it opened in June, the Siren's Curse roller coaster left riders stranded at Cedar Point. The popular roller coaster stopped atop of its 160-foot-tall lift hill on July 26 forcing riders to have to walk down evacuation stairs. The series of unexpected "delays," in the words of park spokesman Tony Clark, have been the result of the coaster's safety system halting the ride either before or in the midst of its signature tilt feature where riders are dangled over the Midway before the train attaches to the coaster track below. No one has been injured in any of the five instances where the coaster has stopped unexpectedly. In two instances, the coaster stopped mid tilt. If the coaster's safety system can be reset, the ride continues along some 2,966 feet of twisting track at a top speed of 58 mph. When the system cannot be reset, Clark said, guests are then escorted down the evacuation stairs by park personnel. In each instance, the coaster has been able to reopen. "Over the last few weeks, the coaster has experienced minor technical delays − similar to a check engine light − that paused its operation," Clark said. "Its safety system performed as designed, keeping all guests safe. Following a complete systems check, guests either continued their ride then exited in the station, or were safely escorted off the ride if additional review was needed. "Guest satisfaction is extremely important to us, and we will continue to work closely with the ride's manufacturer to deliver an experience without interruption." Is the Siren's Curse safe to ride? Cedar Point says the Siren's Curse is equipped with a series of safeguards to ensure the coaster is operating as expected. These "delays" are a result of the safeguards kicking in. The Coaster101 site points out that the Siren's Curse makes an average of 240 runs a day, or 7,200 in a 30-day period. And when you factor in the number of instances the coaster has experienced a delay, it accounts for just one tenth of one percent. Coaster enthusiast Nick Weisenberger, a mechanical engineer who has authored a couple books on the science of coasters and works with Coaster101, said the ride's safety systems are performing as they should. "It's important to understand that thrill rides are over-engineered for fail-safe performance," he said. "There are hundreds of sensors and they all have to agree otherwise the ride stops out of an abundance for caution." While this type of coaster is new to the U.S., he points out these Vekoma designed rides have been around in other countries for quite some time. And there have been other instances of a tilt coaster leaving passengers dangling including a highly publicized one in Tawain in 2019. Anytime a new coaster is built, Weisenberger said, there's a bit of a "learning curve" for the maintenance and operations department at any particular park and such delays should be expected. "Escape from Gringotts at Universal Studios Florida, opened in 2014, has three motion base track segments including a tilt track," he said. "It also experienced frequent shutdowns and evacuations during its first few months before its reliability was smoothed out." Weisenberger said he has been on the Siren's Curse several times and loved it and would not hesitate to ride it again. "Being positioned right on the Midway is a double-edged sword – it's been great for all the viral videos of the ride working normally, but if it gets stuck at a dramatic angle for even a few minutes then it goes viral for the wrong reasons," he said. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Siren's Curse at Cedar Point leaves coaster riders stranded again Solve the daily Crossword
UPI
a day ago
- General
- UPI
Cedar Point coaster strands riders for a fourth time in one month
July 28 (UPI) -- Siren's Curse, the newest thrill ride at Ohio's Cedar Point amusement park, stranded riders temporarily for at least the fourth time since it opened at the end of June. The ride is the first so-called tilt coaster in the United States, featuring a section track that disconnects from its starting position, turns 90 degrees and attaches to a steep decline track. Park officials confirmed to the Akron Beacon-Journal that the ride came to a stop mid-tilt on Tuesday. Spokesman Tony Clark compared the issue to a "check-engine light." "The coaster's safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride. It reopened shortly after and all guests exited the ride safely," he said. Siren's Curse had previously stranded riders July 19, July 2 and June 28, its first day of public operation. No injuries were reported from any of the incidents.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Cedar Point's new Siren's Curse coaster strands riders again. How often is the ride down?
It happened again. For the second time in less than a week, Cedar Point's new record-breaking roller coaster left riders stranded high above the park's Midway. Siren's Curse abruptly stopped atop its 160-foot-tall tower. Park spokesman Tony Clark said the "delay" on Tuesday, July 22, was the result of the coaster's safety system halting the ride before engaging its signature tilt feature where riders dangle over the Midway while the coaster attaches to the track below. "Its safety system performed as designed, but the ride could not be restarted," Clark said. "Guests were safely escorted off the ride." At least three other incidents have been reported at the coaster, which opened June 28, less than a month before the incidents. While it's not unusual for new attractions to experience hiccups, coaster incidents always attract extra attention. So, how frequently is Siren's Curse down? Here's what to know. Siren's Curse uptime statistics Since its opening, Siren's Curse has been running about 85% of the time during the theme park's operating hours, according to statistics at Ride Forces Database. The roller coaster's longest downtime so far has been on July 16, when it was running for only 60% of Cedar Point's day. Are theme park rides safe? What you should know if you're worried How many times has Siren's Curse gotten stuck? It's happened at least four times, including the night of July 22. The first time it happened was on its opening day, when the Siren's Curse stopped with the tilt coaster in its vertical position, leaving passengers pointing straight down for about 10 minutes. It happened again on July 2, when passengers had to walk down from the 160-foot platform after the ride stopped, leaving them seated (but not tilted) for about an hour. Then on July 19, Siren's Curse got stuck mid-ride, leaving passengers stranded at about a 45-degree angle on the tilt for 20 minutes until the ride was restarted. "The coaster's safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride," Clark said at the time. "It reopened shortly after and all guests exited the ride safely." What to know about Siren's Curse The newest addition to the Sandusky theme park is billed as the tallest, fastest and longest tilt roller coaster in North America. The name "Siren's Curse" comes from the mythical sirens who reside in Lake Erie and lure sailors with their singing. After riders ascend the 160-foot lift hill, they stop on the edge of a piece of "broken" track. Suddenly, that piece of track tilts 90 degrees, connecting to more track below before sending riders straight down. In all, riders travel 2,966 feet of track at a top speed of 58 mph. The ride features 13 instances of weightlessness (called airtime moments) along with two 360-degree, zero-gravity barrel rolls and a high-speed 'triple-down' element with twisted and overbanked track.
Fox News
5 days ago
- General
- Fox News
'Tilt' roller coaster at Cedar Point malfunctions for 3rd time since opening, leaving riders suspended in air
Cedar Point visitors were stuck on a "tilt" roller coaster for nearly 20 minutes, marking the third time the ride has malfunctioned since opening. Riders on "Siren's Curse" at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, were stuck on the ride for about 20 minutes on July 19 while suspended at a 45-degree angle, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. The "Siren's Curse" ride has a maximum height of 160 feet and reaches speeds up to 58 mph. Tony Clark, a spokesman for Cedar Point, said the ride reopened shortly after the incident. "The coaster's safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride," Clark said. "It reopened shortly after and all guests exited the ride safely." Since the ride's opening on June 28, the ride has malfunctioned three times. According to the report, on the opening weekend for "Siren's Curse," passengers were stuck on the ride for around 10 minutes while it was suspended in the air facing down. The ride again malfunctioned on July 2 when it stopped just before the tilt began, and passengers were evacuated using stairs. Fox News Digital reached out to Cedar Point for comment.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Siren's Curse at Cedar Point stops 160 feet off the ground, forcing riders to walk down
Cedar Point's newest roller coaster has once again provided riders with some unexpected and unintended terror. Cedar Point guests on July 2 found themselves stuck on top of the Siren's Curse roller coaster's 160-foot-tall lift hill. But unlike riders on June 28 who found themselves dangling facing the ground, the latest incident happened before the coaster's signature tilt feature had started. Park spokesman Tony Clark said the coaster once again "experienced a delay that paused the ride's operation" and left riders sitting in the coaster cars for about an hour on Wednesday evening. "(The coaster's) safety system performed as designed, but the ride could not be restarted," he said. "Guests were safely escorted off the ride." The riders had to walk down the 160-foot-tall platform using the attraction's evacuation stairs. Wild ride: Watch Beacon Journal reporter ride Siren's Curse at Cedar Point and question life decisions In the previous instance, ride technicians were about to reset the coaster and the ride resumed after about 10 minutes. The ride's signature feature is atop the 160-foot-tall lift hill where the coaster train precariously tilts riders to the ground and track below. After the coaster connects to the track below, riders then experience some 2,966 feet of twisting track at a top speed of 58 mph. Clark said the coaster, which made its public debut on June 28, has reopened. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Siren's Curse at Cedar Point stops once again atop its 160-foot tower Solve the daily Crossword
