the cyclone!

i found this vintage coney island pic on my new favorite blog: hot child in the city and it is the happiness

 

eagerly anticipating memorial day funtime

100 years later – coney will again boast a LUNA PARK!  modeled after the originals of 1903, an italian amusement maker, valerio ferrari,  is adding 19 new rides to coney island this summer (with more promised each year)  highlights include a giant pendulum, teacups, log flume, surfboard stimulator and roller coaster named Tickler!

read more @NYDailyNews

 

step right up! this sunday!

the cyclone re-opens for the season sunday april 5 at noon + the first 100 people ride free!

$8

thanks to having been declared a national landmark, the coney island cyclone is not going anywhere.  it’s parked on 12th st between surf ave and boardwalk – residing on city property zoned for parks (read: thor equities can’t touch it)

this is a serious roller coaster – it is exhilarating: the drops are steep, the speed is fast – don’t let looks fool you; it’s old, it’s rickety and it’s frightening (and apparently once deadly).

$8 for the first ride and advertised $5 for a re-ride. although based on my personal experience, if you deny the first re-ride option, a second and third await you – at discounted prices.  the further out the door you head – the more steep the price drop.  $4!  $3! they shout as you continue out onto the vacant streets of coney island -after all, astroland is now gone- so that’s my insider’s tip: decline first chance to re-ride + save yourself some washingtons.

i’ve only had the pleasure of riding the cyclone once.  at 19 years old, richard rodriguez set a marathon record for riding it 104 hours – back in 1977.  his most recent record for the longest marathon on a roller coaster (pepsi max big one) is 401 hours – that is practically 17 days. 1977 was a long time ago, and i think i may have 5 days to spare to break the WORLD RECORD – who’s with me?

thanks kinetic carnival