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Blue Streak (Cedar Point)
Encyclopedia
Blue Streak is a wooden roller coaster
following the out and back
design, and is the oldest operating roller coaster at Cedar Point
in Sandusky, Ohio
. According to park officials, the roller coaster has given over 54 million rides since its construction in 1964.
. It opened to the public on May 23, 1964.
Blue Streak was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company
(now Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters), and named after "The Blue Streaks", the nickname of the Sandusky High School athletic teams. The coaster cost $200,000 to construct, and was billed as a replacement for the demolished Cyclone.
Now in its 47th year of operation, Blue Streak still offers hundreds of thousands of ride each year. The ride is considered one of Cedar Point
's classics and is listed in many coaster enthusiasts' favorite wooden roller coasters. It was ranked 47th best wooden coaster in 2010 in the Golden Ticket Awards. Blue Streak was not always the sky blue color it is today; when it opened, the wood was unpainted.
Coaster Classic until 1995 when the bench seats were replaced with divided seats, individual lap bars, and headrests. In 2004, the original steel lap bars were replaced with more comfortable molded plastic ones. In 2008, the seat belts were replaced with retractable ones, allowing for a more expediant load & unload process. Queue times tend to be between 10 and 30 minutes, with the longest waits being in the morning and early afternoon hours due to the ride's location at the front of the park.
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
following the out and back
Out and Back roller coaster
Out and back refers to the layout of a roller coaster. An out and back coaster is one that climbs a lift hill, races out to the far end of the track, performs a 180 degree turn and then races its way back to the station....
design, and is the oldest operating roller coaster at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
in Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
. According to park officials, the roller coaster has given over 54 million rides since its construction in 1964.
History
Blue Streak is a traditional "out-and-back" wooden roller coasterWooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
. It opened to the public on May 23, 1964.
Blue Streak was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company
Philadelphia Toboggan Company
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world.Mack Rides of Germany dates back to 1781, but it did not start building coasters until 1921 Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry B...
(now Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters), and named after "The Blue Streaks", the nickname of the Sandusky High School athletic teams. The coaster cost $200,000 to construct, and was billed as a replacement for the demolished Cyclone.
Now in its 47th year of operation, Blue Streak still offers hundreds of thousands of ride each year. The ride is considered one of Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
's classics and is listed in many coaster enthusiasts' favorite wooden roller coasters. It was ranked 47th best wooden coaster in 2010 in the Golden Ticket Awards. Blue Streak was not always the sky blue color it is today; when it opened, the wood was unpainted.
Ride Experience
The Blue Streak is a classic wooden roller coaster in the sense that it provides riders with lots of airtime and contains many sudden drops. Each hill on the coaster is precisely angled to provide maximum airtime. During Halloweekends, the ride tends to be more thrilling. This is caused by the cool evening weather and due to artificial fog (from the Fear Faire attraction) that tends to drift over the track. This amplifies the ride expericence and tends to turn this classic Wooden Out-and-Back into a "Monster" all its own.Relinquishment of ACE Coaster Classic title
Blue Streak was considered an ACEAmerican Coaster Enthusiasts
The American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks...
Coaster Classic until 1995 when the bench seats were replaced with divided seats, individual lap bars, and headrests. In 2004, the original steel lap bars were replaced with more comfortable molded plastic ones. In 2008, the seat belts were replaced with retractable ones, allowing for a more expediant load & unload process. Queue times tend to be between 10 and 30 minutes, with the longest waits being in the morning and early afternoon hours due to the ride's location at the front of the park.