Skyhawk maker has C.P. history

Thursday, 03 November 2005

By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - Cedar Point's newest ride is being manufactured by the same company that created VertiGo -- the ride that partially collapsed nearly four years ago.

However, Cedar Point spokesman Bryan Edwards said the park had no trepidation in hiring S&S Worldwide Inc., Logan, Utah, for the $6 million Skyhawk swinging ride.

S&S also manufactured Cedar Point's Power Tower in 1998. Skyhawk will be the first new S&S ride at the park since VertiGo was removed in 2002.

"They are a very good company to work with," Edwards said Wednesday. "The construction of swing rides at Valleyfair and Cedar Point have nothing to do with VertiGo."

In January 2002, a 265-foot steel column broke off of VertiGo.

No one was on the ride or standing around when one of three columns supporting the 300-foot vertical slingshot ride broke off from the top.

Kathy Archer, S&S manager of marketing, said the column collapsed because of the passenger cable and vehicle being removed from the ride.

Archer said other rides like VertiGo have been successful at other parks.

"It was absolutely a freak thing. I don't know how anyone could have predicted it," she said.

Archer said S&S has sold 13 swing rides, which includes the one being built to debut at Cedar Point in May.

S&S also has swing rides at Cedar Point's sister parks, Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., and Dorney Park, near Allentown, Pa.

One is also being built for sister park Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minn. It will get a smaller version of Skyhawk next year, she said.

At the peak of the arc, riders on Skyhawk will be more than 125 feet in the air at speeds of 60 mph. This will be the tallest ride of its kind in the world.

Archer said parent company Cedar Fair isn't receiving a discount on the swings because of the incident with VertiGo.

When VertiGo had to removed, appropriate contractual restitution was made to Cedar Point, she said.

Archer said some of the pieces of Skyhawk are already on their way to Sandusky.

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