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The buzz is world-class big

By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - When it comes to speculating about Cedar Point's next big thing, everyone is an expert.

But the real experts aren't talking -- even if everyone else is.

"As Jeff Putz says, 'The people who don't know, talk. The people who do know, don't talk. They just sit back and laugh,'" said park spokesman Bryan Edwards.

Putz is the Web master of CoasterBuzz.com.

Ever since the former White Water Landing ride area became off-limits, speculation about what Cedar Point has in store for the 2007 season is the buzz.

The Register has been denied repeated requests to view the fenced-in area at the back of the park.

The impending retirement of Cedar Fair CEO and President Dick Kinzel after the 2007 season has added to the certainty of those talking about coasters.

"Right now, I have been hearing a 500-foot coaster," said Mike Kaman, executive editor of the fan site, The Point Online. "Cedar Fair recently trademarked the name, 'Maverick.' That is a possible name for the ride.

"Dick Kinzel's last year is 2007 and he wants to leave with a big bang," Kaman said.

Kinzel started the coaster wars with the introduction of the Magnum in 1989. Since then, there has been the Raptor, Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster, among others.

Edwards confirmed the parent company applied for the trademark rights to Maverick at the end of January.

It is standard practice and something the parent company does all the time, he said. The name can be used for anything at any of the company's parks.

The White Water Landing site is being cleared for "potential future expansion," is all Edwards would confirm Tuesday.

"I do know what is coming in future years, but I can't comment on it," he said.

Skyhawk will be the only new major attraction this year, he promised. The $6 million giant swing is scheduled to debut at the park May 6.

The city of Sandusky has no building permits that indicate more.

"Every year at this time of year, the enthusiasts start to speculate what is next," Edwards said. "It happens in the winter when they can't come to the park. It also happens a little bit after we announce what our new project is.

"It is fun to see what people think we are building," he said. "Some are close in the end; some are way off."

But not everyone is speculating. Some aren't even sure a new coaster would be a good idea.

Carole Sanderson, president of American Coaster Enthusiasts, said it would be best for the park to get the Top Thrill Dragster working consistently.

"I haven't heard anything," she said about what's next for the park. "They already have an arsenal of steel coasters. We would like to see a nice wooden coaster."

Kaman thinks it is going to be a steel coaster. He was denied a sneak peak during a recent off-season tour.

"There are a lot of different variations out there," he said. "I heard dueling coasters, which is a roller coaster that intertwines."

Edwards doesn't deny hearing the rumor of a "new and bigger coaster," but again had nothing to say. He laughed.

"People can get fired if they tell, and it is traced to them," Edwards said of the confidentiality agreements the company requires employees to sign.

Everyone knows someone who knows something, though, he said.

"My dad's brother is Mr. Kinzel's mailman and he told me this," Edwards said of one of his favorite rumors.

To his knowledge, no one has ever being fired for leaking information.

Seasonal employees are not told about future rides.

They are almost worse than coaster enthusiasts because they claim their supervisors told them the big secret, Edwards said.

FunCoast.com is your online guide to summer fun for Cedar Point, the LakeErie Islands and Sandusky area. Our site offers up-to-date information on area attractions, restaurants, hotels, gasoline prices, ferry schedules, swimming, birding and fishing, along with a complete listing of events happening in the Sandusky/Cedar Point area. To use our Webcam and zoom in on Cedar Point's rollercoasters, go to http://funcam.funcoast.com