Swing shift

Friday, 05 May 2006

Cedar Point hopes Skyhawk will swing people over to Frontiertown.

By BRANDI BARHITE
brandibarhite@sanduskyregister.com

SANDUSKY - Cedar Point's newest ride, Skyhawk -- coined the swing set on steroids -- is expected to rejuvenate a portion of the park not frequently traveled.

The giant swing ride, the world's largest, debuted Thursday morning in the usually sleepy Frontiertown.

Ride enthusiasts, journalists and community leaders gathered to experience the first swings on the Skyhawk, which soars beyond 12 stories high at more than 60 mph. The park opens for the season Saturday.

"It was very cool. It felt like you are flying. It is kind of like maXair, but more of a thrill," said 16-year-old Brittany Packard of Strongsville.

Pete Dahmen, 23, Sandusky, said Skyhawk is an original ride. "But a coaster is always the best, I would think," Dahmen said.

His friend, Cris Dreschel, 22, also Sandusky, liked the back and forth motion of the swing, but he wouldn't wait two hours to ride it.

But with the ride's capacity to give 800 rides per hour, the line moved rapidly Thursday. Coaster enthusiasts seem to think that'll be an appeal for those looking to get on and off a ride quickly.

The entrance to the mid-sized thrill ride in the back of the park is between the exit of Mine Ride and the entrance to Snake River Falls.

John Hildebrandt, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point, said rides are strategically placed to bring guests to less-visited portions of the park.

In addition to the new ride, the restrooms near the Skyhawk were renovated and the exterior of the Town Hall Museum was painted. Last year, the park did the same when it opened maXair off the Main Midway, near Kiddy Kingdom and the Space Spiral.

"Great rides are a tradition at Cedar Point and we are proud of our selection," Hildebrandt said.

But not every thrill ride is a roller coaster, he warned. Still, it's an important tradition at Cedar Point to offer something new every year.

"It's an unofficial contract with our guests," Hildebrandt said. "A reason to come back."

Skyhawk is a reason to visit, according to those at the park Thursday.

"When the ride is in motion, it sounds like a hawk," said 18-year-old Mike Kaman, executive editor of The Point Online.

The sound is the pneumatic drivers -- the same sound heard around Power Tower.

"It's a fun ride," Kaman said. "It's not scary. It's just fun."

"I thought it was good, shorter than I thought it would be," said 24-year-old Derek Milner of Sandusky. "It's kind of the same, but you feel more upside down" than on maXair.

Unlike Cedar Point's maXair, which opened last summer, Skyhawk just swings. The two-minute ride is gentler on the stomach, too.

Skyhawk goes back and forth like a child would on a swing, while maXair swings in a pendulum-like motion.

"It is very fun," said 16-year-old Kristen Matuszewski, of Strongsville. "You can really feel your stomach drop. It feels like you are flying."

Lorain resident Tony Mihalic likes that the ride's seats all look outward. The 32-year-old member of the American Coasters Enthusiasts said he was worried the swing would be like maXair, but it wasn't.

"It's like a big giant swing," Mihalic said. "It's just fabulous."

"I think people are excited about summer kicking off, it's in a unique location, a lot of people don't get back here," said Joan Van Offeren, executive director of the Erie County Visitors & Convention Bureau.

It's a bonus Cedar Point has lowered its admission and food prices this season -- a first for the park, she said.

"People have been pleasantly surprised," Van Offeren said.

Skyhawk stats

Model: Thrust swing

Color scheme: Red, white and blue with gold detail

Seating: Each set of 20 seats consists of 10 seats, facing in opposite directions

Time: Approximately 2 minutes

Speed: 60 mph

Capacity: 800 riders per hour

Ride Structure: 103 feet

Ride in Operation: 125 feet

Length of Arms: 86 feet

Cost: $6 million

Ride Manufacturer: S&S Power Inc., Logan, Utah

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

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