Coney Island Cyclone

Early history

"1927 the cyclone takes its first ride" on New York Aquarium

The success of 1925's Thunderbolt coaster and 1926's Tornado led Irving and Jack Rosenthal to buy land at the intersection of Surf Avenue and West 10th Street for a coaster of their own. With a $100,000 investment, they hired leading coaster designer Vernon Keenan to design a new coaster. Harry C. Baker supervised the construction, which was done by area companies including National Bridge Company (which supplied the steel) and Cross, Austin, & Ireland (which supplied the lumber). Its final cost has been reported to be around $146,000 to $175,000. When it opened on June 26, 1927, a ride cost 25 cents, equal to $3.52 today.^[2]; today a ride costs $10.

In 1935, the Rosenthals took over management of Palisades Park. The Cyclone was put under the supervision of Christopher Feucht, a Coney Island veteran who had built a ride called Drop the Dip in 1907, and then doing minor retracking work on it. It continued to be extremely popular. One story has it that a coal miner with aphonia who visited Coney Island in 1948 had not spoken in years before the visit, but screamed while going down the Cyclone's first drop and said "I feel sick" as his train returned to the station. He promptly fainted after realizing he had just spoken.^[3]

Area decline

By the 1960s, attendance at Coney Island had declined. The crowds were getting more rowdy each season. In 1967, New York City decided that an extension to the New York Aquarium and its wholesome family and educational agenda would be a better use of the Cyclone property. The city started procedures to claim the property by eminent domain. The then-owners, East Coaster Corporation, fought the city but lost. During this time, they did minimal long-term maintenance, and only enough to keep the ride operating safely. Their last court battle was for the compensation for the ride. At one point they measured every beam, girder, and component of the ride to show that the cost of materials was higher than the city's proposed compensation. In 1969, when the Cyclone was bought by the City of New York for $1 million.^[4]

The Cyclone was then operated under contract by East Coaster Corporation while the city worked with the adjacent New York Aquarium on plans to redevelop the site. There was a lack of long-term maintenance by the city, and the coaster soon received 101 safety violations.^[4] In 1972, when the plans to expand the Aquarium were publicly announced, people launched a "Save the Cyclone" campaign to oppose the proposed demise of Coney Island's last wooden roller coaster.^[5] This created a conflict between the Aquarium, who supported the Cyclone's demolition, and the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce, who opposed it.^[6] The city changed its plans to dismantle the coaster and, in April 1975, invited sealed bids to lease the operation of the ride. The owners of the Astroland amusement park won the lease in June 1975 with a bid of $57,000 per year. After Astroland spent $60,000 to refurbish the Cyclone, the coaster reopened on July 3, 1975.^[4]

In 1975, Michael Boodley set a record for most consecutive trips on the Cyclone, riding it 1,001 times over a period of 45 hours.^[7] On August 18–22, 1977, nineteen-year-old Richard Rodriguez broke this record, riding the Cyclone for 104 hours. He took short bathroom breaks in between rides, but ate hot dogs, M&Ms, and shakes during the ride itself. In 2007, Rodriguez broke his own record for the longest marathon on a roller coaster, with 405 hours 40 minutes at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the United Kingdom.^[7]

Preservation

The Cyclone in 2010

In the 1980s, events such as the Mermaid Parade and Sideshows by the Seashore brought visitors back to Coney Island. The Cyclone was declared a city landmark in 1988 and a National Historic Landmark in 1991.^[8] Despite the closing of Astroland Park on September 7, 2008, the Cyclone remained in operation due to its status as a New York City landmark.^[9][10]

The ride, located on a plot of land measuring 75 feet (23 m) along 834 Surf Avenue and 500 feet (150 m) along West 10th Street, is now owned by the Parks Department. The former concession stands, built into the structure of the roller coaster, were home to the Coney Island History Project,^[11] which was moved to a space near the Wonder Wheel. A souvenir stand selling Cyclone-based shirts, hats, and on-ride photos remains in the concession stands.

Present use

ACE plaque

In 2011, the adjacent Luna Park took over management of the Cyclone.^[12][13] As of June 2016 it cost $10 to ride and the "reride" policy has been eliminated. In 2012, Luna Park started a major refurbishment of the Cyclone, which is planned to take five years and take place during the off season, allowing for regular-season operation. The refurbishment was done by Great Coasters International.

Deaths

On May 26, 1985, a 29-year-old man was killed while riding the Cyclone. He stood up and struck his head on a crossbeam.

On August 23, 1988, a 26-year-old man was killed after falling from the Cyclone. The man was a maintenance worker and was the only passenger at the time, riding in the back seat of the train during his lunch break. Apparently, he eluded the safety bar and was seen standing up as the train began its descent down the first hill. He fell 30 feet and landed on a crossbeam of a lower section of track. He died instantly. The ride was closed following the incident, but was reopened a day later after safety inspectors concluded that the ride was safe.^[18]

On July 31, 2007, a 53-year-old man suffered several crushed vertebrae in his neck while riding the Cyclone. He died four days later due to complications of surgery.^[19][20]