The Thrills and Chills of Roller Coasters Presented by: Samarah Cook Project 16: Roller Coaster Thrills 6/9/11

Why Are Roller Coasters Amazing? Have you ever had that feeling when you walk into an amusement park that it is not going to be fun, because of all the waiting around. If yes, roller coasters are the thing for you! They boost up your adrenaline, and as soon as you get off the ride, you feel so vibrant and alive! Roller coasters are so popular amongst people of all ages. Younger children feel accomplished after they ride the “big kid” ride. Adults and elder people ride roller coasters for the sake of “being young again”. We all have our reasons to ride them!!!!!

The History of the Roller Coaster The first roller coasters be built appeared in Russia in the 17 th century, in a particular area that would become St. Petersburg. The structures were built out of lumber with a sheet of ice several inches thick covering the surface. Riders climbed the stairs attached to the back of the slide, sped down the 50 degree drop and ascended the stairs of the slide that laid parallel and opposite to the first one. There is still some dispute as to who actually added wheels to the equation and created a roller coaster. The first roller coaster ever built in the United States was said to be built by L.A. Thompson and opened at Coney Island, New York in June, John Miller introduced the first under friction roller coaster in This design held the coaster train on the track and allowed more speed, steeper hills, and less drag or less friction applied on the coaster.

Did You Know?... Below are ten fun and interesting facts about roller coasters: 1.Two of the fastest roller coasters are the Steel Force and the Desperado. 2.The listed above roller coasters are one of the tallest at 225 feet. 3.There once was a man that didn’t talk for six years because of shell shock, but after a ride on the Coney Island Cyclone, he told his friend, “I feel sick.” 4.Some of the items people find under roller coasters besides wallets, change, and keys are: glass eyes, fake legs, brassieres, and false teeth. 5.There are only seven roller coasters that are currently operating that reach 200 ft. 6.Tallest wooden roller coaster is, Hercules. It is 175 ft. tall. 7.The tallest roller coaster is 415 ft. tall. 8.The Superman Escape at Six Flags has the longest air time at 6.5 seconds. 9.Cedar Point has 17 roller coasters to choose from. 10. Kingda Ka has the longest drop at 415 ft. from the top to the bottom.

Fastest Roller Coasters in the WORLD! RankSpeedRoller Coaster Amusement Park LocationYear Opened 1150 mph Formula Rossa Ferrari WorldAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Novembe r Present 2128 mph Kingda Ka Six Flags Great Adventure Jackson Township, New Jersey, USA May Novembe r mph Top Thrill Dragster Cedar PointSandusky, Ohio, USA May May mph Dodonp a Fuji-Q Highland Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan March Decembe r 2001

How it feels to ride the Formula Rossa

Fastest Roller Coasters in the UNITED STATES!! RankSpeedRoller CoasterAmusement ParkLocationYear Opened 1128 mph Kingda KaSix Flags Great Adventure Jackson Township, New Jersey, USA May November mph Top Thrill Dragster Cedar PointSandusky, Ohio, USA May May mphSuperman: Escape From Krypton Six Flags Magic Mountain Valencia, California, USA March December mphIntimidator 305King DominionDoswell, Virginia, USA Not given

Riding Kingda Ka!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Past Experiences Roller coasters haven’t been my favorite thing at the amusement park, but there are a few that I have been on. I prefer the wood roller coasters to the metal ones. This is because they don’t go as fast, but are more fun to ride on in my opinion. My first roller coaster ride experience was at Lake Compounce. It was made of wood and went moderately fast. I prefer this ride rather than outrageous rides found at six flags. Roller coasters make me feel alive, young, scared, excited, and of pure enjoyment!