by Michael Hunter

Created on: June 02, 2009

On April 18, 2009 a new snake claimed its territory in southern Ohio, and it bites hard. Diamondback opened at Kings Island in Mason, OH just north of Cincinnati this spring to incredibly long lines and extremely excited park guests. I was lucky enough to experience this brand new steel monster, and I can promise you that it does not disappoint! Although I did not get to ride in a prime seat like the front or back (I got stuck in the middle), the ride delivered beyond what I expected, and I want to share my ride with you.

At 230 feet tall, Diamondback is the tallest roller coaster at the park and makes a very visible impact on the park's skyline. This monster of a ride was engineered and designed by Bolliger and Mabillard (B&M for short), a Swiss duo responsible for some of the highest rated roller coasters on the planet and features their signature "box track" that dwarfs everything with its large scale. In fact, when you walk up to the ride the size of the track and supports make the ride seem shorter than it really is. Of course, that's not to say that it does not look intimidating, because it does, but the extremely large scale of everything really does throw off your perspective from the ground.

As soon as you get in line to wait your turn you will more than likely notice that the line almost never stops moving. B&Ms are widely praised in the enthusiast community for their consistently high capacity numbers, but the ride crew should not be forgotten, as they do a great job of making sure things run smoothly. While you wait in line you can watch the ride make its way into the final brake run after going through a splashdown pool where the train makes an impressively large "rooster tail" of water with a set of scoops that sit at the back of each train just beyond the final wheel assembly. This visual effect is impressive and eye-catching from anywhere around the ride area, and adds to the enjoyment of guests that opt out of riding and instead watch from the midway.

After watching the ride ascend the lift and go down the first drop and then see it return through the splashdown pool your anticipation is really starting to build. I know that seeing the kinds of seats and minimal restraints on the trains as I waited and watched definitely built up my excitement as well as a small bit of nervousness. When you reach the station you do not get to choose your seat, instead a ride host assigns a row to keep things moving faster. The ride also has a single

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>