Looking Back: 1979- The Beast is Unchained

The Beast first opened to the public on Saturday, April 14, 1979, and was instantly acclaimed as America’s ultimate thrill coaster. It broke all existing records as the longest and fastest ride in the world. Today, it is still listed in the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. This season Kings Island celebrates the coaster’s 45 years of terror.

The day before the coaster officially opened to guests on April 14, Kings Island welcomed more than 200 news media representatives and others to be the first to experience The Beast. As one reporter said, it was “roughly 198 more than you’ll find at the average city council meeting.” Two U.S. Marines were on hand to unchain the new coaster. The ceremony was followed by the first ride of the day, reserved for Kings Island executives and the team that designed and built it. The rain, torrential at times, did not dampen the spirits of those first riders (much!)

Riders that weekend were the first to experience the features of The Beast including a ride time of more than four minutes; vertical drops of 137 feet and 141 feet; a 125-foot long underground tunnel at the bottom of the 137-foot drop; eight banked turns – some to 45 degrees; 540-degree helix tunnel and speeds up to 65 mph.

Below are reports from some of those first riders, 45 years ago on opening weekend in April 1979. 

DON WIRTZ GETS HIS WISH

Don Wirtz, a local executive who headed the operation of most of the movie theaters in Cincinnati, mentioned to Cincinnati Post reporter Dale Stevens in March 1979 that he wanted to be one of the first to ride The Beast when it opened in April. The reporter included it in a story and shortly afterward Gary Wachs, Kings Island’s founder, reached out to invite Wirtz to media day on April 13, 1979.

After riding the world record-breaking coaster, he penned his experience:

“They said it was a roller coaster. There should be another name for it, but I can’t think of one. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced. The first ride was eerie, like an unsteady step into the unknown. The climb to the top of the first rise seemed to take forever, and I felt as if everything suddenly was in slow motion as the coaster inched over the summit. Then, all hell broke loose. You are flung straight downward into the ground as you enter the first tunnel. One second you are 130 feet up, the next second you are a few feet off the ground. Just when you think the ride is about over, you start another slow, painful ascent, higher than the first rise, and you are fooled again. You do not drop straight down. Instead, it is a gradual acceleration to 70 mph and you are plunged into a helix, making a circle and a half. You are thrown out of the helix into the place you started the whole weird trip. It was the greatest ride I have ever experienced and the helix gave me the impression of being screwed into the ground by tremendous force.  Once in the coaster, you are out of control and The Beast does take control of you. It is simply incredible. I’ll go again.”

OTHER REPORTS FROM THE BEAST’S OPENING WEEKEND

Not For The Meek

"This coaster is not for the meek at heart,” concluded Charles Dinn, the director of construction, maintenance and engineering for Kings Island, who oversaw the construction of the ride and was heavily involved in the project. “We’re going to have people coming to Kings Island just to get scared to death.” For the others, he said, “If you can’t take three minutes of terror, don’t get on.”

The Greatest Roller Coaster

Among the riders on the second train to leave the station was Ricky Rodriguez, a 21-year-old Harvard student from Brooklyn, N.Y. He was one of the park’s special guests due to his four world records, including one for marathon coaster riding 128 consecutive hours (5 days, 8 hours) at Circus World in Florida.  “It’s unbelievable! It’s amazing! It’s the greatest roller coaster I’ve ever ridden,” he said. 

Not Riding The Coaster

Martin Bell, a reporter with the British Broadcasting Company, was also on the ride platform that day. He said he was in Ohio just to cover The Beast’s unveiling but not to ride the new coaster. “We have a few small rides like this in Britain,” he said,  “but masochism isn’t a national pastime.”

Best Drop Ever

“Whew! That’s one of the most exciting rides I’ve ever had,” said Gary Kyriazi, a 29-year-old from Los Angeles, and author of the 1976 book, “The Great American Amusement Parks.” He continued, “It has got the best spiral ever and of the best drops I’ve ever experienced. It’s the top coaster in the country!”  Kyriazi rode the coaster more than five times that day.

It's Fast

“It’s the most continually fast roller coaster I’ve ridden,” said Allen Ambrosini, the secretary for the newly formed group of coaster fans, American Coaster Enthusiasts.

Must Ride Again

“When we arrive back at the loading platform, I conclude that I will have to ride The Beast again because I simply don’t remember much about the first ride past the point where I realized that we would never fit into that first tunnel,” wrote John Finley, a reporter the Louisville Courier-Journal.

More About The Beast

A 1970s aerial view of The Beast.

The Beast press sheet featuring the key elements of the coaster.

The Beast in action.

The Beast's second lift hill.

TAKE A RIDE ON THE BEAST

ANNIVERSARY TRADING CARD PACKS GIVEAWAY

To celebrate this year’s landmark ride anniversaries, on Opening Day, April 20, 2024, Kings Island will give the first 750 riders of The Beast, Invertigo, Diamondback and Banshee a limited edition Ride Anniversary Trading Card pack. These trading cards will include current rides, former rides and key moments in Kings Island history that occurred anywhere from 5 to 55 years ago. While many cards will be similar, there are a couple unique cards in each coaster’s giveaway packs, such as special coaster anniversary cards, so plan your rides carefully.  Find out how to get yours.

*Information for this article was researched in several different source documents including Kings Island’s company archives, the Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Post, the Louisville Courier-Journal and other regional publications.