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Today Kings Island of Kings Mills, Ohio announced via a Facebook posting the Son of Beast roller coaster will be dismantled later this summer.
"After a lengthy evaluation of all alternatives, the decision has been made to remove the Son of Beast roller coaster to make room for future park expansion. The dismantling of the ride, which last operated in 2009, will begin later this summer" read the post from the park late Friday afternoon.
Son of Beast had been standing but not operating since 2009. In 2000, the ride, built by the Roller Coaster Corporation of America, debuted to the public standing at a world record 218 feet. It also held the wooden coaster world records for the tallest first drop and speed at 214 feet and 78 miles per hour. Son of Beast was the first wooden coaster to feature a loop, standing at 118 feet, which was removed after the 2006 season. The ride originally ran with Premier trains to negotiate the loop inversion. After the loop removal Kings Island used lighter Gerstlauer wooden coaster trains for the attraction that were saved from the Hurricane: Category 5 coaster at the defunct Myrtle Beach Pavilion amusement park.
The coaster was known for its rough ride, structural deficiencies, and accidents. In 2006 a structural failure in a high speed turnaround brought a train to a complete halt, injuring 27 riders. After an injury lawsuit was filed by a woman rider in 2009 the attraction was finally closed.
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