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Coordinates: 41°28′57″N 82°41′14″W / 41.482583°N 82.687353°W / 41.482583; -82.687353
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Reverted 1 edit by Skyscreamer500 (talk): Not all facts deserve inclusion. If there are books/articles published on this, then we should consider it. A FB post isn't enough.
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{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{good article}}
{{Short description|Steel roller coaster at Cedar Point}}
{{Infobox roller coaster
{{Infobox roller coaster
| name = Rougarou
| name = Rougarou
| logo =
| logo = Rougarou (roller coaster) logo.png
| logodimensions = 200px
| image = Cedar Point Rougarou cars on loop track (2859).jpg
| image = Cedar Point Rougarou cars on loop track (2859).jpg
| imagedimensions = <!--Must be expressed in pixels (px); default is 250px-->
| imagedimensions = <!--Must be expressed in pixels (px); default is 250px-->
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| location = Cedar Point
| location = Cedar Point
| locationarticle = <!--Must not be linked.-->
| locationarticle = <!--Must not be linked.-->
| section = <!--Must not be linked.-->
| section = Millennium Midway <!--Must not be linked.-->
| subsection = <!--Should be linked.-->
| subsection = <!--Should be linked.-->
| coordinates = {{coord|41.482583|-82.687353|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|41.482583|-82.687353|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
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==History==
==History==
[[File:Rougarou by Aaron Burden.jpg|thumb|200px|Train at the top of a hill|left]]
[[File:Rougarou by Aaron Burden.jpg|thumb|200px|Train at the top of a hill|left]]
On September 8, 1995, Cedar Point announced plans to build a new roller coaster, which would open as the tallest, fastest, and longest [[stand-up roller coaster]] in the world.<ref name=CN>{{cite web|title=Mantis at Coaster-Net|url=http://www.coaster-net.com/ride-gallery/175-mantis/|publisher=Coaster-Net|accessdate=October 20, 2012}}</ref> The ride was to be named Banshee after the mythical wailing ghost in Irish [[folklore]].<ref name="Sunday Times-Sentinel">{{cite web|title=Cedar Point finds new name for roller coaster|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uhRDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2KwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2974,2972906&dq=cedar+point+announces+banshee&hl=en|publisher=Sunday Times-Sentinel|accessdate=October 19, 2012|date=November 19, 1995}}</ref> In the days following the announcement, there was some negative reaction from the public regarding the term Banshee, which in the dictionary is described as a female spirit that warns of an impending family death.<ref name="Sunday Times-Sentinel" /><ref name="Name change">{{cite news|title=Cedar Point changes coaster's name|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PKFTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oIcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1469,3953767&dq=cedar+point+announces+banshee&hl=en|newspaper=The Bryan Times|accessdate=October 19, 2012|date=September 14, 1995}}</ref> On November 14, 1995, [[Cedar Fair Entertainment Company]] filed a trademark for the name ''Mantis'', which later became the ride's official name.<ref name="Sunday Times-Sentinel" /><ref name="trademark">{{cite news |title=Mantis Trademark |url=http://www.trademarkia.com/mantis-75028208.html |publisher=Legal Force|accessdate=October 21, 2012}}</ref> As a result of the name change, its logo was also changed to resemble a [[mantis]].<ref name="URC logo">{{cite web|title=Mantis photo gallery at Ultimate Roller Coaster|url=http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/pictures/mantis/|publisher=Ultimate Roller Coaster|accessdate=December 27, 2012}}</ref> The discarded name would later be reused for [[Banshee (roller coaster)|an inverted roller coaster]] that opened at [[Kings Island]] in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitkingsisland.com/banshee/the-evidence/wail-of-the-banshee-blog/blog-article/Title|archive-url=https://archive.is/20130809034349/https://www.visitkingsisland.com/banshee/the-evidence/wail-of-the-banshee-blog/blog-article/Title|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-08-09|title=Largest Amusement & Waterpark in the Midwest {{!}} Kings Island|website=www.visitkingsisland.com|access-date=2016-06-01}}</ref>
On September 8, 1995, Cedar Point announced plans to build a new roller coaster, which would open as the tallest, fastest, and longest [[stand-up roller coaster]] in the world.<ref name=CN>{{cite web|title=Mantis at Coaster-Net|url=http://www.coaster-net.com/ride-gallery/175-mantis/|publisher=Coaster-Net|access-date=October 20, 2012}}</ref> The ride was to be named Banshee after the mythical wailing ghost in Irish [[folklore]].<ref name="Sunday Times-Sentinel">{{cite web|title=Cedar Point finds new name for roller coaster|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uhRDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2974,2972906&dq=cedar+point+announces+banshee&hl=en|publisher=Sunday Times-Sentinel|access-date=October 19, 2012|date=November 19, 1995}}</ref> In the days following the announcement, there was some negative reaction from the public regarding the term Banshee, which in the dictionary is described as a female spirit that warns of an impending family death.<ref name="Sunday Times-Sentinel" /><ref name="Name change">{{cite news|title=Cedar Point changes coaster's name|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PKFTAAAAIBAJ&pg=1469,3953767&dq=cedar+point+announces+banshee&hl=en|newspaper=The Bryan Times|access-date=October 19, 2012|date=September 14, 1995}}</ref> On November 14, 1995, [[Cedar Fair Entertainment Company]] filed a trademark for the name ''Mantis'', which later became the ride's official name.<ref name="Sunday Times-Sentinel" /><ref name="trademark">{{cite news |title=Mantis Trademark |url=http://www.trademarkia.com/mantis-75028208.html |publisher=Legal Force|access-date=October 21, 2012}}</ref> As a result of the name change, its logo was also changed to resemble a [[mantis]].<ref name="URC logo">{{cite web|title=Mantis photo gallery at Ultimate Roller Coaster|url=http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/pictures/mantis/|publisher=Ultimate Roller Coaster|access-date=December 27, 2012}}</ref> The discarded name would later be reused for [[Banshee (roller coaster)|an inverted roller coaster]] that opened at [[Kings Island]] in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitkingsisland.com/banshee/the-evidence/wail-of-the-banshee-blog/blog-article/Title|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130809034349/https://www.visitkingsisland.com/banshee/the-evidence/wail-of-the-banshee-blog/blog-article/Title|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 9, 2013|title=Largest Amusement & Waterpark in the Midwest {{!}} Kings Island|website=www.visitkingsisland.com|access-date=June 1, 2016}}</ref>


Construction on the new roller coaster began in the off season and was completed on January 9, 1996.<ref name="Topped off">{{cite web|title=Cedar Point Mantis Roller Coaster Top Off January 9, 1996|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48-6gowqD_s|publisher=Cedar Point|accessdate=October 19, 2012}}</ref> More than 20% of the track was built over water.<ref name="Sunday Times-Sentinel" /><ref name=POV /> Cedar Point held a "Media Day" for Mantis on May 9, 1996, and the ride officially opened to the public on May 11, 1996.
Construction on the new roller coaster began during the 1995-1996 off-season and was completed on January 9, 1996.<ref name="Topped off">{{cite web|title=Cedar Point Mantis Roller Coaster Top Off January 9, 1996| date=September 10, 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48-6gowqD_s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/48-6gowqD_s |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|publisher=Cedar Point|access-date=October 19, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> More than 20% of the track was built over water.<ref name="Sunday Times-Sentinel" /><ref name=POV /> Cedar Point held a "Media Day" for Mantis on May 9, 1996, and the ride officially opened to the public on May 11, 1996.


On September 2, 2014, after weeks of leaking clues that a major announcement was forthcoming, Cedar Point released a statement that Mantis would close on October 19, 2014. According to the park, the roller coaster had given over 22 million rides since its debut.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/09/cedar_point_announces_plans_to.html|title=Cedar Point to close stand-up roller coaster Mantis; additional plans for 2015 will come later|last=Glaser|first=Susan|date=September 2, 2014|newspaper=The Plain Dealer|accessdate=September 3, 2014}}</ref> However, Cedar Point revealed on September 18, 2014, that Mantis would not be removed, but instead would be converted into a [[floorless roller coaster]] complete with new trains, new colors, and a new theme.<ref name="Fact sheet">{{cite news|url=http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/features/2014/10/20/cedar-point-closes-mantis-roller-coaster-forever/17597717/|title=Cedar Point closes Mantis roller coaster forever|last=Haidet|first=Ryan|date=October 20, 2014|publisher=WKYC|accessdate=October 23, 2014}}</ref> It reopened as Rougarou, the name of a legendary creature in French folklore that draws comparisons to the mythical [[werewolf]], on May 9, 2015.<ref name="Rougarou Announcement">{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/09/rougarou_floorless_roller_coas.html|title=Rougarou floorless roller coaster will replace stand-up Mantis at Cedar Point in spring 2015|last=Glaser|first=Susan|date=September 18, 2014|newspaper=The Plain Dealer|accessdate=October 20, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.freep.com/story/travel/michigan/2015/04/25/travel-new-cedar-point-coaster/26259301/|title=Extreme ride: New Cedar Point coaster is floorless|last=Creager|first=Ellen|date=April 26, 2015|work=Detroit Free Press|accessdate=August 4, 2015}}</ref>
Over the years, Mantis became known as a rough ride and its popularity began to decline.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://observer.case.edu/squashing-the-mantis/|title=Squashing the Mantis – The Observer}}</ref> On September 2, 2014, after weeks of leaking clues that a major announcement was forthcoming, Cedar Point released a statement that Mantis would close on October 19, 2014. According to the park, the roller coaster had given over 22 million rides since its debut.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/09/cedar_point_announces_plans_to.html|title=Cedar Point to close stand-up roller coaster Mantis; additional plans for 2015 will come later|last=Glaser|first=Susan|date=September 2, 2014|newspaper=The Plain Dealer|access-date=September 3, 2014}}</ref> However, Cedar Point revealed on September 18, 2014, that Mantis would not be removed, but instead would be converted into a [[floorless roller coaster]] complete with new trains, new colors, and a new theme.<ref name="Fact sheet">{{cite news|url=http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/features/2014/10/20/cedar-point-closes-mantis-roller-coaster-forever/17597717/|title=Cedar Point closes Mantis roller coaster forever|last=Haidet|first=Ryan|date=October 20, 2014|publisher=WKYC|access-date=October 23, 2014}}</ref> It reopened as Rougarou, the name of a legendary creature in French folklore that draws comparisons to the mythical [[werewolf]], on May 9, 2015.<ref name="Rougarou Announcement">{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/09/rougarou_floorless_roller_coas.html|title=Rougarou floorless roller coaster will replace stand-up Mantis at Cedar Point in spring 2015|last=Glaser|first=Susan|date=September 18, 2014|newspaper=The Plain Dealer|access-date=October 20, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.freep.com/story/travel/michigan/2015/04/25/travel-new-cedar-point-coaster/26259301/|title=Extreme ride: New Cedar Point coaster is floorless|last=Creager|first=Ellen|date=April 26, 2015|work=Detroit Free Press|access-date=August 4, 2015}}</ref>


==Ride experience==
==Ride experience==
[[File:Mantis1 CP.JPG|thumb|200px|Rougarou's {{convert|119|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} vertical loop, when it was Mantis|left]]
[[File:Rougarou 2023.png|thumb|200px|Rougarou's {{convert|119|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} vertical loop|left]]


===Layout===
===Layout===
[[File:Cedar Point Rougarou going through loop (3698).webm|thumb|Rougarou train going through loop|right]]
[[File:Cedar Point Rougarou going through loop (3698).webm|thumb|Rougarou train going through loop|right]]
The ride starts with a slight left-turn and then an ascent up the {{convert|145|ft|m|adj=on}} [[lift hill]]. Once the train reaches the top and passes through the pre-drop, the track makes a 180 degree right turn, leading into the first drop. Riders then drop {{convert|137|ft|m|adj=off}} at a 52 degree angle, reaching a top speed of {{convert|60|mph}} and enter a {{convert|119|ft|m|adj=on}} [[vertical loop]]. This is immediately followed by a {{convert|103|ft|m|adj=on}} [[dive loop]], a non-inverting overbanked turn directly above the station, and an {{convert|83|ft|m|adj=on}} left-leaning [[Roller coaster elements#Inclined loop|inclined loop]]. From here, the track makes an uphill right turn into the [[mid-course brake run]]. Off the midcourse brakes, the track drops into a [[Roller coaster elements#Corkscrew|Corkscrew]], and finish off with a figure-eight turn. The train then enters the final [[brake run]], and then makes a right turn, passing through the transfer track before returning to the station.<ref name=POV>{{cite web|title=Mantis POV|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcXPyAWe2Ig|publisher=Cedar Point|accessdate=October 20, 2012|date=August 2, 2012}}</ref><ref name=RCDB>{{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Mantis|location=Cedar Point|rcdb_number=7|accessdate=October 19, 2012}}</ref><ref name="ACN review">{{cite web|title=Mantis ACN review|url=http://www.americacoasters.com/Reviews/?page=mantis|publisher=American Coasters|accessdate=October 20, 2012}}</ref>
The ride starts with a slight left-turn and then the train begins to climb up the {{convert|145|ft|m|adj=on}} [[chain lift hill]]. Once the train reaches the top and passes through the pre-drop, the track makes a 180-degree right turn, leading into the first drop. Riders then drop {{convert|137|ft|m|adj=off}} at a 52-degree angle, reaching a top speed of {{convert|60|mph}} and enter a {{convert|119|ft|m|adj=on}} [[zero-g roll vertical loop]]. This is immediately followed by a {{convert|103|ft|m|adj=on}} [[dive loop]], a non-inverting overbanked turn directly above the station, and an {{convert|83|ft|m|adj=on}} left-leaning [[Roller coaster elements#Inclined loop|inclined loop]]. From here, the track makes an uphill right turn into the [[mid-course brake run]]. Off the midcourse brakes, the track drops into a [[Roller coaster elements#Corkscrew|Corkscrew]], and finish off with a figure-eight turn. The train then enters the final [[brake run]], and then makes a right turn, passing through the transfer track before returning to the station.<ref name=POV>{{cite web|title=Mantis POV|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcXPyAWe2Ig|publisher=Cedar Point|access-date=October 20, 2012|date=August 2, 2012}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref><ref name=RCDB>{{Cite RCDB|coaster_name=Mantis|location=Cedar Point|rcdb_number=7|access-date=October 19, 2012}}</ref><ref name="ACN review">{{cite web|title=Mantis ACN review|url=http://www.americacoasters.com/Reviews/?page=mantis|publisher=American Coasters|access-date=October 20, 2012}}</ref>


===Trains===
===Trains===
As Mantis, the ride operated with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train had eight cars with four seats in a single row supporting a total capacity of 32 riders.<ref name=RCDB /> Mantis originally operated with three trains but the park later reduced operation to two trains due to the trains "stacking" on the brake run.<ref name="Top Coasters">{{cite web|title=Mantis at Top Coasters|url=http://www.topcoasters.com/database/roller-coaster/13/13-mantis|publisher=Top Coasters|accessdate=June 6, 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119225318/http://www.topcoasters.com/database/roller-coaster/13/13-mantis|archivedate=November 19, 2015}}</ref> Riders were secured by an over-the-shoulder harness.<ref name=RCDB /> Although Mantis was a stand-up roller coaster, there was a small bicycle seat riders could lean on.<ref name="What is a Stand-up roller coaster?">{{cite web|title=What is a stand-up roller coaster?|url=http://www.thecoastercritic.com/2008/08/what-is-stand-up-coaster_25.html|publisher=The Coaster Critic|accessdate=October 20, 2012|date=August 25, 2008}}</ref>
As Mantis, the ride operated with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train had eight cars with four seats in a single row supporting a total capacity of 32 riders.<ref name=RCDB /> Mantis originally operated with three trains but the park later reduced operation to two trains due to the trains "stacking" on the brake run.<ref name="Top Coasters">{{cite web|title=Mantis at Top Coasters|url=http://www.topcoasters.com/database/roller-coaster/13/13-mantis|publisher=Top Coasters|access-date=June 6, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119225318/http://www.topcoasters.com/database/roller-coaster/13/13-mantis|archive-date=November 19, 2015}}</ref> Riders were secured by an over-the-shoulder harness.<ref name=RCDB /> Although Mantis was a stand-up roller coaster, there was a small bicycle seat riders could lean on.<ref name="What is a Stand-up roller coaster?">{{cite web|title=What is a stand-up roller coaster?|url=http://www.thecoastercritic.com/2008/08/what-is-stand-up-coaster_25.html|publisher=The Coaster Critic|access-date=October 20, 2012|date=August 25, 2008}}</ref> Following the closure of Mantis, a portion of the trains were retained for parts while the rest were scrapped.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ohio.com/blogs/airtime/airtime-1.489637/cedar-point-removes-mantis-coaster-trains-from-attraction-1.534148|title=Cedar Point removes Mantis coaster trains from attraction - Ohio.com}}</ref>


For its transition to Rougarou, the ride received three new [[Floorless Coaster|floorless trains]] which allows riders' legs to dangle freely above the track, as there is no floor between rows.<ref name="New trains">{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/09/the_same_mantis_track_with_new.html|title=The same Mantis track with new trains: Is Cedar Point's Rougarou roller coaster really new?|last=Glaser|first=Susan|date=September 19, 2014|work=The Plain Dealer|accessdate=November 23, 2015}}</ref> Each has the same 32-rider configuration as the previous trains on Mantis. Riders are also secured by an over-the-shoulder harness with an interlocking seatbelt.<ref name=RCDB /><ref name="New trains" />
For its transition to Rougarou, the ride received three new [[Floorless Coaster|floorless trains]] which allows riders' legs to dangle freely above the track, as there is no floor between rows.<ref name="New trains">{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2014/09/the_same_mantis_track_with_new.html|title=The same Mantis track with new trains: Is Cedar Point's Rougarou roller coaster really new?|last=Glaser|first=Susan|date=September 19, 2014|work=The Plain Dealer|access-date=November 23, 2015}}</ref> Each has the same 32-rider configuration as the previous trains on Mantis. Riders are also secured by an over-the-shoulder harness with an interlocking seatbelt.<ref name=RCDB /><ref name="New trains" />


==Records==
==Records==
Mantis set several records among stand-up roller coasters when it opened in 1996. It set the world record for height at {{convert|145|ft|m}}, speed at {{convert|60|mph|km/h}}, and length at {{convert|3900|ft|m}}.<ref name="CN" /> It was also the first stand-up roller coaster to feature a dive loop and an inclined loop.<ref name=CN /><ref name="Dive loop RCDB">{{cite web|last=Marden|first=Duane|title=Roller coasters with a Dive Loop|url=http://www.rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=2&el=8879|publisher=[[Roller Coaster DataBase]]|accessdate=October 20, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Inc loop RCDB">{{cite web|last=Marden|first=Duane|title=Roller coasters with an Incline Loop|url=http://www.rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=2&el=8885|publisher=[[Roller Coaster DataBase]]|accessdate=October 20, 2012}}</ref>
Mantis set several records among stand-up roller coasters when it opened in 1996. It set the world record for height at {{convert|145|ft|m}}, speed at {{convert|60|mph|km/h}}, and length at {{convert|3900|ft|m}}.<ref name="CN" /> It was also the first stand-up roller coaster to feature a dive loop and an inclined loop.<ref name=CN /><ref name="Dive loop RCDB">{{cite web|last=Marden|first=Duane|title=Roller coasters with a Dive Loop|url=http://www.rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=2&el=8879|publisher=[[Roller Coaster DataBase]]|access-date=October 20, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Inc loop RCDB">{{cite web|last=Marden|first=Duane|title=Roller coasters with an Incline Loop|url=http://www.rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=2&el=8885|publisher=[[Roller Coaster DataBase]]|access-date=October 20, 2012}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 75: Line 77:


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Rougarou (Cedar Point)}}
{{Commons category multi|Rougarou (Cedar Point)|Mantis (Cedar Point)}}
{{commons category|Mantis (Cedar Point)}}
* {{Official website|https://www.cedarpoint.com/rides/Roller-Coasters/Rougarou}}
* {{Official website|https://www.cedarpoint.com/rides/Roller-Coasters/Rougarou}}


Revision as of 22:02, 17 June 2024

Rougarou
Previously known as Mantis (1996–2014)
A train coming out of the loop following the first drop
Cedar Point
LocationCedar Point
Park sectionMillennium Midway
Coordinates41°28′57″N 82°41′14″W / 41.482583°N 82.687353°W / 41.482583; -82.687353
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 9, 2015 (2015-05-09)
CostUS$12,000,000
ReplacedMantis
General statistics
TypeSteel – Floorless Coaster
ManufacturerBolliger & Mabillard
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelFloorless Coaster
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height145 ft (44 m)
Drop137 ft (42 m)
Length3,900 ft (1,200 m)
Speed60 mph (97 km/h)
Inversions4
Duration2:40
Max vertical angle52°
Capacity1800 riders per hour
Height restriction54–78 in (137–198 cm)
Trains3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.
Fast Lane available
Rougarou at RCDB

Rougarou, formerly known as Mantis, is a floorless roller coaster located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard, the roller coaster originally opened in 1996 as a stand-up roller coaster called Mantis, which at the time was the tallest, fastest, and longest of its kind in the world. Cedar Point had planned to name the ride Banshee, but due to negative publicity following the announcement, the name was later changed to Mantis.

In September 2014, Cedar Point announced the pending closure of Mantis, scheduled for the following month. The park later revealed that Mantis would not be removed but would be transformed into a floorless roller coaster design for the 2015 season. It reopened as Rougarou on May 9, 2015.

History

Train at the top of a hill

On September 8, 1995, Cedar Point announced plans to build a new roller coaster, which would open as the tallest, fastest, and longest stand-up roller coaster in the world.[1] The ride was to be named Banshee after the mythical wailing ghost in Irish folklore.[2] In the days following the announcement, there was some negative reaction from the public regarding the term Banshee, which in the dictionary is described as a female spirit that warns of an impending family death.[2][3] On November 14, 1995, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company filed a trademark for the name Mantis, which later became the ride's official name.[2][4] As a result of the name change, its logo was also changed to resemble a mantis.[5] The discarded name would later be reused for an inverted roller coaster that opened at Kings Island in 2014.[6]

Construction on the new roller coaster began during the 1995-1996 off-season and was completed on January 9, 1996.[7] More than 20% of the track was built over water.[2][8] Cedar Point held a "Media Day" for Mantis on May 9, 1996, and the ride officially opened to the public on May 11, 1996.

Over the years, Mantis became known as a rough ride and its popularity began to decline.[9] On September 2, 2014, after weeks of leaking clues that a major announcement was forthcoming, Cedar Point released a statement that Mantis would close on October 19, 2014. According to the park, the roller coaster had given over 22 million rides since its debut.[10] However, Cedar Point revealed on September 18, 2014, that Mantis would not be removed, but instead would be converted into a floorless roller coaster complete with new trains, new colors, and a new theme.[11] It reopened as Rougarou, the name of a legendary creature in French folklore that draws comparisons to the mythical werewolf, on May 9, 2015.[12][13]

Ride experience

Rougarou's 119-foot-tall (36 m) vertical loop

Layout

Rougarou train going through loop

The ride starts with a slight left-turn and then the train begins to climb up the 145-foot (44 m) chain lift hill. Once the train reaches the top and passes through the pre-drop, the track makes a 180-degree right turn, leading into the first drop. Riders then drop 137 feet (42 m) at a 52-degree angle, reaching a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) and enter a 119-foot (36 m) zero-g roll vertical loop. This is immediately followed by a 103-foot (31 m) dive loop, a non-inverting overbanked turn directly above the station, and an 83-foot (25 m) left-leaning inclined loop. From here, the track makes an uphill right turn into the mid-course brake run. Off the midcourse brakes, the track drops into a Corkscrew, and finish off with a figure-eight turn. The train then enters the final brake run, and then makes a right turn, passing through the transfer track before returning to the station.[8][14][15]

Trains

As Mantis, the ride operated with two steel and fiberglass trains. Each train had eight cars with four seats in a single row supporting a total capacity of 32 riders.[14] Mantis originally operated with three trains but the park later reduced operation to two trains due to the trains "stacking" on the brake run.[16] Riders were secured by an over-the-shoulder harness.[14] Although Mantis was a stand-up roller coaster, there was a small bicycle seat riders could lean on.[17] Following the closure of Mantis, a portion of the trains were retained for parts while the rest were scrapped.[18]

For its transition to Rougarou, the ride received three new floorless trains which allows riders' legs to dangle freely above the track, as there is no floor between rows.[19] Each has the same 32-rider configuration as the previous trains on Mantis. Riders are also secured by an over-the-shoulder harness with an interlocking seatbelt.[14][19]

Records

Mantis set several records among stand-up roller coasters when it opened in 1996. It set the world record for height at 145 feet (44 m), speed at 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), and length at 3,900 feet (1,200 m).[1] It was also the first stand-up roller coaster to feature a dive loop and an inclined loop.[1][20][21]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Mantis at Coaster-Net". Coaster-Net. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "Cedar Point finds new name for roller coaster". Sunday Times-Sentinel. November 19, 1995. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  3. ^ "Cedar Point changes coaster's name". The Bryan Times. September 14, 1995. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  4. ^ "Mantis Trademark". Legal Force. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  5. ^ "Mantis photo gallery at Ultimate Roller Coaster". Ultimate Roller Coaster. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  6. ^ "Largest Amusement & Waterpark in the Midwest | Kings Island". www.visitkingsisland.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  7. ^ "Cedar Point Mantis Roller Coaster Top Off January 9, 1996". Cedar Point. September 10, 2012. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  8. ^ a b "Mantis POV". Cedar Point. August 2, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2012.[dead YouTube link]
  9. ^ "Squashing the Mantis – The Observer".
  10. ^ Glaser, Susan (September 2, 2014). "Cedar Point to close stand-up roller coaster Mantis; additional plans for 2015 will come later". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  11. ^ Haidet, Ryan (October 20, 2014). "Cedar Point closes Mantis roller coaster forever". WKYC. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  12. ^ Glaser, Susan (September 18, 2014). "Rougarou floorless roller coaster will replace stand-up Mantis at Cedar Point in spring 2015". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  13. ^ Creager, Ellen (April 26, 2015). "Extreme ride: New Cedar Point coaster is floorless". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d Marden, Duane. "Mantis  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  15. ^ "Mantis ACN review". American Coasters. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  16. ^ "Mantis at Top Coasters". Top Coasters. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  17. ^ "What is a stand-up roller coaster?". The Coaster Critic. August 25, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  18. ^ "Cedar Point removes Mantis coaster trains from attraction - Ohio.com".
  19. ^ a b Glaser, Susan (September 19, 2014). "The same Mantis track with new trains: Is Cedar Point's Rougarou roller coaster really new?". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  20. ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller coasters with a Dive Loop". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  21. ^ Marden, Duane. "Roller coasters with an Incline Loop". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
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