Jump to content

What a Labor Day Weekend It Was At Kings Island!


Recommended Posts

++Kings Island is now closed. The park will reopen on Sept 19th and 20th with special Bring-a-Friend discounts for 2008 and 2009 pass holders.++

Many Cincinnatians end their summer with a bang on the Ohio River, but Kings Island did things a little differently this year. Labor Day Weekend was one of the most eventful weekends in the history of Kings Island which featured everything from competitive eating to Olympic gold!

On Labor Day, Kings Island welcomed Major League Eating for the first time in history. Joey "Jaws" Chestnut competed against many others in a Skyline Chili eating contest which was measured by the pound! Chestnut is the reigning world champion but was outdone by “Humble” Bob Shoudt. Stoudt narrowly beat Chestnut by eating thirteen and a half pounds of Skyline chili. This was just one quarter pound more than then reigning champion. "Having mouthfuls of the Skyline Chili was a little hard to swallow." said Ricky Howard, a Dayton-area native who finished in 6th place. "I think if I do it again, I'll mix the chili with the water and more or less drink it. That's how they do it in the hot dog eating contests." Click here to see photos of Major League Eating at Kings Island!

The 1970s saw a Cincinnati Reds team that was nothing short of legendary status. The Big Red Machine proved that they were the best team in baseball in both 1975 and 1976 by winning back to back World Series. Two of the most prominent men on the team were George Foster and Pete Rose, who were both on hand at Kings Island to do two Q & A shows where they answered questions, told stories, and gave aspiring baseball players advice. Photos from the Pete Rose and George Foster Q & A sessions can be seen by clicking here.

Who doesn't love the Olympics? It makes it even easier to love the Olympics when you see Americans take home the gold. Receiving an Olympic Gold Metal is an honor that's second only to the likes of walking on the moon. Patrons of Kings Island had the opportunity to meet Kerri Walsh, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser and ask them some questions about their Olympic experieces. All three athletes competed in Beijing in the sport of beach volleyball and proved their greatness to the world by brining the gold home to America! To see photos of all these athletes appearances at Kings Island click here!

In 1973, The Brady Bunch filmed one of their most cherished episodes at Kings Island entitled "The Cincinnati Kids." Exactly 35 years later, members of the Brady Bunch returned to Kings Island to sing, dance and tell old Brady stories. Hundreds of Brady fans, young and young-at-heart, packed the Kings Island Theater to capacity to see Barry Williams (Greg Brady), Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) and Mike Lookinland (Bobby Brady) return to Kings Island on the anniversary of the filming of the show. Williams performed some classic Brady songs including "It's a Sunshine Day" and threw in a twist of humor with a song entitled, "The Real Greg Brady," a rendition of Eminem's 'The Real Slim Shady." Williams, who was the star of the "Growing Up Brady" show, brought Susan Olsen and Mike Lookinland on stage to help teach a select group of lucky fans a few classic Brady dance steps. Click here to see photos of the "Growing Up Brady" show.

On Saturday, August 30th, Kings Island began a new tradition. Former employees of Kings Island who have gone on to do remarkable things can now be inducted into the Kings Island Walk of Fame. The first three inductees were immortalized in the Walk of Fame at a ceremony in the International Showplace Theater.

Inductees included Carmen Electra, who began her acting career in the show "It's Magic" in the early 90s and has gone on to star in such films as Epic Movie, Date Movie and Meet the Spartans. Electra made special cameo appearances in the show Flashback Totally 80s as part of the ceremony and even answered some questions in front of a very enthusiastic audience.

Dennis Speigel began his career at Coney Island and helped in the transition of Coney Island into Kings Island in the early 1970s. He served as Assistant General Manager of Kings Island and then Vice President and General Manager of Kings Dominion, Kings Island's sister park, before moving on to International Theme Park Services, a major amusement industry consulting firm where he now serves as President.

Janeen Coyle began her career as an actress on the Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad. After the show ended, she began her career in the radio industry and is currently a a well known DJ on the Cincinnati radio station WGRR.

Click here to see photos of the inaugural induction ceremony of the Kings Island Walk of Fame and click here to see photos of Carmen Electra's cameo appearance in Flashback: Totally 80s!

Standing 230ft tall, Diamondback will certainly be something to see at Kings Island in 2009! Sitting in open air stadium seating-style trains and traveling at speeds in excess of 80mph it will be the tallest and fasted coaster in the park! Are you excited about 2009? Be one of the first to purchase or renew your Kings Island Gold or Cedar Fair Platinum Pass by clicking here!

Do you want the latest information sent directly to your cell phone? Sign up for KICentral's official mobile club and receive text alerts with the latest news and information about Kings Island! Signing up is fast and free! Click here for more information about KICentral's official mobile club!

Are you an avid Kings Island fan or do you casually visit once a year? It doesn't matter! KICentral.com is the site for you. Why not register on the forums of KICentral and tell us about your thoughts and experiences involving Kings Island! Registration is fast, FREE, and easy. Don't forget to keep checking KICentral.com for the latest news, rumors and information about Kings Island amusement park!

Regards,

Ryan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the two bonus days, will they still have the shows to watch? I tried to get my sister to see Flashback Totally 80's (an absolutely fun and amazing show) but she missed it because of the Brady shows.

This had to be the greatest Labor Day ever at Kings Island. My brother and I did everything offered (except the Employee reunion because we were never employees). The Q&A with the volleyball players was awesome. It was fun to see Carmen Electra, and to see the Walk of Fame induction ceremony. I was surprised that this was her first time back to Kings Island.

The Racer ride with the Bradys was so much fun. Thanks Don Helbig for giving us that amazing opportunity. My sister had so much fun watching the Brady shows. She got her Brady Bunch DVDs signed. I got the ride list that Mr. Helbig gave us signed. I asked Mike Lookinland what he thought of The Racer, and he said, "It is holding up well." Susan Olsen said, "I was scared." But she was joking.

On Monday, I was surprised how empty the park was. Watching the eating competition was so much fun. The host was very funny and entertaining! I loved how Mr. Balboa was twirling his spaghetti with his fork :lol: Then we went to see Pete Rose and George Foster. That show was more fun than the Brady Bunch show! I was cracking up. They were hilarious!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...