This date in Kings Island history

[Guest KingsIslandPR]

On this date in 2009, track work was completed on the Diamondback roller coaster. Track piece #129 was the final piece of track installed by the Adena Corporation.

Celebrating its fifth anniversary season this year, Diamondback will give its 10-millionth ride this summer. Perhaps the 10-millionth rider will be you!

[homestar92]

My personal quest is to be BOTH the 10-millionth rider on Diamondback AND the 1-millionth rider on Banshee!

Hey, a guy can dream, right?

[Thrill_Biscuit]

It's the fifth anniversary? Wow, time is flying!

[VortexBFForever]

Five years already? I was 10 when I first rode it, and now I'll be 15 in roughly a month.

Wow.

[xXDrummerKiDXx]

I was twelve when this ride opened up.

Now I'll be 17 in March.

Roller coasters make me feel old.

But hey! Time flies by when you're having fun.

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[SOBwasaSOB]

Wow I really did not realize it had been that long! I was still a senior in high school when they finished building it. Here is to many more rides and smiles on Diamondback!

[BB1]

Please don't make me feel old, BB1, who should not feel that way at this age.

That definitely won't be me, I will be riding The Beast and Banshee far too often to have time for that!

[Thrill_Biscuit]

You'll worry about feeling old until you get there, and then you won't care about it anymore.

[tuxedoman52]

I remember my first time when I was 8 or 9 (TWSS). I was holding on the whole time but loved it.

[XjoshhyX]

I remember my first ride on that beautiful ride. It came the following season from its grand opening, and I am still excited like that first time every time I ride it!

[thedevariouseffect]

Don thank you for making me feel old

[The Interpreter]

Note the old people ain't complaining.

[thedevariouseffect]

When DB came out...I was still being chauffeured by parents most places unless it was local

[The Interpreter]

When Diamondback opened, I couldn't ride it. I'd just had cataract surgery. In fact, I traveled to the park, rode Tower and Train, walked around a lot, and went home.

[Thrill_Biscuit]

I think I'll slow down in 2014, and try to take in the experiences of life (the good ones) with a little less 'taking of things for granted.'

Apropos of the topic, I'm listening to one of my favorite songs right now: "Time Stand Still," by "Rush," which has been there throughout many, many seasons, and can bring up memories from any one of them. It was released when Vortex was "born." The math: ~27 years ago. At the young age that I was, I didn't really care about the words of songs. Being at an age now -- where time seems to go by very quickly -- some words make a little more sense:

"Summers going fast, nights growing colder;

Children growing up, old friends growing older;

Freeze this moment a little bit longer,

Make each sensation a little bit stronger... experience slips away."

Holy cow, they're right! So, stop, breathe, enjoy the good days. Each is so precious!

[APE]

Opening day was fun that season. The wife and I made it to the park around 5am. We were on the third train out to pass holders. By the time we got off and rode Beast the line had wrapped around the entire area.

[Oldiesmann]

My first time riding DB was around 9am on the first day of Ride Warriors Weekend in May. I ended up riding it 20+ Times that weekend.

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[LoraX]

It does not make me feel old at all. I remember in 2008, my daughter and I sat watching people working on Diamondback. We sat there a long time. It was a really cool thing to see my daughter excited about the new coaster. We could not go opening day that year. However, it's one ride we both love. My favorite seat is row 1 seat 2. I've said from the first time I rode it, that is the best seat in the house.

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[McSalsa]

Wow...5 years already...and 2009 was my first year on KIC, I joined in Late May, so my 5th anniversary on KIC is coming up as well. Hmm...and during those 5 years, just for hindsight...

-Son of Beast operated for the last time, and only co-existed for a few months alongside Diamondback. It was then SBNO for nearly 4 years before being demolished in the fall of 2012...in between, numerous debates and ideas for what might happen to it occured here on KIC.

-The Crypt opened 2009 with a insane multi-flip ride cycle, but was mega-nerfed a few weeks into the season. It got some theming upgrades in 2011, but it was for naught, and it was demolished before the 2012 season.

-Nickelodeon Universe saw its final season in 2009, before being re-themed into Planet Snoopy for 2010.

-Scooby Doo & The Haunted Castle also underwent a transformation in 2010, and it became Boo Blasters on Boo Hill.

-Cedar Fair was ALMOST sold to Apollo Group. Almost...but the deal fell through.

-Flight Deck gets a new paintjob in 2011, but much to the chargin of KI fans, only the track is repainted and it stays the same colors.

-WindSeeker and Dinosaurs Alive! made their debuts in 2011...though WindSeeker's debut was delayed about 2 months due to design flaws. Along with Dinos, Action Theatre gets a new movie, DA! 3D, replacing the long-running Spongebob 3D, but it becomes an upcharge as well...then is free again in 2012.

-Matt Ouimet becomes the new CEO of Cedar Fair, and his influence is felt before he even takes office as Fast Lane debuts at Kings Island in 2011, then the rest of Cedar Fair in 2012.

-Boomerang Bay Waterpark became Soak City in 2012, with a new wave pool, beach area, and re-configuration of the lazy river as well as theming and paint changes.

-Invertigo gets a new paint job, changing from its original yellow & red to blue and darker blue.

-Thunder Alley gives its last rides in 2012, as it is demolished along with Son of Beast for "future expansion"...which ends up being the next thing...

-Kings Island announced their next major coaster, Banshee, which will debut in 2014- 5 years after Diamondback. Track work is already complete in time for the 5th anniversary of the same event for Diamondback.

-Flight Deck is the next major ride/area to get a re-theme, as it becomes The Bat for 2014, and gets a SECOND (this time new colors though) paintjob just 3 years after its last. As of this writing, however, the "transformation" is not 100% complete.

Yep...all that happened in one park in just 5 years. And that's not counting the stuff like new restraunts/restraunt changes, etc etc. that also happened since 2009. Makes you wonder what will happen in the next 5 years...

[Oldschool75]

When Diamondback® opened I was..... Well I was

[thedevariouseffect]

Was what! AHHH SUSPENSE

Btw Don, will DB still have the "tallest, fastest, meanest" spiel

Because I think Banshee got that last one easily

[Tuskin]

You guys have so much time to catch up to us aging oldies, and I'm not even old, but compared to you young guns I am.

[ohiocolts]

When Diamondback opened, I couldn't ride it. I did not meet the 54 inch height requirement.

[Tanna]

When Diamondback opened, I couldn't ride it. I did not meet the 54 inch height requirement.

Now that is young.

It's not so bad being old. We old things are still riding, ain't we?

[ohiocolts]

Once I was under 8... It was way worse than being old. I couldn't even ride any good ones.

[The Interpreter]

I never got to ride Little Laser and others. And don't even ask me what I did to get to ride the kiddie coaster at Rye, NY.

[Nick_Plummer]

This was the coaster that got me over my fear of big rides. August 16, 2009, my ninth birthday, best birthday at KI ever. I go every year for my birthday but I just don't know this year, it being on a Saturday and all.

[IndyGuy4KI]

I remember riding it opening day. My wide and I got in line early, but by the timne we got through the queue and to the station you could see the line went all the way around PS, back to ET, next to BLSC and spalsh down. I remember thinking, there are a lot of people watching the spalsh down, and then realized, wait that is the line!

I have the pic Don posted on the website of the line, but I am not going to pusblish that to photobucket to post here. Maybe Don can post that for I am sure it is still on the KI hosting servers somewhere.

[homestar92]

This pic?

It's on the old Diamondback blog.

http://kiDiamondback.com/public/latest/blog/index.cfm?entry=2c306408-0482-4f8c-8504-c43ffc819e93

[IndyGuy4KI]

This pic?

It's on the old Diamondback blog.

http://kiDiamondback.com/public/latest/blog/index.cfm?entry=2c306408-0482-4f8c-8504-c43ffc819e93

Yes that is the one!

EDIT: I did not realize that site was still up!