Don and I had some fun today going through old photos of Kings Island and we came across this photo that may have forever changed the course of history.

Don Helbig's 10,000th Racer ride - July 27th, 1990

It was a simpler time... it was a better time...

^It was a... hairier... time? 10,000 rides on 1 coaster. Unimaginable. Incredible. I'll be lucky to get to 1/10 of that total in my lifetime.

Just try to calculate how long it would take to make that goal.

I think the more you ride coasters with all that wind makes you go bald, I know that is what happened to me!

Gotta love the air brushed 10,000 ride T-shirt with Jabber Jaws and the other HB characters! That is too sweet!

Ryan, Did you happen to ask him his ride count to date?

I asked him and I'll gladly post the number if I remember what he said My memory is so short term!

I just really enjoy having such an enthusiast in Don's PR position at the park. I had a concern about getting into RWW and he sent me a reply at 8:30 on a Sun!!!!!!!!!!! I think he's great guy and I always enjoy talking with him.

I think we should make a poll: Which is better, Don with hair or without?

Ryan, Did you happen to ask him his ride count to date?

He's told me his ride count. He's somewhere in the 11,800s range, I think. A little shy of 12,000.

I'm pretty sure he told me 11,864 at RWW.

I think we should make a poll: Which is better, Don with hair or without?

Without for sure. He's already a bad a$$ for riding The Racer almost 12,000 times. The dome just makes him even more of a bad a$$.

I don't know! Mullet Don would be pretty sweet too! Just kidding, he looks very good with the dome!

I'm pretty sure he told me 11,864 at RWW.

Just got word from Don saying that his current count is 11.973 on Racer.

ya, but how many on Diamondback, or The Beast?

I think we should make a poll: Which is better, Don with hair or without?

Without, of course

Hair is overrated.

We save soooo much on shampoo!

I hope ill get that many rides on a roller coaster one day. Mabye Diamondback?!

Hair is overrated.

I'm not surprised to hear you say that! Personally, I tend to like hair, though mine is much shorter as of late, but still as long as I could leave it.

As for 10,000 - just wow! I'll work on it. I'm up to 86 for the season on Beast so far.

Hair is overrated.

I'm not surprised to hear you say that! Personally, I tend to like hair, though mine is much shorter as of late, but still as long as I could leave it.

As for 10,000 - just wow! I'll work on it. I'm up to 86 for the season on Beast so far.

Haha, I actually used to have really long hair. Like down to the middle of my back. Taking care of it became too much of a hassle so I just chopped/shaved it all off. Now I just have to spend about 15 minutes once every two days re-shaving it (Provided I don't get sunburnt, at which point I just let it grow until the burn heals).

Anyway, back on topic, I can't see myself power lapping any single ride at any park. Regardless of how great the ride is, for me riding it that often would just kill the whole experience.

i never really kept a count for rides till this year. with Diamondback the counting comes easy. hopefully i can hit and surpass that mark.

I can't see myself power lapping any single ride at any park. Regardless of how great the ride is, for me riding it that often would just kill the whole experience.

My personal best is 35 rides in a day on The Beast. There were other rides that I rode that day as well, including 5 back-to-back rides on Son of Beast, 3 of which are well remembered!

by Gibson:

I'm pretty sure he told me 11,864 at RWW.

By BoddaH1994:

Just got word from Don saying that his current count is 11.973 on Racer.

Do you know ehn he plans on getting to 12,000, seeing as he only needs 27 more?

Anyway, back on topic, I can't see myself power lapping any single ride at any park. Regardless of how great the ride is, for me riding it that often would just kill the whole experience.

I don't know, I got 18 rides on DB with Giga on RWW ERT. We were literally lapping the queue to get back on. I will say I had no intention of doing that until Giga started it, but I will say now that I have healed it was a lot of fun. I will probably not be doing that again anytime soon though.

I remember lapping on Racer in the evening trying to see how many rides we could get in before they blocked off the queue before the end of the night when I was younger.

Haha, you guys were crazy that night. I was trying to keep up with you but after a few cycles of being left in Angie's dust as she plowed out of the station just as I was exiting the train I decided to enjoy a much more calm ERT with StalkerChick and KI Man.

by Gibson:

I'm pretty sure he told me 11,864 at RWW.

By BoddaH1994:

Just got word from Don saying that his current count is 11.973 on Racer.

Do you know ehn he plans on getting to 12,000, seeing as he only needs 27 more?

I just talked to Don and he said that he plans on doing his 12,000th ride some time after he completes his 11,999th ride.

Hairtime!

^^^

Gigglesnort!

Terpy, who thinks that was a very good one!

Great photo to share!

I don't know if anybody cares, but I thought I may just share a few facts from that day...

Next to him is Trisha Elzey, a park performer from the show "Summer Rhythms". Also riding in the car is Phillip Helbig, his brother. Don Helbig's parents and sister were also witnesses to his 10,000 ride, which was also his "last" ride on the coaster for marathoning purposes. The Cincinnati Post reported him saying that he had "mixed emotions" about finishing his mass Racer rides. He also said "[He was] looking forward to the free time, but [he was] also going to miss it."

Information taken from various newspapers from 1990- you have to love the Internet

At least one person from here was there that day....

Terpy, who knows these things...sometimes without even looking them up...