The Beast was officially, and quite appropriately, “unchained” in a steady downpour Friday, April 13, 1979 for hundreds of media representatives from around the U.S. and Great Britain.

http://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog-article/online-fun/Happy-Birthday-Beast

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy birthday my Beast friend. To bad it is still another 2 week before we can celebrate together.

Happy Birthday Beast, I cannot wait for this summer!

33 years and still rolling.

Happy Birthday, Beast!

(crowd chanting)

Long live The Beast!

Long live The Beast!

Long live The Beast!

Happy Birthday, Beast!!!!

I wonder what his children got him.

Colonel including the common name-changing step child that is older than The Beast. .

If Beast has given the 3rd most rides in KI history (I safely assume Racer is #1) what is # 2?

KI&MVRR???

Eiffel Tower, Carousel, or KI and MVR would be my 3 guesses for number 2.

Browntggr is the winner

http://www.visitkingsisland.com/media-center/ride-record-book

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BEAST, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

Happy B-Day, Beast. Good to see you still going strong at 33. Hope you make it to 133 (which could be quite possible since wooden coasters do last really, really long...boy, will Kings Island have changed by then though!)!

Happy B-Day, Beast. Good to see you still going strong at 33. Hope you make it to 133 (which could be quite possible since wooden coasters do last really, really long...boy, will Kings Island have changed by then though!)!

It's a shame we won't to get to see it then. :/

Browntggr is the winner

http://www.visitking...ide-record-book

Thanks Bret. I spent a good 20 minutes looking for that page, because I knew I had seen it before, but could not find it, so I kept my mouth shut, haha.

^^

If I do, I would be over 120 years old...hey, people have lived that long before, and with the advances in medicine...

But, considering Beast will be a 100-year-old wooden coaster, unless it gets a lot of re-tracking or something, I will need to stay FREAKISHLY healthy to even attempt to ride it at my old age...

Well I will most likely be around for the 100th anniversary for The Beast. I'll be around 80 , so I probably won't ride it then, but oh well.

^^ I doubt the ride will still be operating.

^ I bet it will

The Beast could be operating for a long time if the park takes really good care of it. Look at Kennywood park with the Jack Rabbit and Racer.

Coastergeek101:

I'm pretty sure as long as Kings Island is still around, Beast will still be operating, unless one of the park owners decides to be a complete idiot and removes it or there is a horrible accident (ride crashes, fire, tornado etc etc). There are tons of wooden roller coasters that are very, very old- some nearing or past 100- that still operate to this day. Here are some of the noteables:

Leap The Dips @ Lakemont Park- Opened 1902, world's oldest operating roller coaster.

Jack Rabbit @ Kennywood- Opened 1920, continues to thrill riders to this day.

Thunderhawk @ Dorney Park- Opened 1923, Cedar Fair's oldest operating roller coaster.

Giant Dipper @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk- Opened 1924, a favorite of many wood coaster fans.

Giant Dipper @ Belmont Park- Opened 1925, another west coast favorite...with the same name as the last ride I listed!

Racer @ Kennywood- Opened 1927, one of the world's oldest racing coasters.

Cyclone @ Astroland- Opened 1927, the world's most famous roller coaster, numerous "clones" made.

I think the point may be proven...here's the FULL list, sorted by age:

http://www.rcdb.com/...page=1&order=10

Kings Island may well have Racer, Beast, and Woodstock Express (or whatever they call it, more name changes could be in store) for years to come...all KI has to do is stay open, and maintain them, and they will continue to thrill guests for possibly centuries.

Thunderbolt at Kennywood isn't really as old as you have it, unless you count the underlying Pippen. It's really a VERY different ride.

^

Just checked it- thanks for the heads up. I had no idea Kennywood actually "upgraded" and basically built a new coaster out of an old one...

They've done that more than once. See also Phantom's Revenge and the underlying Steel Phantom. Of course the Henninger family owned the park back then. (Some of us don't have to check reference material for those things we watched happen!)

^

That one I knew about. Saw a TV special about the entire "transformation" when I was a kid about 10 years ago, shortly after it happened. I remember those old TV shows that used to play on the Travel/Discovery channel, learned about a lot of rides from them...weird fact- I once thought Magnum XL200 and Millennium Force were in two different parks. My jaw hit the floor when I learned ONE park had BOTH those awesome-looking rides...then, if THAT wasn't enough, I saw an Ad in a magazine for Top Thrill Dragster in 2003.

There are those who post here who can be seen in those old specials. Yes, indeed.

Terp, who suddenly feels very old...older than even Beast! Or Kings Island.

I remember when a coaster in Ohio celebrated it's 75th birthday, now she waits.

Happy bday! This rollercoaster i rode when i was six is awesome! It got over my Fear of rollercoasters

Browntggr is the winner

http://www.visitking...ide-record-book

I couldn't find that page to save my life.....

Nice job!

Browntggr is the winner

http://www.visitking...ide-record-book

Thanks Bret. I spent a good 20 minutes looking for that page, because I knew I had seen it before, but could not find it, so I kept my mouth shut, haha.

Browntggr is the winner

http://www.visitking...ide-record-book

I couldn't find that page to save my life.....

Nice job!

No problem guys.