Entertainent Tonight 1987 Vortex Promo Video

[McSalsa]

I was browsing Youtube, looking for something to watch, and this came up. Could not find just a random thread for this I thought it would fit, so I just made this one. Thought it was a interesting look into the past of Kings Island, as it is a promo from the TV show "Entertainment Tonight" for the new-for-1987 Vortex.

I think it is very cool to see the coaster back in its very early days, when 6 inversions was the most in the world, and 148 feet was the tallest roller coaster in the world*. Still, 31 years (and MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of riders) later, Vortex remains a popular coaster at Kings Island. I even remember last year, the park (or someone in T-Shirt design at least) thought enough of it to put it on a "Kings Island 5" T-Shirt with Beast, Mystic Timbers, Diamondback, and Banshee.

*= Unless you count Dragon Mountain @ Marineland in Canada, which is 186 feet tall and opened in 1983 but also heavily used terrain to boost its height as it sits on a tall hill and does not have very tall supports due to this.

[gtncaa]

Awesome stuff! One of my favorite rides. And John Tesh talking about it...what more could I ask for?

[YOULLBEBACK]

Wow, that's awesome!  I love the POV video and narrative.  And the generic and very out of place rockabilly type background music playing makes it sounds pretty funny.

[Shaggy]

Pay attention... you see a bunch of lopped-off Bat supports and footers as the train exits the station.

[westcoaster]

How awesome...

[MDMC01]

This is pretty cool. It's interesting to think that Vortex was once the coaster at the park (well, along with Beast and Racer). Now, it's just one of the many coasters (which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I guess people don't realize that Vortex was once the hot new thing, like Mystic Timbers is today). Also, ET looked a lot different back then...

[whengodsaysgo]

The Vortex was my first "big" coaster.  I rode it when I was 12 for the first time.  It will always have a special place in my heart.  I'd like to ride it more now, but the restraints just aren't very comfy for me. 

[DMann1979]

Yeah, Vortex for a long time was the most forboding and intense coaster in the park, probably until maybe Flight of Fear and definetely Son of Beast. Heck I didn't brave it until I was 15 lol.

[VortexBFForever]

I didn't ride Vortex until I was 11! And while I'm at work there, I see many 48" kids who are quite younger than 11 ride it, sometimes multiple times on end! I commend them for their bravery.

[IndyGuy4KI]

My daughter has been riding since age 7 when she hit 48". She loves Vortex.

[BuckeyeBond]

My son rode it last year at the age of 6. His friend wanted to ride so my wife and I got in line with them. My son cried and was about to puke the whole 7 min wait in line. Once we got off he had a huge smile and wanted to do it again! 

[KImom]

My 8 year old rode it with me a few times last year. Our first time riding it, I hadn't actually ridden it in years and forgot how intense it was! My son was soooo nervous about the loops and I kept telling him that he'd feel the safest on the loops vs. the whole rest of the ride. After we rode it, he totally agreed. lol

[lifetimecoaster]

Now that was cool. I love this kind of stuff!! Thanks for finding that. 

 

[SonofBaconator]

This might have been posted on here on another thread but I found this masterpiece on YouTube not too long ago. That fellow with the afro looks familiar