BoddaH1994 Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 I have just recieved a voicemail from Italian Chef informing me that the Mason Community Press has an article (written by him) about The Beast's 25th anniversary. This article makes mention of PKIC. I have yet to read the article, so if anyone lives in Mason and would like to fill us in, I would greatly appreciate it. Congrats, Charles, and thanks for the shameless plug! Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Didn't they use some photos from the site aswell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Christopher Posted July 1, 2004 Share Posted July 1, 2004 Here's the article. Making friends with The Beast By Ben Lucas, Contributor MASON - The Beast changed Sean Flaharty's life. Flaharty said he's ridden The Beast countless times since his initial ride in 1990. Does he still remember that first time? "Like it was yesterday," Flaharty said. "It was the coaster that broke my fear of rollercoasters." The first and still only of its kind roller coaster rattles and roars its way to its 25th anniversary this season at Paramount's King Island. To celebrate the occasion, coaster enthusiasts and Kings Island hosted an all-day event called "BeastBuzz" at the park June 26. Flaharty is the regional spokesperson for American Coaster Enthusiasts, a national rollercoaster group. ACE will have its own event to celebrate the anniversary later in the season. "I can remember watching them build," Mason resident Mike Metzger said. "I would have been 10 years old." He recalled childhood summer days when he would wait at the ropes for the park to open, then sprint to The Beast to be the first one on it. "If there was nobody waiting, we would ride it two or three times in a row," Metzger said. He also remembered going to Kings Island when Procter & Gamble would rent it out for its employees during the fall. His father worked for P&G, and they would head straight for The Beast when they arrived at the park. "The first ride we would run to would be The Beast, because it was the tallest coaster and we wanted to have the biggest drop. We would purposely wait for the last seat of the train so it would whip us over the top," he said. The Beast was introduced in 1979 and was designed by local coaster construction company The Dinn Corp. Tall, fast, and made of wood, The Beast set the standard for roller coasters to come. Newer coasters, including Kings Island's Son of Beast, have grown taller and faster. When the Son of Beast opened in 2000, for instance, it became the tallest wooden rollercoaster in the world. Kings Island's Web site assures readers that The Beast still holds the record for the world's longest wooden roller coaster. Two experts on Paramount's Kings Island say The Beast stands alone among roller coasters. Ryan Suhr, media director of PKICentral (www.pkicentral.com), an unofficial Paramount's Kings Island fan page, said "The Beast has been the landmark ride for the park for the past 25 years. It is constantly being rated as one of the top roller coasters in existence. There has been nothing like The Beast in the past, nor will there ever be anything like it." Charles Infosino, who has authored a visitors' guide to the park, said, "The Beast is my personal favorite roller coaster in the world and my favorite ride at the park. I enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the woods while riding it almost as much as I enjoy the awesome twists and turns of this world class wooden roller coaster. No trip to Paramount's Kings Island is complete without at least one ride on The Beast." Flaharty opines that there is something special about The Beast that will never be replaced. Fans remain devoted despite a changing rollercoaster landscape. "It doesn't have any characteristics like any other rollercoaster," Flaharty said. "It's a very unique ride. No one can duplicate it. It's one of my favorite wooden coasters." Loveland friends Aaron Burghard, Chad Williams and Zack Seuberling were divided over the coaster's merits. "I don't like The Beast," Burghard said. "I think wooden roller coasters are past their time." He cited The Beast's tendency to shake its riders and the uncomfortable cars as reasons for disliking the coaster. Seuberling disagreed: "I loved The Beast. It was my favorite roller coaster as a kid." "I rode The Beast this year," Williams added, "and it's smoother than it's ever been. "The Beast is like a fine cognac," Seuberling said. "It only improves with age." Source: Communitypress.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 2, 2004 Author Share Posted July 2, 2004 Didn't they use some photos from the site aswell? I'm not sure if they have them in the actual paper or not... I have yet to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
italianchef Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 http://www.communitypress.com/DeerfieldTow...ne%2030,%202004 Charles Infosino and Ryan Suhr were quoted about The Beast for an article in the Mason Community Press (above). Ryan's quote mentions PKIC. Originally, I submitted a write-up with my quote and Ryan's, but the editor chose to insert our quotes in someone else's article. Hope you like reading it anyway. Have a great FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!!! Italian Chef :chef: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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