Since humans were created, we have always searched for some kind of thrill and excitement. Once man was tired of playing with something as dangerous as fire, he decided to move on to more dangerous things, thus, the roller coaster was born. From sliding down rocky mountains, to the huge steel coasters we have today. Roller coasters have evolved, and will continue to evolve alongside humans. The way roller coasters are made, the safety of the roller coasters and the popularity of them are just a few things that make up the history of these magnificent gifts to man. Coaster history has its ups, downs and loop di loops, all that bring us to where we are today.
Roller coasters originally were very different from the ones in amusement parks today. The first form of a roller coaster was made by the Russians called Russian Mountains (Benson 2012 aceonline.org)..The Russians man-made seventy foot tall ice hills and then slid down them in sleds. This is not the modern viewpoint of what a roller coaster is, but for the time period, it was revolutionary. They would even extend the thrill factor and add bums and, of course, vodka. In the summertime, the ice hills changed into undulating, wooden ramps that became a popular summertime attraction for many. However, the origin of the actual roller coaster derives from the French.
A French traveller witnessed the Russian Mountains and wanted to take the ideal back to France. Sadly, the climate in France would not permit for an ice slide, so he came up with another idea. In the 1800’s, the French built cars with wheels on them, that acted as rollers. The wheels locked into the grooved track, and coasted down a hiller. This is where the term “roller coaster” originated. Later on, the French also designed the first circuit ride, which starts and ends in the same place. This design was drastically more efficient than carrying a sled up a hill and back down again. With the growing popularity of the roller coaster, it soon made headway in the United States (Cartmell 1987. The Incredible Scream Machine).
The first successful roller coaster in the United States was located at Coney Island in New York. The ride was constructed by LaMarcus A. Thompson and was the first Gravity Switchback Railway. This particular coaster attracted many people and brought tons of business to Coney Island. (Benson 2012. AceOnline.org). From here the roller coaster business only went up. By the 1920’s, roller coasters were extremely popular. Nearly 2,000 coasters were built! Sadly, there are not many, if any of these coasters still standing. According to the most recent census there are close to 750 coasters in the United States alone! There are around 4,500 total in the whole world (Johnson 2016.rcdb.com). The growth of roller coasters continue to expand as more resources become available and inventors become more creative.
Back in the 1990s, roller coasters were primarily made out of wood with small bits of steel and metals. Wood was much cheaper and easier to use.(Schaefer 2004 Roller Coasters). This put a limit on how coasters could be designed so the majority of them around the united states were extremely similar. The safety of rider’s was not much of a concern back in those days. There were many deaths back in the 1900’s simply because most of the coasters had faulty designs, safety, or were improperly built. (McGill 2001. Ultimaterollercoasters.com), The amount of deaths that were caused because of the negligence is exactly why roller coasters had to change to fit the times and safety resources.
Today, the safety of the rider is the most important thing to coaster designers. Months and even years go into planning and making a roller coaster with little to no chance of disaster. Regular routine maintenance check ups happen constantly to ensure the safety of riders. Most of your accidents you see in today’s roller coasters are due to the negligence of the rider. For instance, a young boy lost his hat on a ride at Six Flags amusement park. Despite being told by operators there was no way he could retrieve his hat back, he decided to go get it on his own. This young man climbed, not one but two six foot high safety fences to retrieve his hat and was struck by the coaster and decapitated (Robertson 2012. NBC news). Very rarely are there any malfunctions due to negligence of the ride operators and lack of routine maintenance.
Roller coasters were not always a popular attraction. From the 1940’s to the 1960’s, the popularity of roller coasters saw a major decline. This was due to the rapid social and economic changes brought about during this time period. Sadly, many of the roller coasters “met the fate of the wrecking ball” (Benson 2012). With America at war and the post-war, the thrill and excitement of roller coasters was not desirable. The “Baby Boom” around the 1960’s forced businesses to focus on the increasing economic growth and consumer population, leaving no room to focus on other aspects of the economy, such as entertainment and thrill (Harris 2007). However, the roller coaster saw a revival in the 1970’s.
The wooden Kings Island Racer in Cincinatti, Ohio helped restore the love of roller coasters by the public. It was not necessarily the coaster itself that brought about the renewed popularity, but the media and theater. The coaster was featured in both “The Brady Bunch” and “The Partridge Family.” Not only this, but soon the movie “Rollercoaster” was released by Universal Studios. The Kings Island Racer set a precedent for the new design of many new wooden coaster all around the United States, ushering in a coaster Renaissance ( Schaefer 2004.). Many classic wooden coasters were constructed with newfound enthusiasm, such as the Texas Cyclone, the Grizzly. Not only did the Renaissance take place in the United States, but also around the world, such as Le Monstre in Canada and Colossus in Germany (Benson 2012). In contrast, wooden roller coasters are not as popular of constructions as steel roller coasters.
The majority of roller coasters today are built out of steel. The use of steel is a much more practical approach to the construction of a roller coaster. Not only is it more practical, but it is also more flexible and open to creativity. The wood limits the ability to make the roller coaster, preventing it from being more thrilling and complex than a steel coaster (Cartmell 1987). Wooden roller coasters are more maintenance when compared to a steel roller coaster. However, enthusiasts for the wooden roller coasters are nostalgic and loyal, committed to the preservation of the coasters, with organizations such as the ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts). In the end, which coaster is better, whether wooden or steel, is left up to the individual and others to debate and choose.
In conclusion, roller coasters have a very expansive history, with a roller coaster ride of their own. It started off popular, declined in popularity because of the Second World War and the Great Depression, and then ascended to popularity once again with the booming economy post World War II. The possibilities are endless with the vast advancements in technology and innovation of future inventors. Like said on aceonline.org, the sky’s the limit (literally) when it comes to coaster design in the new millennium.
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