The Beast (Kings Island) - March 1979 full-circuit POV (no helix tunnel!) / TV advert
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- A full-circuit POV on the Beast before its April, 1979 grand opening. The Beast featured 3 underground tunnels in its first season; tunnels #2 and #3 have since been connected to form one long tunnel. Also: the helix tunnel had not yet been constructed in this video! It was eventually added after the 1979 operating season. Bonus: vintage TV advert for this now-legendary roller coaster.
I love how the coaster didn’t cut through the forest, but that the forest grew around it.
I rode this coaster many times back in the early 90s. It’s amazing how much those trees have grown!
Echo of faster because and they redid it and they make it even longer to feet to feet the hell the first one
It's honestly amazing how wooded the whole ride is now compared to back then. The Beast is aging like the finest of wines.
I inspect those tracks almost every morning its neat seeing whats changed and whats still the same
That's pretty cool
chris I would love to work at Kings Island! But I am only eight... I would rather be a marine biologist though.
chris That's awesome! I have trouble deciding how I feel about the added trim brakes over the years. It seems like there are some in really disappointing places, like on the way down the first hill, over the 2nd airtime hill (which kills the airtime!), and on the way down the 2nd lift hill into the helix. It's like you're zooming along and then there's this annoying interruption.
But at the same time, years ago without those brakes, the ride would beat the crap out of you 😛
KIBanshee9 It still beats the crap out of you. I love it though, 2nd best ride in the park in my opinion.
Andrew Duncan Yeah, don't get me wrong, it's not what it used to be but I still ride it whenever I get the chance and still dig it. It's a like riding a piece of history :)
This coaster has been re-worked so much now, it's much, much faster, and features much higher-angled banks. It's really amazing to see a wooden coaster actually get better over time instead of worse. The trees and tunnel also add to the awesomeness of the ride now as compared to then.
The trim brakes suck now though.
It's getting trimmed harder here than it is now. Just look at how slow it hits the second lift and the final break run. It's going way faster now than when it opened.
@@tobiasj2455 trim breaks also help with keeping the tracks in good shape.
@@WapoStudios That's because they were using old magnetic brakes. They were powerful but very heavy. The coaster wouldn't have lasted if they kept using them.
@@JCBro-yg8vd Actually the old brakes were skid brakes, not magnetic. The two center rails you see physically pushed into the train to slow it down.
The best ride I ever took on The Beast was in the front car at 11:45pm on a cold, rainy night. The mist was rising from the trees, and the rain made the tracks so slick that it felt so much faster than earlier that day. It was an unforgettable ride.
Just had the same experience on the last train at night in the rain, plus a lucky bonus lightning strike in the distance before the helix. One of the best experiences i've ever had
Im going tnrw!!! It’s gonna rain ! Now im even more geeked
2022 and this coaster is still the GOAT
My first time to ride The Beast was in 1980. They had built the tunnels by that year.
It is hands down the best wooden roller coaster ever. If any of you haven't ridden it at night you have to experience that. It is a TOTALLY different ride at night.
Seconded! Beast at night in the front seat is one of the most thrilling ride experiences of my life!
***** Thirded!
If you notice the track is completely different around the helix. They reconstructed it in I believe 2009- 2010 to add significant banking to the track as it leads into the tunnel. Take a close look at this one and then a newer video to see the difference. They also added magnetic brakes in 2001-2002 on the second lift hill drop and through the covered bridge area.
Rode it at night a few days ago-it's awesome! You can't even see half the time!
Front seat to my self, at night, and a bit chilly. Since I like to lean forward on rides it was great having the front seat to my self. I had extra elbow room. Also, something about it being a bit chilly makes it better.
I don't know how you have this footage, but you're amazing. My dad and I went on this ride probably close to 50 times in just a few years. Simply amazing to see this version of it. Thanks for uploading this.
And thus, it was still a work of art to this day
I like how the beast's second lift hill drop wasn't tilted to the left back then.
Epic MEM Yep...they banked the drop into the helix a few years ago.
They kind of had to though, the Gs were a bit too much to take going on a flat track like that. Even now it's still a bit forceful on that hard left into the tunnel, but would hurt much more if wasn't tilted.
Why? That's an awesome aspect of the ride
If you're wondering why it seems to be going "slower" in this video than it goes today... Look closer at the tracks. They haven't laid the steel topper to the wood yet. They're literally test running it on top of hammered down wood and not a smooth, steel track. There ARE some places where you can see they've started laying some of the track (coming out of the second tunnel) But mostly it's wheels on wood. At 4:10 at the top of the second lift you can really see it. Pretty cool if you ask me.
I actually think the parts that look like steel might just be wood, but it's shiney from being pressed smooth by the wheels and the light catches it, or darkened from the pressure and oils on the metal wheels
Thats not wood theres steel there. Why would they test it on wood and ruin the track?
@@poolplexer She's right there was no steel on the top wood, it's bare wood.
First roller coaster I ever rode on in the summer of 1979. I remember Blondie's "Heart of Glass" playing over the speakers as I stood in line. Now 40 years later, I still love it, but must admit this coaster has a very rough ride.
@donereally it's the small things we remember that make our memories so poignant. Thanks for the kind words.
I remember this, when it first open. I was only 5 or 6 but I can remember the commercial for it. It was the talk of the town here where I live in Ohio. 41 years later and it's still everyone's favorite ride around here at King's Island 👍👍
My dad got to ride it opening season when he was 12 years old. Decades later and I've gotten to ride it with my dad many times. Such a cool coaster.
Growing up in Northeast Ohio, I went to Cedar Point every year since i was 4 into my 30s. I rode every ride in its inaugural year! So of course I had to ride the Beast its first year. I was 25, and my buddy and me ran to the back of the park to ride the Beast. To this day, it remains my favorite.
Now for the rest of the story...
Exiting that ride there was a young lady (12?), and her Mom standing at the entrance. Mom said her daughter wanted to ride the Beast, but no way she was getting on that thing! She wanted to know if we would take her. (Simpler times back then!) We agreed to meet them at the end of the day. It's dark in that part of the park, other than the 2 lights at the top of the hill, looking like the Beast's eyes. The waiting area was themed to be very scary (for kids), and of course you couldn't see the superstructure of the ride! But you could hear the loud roar of the coaster and the screams of the riders. Many a youngster (to their parents' dismay after waiting in line for an hour) would elect to not get on the train.
After we got in line our new friend became very quiet. The further in we got she began to say she didn't want to ride it. We tried everything... "for the rest of your life you will be able to say you rode the Beast in its first year!"...didn't work! Nothing worked until I asked if she had a brother. Yes she did and he wasn't there. We were about 15 minutes from getting on, and I asked her..."what's the FIRST question he's going to ask you?" She admited "Did you ride the Beast?" And what are you going to answer...no, because I was afraid? THAT worked! The fear of her brother's reaction outweighed her fear of the ride! Like a good soldier she embarked on the ride of her young life. I'll never forget that ride. I dont think she will either! We pinned one of those big buttons (I survived the Beast) on her as a badge of honor. She was so happy and so proud. So were we!
Many years later, I
have been unable to get my daughter on that ride.
Sorry this is so long.
To the girl from Cincinnati (who would be in her 50s) and her Mom, if you're still out there, know that you and The Beast and that special ride are part of a great memory that I'll never forget!
That is a lot different roller coaster from now the trees 🌲 look so young in 1979 now it's 2017 wow 😳
For those remarking about the slow speeds here, remember that [1] The coaster hadn't broken in yet - wood coasters always need a month or two of operation to get to their designed speed and [2] the train is empty. Full trains are a LOT heavier and go much faster than empty ones. Imagine how fast it would be now if they didn't have those brakes all the way down that drop into the helix!
I wish they never did had the brakes! No brakes would be awesome! Much more speed.
***** The trim brakes were added for two primary reasons. One was to reduced lateral and positive G-forces to less painful and uncomfortable levels. The other is to preserve the structure. The faster the train runs, the quicker the track and overall structure wear down, and the more money KI spends to keep it running. After over 35 years, the only major re-tracking the ride has undergone is some RMC topper track in the helix that was added in 2012.
***** Currently, they use old-school friction brakes for the station, but use magnetic brakes for the trims, if that's what you were wondering.
***** Yep..they changed to magnetic brakes I believe in 2001-2002. They also completly reconstructed the drop into the helix to bank the ride as it enters into the helix.
Sveldtguy If I remember right, they had RMC work some topper track magic on the helix.
Can NOT believe this coaster is 40 yrs old!
Still the best wooden coaster I have been on
Username nice avatar of the teletubbies sun
RMC Son of Beast lol, banshee is cheap and a rip off
I rode Son of Beast in 1999 or 2000 with the loop and it scared the sh*t out of me. I think it may have been the greatest wooden one ever.
Went to Kings Island almost every year as a kid and rode this when it was new. Took the kids and grandkids down for the 40th anniversary. It was a blast. Great memories.
That was fun to watch. Thank you for the upload. It wasn't easy to film that because cameras were so big and bulky back then.
anyone notice how going into the helix, the track doesn't do that long, drawn out transition into the bank?
I love the long transition. Makes it feel like you're locking in to be shot out of a cannon
Other differences besides replacing the skid brakes with pinch fins and magnetic brakes:
1. They've covered over the transfer switch with a roof.
2. Vortex is now adjacent to the turn around out of the station.
3. Tunnels 2 and 3 being connected so they aren't just when you go under a berm.
4. The covering of half of the double helix
5. The skyline as you crested the second lift is so changed, now that you have Vortex, Diamondback, Banshee, and other tall roller coasters ahead of you.
RIP vortex
And the worst one of all: the replacement of buzz bars with individual bars
@@Charleskesilatgmaili think since they’ve made it more intense over the years they got more secure bars
Was interested to see that the train only just makes it up that final hill...last time I rode it the coaster still had plenty of energy left by then.
It could be the camera, but you're right it definitely looks much slower.
***** The train was empty, heavier trains go faster.
GameCheater803 That may be the case but I suspect that it was also because the coaster was brand new and hadn't run in yet.
***** Gotta love those old-school drive tire trims, though. Annoying and screechy, but just classic looking.
+davidjellis
A while back, The Beast was reprofiled in the final helix area, and
received new trains that were able to hold up better and have less
resistance on the track. These new trains went so fast that the ride
then had to be trimmed.
2 biggest things I noticed that is cool is how many roller coasters have been added and all of the trees and how big they have gotten over the years
LMAO.. I've rode this more times than I can remember.. Very odd not seeing the Vortex.. This is the most exciting roller coaster I've ever been on. Be sure to bring Tylenol though..
Never breaks necks and if it hurts you it hurts for 5
Heel Charisma I agree. I've seriously never understood people whining about wooden coasters all the time. Sure, they're "rough" sometimes, but I've been on some of the legendarily bad ones, and the only one that made me slightly uncomfortable was Psyclone at Magic Mountain. I don't consider myself very "tough" by any stretch of the imagination, I just don't think the coasters hurt that bad. The roughness is part of the draw, as far as I'm concerned!
squeemu They are not meant to be super smooth too. Thats what makes a wooden coaster.. a wooden coaster
Heel Charisma To be fair, Intamin and RMC woodies ARE meant to be smooth and quiet.
+Jason Hook then rmc and intamin woodies, aren't REAL woodies, a wooden coaster is aupposed to rattle, you're supposed to hear the roar and the thunderous rampage they go on while moving. anything that says it's a wooden coaster, but is quiet and smooth, is nothing but a fucking imposter.
The best helix of any roller coaster, hands down!
That commercial is etched into my brain permanently. I could recite it word for word. Scared the crap out of my 7 year old self and it would take another 5 years or so to get up the nerve to ride it. Love this coaster so much, it may not be particularly crazy by today's standards, but there had never been anything quite like this when it was created. Birthed the terrain coaster sub-genre as well, or at least put in on everyone's radar for the first time.
A lot more tree's grew since then
Best ride I had was a moonless night, they had no lighting on and was in the front seat. Was one of the most thrilling coaster rides I've had. They normally have different sections lit and with more stuff I think there's just more ambient light now.
Neat! I roade it back in 1993. I always wondered if there was a video when it opened. Its interesting to see it without trees! thanks
I love how it still whistles like that coming out the station
Anyone notice that the lift hill is a lot faster than it is today?
That's because when the original skid brakes were converted to the magnetic fin brakes it has now, that long brake shed was no longer a block zone since magnetic brakes are unable to fully stop a train unlike friction brakes. Apparently trains had to stop there frequently to wait for the train ahead to clear the second lift hill. Instead of doing that, they programmed the computer on the first lift hill so that it gives the train ahead time to clear the second lift before it speeds up to full speed. So yes it is laughably slow at times but there's a reason for it.
I rode this for the first time in 1981 with my dad at night. I was 7 and just tall enough to get on it.
I rode the beast today and it was the best ride!!!
was fortunate to ride in the mid 80s and then again as an adult in the mid 2000s.
Old school son! Its crazy to ride this today, although much of the ride has been worked on since this its crazy and awesome to know this 'beast' of a wooden roller coaster still howls through the trees to this day.
dang i didnt even know the tunnels weren’t there. easily my fav coaster at ki. maybe too 3
Seeing drive tires and skid brakes on wooden coasters is nice to see.
It really is cool to see how much better The Beast is now vs then. To those commenting that it's running slow - of course it hadn't run in yet but also the steel topper track IS laid down. The camera picks it up poorly but I don't think they can run a wooden coaster on just wood. The biggest factor though is that the coaster originally ran with 4 bench, 8 seater cars with buzz bars as compared to the 3 bench, 6 seater cars with individual lap bars that it has now. I've read that the shorter cars create a lot less resistance on the turns so the coaster ran much faster with them. This was also when the ride was converted from skid brakes to modern fin brakes and also why the lines in the station don't perfectly line up with each row. The biggest thing now is that the magnetic fin brakes are able to slow the train down much faster than the longer strips of skid brakes, so newer POVs really exaggerate it. When you're on the ride, it doesn't feel like it slows down as much as it looks on video.
the beast it waaaay older then me
Banana Chocolate ikr, i’m 10 and this thing is 39 years old
lmfao the profile pic
and the name just fits that statement
I was 1 years old when this was filmed. Im gonna be 43 in NOVEMBER
It’s so weird seeing this because the Vortex isn’t there yet
It wont be weird in 2020
The Beast at night in the rain is the best roller coaster ride I've ever had in my life.
I love this clip, the tunnels weren't even finished and you can tell it was a tester so you got to see more
Best coaster ever built
Awesome I know this is from 1979 but it looks like it was filmed yesterday 👍🤘
Seeing it unfinished was really cool. The landscape that is all cleared out with fresh grass planted now is mostly trees again. The vortex loops at the end weren't covered yet. And I can't imagine doing a test run today with people just standing on the runners next to the track.
This is fascinating
I rode the Beast and Son of Beast in 2003....OMG! The original Beast was so freaking amazing! The son of Beast was good but I loved the original!
I think the skid brakes lasted until as late as maybe 2005, before they were replaced with magnetic brakes.
Ahhh, people standing on the tracks while the ride is moving. The 80s rocked. lol
No trim brake before the helix or the first hill...
Back when it really was a beast!👍
I live ten minutes away from kings island my favorite rollercoaster is diamondback but the beast is my second favorite
OMG it looks so much different back then
Skid brakes>Magnetic brakes
A smooth slowdown is much better than an abrupt brake which disrupts the flow of the ride. I still love the Beast but I hate the current trims.
I love this POV though...it's crazy to see the helix without the tunnel.
2:47 - 2:58 they added more cover to those 2 tunnels and the landscape looks a lot different than it does today
The straightaways are meant to be there, because the Beast was designed a bit differently from other coasters. As you see, the Beast cars are more box line, and don't turn much, that's why it's just a few turns, and straight paths. because during the turns, the track would get closer together, and would cause stress.
The beast was built to move freely with everything, but not fall apart. The ride would literally break from stress if it wasn't for the straightaways and breaks.
InfiniteChaos - You give the best replies, seriously. As a coaster enthusiasts and long-time KI visitor, I appreciate your accuracy and in depth knowledge; thank you! 🤔🤝👍
Love this ride
The beast goes way faster now
still an Epic Ride. 2023. Ride it for last ride at night it rules
So many memories on this ride.
The beast was my first rollercoaster ride it was scary we had to wait 4hours to ride it. It was 1986.
Even with an old video, the wood looks fresh and and unbent. Compare to a newer POV.
this was recorded in 1979? wow
It's "slower" people for TWO reasons. 1. Look, there is no steel topper on the track. It's just wood. 2. The first time the Beast ever went on a test run it was only ONE car and not a full train. Less weight, more friction, = less speed.
WOW! Can’t believe there were not 5,000,000 wrist bands next to the lift hill lol
Wow so much has changed! Back then where that other track at 0:56 there was no noise but last year there was but this year I went and the noise was gonna again!! It’s cool to see that there was no trees back then rlly at all and there are bigger trees where the older trees are firing and that there are tunnels too. They upgraded of how much they worked the incline so the train can go faster up it. The upgraded where the train goes faster up to the second hill I noticed too. It’s cool to see how much it’s changed since ‘89 and I was born in ‘03 so it’s been 39 years since it’s been built that’s crazy
When they first did these test runs, you can see the guys on the side of the tracks in the trim brake area and around the back before the second lift hill, plus they had people on the trains because every once in a while the train wouldn’t make it up a hill and everyone on it got off and they would either push it manually or if it was too steep they would winch it up a hill to get it going again and everyone would jump back in once it got rolling.
If they tried that today an OSHA manual would blow up somewhere and the Dept of Agriculture guys would have a stroke!
Look at those drive wheels!!!
I hear a lot of people talk about how “it stinks that they put trims on this” or how “it used to run faster.” This video pretty much proves that a) It always had trims, and b) it absolutely runs faster now.
You’ve got to wonder what they were thinking when they built the baddest roller coaster.
It's weird to think that The Beast came out when my mom and dad were 2 years old
And when Gilda Radner was still alive
wow its so wow i have been on it its epic but in this vid its so so wow
Now it’s 2018! 😀👍🤘🤟🏿
Now it's 2021!
Watch the area around the beginning of the second tunnel to today. Lots of plants have grown!
Of course it appears to be running slower, they hadn't installed the steel on top of the wood track. It's running on wood. Take a closer look. I rode it opening season in 79. It was stained a very deep redwood color and the helix was not enclosed.
Didn't R.L. Stine write a book about this ride? I remember reading something like that from him when I was younger.
YES!
the beast has changed. It it is much more smooth and I for one enjoy it more that other coasters. I know. I went a few days ago.
Ella K no really it's faster.
That has changed a lot there aren’t that my tunnels now
Weird that this coaster used to have a launch lol
How did a video "this" old, get on youtube?
Wow! Today there are more trees surrounding the coaster than in this video which at night makes it more funner and scarier.
And at the very end of the ride what is the coaster to the left?
The ride to the left was actually a water ride called Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal. It was removed after the 2001 season to make way for Tomb Raider: The Ride.
Oh, that's cool! Thanks.
That is the water ride. It was there for many years then got removed to make room for tomb raider.
yes the 4 bench ran for the first season untill they were just beating up the track to much and causing the coaster to not make it into the station. for all the people that say the beast had no trim brakes the first few years are so wrong.you can plainly see the old friction brakes on first drop,the climb up to the second drop, and the mid-corse brake run.ive been riding the beast since day one and honestly it hasnt changed all that much.
The Beast EST. 1979 at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio USA 🇺🇲 Randy West One My Favorite Wooden Coaster in Midwest United States of America.
The double helix has tunnels now
Also no brakes before the helix. This really it really flew. Haha I only know this because of the kings island documentary
Wow, it barely makes it into the final brakes. Was it running with the 4 row PTC cars at this time?
How old is this video the video quality is bad?
They didn't have 8k cameras in 1979. Sorry for the inconvenience.
The best ever
It’s funny 2x speed makes the lift hill look normal speed
Do doods still stand along sides of roller coaster at slow down sections today?
The Beast has obviously been repaired several times, and is soooo much better today. If you compare the speed in this video compared to a present day video, the most recent one is faster and is in my opinion better than when it first opened.
Fun fact: about 80% of the wood used on the beast today is the original that was used in 1979 to build it :)
Footage, HOW?!
Wow. It looks much more boring back then. To be fair, in my opinion, the best part of this ride is going through the woods and this was taken shortly after construction. My mom rode this when it first debuted and she said it was basically the Steel Vengeance of its time. It’s cool how an old coaster can still have a fan base.
The second drop is so rough, like my lord.
What is the deal with the covering over the track around 2:30? Is it just a design element, or does it serve a purpose of some sort? Just curious...
This is going to be kind of a long message but Yes the roof at 2:30 was part of the design because at that time that long straightaway section of track used to be the old blocking section for safety so the trains don’t crash into each other For example in 1979 when the ride was first made the ride would have one train in the station one train going up the first lift and The other train going up the second lift that long section of track with the roof is long and straight on purpose in case back in the day for some reason one of the trains didn’t build enough energy and couldn’t make the second lift and was stuck in the valley. That long section of track had skid breaks going down the entire straightaway so it could stop the train on the tracks there if it needed to be stopped so it wouldn’t hit the train that didn’t make the second lift for some reason. The reason why that straight away is covered with that roof was to keep that long skid break from getting wet from rain. Now a days technology has changed and the ride doesn’t use skid brakes anymore and they have replaced them with more modern trim brakes which breaks a little more abrupt. The skids were gradual. But the new trim brakes are better because they are better on maintenance than the skids were. And since rain does not affect more modern trim breaks at all now that roof technically serves no purpose now. Since they switched to trim brakes there’s a new blocking section on the ride now. Thats why the first lift hill is so slow now for half of the first lift because the other train Has to clear the second lift for safety. So yeah no purpose for the roof now they just decided to keep it up. Happy they did too because it still adds a cool sound element. Hopefully this helped and I answered your question 😊
going there today
I remember no tunnel around helix
we're those side tires on the brake run?
I would love to see this go backwards
At the second lift, when you saw the park it looked empty