Diamondback (Kings Island) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diamondback
Kings Island
Location	Kings Island
Park section	Rivertown
Coordinates	39°20′31.51″N 84°16′02.64″W / 39.3420861°N 84.2674000°W / 39.3420861; -84.2674000
Status	Operating
Opening date	April 18, 2009
Cost	$22 million
General statistics
Manufacturer	Bolliger & Mabillard
Model	Hyper Coaster
Track layout	Out and back
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	230 ft (70 m)
Drop	215 ft (66 m)
Length	5,282 ft (1,610 m)
Speed	80 mph (130 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	3:00
Max vertical angle	74°
Capacity	1,620 riders per hour
G-force	4.2
Height restriction	54 in (137 cm)
Trains	3 trains with 8 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 32 riders per train.
Restraints	Lap Bar
Fast Lane available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Diamondback at RCDB

Diamondback is a super exciting steel roller coaster at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. It was built by a company called Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). This ride opened in 2009.

Diamondback was special because it was the first hypercoaster to have a cool splashdown effect. It was also the first B&M roller coaster at Kings Island. You can find it in the Rivertown area of the park.

When it was built, Diamondback was the biggest money spent on a ride at Kings Island, costing $22 million! It has a 230-foot (70 m) tall lift hill. The first drop is 215-foot (66 m) and you can reach speeds of 80 mph (130 km/h).

History of Diamondback

Diamondback being built

Building Diamondback started on October 11, 2007. First, a tree was removed. Then, Swan Lake was emptied and filled with concrete. This area became the spot for the splashdown!

Kings Island started hinting about the new ride in July 2008. They put up signs saying things like "Ride Sally ride." Diamondback was officially announced on August 6, 2008. It was the biggest new ride investment for the park at that time.

The tallest part of the ride, the 230 foot (70 m) lift hill, was finished on October 30. The very last piece of track was put in place on January 26, 2009. After that, they started testing the ride to make sure it was safe. Diamondback officially opened to everyone on April 18, 2009.

In July 2009, one million people had ridden Diamondback! By July 2014, ten million people had enjoyed the ride.

First Riders Auction

On February 3, 2009, Kings Island held an auction. People could bid to be among the very first riders on Diamondback! Winners received a special ticket and a gift. All the money raised from the auction went to A Kid Again, a non-profit group. This group helps children with serious illnesses.

The auction raised an amazing $102,000! The first 256 seats on the ride were auctioned off. On average, people paid $398 for one seat.

What it's like to Ride

The Ride's Path

When your train leaves the station, it starts climbing the 230 foot (70 m) chain lift hill. Once you reach the very top, get ready! The coaster drops 215 feet (66 m) at a steep 74 degrees. You'll zoom over the Rivertown area, reaching speeds up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h).

Next, the train curves right and goes up a 193 foot (59 m) hill. Then it dives into a ravine and curves left. You'll go up another hill, a 131 foot (40 m) "camelback" hill, which gives you a feeling of floating. After that, you drop and curve left into a special turn called a hammerhead turn.

After the hammerhead, you go up a 129 foot (39 m) hill. Then, the train turns down into a big, spinning helix. This is where the on-ride photo camera is! After that, you go through a short brake section. The train then drops into a ravine again, goes over two small "bunny hop" hills, and enters a final spinning helix.

Finally, the train goes over the Rivertown area one more time. It then drops into the exciting splashdown finale! This helps slow the train down before it goes up a small hill into the final brake run. After braking, the train makes a U-turn and returns to the station. One ride on Diamondback lasts about 3 minutes.

The Splashdown

A train splashing down

Diamondback was the first hyper coaster to have a splashdown effect. There are special scoops on the back of the last car of each train. As the train passes through the water, these scoops send water flying up to 50 ft (15 m) high!

Even though it looks like a huge splash, riders usually don't get very wet. The splashdown is mostly for a cool visual effect. It also helps to slow the train down. The splashdown is located where an old boat pond used to be.

The Trains

Diamondback uses three trains. They are open-air and have stadium-style seating. This means the back seats are a bit higher than the front ones, so everyone can see! Each car holds four riders. Two front seats are near the middle, and two back seats are closer to the sides, making a "V" shape.

The front of each train has a cool yellow and orange snake head with long fangs. Inside, the trains are black, red, and orange. Riders are held in place by a single T-shaped lap bar. Each of the three trains has a different fin color: green, red, or brown. The scoops for the splashdown are under the back of the last car on each train.

In 2018, the original red seats on the trains were changed to new black ones.

The Track

The back half of the ride in the woods

The steel track for Diamondback is 5,282 feet (1,610 m) long. The lift hill is about 230 feet (70 m) tall. The track is bright red, and the supports that hold it up are a tan color. For the first few years, the supports on the lift hill and second hill were painted yellow. The track was made in Ohio by a company called Clermont Steel Fabricators.

Awards for Diamondback

Diamondback won an award for "Best New Attraction in 2009" from the National Amusement Park Historical Association. It was also ranked second in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards for the best new ride of 2009.

• Diamondback (Kings Island) at the Roller Coaster DataBase