From Mean Streak to Steel Vengeance: A timeline of Cedar Point's newest roller coaster
We break down the nearly two-year journey it took to bring Steel Vengeance to life at Cedar Point.
SANDUSKY, Ohio -- It has been a long time coming. Now the moment is finally here...
Steel Vengeance has come to life at Cedar Point.
Rising from the footprint of the former Mean Streak roller coaster, Steel Vengeance is an all-new record-breaking ride that combines wood and steel to create a much smoother experience.
The journey began nearly two years ago with the news that Mean Streak was going away forever, and that's where we begin this in-depth timeline...
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Mean Streak 'gets the axe'
Cedar Point reveals plans to dismantle its rickety roller coaster
AUGUST 1, 2016
Cedar Point tweets “Goodbye, pard’ner” video to announce Mean Streak would be getting “the axe.”
Goodbye, pard'ner. pic.twitter.com/94ucD8RgJl
Forget what Mean Streak was like? Here's a refresher:
PHOTOS | Mean Streak at Cedar Point
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SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
WKYC interviews park spokesperson Tony Clark about what will happen to Mean Streak's wood as the ride is dismantled. “We’re taking it down. We’re not gonna really give it to anybody. We’re not going to sell it. We’re not gonna auction it. It’s gotta go. If that changes and we want to build some special chairs or furniture and sell it in the park, we’ll let people know, but I don’t think there’s big plans for that wood.”
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SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
After 25 years and 26 million rides, Mean Streak unleashes its final screams during opening night of HalloWeekends. A “funeral” was held to bid farewell to the coaster, which is given a grave in the park’s annual Halloween “dead rides” cemetery. Super fan Mean Streak Henry says goodbye to his favorite coaster after taking more than 16,000 rides throughout the years.
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Coaster mystery unfolds
Cedar Point teases fans as the new ride rises
FEBRUARY 25, 2017
Park visitors get their first glimpse of construction at the Mean Streak coaster during Cedar Point’s annual Winter Chill Out charity fundraiser. No cameras were allowed as guests got closer to the construction site.
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MARCH 14, 2017
A Twitter account dubbed @NewMeanStreak makes its debut on social media giving never-before-seen close-up photos of the coaster construction. Although the author of the tweets is still a mystery to this day, many coaster enthusiasts speculated Clark was behind the hints -- especially considering his name's initials were randomly capitalized in this tweet:
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APRIL 1, 2017
First video tease is released with the following message: “They’re coming.”
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MAY 5, 2017
WKYC covers Cedar Point’s opening weekend throughout the morning show with a closer look at the construction site at Mean Streak. “When we do finally get to talk about it, and my bosses say we can, you will find out every little detail about how we’re making FrontierTown a better place to be here at Cedar Point,” Clark tells us.
PHOTOS | Mean Streak transformation underway at Cedar Point
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JUNE 2, 2017
Second video tease is released with the following message: “They’re wild and unruly.”
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JUNE 21, 2017
WKYC gets another one-on-one interview with Clark to discuss the progress being made with the Mean Streak overhaul. "Without saying too much, I am extremely pumped about what we’re doing in the park. I think our guests will be pumped as well because our 150th is also coming up in a couple of years with a big celebration. We’re gonna really knock it out of the park.”
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JULY 5, 2017
Cedar Fair, which is the parent company of Cedar Point, files a trademark on the name “Railblazer.” Coaster fans speculate this is a likely name for the Mean Streak rebirth, but the name was ultimately given to an RMC roller coaster at California's Great America park. It’s also on this day that the third video tease is released declaring “They’re rollin’ in like thunder.”
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JULY 18, 2017
Cedar Point offers WKYC and other members of the media a tour of the coaster’s construction site. It also marked the first time park officials confirmed the yet-to-be-revealed ride would debut in May 2018.
PHOTOS | Cedar Point tour of Mean Streak re-construction site
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JULY 24, 2017
WKYC’s Ryan Haidet receives a package in the mail from Cedar Point containing an invitation to the “FrontierTown Hootenanny.” The celebration scheduled for “high noon” promised live music, dancing and the ride’s big 2018 announcement. Contained in the invitation were four oversized playing cards -- three of which are “WANTED” signs featuring the silhouettes of three characters named Blackjack, Chess and Digger.
AUGUST 7, 2017
The fourth #TheyreComing video teaser is released with the following message: “8/16. They stake their claim.”
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Steel Vengeance is born
Record-breaking roller coaster finally revealed
AUGUST 16, 2017
The secrets are revealed as details of the coaster are unveiled during a special "Hootenanny" in FrontierTown.
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SEPTEMBER 27, 2017
Cedar Point confirms that construction on Steel Vengeance is 95 percent complete. “There’s just the initial drop and the top part of the lift to finish," Clark says.
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FEBRUARY 24, 2018
WKYC is given a tour of the construction site for an up-close view of Steel Vengeance. The ride's main sign is still being put into place. Still, none of the ride's roller coaster trains have arrived.
PHOTOS | Steel Vengeance construction tour at Cedar Point
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It's alive!
Steel Vengeance is unleashed
MARCH 19, 2018
The park shares a brief video clip for the first time that shows what it looks like from the ride’s front seat as the coaster train plummets down its 90-degree first drop.
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APRIL 6, 2018
WKYC's Ryan Haidet is asked to be among the first to ride Steel Vengeance. The media invitation features a deck of cards with the three Steel Vengeance characters: Digger, Chess and Blackjack.
APRIL 14, 2018
Steel Vengeance welcomes its first riders at Cedar Point -- and video of the entire roller coaster experience has finally been unleashed! In the new footage, Cedar Point's Vice President / General Manager, Jason McClure, climbs aboard Steel Vengeance with park spokesperson Tony Clark.
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APRIL 16, 2018
Clark tweets out two images showing off the Steel Vengeance ride signs.
APRIL 18, 2018
Cedar Point releases the first official commercial for Steel Vengeance. The 30-second animated spot showcases a dusty FrontierTown surrounded during a steamy sunset.
APRIL 21, 2018
A change is made regarding the ride's minimum height requirement. After running tests, park officials determined all riders must be at least 52" tall to ride, which is 4" taller than originally announced.
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APRIL 25, 2018
WKYC rides Steel Vengeance live on TV for the first time at 6:40 a.m.
See photos of Steel Vegeance in action:
MAY 5, 2018
Cedar Point opens for the 2018 season, which means the general public gets their first chance to ride.
Steel Vengeance fast facts
From world records to stunning stats
NEW WORLD RECORDS
- Tallest hybrid roller coaster (205 feet)
- Fastest hybrid roller coaster (74 mph)
- Longest hybrid roller coaster (5,740 feet)
- Steepest drop on a hybrid roller coaster (90 degrees)
- Longest drop on a hybrid roller coaster (200 feet)
- Most inversions on a hybrid coaster (4)
- Fastest airtime hill on a hybrid coaster (73 mph)
- Most airtime on a hybrid coaster (27.2 seconds)
- Most airtime on any roller coaster (27.2 seconds)
- World’s first hyper-hybrid roller coaster
STEEL VENGEANCE RIDE STATS
- Ride time: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
- Maximum speed: 74 mph
- Capacity: 1,200 riders per hour
- Model: Hyper-hybrid (Wood-steel coaster higher than 200 feet)
- Lift hill height: 205 feet
- Angle of first drop: 90 degrees
- Vertical drop height: 200 feet
- Total track length: 5,740 feet
- Ride: Three, 24-passenger trains named after ‘Wanted’ characters “Blackjack,” “Digger” and “Wild One”
- Restraints: Lap bar with redundant safety belt