Rolling out a welcome
Ride enthusiasts gather at Kennywood for largest-ever Coaster Con
On Friday morning, roller coaster enthusiasts from around the world had Kennywood all to themselves, forgoing long lines to ride their favorite coasters again and again. A few lucky contest winners were even allowed to walk up the lift hill of Phantom’s Revenge, a towering steel coaster with a 232foot drop.
The West Mifflin amusement park was the last leg of the 44th Coaster Con, an annual convention run by American Coaster Enthusiasts. The convention drew a record 869 attendees from 38 states and four countries.
The weeklong convention began Sunday at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, and ended with two days at Kennywood, Thursday and Friday. This year was the fifth time that Kennywood has hosted Coaster Con; it’s the only park to achieve that honor.
“Kennywood’s really a true destination for roller coaster enthusiasts,” said Bill Linkenheimer, who has been an ACE member since 1980 and now is its regional representative and national social media manager. “It may not have the most coasters, but the quality of coasters and their uniqueness make Kennywood special.”
Kennywood is known for its unique collection of wooden roller coasters, some a century old. It is also the only park in the world that is home to three ACE Roller Coaster Landmarks, all of them wooden coasters — the Jack-Rabbit, Racer and Thunderbolt.
David Campbell, a Seattle native who has attended four or five Coaster Cons, particularly enjoyed Kennywood’s old roller coasters, including their bumpy rides.
“Sometimes you feel like they are going to fall apart, which is kind of fun,” he said.
Eric Renninger, of Harrisburg, is always looking for coasters with lots of “ejector airtime,” a term which refers to “that feeling like you’re going to fly out.”
He praised both Phantom’s Revenge and Jack-Rabbit for providing thrills in the airtime department.
Mr. Renninger attended the convention with his older sister, Karla Renninger, who introduced him to roller coasters when he was a child, and ever since, it’s been a bonding activity that transcends their 15-year age gap.
“That’s pretty much the main time we spend together aside from holiday meals. We go on coaster trips together,” he said.
It was his first time at Kennywood, and he was impressed. “Most of the coasters here are great for junkies because there’s so many classics and one-of-a-kind rides that are still here.”
Benjamin Densmore and Justin Longwell, two friends from Oberlin, Ohio, said their first Coaster Con exceeded their expectations. Mr. Longwell praised the convention’s “amazing hospitality and management.” He said Kennywood’s coasters had interesting designs that provided panoramic views they had never seen before.
Jay Trembulak, from New Jersey, attended the convention along with his twin daughters, Laney and Johanna. Mr. Trembulak discovered roller coasters in his early 20s, when he used them to get over his fear of heights.
“I wanted to ride one and try and get through the heights, and the next thing you know, I’m addicted,” he said.
He’s been coming to Coaster Con for about 30 years, and has made his passion a family affair.
“They were born into it,” he said, gesturing toward his daughters. “So they’ve been riding anything they can since as soon as they were tall enough.”
The Trembulaks gave rave reviews to the Steel Curtain, a newer coaster that holds the North American record for most inversions. Laney and Johanna checked off an important milestone with that ride: their 200th roller coaster.
Their father said: “I lost track of mine a long time ago.”
For roller coaster novices, Mr. Linkenheimer recommended starting with the Jack-Rabbit, which has a lower minimum height requirement and doesn’t have inversions. Yet the 100-yearold coaster still provides enough thrills through a series of unexpected drops.
“That’s where every kid gets their first ride,” he said.