This Thursday, August 16, 2018 is National Roller Coaster Day and Maritime Fun Group is celebrating by inviting Islanders to take advantage of the Exhibition Week Specials that week to enter both parks and ride the roller coasters!
National Roller Coaster Week is held every year on August 16th and is celebrated by major amusement parks, including Busch Gardens and Six Flags. The date August 16 was proclaimed to be National Roller Coaster Day because the first patent for a wooden roller coaster was given on August 16, 1872.
“Roller coasters are the original thrill ride,” says Matthew Jelley, president of Maritime Fun Group. “The Cyclone is one of the most popular rides at Sandspit, and the Buccaneer Bay Bullet rollercoaster has been an incredible addition to Shining Waters.”
The Cyclone at Sandspit is the largest roller coaster in Atlantic Canada. The Cyclone is a 54-meter coaster designed by Anton Schwarzkopf. It is 1,509 feet in length, 37.5 feet high, and includes two corkscrew turns with a 40-foot drop, and riders have to be over 48” tall to ride it.
The Buccaneer Bay Bullet at Shining Waters Family Fun Park was installed in 2015. It is a train model in bright yellow, 1,181 feet in length, 26 feet high and with a 24-foot drop. The coaster ride itself is an exhilarating trip around Buccaneer Bay overlooking the Route 6.
This is the second year Maritime Fun Group has celebrated National Roller Coaster Day by encouraging coaster enthusiasts to ride 10 rides on either roller coaster at Sandspit or Shining Waters and enter to win prizes.
