Today Tony Clark, Interactive Marketing Manger for Cedar Point and the main Blogger for The OnPoint!, said that…

I’ve announced my departure from America’s Roller Coast to pursue another life adventure. Not an easy decision, but I’m excited at the opportunities ahead.

This is a very sad day here in the Cedar Point community.  We at CP Guide hope that he finds another job just as fun as his job at Cedar Point.  So, as a small gift for his departure, we have posted every picture that we have taken of him over the past few years!

This picture is very special to use because if you are a true reader of the OnPoint! you will remember this.  I sent this to Tony and he surprised me by posting this!  Thanks Tony, this was a wonderful surprise back in the Fall of 2008!

Full Gallery of Tony Photos

Cedar Point has announced that it will introduce WindSeeker, a 30-story-tall swing ride to the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort for next summer. WindSeeker will tower above everything around its location on the beach, rising almost as high as the Millennium Force roller coaster’s giant first hill.

In the early 1900s, the Cedar Point Beach was a hub of activity as families played in the sand or frolicked in the lake. One of its most popular attractions was the Sea Swings that would dip riders into the cool waters of Lake Erie as it spun in a circular motion.

Now 100 years later, Cedar Point will add a 21st century version of that thrilling ride to the park for next summer.

The new WindSeeker will be a 301-foot-tall tower that will spin riders nearly 30 stories above the Lake Erie shoreline. Seated in two-person swings that will allow their feet to dangle, riders will slowly begin rotating in a circular motion as the swings ascend the tower. At the top, the swings will be reaching speeds between 25-30 mph, flaring out almost 45 degrees from the tower. WindSeeker will be able to accommodate 64 riders (32 swings) at one time.

“Spinning almost 300 feet above Lake Erie and the Cedar Point Beach will be a very exciting ride experience for our guests,” said John Hildebrandt, the vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. “Day or night, WindSeeker will provide riders with dramatic views of the park and the Cedar Point Peninsula. It will be an extremely popular addition to Cedar Point.”

WindSeeker will be positioned near the present location of the Ocean Motion swinging boat ride and will extend the park’s midway onto the Cedar Point Beach. At the end of the season, Ocean Motion, built in 1981, will be dismantled. It is currently available for sale.

In comparison to other Cedar Point rides, WindSeeker will climb nearly two stories higher than the cabin on the park’s Space Spiral observation ride and is only a few feet shorter than the first hill on Millennium Force. Another swing ride, the Wave Swinger that opened in Frontiertown in 1979, is 31 feet tall and has a top speed of approximately 9 mph.

The ride is manufactured by Mondial, a 23-year-old Dutch-based company. WindSeeker will cost approximately $5 million to build. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall and will be secured with individual over-the-head lap bars with interlocking seat belt.

Overall, Cedar Point will add more than $6 million in capital improvements to the park for 2011.

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio—Cedar Point guests will have the opportunity to see the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales on Sunday, Aug. 29 when the eight-horse team will visit the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort.

This will be the third consecutive year the Clydesdales have appeared at Cedar Point.

Highlighting the day will be a parade along the park’s Main Midway beginning at 2 p.m.  The Clydesdale will travel along the midway from the Sky Ride to the front of the park before ending at the Wicked Twister roller coaster.  The Clydesdales will also be on display near the Wicked Twister from 1:30-2 p.m. and 2:30-3 p.m.  During this time, guests will be able to see the eight-horse team harnessed for the parade and placed into position.

These beautiful horses stand six feet tall at the shoulder and weigh between 1,800-2,300 pounds! The horses wear horseshoes that are more than 20 inches long and weigh approximately five pounds.  Each day, the Clydesdales consume 20-25 quarts of whole grains, vitamins and minerals as well as 50-60 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water.

A dalmatian rides on the coach next to the driver as part of a tradition of being a companion to the horses.

Clydesdales are a powerful breed of draft horses, originating in the Clyde Valley of Scotland. They are known for the distinctive feathery hair on the lower parts of their legs above and behind the hooves.

In 1933, August A. Busch Jr. and Adophus Busch III gave a six-horse hitch of champion Clydesdales to their father to commemorate the repeal of Prohibition.  They now serve as mascots for the Budweiser brand and make frequent appearances at special events around the country.

Cedar Point will be open daily through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6.  Operating hours will vary.  The park will reopen on Sunday, Sept. 12 and will be the headquarters for the Revolution3 Triathlon.   The park will also host HalloWeekends 14 on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 17 through Oct. 31.

For more information about Cedar Point and the Budweiser Clydesdales’ visit to the park, please visit cedarpoint.com or call the park’s General Information Line at 419.627.2350.

From toledoBlade.com…

SANDUSKY – Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky had intricate plans to use the social media site Facebook as the place next week to unveil its newest ride for 2011.

But now it appears that an Australian ride manufacturer has revealed it in a patent dispute over its version of a towering thrill ride it calls StarFlyer and a Dutch competitor’s version called Wind Seeker.

Funtime Group of Bundall, Australia, claims it thought it had a deal with Cedar Fair LP to build a 400-foot high StarFlyer ride to debut at Cedar Point in 2011, but now the Sandusky park plans to buy a Wind Seeker from Mondial World of Rides of Terband, the Netherlands.

Both rides feature a large tower that spins up to 50 riders from a center ring that rises high into the air. StarFlyer’s chairs are attached by chains, Wind Seeker’s by poles.

Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services Inc., of Cincinnati, said StarFlyer-type rides cost just more than $2 million each and do not require a large area like a roller coaster.

Funtime, which introduced StarFlyer in 2004 and has a U.S. patent on the design, has threatened legal action if Cedar Point builds a Wind Seeker.

“We’ve spoken with the folks at Cedar Fair and my belief is we’re going to work it out,” said Tony Handal, a lawyer for Cottingham Agencies, the U.S. patent holder on StarFlyer for Funtime Group. “We have a patent and it’s a remarkable ride, newer technology. I couldn’t imagine Cedar Fair wouldn’t respect our rights in this.”

Mr. Handal said Cottingham wants Cedar Fair either to buy a StarFlyer or pay a licensing fee for using technology it claims infringes on its patent.

The attorney said that, while the two ride makers attach their two-seat ride cars differently, Cottingham’s position is there’s “no significant difference” in the two rides.

Officials at Mondial could not be reached for comment.

Cedar Fair spokesman Stacy Frole said the company had no comment on the controversy or statements by Funtime.

“We haven’t announced the ride yet, so there’s nothing to comment about,” she said. The announcement on the ride is to be made Tuesday.

Mr. Handal said Cedar Fair went to Florida this year to view a StarFlyer at Magical Midway amusement park and contacted Funtime about one for Cedar Point. In July, Cedar Fair filed a trademark name application for a new ride called “Stratosoar.”

“[Cedar Fair] did contact us, but then they went with another company that doesn’t own the patent,” Mr. Handal said.

Jeff Putz, a Web site operator for PointBuzz, a Cedar Point fan site, said the patent controversy is now the hot topic among parkgoers.

“There had been a lot of rumors beforehand about what the ride was,” he said. “So far, people are talking more about the controversy than the ride.”

Contact Jon Chavez at:
jchavez@theblade.comor
419-724-6128.

From the Sandusky Register…

SANDUSKY

Sandusky’s fire marshal said the cause of July’s Cedar Point fire may remain undetermined, though he suspects an electrical problem sparked the blaze.

Fire marshal Rudy Ruiz said unless he’s 100 percent certain, he’ll leave the case open until new information or evidence crops up.

The July 6 fire at a service building at Cedar Point caused extensive damage.

Ruiz said there was a storage area above a ballast, a mechanism used to control electrical current. The fire appeared to have started there.

“Ballasts have a tendency to get hot and it could have heated up the storage area,”Ruiz said.

From the Sandusky Register…

SANDUSKY

As Cedar Point begins to shuffle an old ride off stage, a new star is preparing to make its entrance.

The amusement park has put an old ride, the Ocean Motion, up for sale, and begun dropping clues about the new ride it will debut next year.

Offers for Ocean Motion are being taken by Ital International, which sells new and used rides. The ride is identified on Ital’s website as a Huss Pirate Ship, reference No. 1392.

The asking price is $179,000.

“In our industry, this is a very good ride,” said Carlo Guglielmi, founder and chief manager of Ital. “It’s a classic in the business.”

Ocean Motion is in good shape, well made and would cost more than a $1 million as a new ride, he said.

Cedar Point spokesman Robin Innes said Ocean Motion, which dates back to 1981, is less of a drawing card for Cedar Point than newer rides at the park. Reviewers discussing the ride at the ThemePark Critics website note that “short lines” are a major attraction for the ride. A YouTube user who posted a video of the ride labeled it “lackluster” and wrote, “this ride in hardly popular anymore.”

Fans, however, have noted on the internet that the ride is well-landscaped and that the beach location adds to the ride’s ambiance.

Jeff Putz, webmaster for Pointbuzz.com, said a swinging ship ride is “kind of a staple of theme parks everywhere. The fact that they are selling it surprises me.”

It’s also a surprise considering that Cedar Point has made a considerable investment to keep the ride in good shape, Putz said.

Construction markers near the ride have given rise to speculation that the space vacated by Ocean Motion will be used for the new ride.

Cedar Point announced Tuesday that it will reveal its plans for 2011 at 2 p.m. Tuesday. It began posting  clues about the new ride from its Facebook site. Tuesday’s clue linked to lesson plans for teaching students how to make a wind detector.

Over the weekend, the amusement park celebrated getting more than 500,000 Facebook fans by posting a clue about the new ride. The clue is “IEItRmA,” which unscrambles as “airtime.”

That’s not much of a clue, because most of the rides at Cedar Point spend time in the air, Putz said.

He said he’s confident the new ride will not be a roller coaster but will be a thrill ride with broad appeal.

Speculation has been rife at roller coaster websites that the new ride may be a ride resembling the StarFlyer, a ride made in Australia. At Vienna’s Prater Park, the ride has a tower 236 feet tall that spins guests seated in chairs at the end of a chain.

Roller coaster fans at a Dutch website have pointed out that Mondial, a Dutch ride manufacturer, is producing a new ride that resembles the StarFlyer but can operate against stronger winds.

Mondial said early this year that it designed the Wind Seeker ride “following requests from clients who wanted a Star Flyer-style ride they could still operate within normal wind conditions.” The company said then that “negotiations are currently under way to find the first client.”

Ocean Motion facts

• Manufactured by HUSS Park Attractions, Bremen, Germany

• Debuted in 1981 at Cedar Point

• Seats 54 people

• A boat that swings back and forth in the air

• Located next to the beach in the northeast part of the amusement park

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio – In 2000, fears and concerns about Y2K were running rampant across the world.  Closer to home, then Vice President Al Gore and George W. Bush, the governor of Texas, were campaigning for the presidency of the United States.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas was the year’s top grossing movie, and Beverly Hills 90210 aired its final episode.

In May of that year, Cedar Point made history.  The Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort had just introduced the Millennium Force roller coaster.  Standing 310 feet tall and reaching speeds of 93 mph, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world!

Now 10 years and more than 17 million rides later, Cedar Point will commemorate this legendary coaster by hosting the Millennium Force 10th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 21.  Some of the special festivities on that day will include a 10th anniversary ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. and contests for Millennium Force prizes.

One of these contests will be for guests who follow Cedar Point on Twitter and the park’s in-park mobile messaging program.  During the day, several messages will be posted instructing guests on how to win an awesome Cedar Point and Millennium Force prize package.

“From Day One, Millennium Force was an instant hit,” said John Hildebrandt, Cedar Point’s vice president and general manager.  “It is an international icon for Cedar Point and symbolizes the best in roller-coaster-riding.”

Designed and manufactured by Intamin AG of Wollerau, Switzerland, Millennium Force is one of the most popular roller coasters ever built and has repeatedly been selected as the best coaster in the world in polls throughout the decade.

This steel giant towering over Sandusky Bay on Lake Erie was the first roller coaster in history to surpass the 300-foot threshold and to exceed 90 mph.  With a track length of 6,595 feet, Millennium Force is still the longest steel roller coaster in North America.

At a cost of $25 million, Millennium Force is one of the most expensive ride projects in the history of Cedar Point.

To learn more about the Millennium Force 10th Anniversary Celebration or any of the other rides and attractions at Cedar Point, please visit cedarpoint.com or call the park’s General Information Line at 419.627.2350

From the Sandusky Register…

The fate of Cedar Point’s new ride could already be up in the air as a patent war brews between two ride manufacturers.

Brian Mirfin, of Australian ride manufacturer Funtime Group, said the new ride will be the Wind Seeker, made by Dutch-based manufacturer Mondial.

The Wind Seeker, however, is a patent-infringing copy of the StarFlyer — a tower ride the Funtime Group made and owns a patent on, Mirfin said.

Both rides are tower rides that spin riders around as they extend high in the air.

The StarFlyer pulls seats attached to a chain. The Mondial design is similar but uses arms instead of chains.

In its news announcement in early February, Mondial said it came up with the new ride “following requests from clients who wanted a StarFlyer-style ride they could still operate within normal wind conditions.”

“It’s almost like Mondial’s plagiarizing our idea,” said Mirfin, director of the Funtime Group and owner of Cottingham Agencies, which holds the patent for StarFlyer. “It makes us very, very angry.”

Executives at Mondial did not return an e-mail from a reporter seeking comment.

Dick Kinzel, president, chairman and CEO for Cedar Fair, said Wednesday night he had no comment. He repeated that the company plans to make an announcement at 2 p.m. Tuesday about the new ride for 2011.

Mirfin said his company, which has built 22 StarFlyers so far, thought it had a deal to build one for Cedar Point after amusement park executives flew to Orlando, Fla., several months ago to look at a StarFlyer at the Magical Midway.

Mirfin said his company planned to build a StarFlyer for Cedar Point that would be 400 feet tall — even bigger than the StarFlyer at Prater Park in Vienna, which stands 384 feet tall.

Instead, Funtime learned Cedar Point was buying a similar ride from Mondial, Mirfin said

“Now, not only do we not get the contract, now we’ve got to get into litigation,” Mirfin said. “The ones that we’ll be suing will be Cedar Point and not Mondial.”

Funtime’s U.S. patent for StarFlyer — patent No. 7666103 — was granted Feb. 23.

Tony Handal, the Connecticut attorney who filed the patent, said he believes the Mondial ride would be a patent infringement on the StarFlyer.

“It looks pretty much like the same thing to me,” Handal said, adding that he doubts litigation will be necessary.

“I think Cedar Point will not go forward without a license,” Handal said. “They can either do that or they can have the ride built by a licensed company.”

From the Sandusky Register…

SANDUSKY

On Monday, I mentioned speculation that the new Cedar Point ride for 2011 could be the StarFlyer, a tower ride that hoists riders into the air and spins them around.

The StarFlyer, produced by an Australian company, is said to be vulnerable to winds. A roller coaster fan at a Dutch website for coaster buffs points out that a Dutch ride company, Mondial, has a new product, the Wind Seeker, that resembles the StarFlyer but can cope with the big winds generated by being next to a big lake. The ride uses arms instead of chains.

Interestingly, Mondial says it designed the Wind Seeker “following requests from clients who wanted a Star Flyer-style ride they could still operate within normal wind conditions.” As for a customer for the new ride, the Feb. 2 dispatch says vaguely, “Negotiations are currently  under way to find the first client.”

Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but today’s Cedar Point Facebook clue show a picture of a windmill that links to a Web site for making a “wind detector.”

From the Sandusky Register…

SANDUSKY

Our guests for this week’s Between the Lines program included Sandusky City Commissioner Diedre Cole and Cedar Point General Manager John Hildebrandt.

Click on the player below to watch the entire show.

Highlights

• October Saturdays are busiest days of the season.
• Hildebrandt averages 5 to 6 miles of walking in the park each day, 8 to 9 miles on Saturdays.
• Special ticket pricing online allow discounts for guests.
• Hildebrandt confirms next year’s new attraction is a ride, that’s above ground, and it not a water ride.
• “I ride just about every ride [at Cedar Point]. I’m not sure I’m gonna ride this.” -John Hildebrandt
• It (next year’s new ride) will be a unique experience.
• Hildebrandt would not confirm the ride was a roller coaster or that it would change the Cedar Point skyline.
• The park recognizes that they need to invest in employee housing, and they’re working hard to do so.
• The new ride doesn’t include the word “star” in any way.
• Hildebrandt would not confirm that Ocean Motion is for sale.
• Undertaker U is getting replaced by The Asylum for HalloWeekends.
• All new show in the Jack Aldrich theatre for HalloWeekends. John describes the show as a song and dance magic show.
• The park is in discussions with IntaRide over the delay of Shoot the Rapids.
• New ride’s color scheme has been “pretty much” decided.
• Construction will begin this fall on the new ride for 2011.
• New ride will be announced later this month.
• There will probably be a construction webcam for the new ride.

(Highlights list from Point Pixels)

From the Sandusky Register…

SANDUSKY

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a hit at Cedar Point Thursday as fans lined up for autographs and pictures.

Earnhardt attended the park as part of Cedar Point’s third annual Wheels of Thunder campaign, which highlights racing-theme events.

He was also part of the American Red Cross Firelands Chapter’s Ultimate Ride Auction, where winning bidders met Earnhardt Jr., landed a ride in the Goodyear blimp and also got to hop on Top Thrill Dragster without waiting in line.

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio – Now the excitement starts.

Later this month, Cedar Point will announce its expansion plans for next summer on Facebook.  To offer their fans an opportunity to join in the fun, Cedar Point will begin releasing clues on Facebook.

To be among the first to learn about the park’s plans for 2011, Facebook users can “like” the park’s official page at:  www.facebook.com/cedarpoint.

“We have some exciting plans for next summer,” said Clark Culbertson, Cedar Point’s vice president of marketing.  “Our followers on Facebook are among our biggest fans.  We want to reward them for their support and let them have some fun in the process.”

Throughout the year, the park’s Facebook fans receive some special benefits.  These exclusive offers range from discounted tickets to Cedar Point, savings on attractions at North Coast Parasail, located on the Cedar Point Beach, and instant online deal information.  There may also be some additional offerings when the park tops 500,000 Facebook fans.

Since first establishing a Facebook presence in 2008, Cedar Point currently has nearly 490,000 fans.

For more information, visit:  www.facebook.com/cedarpoint.

From Bleacher Report…

In connection to the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide races at Michigan International Speedway, Cedar Point Amusement Park is putting on a group of events, titled “Wheels of Thunder.”

Located in Sandusky, Ohio, Cedar Point will have events spanning from Tuesday, August 10 to Thursday, August 12.

During the three-day run, if you bring an AMPEnergy can, you will receive seven dollars off of a regular, one-day adult ticket.

Once in the park, Michigan International Speedway will have a display near Dodgem. The display will include driver memorabilia, a cut-away show car, two racing simulators and a Dale Earnhardt, Jr. show car. The experience is open 10 a.m – 6 p.m. (Tuesday and Wednesday) and 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the deal will be sweetened as ARCA’s most recent winners Joey Coulter and Robb Brent, plus Berlin runner-up Patrick Sheltra, will be signing autographs from 12-1 p.m. They will also have Brent’s ARCA on display for viewing.

Then on Thursday to close the three-day event, NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be there.

First, he’ll stop by the Point Pavilion shortly after 5 p.m. for an all-you-can-eat meal, which you can purchase tickets to ($47.70, including admission to park) through Cedar Point’s website. During the meal, you can win autographed prizes, race-used Goodyear tires, stand-up displays, and more.

Following the meal, Earnhardt Jr. will make an appearance at the WildCat Mindway just before 5:30 p.m. Also, if you submit a question by the registration table next to the stage, you could win autographed prizes, tickets to the CARFAX 400 race on Sunday, pit passes, and more.

The last part of the three-day festival includes the Goodyear Blimp. The Goodyear Blimp will be there and if you’re spotted around the park showing your love for Goodyear, you could win one of five spots to ride the blimp, plus meet Dale Earnhardt Jr. afterwards.

For more information, check out Cedar Point’s official website:

http://www.cedarpoint.com/.

From wkyc.com…

SANDUSKY — No, LeBron James and Miley Cyrus weren’t at Cedar Point together but both paid a visit to the amusement park in the last three days and we have the photos to show you.

Cyrus took a break from work and enjoyed some fun with friends on the Millennium Force roller coaster on Saturday afternoon.

Cyrus is currently filming her latest movie, “LOL: Laughing Out Loud.”

On Monday, LeBron James seemed content at first to keep his feet on the ground as he strolled through the park, eating a frozen lemonade cup and sharing it with one of his sons.

Then he took to the air later in the day, riding the Raptor with pals from Akron, including Dru Joyce.

From the Sandusky Register…

Sandusky

Miley Cyrus rides the Millennium Force at Cedar Point on Friday.