ACE SOAR

Where:
Kings Island (International Restaurant)
6300 Kings Island Drive • Mason, Ohio 45040

When:
Saturday February 7, 2009

Cost:
$10.00 per ACE members, $12.00 per guest

Dinner:
LaRosa’s Pizza, Breadsticks, Salad, Drinks

Schedule (subject to change):
4:30 Check-in
5:00 Park tour, including Diamondback (late arrivals will not be allowed to join the tour)
6:00 Dinner
6:30 Speakers

Speakers (subject to change):
Mike Graham (CoasterDynamix, Gravity Group), Tony Clark (Cedar Point), Don Helbig (Kings Island), Jim Loch (Columbus Zoo), Bill Balfour (Entertrainment Junction) and special member presentations.

Important:
Pre-registration only, absolutely no on site! No refunds.
Registration must be post marked by January 31.

Download the flyer and send in your registration now!

From all of us in the Southern Ohio Region ACE staff, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Lots of good coaster stuff coming in 09! Stay Tuned!

The poll is closed, and the results are in - from the top best reason to the bottom best reason…

• Beast/Diamondback Tour
  15 - 58% of all votes
• Diner - Speakers
  3 - 12% of all votes
• Dead Awakenings
  3 - 12% of all votes
• Front of Line Haunt Passes
  2 - 8% of all votes
• Racer and Flight of Fear ERT
  1 - 4% of all votes
• Lights on tours of Haunts
  1 - 4% of all votes
• Diner - Skyline
  1 - 4% of all votes

Total Votes: 26

The Amusement Industry News + Notes blog had a nice article on our local track manufacturer.

When you ride a coaster designed by Bolliger and Mabillard, do you ever wonder how the track is made? Or do you think it just magically appears in the staging area to be assembled? One track builder B & M use is located in southwestern Ohio. Here is an inside look for News Plus Notes readers about this fascinating process. Our tour guide for today is Ken Miller, the General Manager of the plant. He has spent his entire career at the facility, starting by sweeping the floors. He took us through the over 152,000 square foot steel fabricating facility.

Read the complete article:http://newsplusnotes.blogspot.com/2008/12/scott-carol-present.html

Not content keeping busy with designing new coasters, our friends have added to their repertoire.

Excerpt from the press release (http://thegravitygroup.com/gravitycast/timberliner/):

Cincinnati, Ohio —- The engineers at The Gravity Group started with a blank sheet of paper and ended up with the next generation of trains for wooden roller coasters.

“Timberliners incorporate new technology - such as magnetic braking and restraint monitoring - that wasn’t even imagined when wooden coaster cars were first developed,” says Michael Graham, lead engineer for the project. “When it comes to wooden coasters, The Gravity Group has more experience designing rides than anyone. We’ve applied that expertise in designing trains that addresses every facet of roller coaster performance and function - from maintenance and safety to rider enjoyment and capacity.”

Timberliners are designed to be compatible with existing wooden coasters, allowing a park to upgrade their roller coasters with Timberliner trains.

Key features of the trains include:
• Single-bench design
• Shock absorption and ergonomic styling
• Unparalleled ability to smoothly navigate the track for decreased train & track maintenance
• Innovative restraint system for unsurpassed safety and security
• Restraints designed for higher throughput
• ASTM F2291 Class 5 restraint with integrated monitoring
• On-board sound system capable
• Magnetic braking capable