The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

$3,100 for roller coaster ride ‘worth every penny’

H1N1 flu suspected in Preble County officer’s death, sheriff says
11:18 a.m.
Top Middies playmaker thrilled to reach playoffs
3:04 a.m.
Franklin police chief spent time at Fort Hood
11/7/09
Coroner confirms identities of three men killed in arson
11/7/09
Middletown police chief has Moeller ties, Middie passion
11/7/09
> More headlines

By Justin McClelland, Staff Writer 10:12 AM Saturday, April 18, 2009

MASON — For Rex Meade, the real thrills came in just trying to get to the roller coaster.

The Denver-based web site designer had bid $404 for two seats on the inaugural running of Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster in a charity auction. But a late-season blizzard trapped Meade at a Denver airport, causing him to nearly miss his chance at history. Miraculously, Meade’s plane arrived in Dayton at 3:30 a.m., in time for the 8 a.m. running of the Diamondback.

“I haven’t slept in 40 hours,” Meade said. “I’m going to hit the park for a while and then crash.”

Meade was one of 256 bidders who paid a combined total of $102,000 for their shot to ride the Diamondback today, April 18, in a special debut ride before the Diamondback was officially opened to the public. The money raised in the on-line auction benefitted A Kid Again, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing fun-filled outings and ongoing support to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Several corporate bidders, including California-based gift card maker Blackhawk Network, who was the top bidder with $5,000 for a single seat, also donated their seats to children involved with the organization.

Jeff Damron, spokesman for A Kid Again, said it was the single largest gift ever made to the organization.

“To be able to come here and ride the Diamondback is a dream come true for a lot of these kids,” Damron said. “One of the best ways to fight an illness is positive thinking. For a lot of children and their parents, today was something to look forward to and motivate themselves for.”

Allan Hague, a dairy farmer from Yantis, Texas, bid $4,700 for three seats, including $3,100 to ensure he rode in the very front. His wife and father-in-law joined him towards the back. The Haugues actually stopped at an amusement park in Branson, Miss., on their two day drive as a warm up.

“You only get to be first once,” Hague said. “People ask me why I wanted to do this, and I say ‘Why Not?’”

Cheers erupted as the first cars pulled away from the station early Saturday. Some non-riding relatives turned their heads away as the cars ascended the initial 215 foot hill. Three minutes later, the first riders emerged, triumphant.

“Worth every penny,” Yantis said.

Meade immediately put the coaster in his top five of all time.

“I want to ride it again if the line ever shrinks,” Meade said. “But I want to ride the Beast too. That’s still a great ride.”

The Diamondback is the largest roller coaster in Kings Island’s history. The $22 million roller coaster travels at speeds of 80 mph over 5,282 feet with ten hills and a splash down water feature.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4544 or jmcclelland@coxohio.com.

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

$3,100 to ride a roller coaster first and be in the front. Congratulations, my friend, you are a moron. I'll take the 2-3 hour wait over a $3,100 price tag.

Mike
10:27 AM, 4/20/2009

REPORT ABUSE

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.