Diamondback

Since The Racer's debut in 1972, Kings Island amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio has been known for world-class thrills and some of the most intense roller coasters on the planet. Included in this list is The Beast (America's longest roller coaster), Vortex (first six-inversion roller coaster), Flight of Fear (first LIM-launch roller coaster), and Son of Beast (world's tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster). 2009 has raised the park's number of roller coasters to fifteen with the addition of Kings Island's tallest, fastest, and meanest ride ever- Diamondback.

Located in the park's "Rivertown" themed area, Diamondback lifts its riders above the old mining town's pathways and out into the woods, sending them for a thrilling ride down drops, around turns, and even into a splash-down ending. Prior to all this excitement, riders must board one of three snake-themed trains and begin the slow climb up the 230-foot lift-hill.

The lift-hill alone has transformed Kings Island's once-bland skyline into a picturesque view filled with a collection of roller coasters, thrill rides, and the famous 1/3-scale Eiffel Tower. Visible from all around the park, Diamondback's (silent!) lift-hill has already became one of the first things to pop to mind when you hear the name "Kings Island".

The lift-hill is only a minor part of the ride, however. It is quickly forgotten as soon as the front car begins to crawl over the ride's highest point and down the 215-foot drop.

The drop, to describe it in only a single word, is breathtaking. The train gathers more and more speed with every additional second it spends blazing down the track. When it reaches the bottom, twenty-one stories below, riders are a blur traveling at 80 mph. If this wasn't already enough thrill, the ride only continues with more action-packed goodness.

With more than enough speed, the train soars over the ride's second hill, offering the guests onboard "airtime"- the Holy Grail of coaster enthusiasts.

Ejected from their seats, guests feel weightless as the train continues downwards and into a deep ravine. High speeds and intense g's continue to attack the guests as they swing around a turn and towards more intense elements that lie back in the woods, out-of-view of most Kings Island guests.

Passengers rush through a second airtime hill before entering into one of the ride's signature elements- the hammerhead turn.

Thrown to their sides, riders are the victims of high lateral-g's as the train whisks around the sharp turn and towards the opposite direction. An intense and thrilling moment, the hammerhead turn is the perfect candidate for Diamondback's turn-around.

Over yet another airtime hill and around a long turn, the train reaches the ride's midcourse-brake-run, perched high above the ground below.

Barely losing any speed, the train skims over the brakes and down a steep drop, tossing riders upwards. This continues for the next few small hills, each offering the train's passengers pops of airtime.

Airtime is the greatest gift that Diamondback has to offer, continually thrusting us out of our seats and towards the Heavens. The only thing holding us down, forbidding us from leaving the train mid-ride, is a simple lap-restraint, shaped perfectly to allow for a comfortable experience during the full time.

The attraction nearing its completion, the train spins through one final helix, placed near the Rivertown midway, directly next to The Crypt.

This simple element is a tad unneccessary- it offers very few g's and only twirls the riders around in a circle. Its placement is also responsible for The Crypt's tiny entrance-area, resulting in crowded weekend days for those leaving and entering The Crypt.

The ride comes to an end as the train makes one last dive downwards and splashes through a pool of clear water, tossing massive waves into the air.

Like the simple helix directly before, the splash-down is an unneccesary element that only acts as an exciting visual treat for non-riders. Riders sitting in the very back of the train may disagree however- both of these two passengers can stretch their arms back and feel the fury of these waves, a thrilling extra.

As the train leaves the splash-down, the wave of water falls back into the pool and the ride comes to a close as the brakes bring the passengers to a stop. After a moment of sitting peacefully, the train slowly returns to the station, where riders unload and are next shuffled through a Diamondback gift-shop, offering a collection of Diamondback and The Beast themed merchandise, including tee-shirts, snowglobes, and more.

Diamondback's addition has forever changed Kings Island. Rivertown was once a peaceful area, the only thrill rides hidden out of view behind trees or inside a building. Diamondback has destroyed the calmness of the area, altering pathways and killing the silence. The bright yellow supports that rain down onto Rivertown's midway also clash with the rustic colors of older buildings and attractions. The ride is a beautiful one, but it doesn't match with its setting.

Although its presence may have destroyed much of a themed area and cleared a small forest, the ride remains a positive addition to the park. Diamondback is currently the park's tallest (230-feet), fastest (80-mph), and steepest (72-degrees) roller coaster at Kings Island. It is also the longest steel roller coaster at the 37-year-old amusement park (5,282-feet). Despite the fact that Diamondback doesn't contain any loops or much themeing, it has already ranked as one fo the world's best roller coasters on CoasterFanatics.com, a website for roller coaster and theme park enthusiasts. It's insane layout, abundance of airtime, and unique offering makes it worthy of this ranking.

Overall Rating-
9.9/10