The Racer Roller Coaster Kings Island

Our daVideo video camera glasses are perfect for recording video on The Racer Roller Coaster at Kings Island Amusement Park. Snap photos and record HD 1080p video in 60fps with all your friends and family. Our most advanced video recording glasses just released are the daVideo Rikor. The daVideo Rikor record video in 60fps and are compatible with 128GB storage!

The Racer roller coaster is a wooden, racing roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed by the legendary John C. Allen, The Racer roller coaster made its public debut at the park’s grand opening in 1972. It was thrust into the national spotlight after being featured in an episode of the popular TV sitcom The Brady Bunch in 1973 and is often recognized for playing a vital role in the roller coaster renaissance of the 1970s. The Racer inspired similar designs in other roller coasters, such as Racer 75 (formerly Rebel Yell) at Kings Dominion and Thunder Road at Carowinds. The Racer is also one of the few original Kings Island attractions still in operation today.

History

Following a very successful decade, the first major era of roller coasters in the United States would come to an end in the 1930s as the economy struggled during the Great Depression. Although new roller coasters were still being built, the demand wouldn’t be the same for decades to come. By the 1960s, the industry was at an all-time low. Traditional amusement park rides, such as carousels, mill chutes, and even wooden roller coasters were losing popularity with newer generations. This led president of Philadelphia Toboggan Company and well-known coaster designer, John C. Allen, to decide in 1968 that it was time to retire. Allen was one of the last remaining designers with experience from the first golden age of roller coasters having studied under legendary designer Herbert Schmeck.

The Wachs’ family owned and operated Cincinnati’s Coney Island before selling to Taft Broadcasting in 1969, but they remained in control of park operations and made many decisions during the construction of Kings Island. Determined to recapture some of Coney Island’s traditional themes at the new park, Gary Wachs and his father met Allen in 1970 at an IAAPA convention in Chicago. They convinced Allen to officially come out of retirement and design a roller coaster that would be as popular as Shooting Star at Coney Island, but also unique at the same time.

ACE plaque located near entrance

The Racer roller coaster opened officially to the public at Kings Island’s grand opening on May 27, 1972. It is located in Coney Mall, a section of the park originally known as Coney Island. The roller coaster appeared on national television in 1973, when it was featured in an episode of The Brady Bunch called “The Cincinnati Kids”. The ride ignited interest in roller coasters following decades of decline, and the attention it received eventually led to a revival of the industry around the world, typically referred to as the industry’s second golden age.

Both sides of the track raced forward until May 28, 1982, when the trains on one side of the track were reversed to ride backwards. The Racer became the first racing roller coaster in the world to do so. It is thought that this move was to accommodate guests who were frustrated over the frequent closure of The Bat, a recently added attraction. Though only intended for the remainder of the 1982 operating season, the change lasted twenty-six years due to its popularity. It wasn’t until 2008 that Cedar Fair restored The Racer to its original form by changing the right track to ride forward again. In addition, each side was assigned a color—red and blue—with the red trains on the right and the blue trains on the left.

On June 18, 2007, The Racer roller coaster was awarded the Coaster Landmark Award by the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE). A plaque for the award is on display near the ride’s entrance.

Design

The Racer roller coaster is an out and back roller coaster design featuring two identical tracks that run parallel to each other. The design allows for two trains to race in similar fashion from start to finish. A unique design element that wasn’t prevalent in 1972 was the splitting apart of both tracks into separate, standalone structures that rejoin again near the end. Previously, racing roller coasters were typically designed with both tracks remaining side-by-side throughout the entire course of the ride.

Trivia

The Racer roller coaster is one of four wooden roller coasters within the park. The other three are The Beast, Woodstock Express, and Mystic Timbers.

Don Helbig (born 1962 in Cincinnati, Ohio) holds several park records including the number of times riding The Racer roller coaster, which in 2008 was nearly 12,000.

There is another wooden roller coaster known as Racer located at Kennywood amusement park in Pennsylvania.

Kings Island Amusement Park

Banshee – The Bat – Delirium – Drop Tower: Scream Zone – Invertigo – Xtreme Skyflyer – Backlot Stunt Coaster – The Racer – Vortex – WindSeeker – Firehawk – Flight of Fear – Boo Blasters on Boo Hill – Eiffel Tower – Adventure Express – SlingShot – Flying Ace Aerial Chase – Woodstock Express – Diamondback – Kings Island & Miami Valley Railroad – Mystic Timbers – The Beast

Record Video on Racer Roller Coaster

Our HD quality daVideo Rikor 1080p camera sunglasses have a unique tiltable camera lens that can be adjusted 12° downward and 10° upward. The water resistant frame is made of a super lightweight & flexible Grilamid TR90 material, shaped to fit different head sizes. Our ANSI Z87.1 standard, UV400, interchangeable quality lenses are 2.2mm thick and are designed to handle extreme sports. Adjustable comfortable nose pads allow a custom fit to meet the needs of all different shaped faces.

The daVideo Rikor 1080p camera sunglasses record at 1080 @ 30fps or 720 @ 60fps perfect for recording The Racer roller coaster. The 110° wide angle Sony low light sensor lens captures high speed action in your videos. The dual channel AAC2 true stereo microphones capture crisp clear audio, with noise reduction. Built-in WIFI allows you to connect your daVideo Rikor glasses to our free iOS/Android mobile app and change settings or share your videos with friends.

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daVideo Rikor Features

HD 1080P / 720P

daVideo Rikor HD video camera sunglasses record 1080P @ 30fps or 720 @ 60fps. Capture perfect (POV) point of view video on Racer roller coaster.

TILTABLE LENS

Tilt the camera lens 12° upword or 10° downward to capture the perfect shot.

WIFI / APP

The daVideo Rikor 1080p camera sunglasses can output a wifi signal. Wirelessly connect it to any iOS/Android device using our free mobile app.

IMPACT RESISTANT

Thick 2.2mm lenses for your video camera glasses. Reinforced frame & impact resistant.

PHOTOS

Our advanced video camera glasses have a built in high quality 12MP camera. Snap photos while riding The Racer roller coaster at over 50mph.

Take still photos with one easy click. Take one picture at a time or take a burst shot of 3 or even 5 photos at a time!

VIDEO

Compressing format: H.264
Resolution: 1920 x 1080p @ 30fps and 1280 x 720P @ 60fps
Ratio Image: 16:9

VIBRATION NOTIFICATIONS

Video camera sunglasses notify you with vibrating notifications and LED lights. Perfect for hands free operation while enjoying your favorite activity.

EXPANDABLE MEMORY

Add up to 128gb memory to your video camera sunglasses. This means you can store up to 30,500 12MP photos!

LOW TEMPERATURE BATTERY

480mAh high capacity lithium polymer battery can handle extreme temperatures between -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) to 131 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius) Takes about 1-2 hours to fully charge battery.

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