The Beast at Kings Island getting track refurbishment this winter

The world’s longest wooden roller coaster, The Beast at Kings Island, is getting a major track refurbishment this winter — 2,000 feet of track, that is.

the beast
Images via Kings Island

The Gravity Group, which installed 600 feet of its new engineered precut track on the park’s Racer roller coaster last winter, will breathe new life into The Beast’s first drop and through the first tunnel, and turn toward the second drop and 540-degree helix tunnel, while Kings Island’s carpenters are retracting approximately 1,090 feet of track in other sections along the 7,359-foot course.

The first drop will change from 45 degrees to 53 degree, though this isn’t to add more thrills or speed; rather, this change will come in lower in the tunnel to provide the proper parabolic arcs due to reprofiling of the track in that section of the ride. This change, along with The Gravity Group’s vertical track design, will deliver a smooth transition through the tunnel and on to the second drop.

The Beast’s helix crossover will get a redesign and installation of new bents, as well. With the update, the forces through the structure will be more evenly distributed to the foundation, and the rigidity of each bent will be more consistent — resulting in a smoother ride experience for guests.

The original design of The Beast had the upper and lower track in the helix on top of each other. To simplify the geometry of the crossover, the lower bents will be upper bents until the tunnel.

the beast

This track refurbishment originally began on Nov. 1, 2021, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2022.

To learn more about The Beast and Kings Island’s other roller coasters and attractions, head to VisitKingsIsland.com.

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