The Beast (roller coaster)

The Beast is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Built in-house, it opened in 1979 as the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. The Beast remains the longest wooden coaster at and spans more than, utilizing the surrounding terrain for many of its elements. Two lift hills contribute to the ride's duration of more than four minutes, which also ranks as one of the longest among roller coasters.The Beast has been consistently rated one of the top roller coasters in the world since its debut, having earned a solid reputation among roller coaster enthusiasts. After more than 35 years, it remains one of the most popular attractions at Kings Island and has accommodated over 50 million riders – third-most at the park.HistoryKings Island originally had plans to build a replica of the iconic Shooting Star, a roller coaster which once stood at Coney Island in Cincinnati. Charles Dinn – director of the Kings Island's construction, maintenance and engineering division – recorded measurements of the Shooting Star's layout and dimensions prior to its demolition in 1971. A site near The Racer at Kings Island was also chosen as the location where the replica would be built. Park officials later determined that it was in their best interest to shelve the idea, which would later be resurrected as Mighty Canadian Minebuster at Canada's Wonderland. Instead, they wanted to design a better roller coaster that would transcend nostalgia and appeal to a wider audience.