The Beast Has Paved The Way

The Beast has paved the way for both famously successful and infamously unsuccessful roller coasters. No one could forget the failed sequel, Son of Beast. This coaster was probably ahead of its time, and if it had been signed by a company like Rocky Mountain Construction just a few years later, it may have been successful However, Son of Beast was littered with issues throughout its life.

It was the first wooden coaster to feature a vertical loop, and many claimed it may have been the only decent part of the entire coaster. It closed less than 10 years after opening.

Following the construction and success of The Beast, the director of construction for Kings Island, Charles Dinn who oversaw the construction of The Beast went on to start his own company, Dinn Corporation. The company began by relocating wooden roller coasters. Eventually, Dinn Corporation would begin building its own coasters.

The coasters included infamous wooden behemoths like Texas Giant and Mean Streak. Both coasters would go on to become extremely popular hybrid coaters when redesigned by Rocky Mountain Construction into New Texas Giant and Steel Vengeance. Yeah, you can thank The Beast for Steel Vengeance which is argued to be one of the best (if not THE best) roller coasters in the world.

Additionally, Charles Dinn’s children would go on to form another famous, and now defunct, coaster manufacturing company following the closure of Dinn Corporation in 1991. They would form Custom Coasters International. The company would go bankrupt in 2002 but would lead to the formation of Great Coasters International and The Gravity Group. So, why are we throwing all these coaster manufacturers at you in an article about The Beast?

Well, these companies would not have come to fruition if it wasn’t for Charles Dinn and his works on The Beast, and these companies are responsible for many great wooden coasters. The Raven and The Voyage at Holiday World, Gold Striker at California’s Great America, and Mystic Timbers at Kings Island are all incredible wooden coasters that came from these groups. They are coasters we wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for The Beast.

The Beast leaves a legacy much larger than its world records or continued popularity among guests. The impressive design and construction of the massive coaster make it one of the most remarkable roller coasters in the world. The Beast’s creation has paved the way for other extraordinary coasters that we love today.

Finally, The Beast is not a coaster that was designed and left the same for the last 40 years. Kings Island is constantly working to maintain and improve the rideability of this coaster, and therefore it stands to reason that The Beast will be around for a very long time.