A-Z Coaster of the Week: Kentucky Rumbler

In May 2006, Beech Bend, a small, unassuming park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, made the leap onto the coaster scene with the debut of Kentucky Rumbler, a twisted Great Coasters International (GCI) wooden coaster.

kentucky-rumbler

Kentucky Rumbler stands 96 feet tall and features an 80-foot drop, reaching a top speed of 47 mph. The 2,827-foot layout features three station fly-by elements, a then record-setting 30 track crossovers and 12 airtime moments.

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© Beech Bend (L), GCI (R)

The coaster’s single “Millennium Flyer” train seats 24 riders.

kentucky-rumbler-3Beech Bend invested $4.6 million to construct Kentucky Rumbler. And that investment did not go unnoticed. The coaster was voted the “5th-Best New Ride of 2006” in the Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards.

The park turned to the public when deciding the wooden coaster’s name. Through a naming contest (which received entries from across the globe), Derek Sailors from South Carolina submitted the winning “Kentucky Rumbler” name.

Have you ridden Kentucky Rumbler at Beech Bend? Share your thoughts about the coaster in the comments section below.

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