The Steel Curtain Debuts At Kennywood

Kennywood’s newest roller coaster is officially open, and hopefully there’s no official out there who will flag us for excessive celebration!

From “Project 412” to what is now known as The Steel Curtain, the coaster debuted to the public on July 13. Holder of three records, including tallest roller coaster (220′) in Pennsylvania, most inversions (9) on any roller coaster in North America, and the highest (197′) inversion on any roller coaster in the world, The Steel Curtain was designed by S&S Sansei Technologies. Coaster101 writers Andrew and Kyle were both on hand for a media preview for the centerpiece of the all-new “Steelers Country at Kennywood” area of the park.

The winners of the “Project 412” Scratch-Off/Word Search Contests were the first riders.

 

Steelers Mascot, Steely McBeam, along with the Kennywood Arrow (and Kenny The Kangaroo – not pictured), were on hand to get the festivities underway.

 

There were several current and former Steelers on hand to take a first ride on The Steel Curtain.

 

Steelers Radio Announcer Bill Hillgrove served as Master of Ceremonies.

 

Kennywood GM Jerome Gibas welcomed guests to the park and Steel Curtain.

President of S&S, Tim Timco was very passionate about the Steel Curtain, as he formerly lived in Pittsburgh. While speaking, a test train raced by overhead.

With some fireworks and fanfare, it was time to ride!

The Steelers’ Drumline, The Steeline, welcomed guests to the attraction.


But what about the ride itself? Kyle and Andrew had a few thoughts!

No Rest For The Weary: The Steel Curtain Looked Amazing, even at 6:00am.

What was your initial reaction to seeing Steel Curtain in person?

Kyle: It was a lot taller than I expected it to look. It was a lot more compact. After visiting Kennywood last year, I felt like Steel Curtain really brought the park up to date. When we got to the park first thing in the morning, you could see the lights on the lift hill, and they were flickering like lanterns. It’s the small details like that Kennywood took the time to add that made the ride that much better. The trains were pretty sweet as well.

There are two trains on The Steel Curtain, one numbered 19, the other 33, signifying the year the Steelers were founded. (1933).

Andrew: As we approached the park first thing in the morning, Steel Curtain just suddenly popped up after coming around a corner. Admittedly, I’m not super familiar with the park’s skyline, having only visited once, but you could tell that Steel Curtain dominated over the park. Once entering the park, I was surprised at how narrow the footprint it occupied. I know the area was formerly a log ride, but Kennywood and S&S managed to cram a lot of track into such a narrow space!

How did you feel after your first ride?

Andrew: Despite having a North American-record 9 inversions, it didn’t feel that way. Often, when getting off a coaster with more than 6 inversions or so, you definitely “feel” like you went through that many inversions. I’m not sure if it was because there were so many in a short period of time, but often, I couldn’t tell which way was up, and it resulted in a much more enjoyable ride for this reason. I was eager to ride again!

Kyle: I was shocked at how smooth it was, and how seamless the transitions were between the many inversions on Steel Curtain. The pacing was really well done, and I immediately wanted to get back in line to ride again.

What did you think of the theming of Steel Curtain?

Kyle: I am a Steelers fan, so I was obviously a bit partial to the theme of The Steel Curtain. From the trains, to the color scheme, I thought everything tied together really well.

 

Andrew: My two main hobbies are theme parks and sports, so seeing the first tie in with an American professional sports franchise at an amusement park was awesome to witness. I can’t wait for the finished product of the entire Steelers Country, complete with the Steelers Experience and Restaurant to tie the entire area together! I will say this — the merchandise in the post-coaster gift shop was fantastic. There was a great selection of not only ride merchandise, but Steelers-specific merchandise as well!

197′ high first inversion on The Steel Curtain

What was your favorite element on The Steel Curtain?

Kyle: Oh man. There are so many to choose from. The first drop and tallest inversion in the world. You’re already so high up, so the view is great. The transition from the inversion into the drop pulls you down and really sets the overall pace for the ride.

Andrew: I really liked the dive loop over the water. It was a great moment of positive g-force, especially before heading into that half-roll underneath the airtime hill. But I agree with Kyle, there are a lot of great elements on this ride, and they all blend together pretty seamlessly.

And though not specifically a “coaster element,” I loved the inclusion of Steelers radio announcers Bill Hillgrove and Tunch Ilkin, who provided the queue-line safety audio and in-station announcements, both pre- and post-ride.

What was something that really surprised you about the ride?

Kyle: I don’t want to repeat myself, but I was surprised at how smooth The Steel Curtain was. I wasn’t expecting it to be rough, but with all of the tight turns and inversions, I thought the transitions might have rattled us a bit more. I was really surprised at how well everything blended together. It’s actually hard to differentiate between elements!

Andrew: I really liked the trains, and I know they’ve been seen before, but it surprised me that for a nine-inversion coaster, all that was needed was a seatbelt and lap bar. The restraints were fairly accommodating for larger guests, which definitely made for a more inclusive ride experience for everyone.

Final Verdict?

Kyle: Steel Curtain is the perfect fit for Kennywood. The park is known for their unique and non-traditional coasters, and this one fits right in alongside legendary wooden coasters like Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt, and quirky favorites like Exterminator. They’ve filled in the one coaster gap that the park was missing, and did it in a way that screams “Kennywood” and “Pittsburgh.” The partnership with the Steelers organization was the ideal move for this park to continue to bring in visitors, by uniting two of the three biggest brands in the area, Kennywood and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Andrew: To use a football metaphor, I think Kennywood has a touchdown, two point conversion, AND a recovered onside kick with a chance to win the game on their hands with The Steel Curtain. It’s a great tie-in with one of the most recognizable brands in Pittsburgh with the Steelers, and even if you’re not a Steelers fan, if you enjoy roller coasters at all, you will enjoy The Steel Curtain. It’s a great job by S&S, and as they re-enter the United States market with “larger” coasters after a multi-year hiatus, it was a fantastic example of what the company can do!


Watch Kyle and Andrew take a ride on The Steel Curtain Below!

(Andrew here: I know you can’t hear what I’m saying. We weren’t mic’d up, but just in case the camera picked up audio, I wanted to talk a little bit!)

Curious about what it looks like from a forward facing angle? We’ve got you covered there as well! Thanks to Kennywood for providing us this video!


Thanks to Kennywood for having us out! The Steel Curtain is now open at Kennywood! It’s definitely worth the trip!

For more information on Kennywood and the Steel Curtain, be sure to visit the park’s website, and follow them on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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