When thinking about the roller coasters at Carowinds’ roller coasters, your mind likely first thinks of the “new kids on the block,” Copperhead Strike and Fury 325. However, did you know that Carowinds is home to a true “Coaster Classic?” 2020 marks the 40th birthday for the park’s iconic Arrow looping coaster, Carolina Cyclone.
To celebrate the coaster’s 40th birthday, here are 40 facts about the Carolina Cyclone.
1- Carolina Cyclone’s opening date was Saturday, March 22, 1980, kicking off Carowinds’ eighth season of operation.
2- The coaster’s station is located at 35°06’15.0″N 80°56’37.0″W.
3- The coaster was built at a cost of $2,000,000 in 1980, which is equivalent to $6,237,233.01 today, adjusted for inflation.
4- Carolina Cyclone is one of only ten roller coasters that opened in 1980 that is still in operation today. Only five are located in the United States!
5- Carolina Cyclone was the 46th of 98 roller coasters built by now-defunct ride manufacturer Arrow Dynamics.
6- The coaster marked the third attraction from Arrow Dynamics at Carowinds, following the Carolina Gold Rusher Roller Coaster and now-defunct Powder Keg Log Flume.
7- Carolina Cyclone is the 22nd oldest Arrow Dynamics coaster still in operation today. The oldest? Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland, which opened in 1959.
8- The coaster was designed by legendary coaster designer Ron Toomer, whose design credits include Corkscrew, Gemini and Magnum-XL 200 at Cedar Point, and the now defunct Vortex and The Bat at Kings Island, and Orient Express at Worlds of Fun.
9- When it opened, Carolina Cyclone was the first coaster in the world to have four inversions, surpassing Corkscrew at Cedar Point (the first roller coaster with three inversions.)
10- The four inversions are back-to-back vertical loops, followed shortly by back-to-back corkscrews (three of the four inversions are pictured below.)
11- Carolina Cyclone held the distinction as the only coaster with four inversions for less than two weeks. Orient Express at Worlds of Fun opened on April 4, 1980, 13 days after the opening of Carolina Cyclone, and also had four inversions (including interlocking loops.)
12- Carolina Cyclone was the fifth roller coaster to be built at Carowinds, following Carolina Gold Rusher (1973), Woodstock Express (Then known as Scooby-Doo) (1975), Thunder Road (1976) and White Lightning (1977).
13- Carolina Cyclone opened in an area of the park called Frontier Outpost. The Frontier Outpost area was renamed Blue Ridge Junction in 1982 and later re-themed and re-named Carolina Boardwalk in 2002.
14- When it opened in 1980, Carolina Cyclone featured a bright red paint job with dark blackish-grey supports. It later featured a teal-ish track with dark blue supports, and a dark blue paint job with dark grey supports before obtaining its current multi-colored paint job in 2010.
photo: CarowindsEarlyYears.com
photo: CarowindsEarlyYears.com
15- In 1980, when Carolina Cyclone opened, daily admission for Carowinds was $8.95 (and they even had $2 off coupons in the Charlotte Observer!) A season pass cost $29.95.
16- Carowinds was closed on all Fridays during the opening year of Carolina Cyclone in 1980, save for one: July 4.
17- In Carowinds’ 1980 brochure, an image of Cedar Point’s Corkscrew was actually used to highlight/announce the addition of the new Carolina Cyclone.
18- Carolina Cyclone features two-28 passenger trains with seven cars of four seats each, 14 rows of two passengers. Like the coaster itself, the trains have undergone multiple color changes over the years. Currently, one train is yellow, and the other train is purple.
19- For the 2020 season, Carolina Cyclone will debut new trains, featuring components from Kings Island’s recently closed Vortex.
20- Like many other Arrow-designed coasters and trains, the guide wheels of Carolina Cyclone ride on the inside of the track. Many modern coasters’ guide wheels are located on the outside of the rails.
21- The coaster is supported by 103 tons of steel.
22- The peak of the coaster measures in at just under 100’ tall, standing at 95’ high, good for sixth tallest roller coaster at Carowinds.
23- The first drop of Carolina Cyclone is 65’ tall at a 53-degree angle.
24- Carolina Cyclone reaches a top speed of 41 mph, making it the ninth fastest roller coaster at Carowinds.
25- The ride cycle clocks in at approximately 90 seconds, making it one of the shortest coasters in duration at the park.
26- The coaster features 2,100 feet of track, and is the 8th longest coaster at Carowinds.
27- The maximum positive g-force of Carolina Cyclone is 3.5, meaning that at its most forceful, riders will feel 3.5x the force of gravity.
28- The two vertical loops are identical, taking riders from “right-to-left,” and are 85’ tall at their peak.
29- The loops aren’t actually fully circular, and are instead described as “clothoid” – resembling an upside-down tear drop. The clothoid shape results in less intense G-forces throughout the loop for Carolina Cyclone’s riders.
photo: reddit.com
30- The coaster concludes with a 540-degree upward-sloping helix that travels through a trench in the ground.
31- This helix used to be enclosed in a tunnel, however, is now in the open, with supports for the ride creating a “head chopper” effect.
32- Original plans called for an identical coaster to Carolina Cyclone to be built at Canada’s Wonderland. While the coasters did not end up being identical, Dragon Fyre, an Arrow Looper which opened at Canada’s Wonderland in 1981, features back-to-back loops and a double corkscrew, as well as a helix finale.
33- A roller coaster with an identical layout, Python, opened at Efteling in the Netherlands in 1981. While Vekoma is the manufacturer of Python, Arrow is also listed as taking part in the design.
34- Following his 1984 Concert at Carowinds’ Paladium, “Weird” Al Yankovic insisted that Carolina Cyclone (and Thunder Road) be kept open after park close as part of his artist rider. According to former Carowinds entertainment manager Mike Hamrick, Yankovic started with a ride in the front seat, then switched to the back seat the next time around.
35- Cyclone is the only roller coaster at Carowinds where guests can walk directly under two inversions (both corkscrews).
36- Carolina Cyclone is located entirely in North Carolina and doesn’t cross the state line. As such, it is subject to inspection by North Carolina state officials.
37- The coaster features a maintenance area below the station. A coaster train is lowered into the maintenance bay off of the transfer track between the final brake run and the station.
38- During the 2019 season, Carolina Cyclone gave 453,956 rides.
39- If you add the cumulative distance traveled by riders on Carolina Cyclone in 2019, it would circle the globe more than seven times.
40- In its 40 years, Carolina Cyclone has given 3,687,884 rides, larger than the 2019 estimated population of Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota and South Dakota, COMBINED.
You can take a virtual ride on the coaster below, or wait until March 21, when Carowinds opens for the season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLi7sG7uyFs
For more information, be sure to visit Carowinds’ website, and follow the park on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
We ranked Carolina Cyclone as the first coaster for “Thrill Seekers” (and the 6th coaster in the progression) in our article ranking Carowinds Coasters, from Tame to Thrilling. What are your thoughts on this classic coaster?
Are we sure it is the first coaster with four inversions? Demon at Marriott’s Great America California also opened in March 1980. Just dont know if it was earlier in the month…which it could have been.