Giveaway: National Roller Coaster Day 2020

Happy National Roller Coaster Day! While this has been a different year for coaster rides and theme park visits, we won’t let that dampen our roller coaster celebration.

Keep reading to see how you can enter to win some Coaster101 apparel!

The unofficial National Roller Coaster Day holiday dates back to the 1980s.

Loop the Loop at Coney Island

While its origins are disputed, many believe the August 16th date commemorates the vertical coaster loop being patented by Edwin Prescott on August 16, 1898. That design for a vertical loop was used on the dual-tracked Loop the Loop coaster, which operated from 1901 until 1910 at Coney Island.

Flip Flap Railway, however, was the first looping coaster in North America, opening in 1895 at the nearby Sea Lion Park on Coney Island.

Loop the Loop improved on Flip Flap’s design with a more elliptical loop shape, and its train featured rubber wheels.

By the Numbers: American Roller Coasters in 2020

In the United States, there are currently:

• 767 operating or existing roller coasters (many are temporarily closed due to COVID-19)
• 374 operating or existing parks
• 652 steel coasters
• 115 wooden coasters

National Roller Coaster Day 2020 Giveaway

To celebrate National Roller Coaster Day, we’re giving one lucky reader a C101 shopping spree at our online store. To enter, leave a comment below with your top-3 favorite coasters (they can be wooden, steel or a mix of both) by Monday, Aug. 17 at 11:59 CT.

The winner will pick one shirt and one face mask featuring one of our many designs.

UPDATE: Congrats to Brandon D. for winning the giveaway!

Giveaway Rules

• One entry per person
• You must include your email address with your comment
• Enter by Monday, Aug. 17 at 11:59 CT
• The selected winner will have 24 hours to respond to our notification email
• We cannot guarantee the availability of international shipping

Good luck, and enjoy the unofficial coaster holiday!

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