Cedar Point's newest roller coaster will be a record-breaker. The Sandusky, Ohio theme park announced plans Monday to build the GateKeeper, which will be the world's longest winged coaster.
It will also go into the record books for having the longest drop of its type -- 164 feet.
Winged coasters feature pairs of riders sitting on either side of a track with nothing above or below them, simulating the feeling of flight. GateKeeper is set to debut next May for the park's 2013 season. It's the first roller coaster Cedar Point has built since the Maverick in 2007.
The attraction will feature drops, loops, a 360 degree spiral and a move called the Zero-G-Roll which will take riders through two support towers located near the park's entrance.
"GateKeeper will forever change the landscape of the Cedar Point Peninsula, as the track will dramatically fly above the main entrance to the park, passing over arriving guests with rolling flyover maneuvers," stated a press release for the new ride.
The attraction has been specially designed for Cedar Point by Bolliger & Mabillard, a Switzerland-based company known for making winged coasters. Its 4,164 foot tubular steel track will carry passengers at speeds reaching up to 67 miles per hour. The ride will last approximately 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
The GateKeeper's three 32-passenger trains will be able to handle about 1,710 riders per hour.