Diamondback coaster debuts at Kings Island

The Diamondback roller coaster was put through its paces this past Friday for a few lucky - and deep pocketed - individuals.

As was previously reported on Lifthill, Kings Island auctioned off several tickets (a "minimum" of 96 tickets was the released figure) for the roller coaster's inaugural run. By April 15, 256 of those bidders were awarded their seats, totaling $102,000 in collected funds. All proceeds of the auction went to A Kid Again, a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing fun outings for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

All-in-all, critics have been raving over the experience. Middletown Journal writes about a man, Rex Meade, who stayed up for 40 hours after meeting with unkind weather and almost missing his chance to be one of the first to ride. Through the exhaustion, Meade still rates Diamondback on his top 5 list of greatest coasters of all time.

“I want to ride it again if the line ever shrinks,” Meade told Middletown Journal. “But I want to ride the Beast too. That’s still a great ride.”

Derek Potter over at Theme Park Insider also made it to the opening. "The first thing that caught my eye about Diamondback is the way that it's draped across the midway in Rivertown," says Potter. He notes that the coaster's track passes over the main walkway twice, giving passersby a good sense of its height and speed.

It seems the seats in the new train design are more elevated than you see in many roller coasters. The seats are at such a height that most feet will not touch the floor. This, coupled with the lack of walls on the trains, gives the ride a feeling openness that adds to the tension.

Potter enjoyed the ride, stating pretty much everyone else there did, too. "As for me, I was more than amazed. The best comparison I can make is this: It's Apollo's Chariot on steroids. It's taller, faster, steeper, has more airtime, and the train adds an X-factor that sets it apart from its peers."

One of the most enthusiastic attendees at the Diamondback debut has to be Allan Hague, a dairy farmer from Yantis, Texas. Hague bid $4,700 for three seats on the new roller coaster; one for each his wife and father-in-law, who sat at the back, and one front-row seat for himself which he netted for a cool $3,100.

“You only get to be first once,” Hague told Middletown Journal. “People ask me why I wanted to do this, and I say ‘Why Not?’”

When asked after riding how he felt about spending that much money for the roller coaster's opening, Hague had only three words: "Worth every penny."