The Comet (Six Flags Great Escape)
| The Comet | |
|---|---|
Station and lift hill of The Comet | |
| Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor | |
| Location | Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor |
| Park section | Fest Area |
| Coordinates | 43°21′4.91″N 73°41′6.23″W / 43.3513639°N 73.6850639°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1948 (Crystal Beach Park); June 25, 1994 (relocation to Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor) |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters |
| Designer | Herbert Paul Schmeck |
| Model | Wooden coaster |
| Track layout | Double out and back |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 95 ft (29 m) |
| Drop | 87 ft (27 m) |
| Length | 4,197 ft (1,279 m) |
| Speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Duration | 2:00 |
| Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 4 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 24 riders per train. |
Fast Lane available | |
| The Comet at RCDB | |
The Comet is a hybrid wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor in Queensbury, New York, United States.
The roller coaster originally operated at Crystal Beach Park, where it was built from parts of the Crystal Beach Cyclone. It opened in 1948, and operated there until 1989. The coaster was relocated and reopened at Six Flags Great Escape in 1994.
History
The coaster began its existence at Crystal Beach Park in Fort Erie, Ontario as a ride known as Cyclone, which opened in 1927. It closed in 1946, and its metal support structure was reused in the creation of a new coaster, which would come to be known as The Comet when it opened in 1948. When the park closed in 1989, Charles Wood, owner of The Great Escape Fun Park and Fantasy Island, successfully bid for the ride. It sat in storage for a few years at Fantasy Island before making its way to The Great Escape Fun Park, where it reopened in 1994. The ride was reconstructed by Martin & Vleminckx.[1][2]
On September 8, 2009, American Coaster Enthusiasts named The Comet a Coaster Landmark.[3]
Ride experience
The ride is 95 feet (29 m) tall and has a first drop of 87 feet (27 m). It is 4,197 feet (1,279 m) long and reaches a top speed of 55 mph (89 km/h).
The coaster operates two trains, one red and one blue, each capable of carrying 24 riders in four cars of three rows seating two across. There is a minimum height requirement of 48 inches (1.2 m) to ride.
Awards
| Year | 1998 | 1999 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 4[4] | 5[5] | ||||||||
| Year | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Ranking | 10[6] | 9[7] | 12[8] | 14[9] | 12[10] | 20[11] | 22[12] | 19[13] | 29[14] | 29[15] |
| Year | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Ranking | 17[16] | 19[17] | 20[18] | 16[19] | 18[20] | 24[21] | 25 (tie)[22] | 32[23] | 32[24] | 19[25] |
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
| Ranking | N/A | 20[26] | 23[27] | 25[28] | 27[29] | 28[30] |
References
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Comet (Crystal Beach)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ Marden, Duane. "Comet (Great Escape)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
- ^ "The Comet named a Roller Coaster Landmark". The Business Review. September 8, 2009. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
- ^ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 1998. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 1999. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 25 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 10–11B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 22–23B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 30–31B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 42–43. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 42–43. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 38–39. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 38–39. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2014 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 38–39. September 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2015 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 45–46. September 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2016 top 50 wooden roller coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2017 Top 50 Wooden Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2018 Top 50 Wooden Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2019 Top Wood". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2021 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2022 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2023 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Amusement Today. 27 (6.2): 71–72. September 2023. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2024 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2024. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
- ^ "2025 Golden Ticket Award Winners". Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today. September 2025. Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved September 12, 2017.