Thrill-seekers will get a bird’s-eye view of Coney Island next summer — at speeds of up to 60-miles-per-hour — when Central Amusement opens a new ride that combines the thrills of bungee jumping with the thrills of, well, skydiving.
The new Skycoaster will swing harnessed riders through the air on cables stretched between two roughly 110-foot-tall towers, sending riders at the breakneck speed back and forth in a pendulum motion. The ride lasts roughly five minutes.
A spokesman for Central Amusement did not say how much each thrill will cost, but said that the Skycoaster will join a brooklyndaily.com/stories/2011/44/bn_coneygokarts_2011_11_04_bk.html“>new go-kart track inside of the Speed Zone, an amusement park a stone’s throw from the Boardwalk that’s scheduled to open next April.
Central Amusement promised to bring new, state-of-the-art rides to the historic amusement district after being tapped by the city to revitalize the heart of Coney Island in 2009.
In 2010, the company opened Luna Park, the first new amusement park to open in the People’s Playground in almost 50 years. Central Amusement also opened Scream Zone, another amusement park, this spring, drawing praised from city officials who backed the Bloomberg Administration’s vision for a “new” Coney Island.
“Coney’s best days as America’s Playground for the 21st century are yet to come,” said Borough President Markowitz.
So far the parks have been a hit: approximately 640,000 people visited them this summer, taking more than 2 million rides, according to the city, which leased the land to Central Amusement in a 10-year deal.
But the company’s effort to remake the Boardwalk has gone less smoothly.
Central Amusement grabbed headlines last month when several longtime Boardwalk businesses — including Cha Cha’s bar and Beer Island — were evicted to make way for upscale eateries.
Reach reporter Daniel Bush at dbush@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-8310. Follow him at twitter.com/dan_bush.
