Take the Plunge

You’re strapped into a floorless car with 23 other thrill-seekers. Your heart is racing as you inch slowly toward the sky. The car suddenly halts at a peak that’s more than 200 feet high. You dangle there for a few seconds and then plunge to the ground at a sharp 90 degrees.

That’s what it’s like to ride Valravn, the newest addition to Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Valravn will break a whopping 10 world records when it opens this month, becoming the tallest, fastest, and longest dive coaster in the world.

“A dive coaster gives its riders the opportunity to dive straight down to Earth,” says Tony Clark, Cedar Point’s director of communications. “The main feature is the holding brake at the top of the hill.” This device creates the nerve-racking pause at the peak.

After the dive, riders are rushed through quick turns, dropped again  down a 131-foot dive, and flipped upside down three times!

You must be 52 inches tall to ride Valravn, but those who are too short (or too scared) can experience the ride through virtual reality. The Valravn Virtual Reality Viewer will give a first-hand, 3-D experience from the safety of solid ground.

Clark thinks those who do brave Valravn will be hooked. “It’s the type of coaster you’ll want to ride over and over again!” he says.