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Cyclone Racer may return to Long Beach

Forty-five years after its shutdown, the Cyclone Racer roller coaster may return to Long Beach.

The Long Beach City Council voted in early October to investigate the feasibility of reconstructing and opening the historic ride to the community, citing income possibilities and increased foot traffic as reasons for looking into its reconstruction.

The city is investigating specifications of the proposal, including where the new coaster — which will be built with private funds — would be constructed, according to , 5th District Council Member Gerrie Schipske.

The Cyclone Racer, originally the centerpiece of the seaside amusement zone off of Pine Avenue known as the Pike, was closed in 1968 after its lease expired and commercial business was expanding in the area, according to Larry Osterhoudt, the project’s designer.

The return of the wooden roller coaster would usher in new tourism for Long Beach and provide a classic, seaside amusement for the city’s community, including Cal State Long Beach students, Schipske said.

“The Cyclone Racer brought visitors from all over the country and was called the ‘King of Coasters,'” Schipske said.

Schipske said she placed the item on the City Council’s agenda after seeing the coaster’s proposal. She said she believes that current and coming generations will appreciate the ride because the new version will be built to the exact specifications of the original model, preserving its features.

“The designer has faithfully reconstructed the original masterpiece,” Schipske said. “It has two parallel tracks that weave in and out, crossing paths so that the two trains literally race each other to the finish.”

Osterhoudt said he used aerial-view photographs of the original ride and analysis of a saved car from the coaster to reverse engineer the blueprints for the new coaster.

“[The Cyclone Racer] is a complete departure from anything out there,” Osterhoudt said. “It’s an incredible, one-of-a-kind design that is a masterpiece of engineering.”

Osterhoudt said that mapping out plans for the new coaster took nearly 17 years. He said that the project is finally moving forward with the support of private investors.

Schipske said two of the proposal’s attractive aspects are the coaster’s potential to draw tourism back to Long Beach and the fact that city funds will not be spent on the project.

Students like Diana Trinh, a senior health science major, said she thinks that bringing the coaster back would bolster Long Beach’s reputation as a travel destination.

“I’ve lived in Long Beach all my life, and the only ride we have really is the Ferris wheel,” Trinh said. “I feel like this [roller coaster] would bring a lot more traffic to Long Beach in general.”

Osterhoudt said he would like to build the coaster on the water in the area next to the Queen Mary. Another possible location, he said, is near Shoreline Drive.

“Shoreline Village seems really dead lately,” said Mary MacIntyre, a senior drawing and painting major. “The most interesting thing there is the hat store.”

MacIntyre said she thinks that bringing the Cyclone Coaster back to the Pike would revive the area and bring an energy similar to that of the Santa Monica Pier.

According to Osterhoudt, restoring the historic Long Beach attraction for younger generations, such as CSULB students, to enjoy is one of the project’s main goals.

“If it was popular then, it can be popular now,” Charlene Rivera, a senior health science major said. “It would help bridge generation gaps and bring the community together in appreciation.”

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