82-Year-Old Pittsburgh Man To Ride 95-Year-Old Roller Coaster 95 Consecutive Times
WEST MIFFLIN, PA (PRWEB) May 18, 2015 -- One of the world's oldest roller coasters will celebrate a landmark anniversary in style--with the help of its biggest fan.
Kennywood Park's Jack Rabbit, a wooden coaster built in 1920 by legendary designer John Miller, marks 95 years of thrilling riders this season. To celebrate the birthday of the fifth-oldest roller coaster in the world, Kennywood fanatic Vic Kleman will embark on 95 consecutive rides of the Jack Rabbit on Sunday, May 24. Kleman's marathon ride will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. and is expected to take 6-8 hours to complete.
Kleman, a native of Pittsburgh, minutes from Kennywood, has kept track of how many times he's flown down the Jack Rabbit's famed 'double-dip' hill since his first ride in 1959. If he can master the Jack Rabbit for 95 consecutive rides on May 24, he will break the 5,000-ride barrier, surely the only person to ride that many times.
"The thrill of riding the Jack Rabbit never gets old for me," Kleman says. "It just makes me feel good."
Members of the media are invited to Kennywood to join Vic for a ride or two and cover his efforts to complete the coaster marathon. He will begin riding at approximately 10:30 a.m. and is expected to ride for the next 6-8 hours.
"Vic embodies what being a Kennywood fanatic is all about," says Jerome Gibas, Kennywood General Manager. "It takes a certain kind of commitment--and craziness--to ride a roller coaster 95 times in a row. But those are the kind of feelings Kennywood creates in people."
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Kennywood is part of the Palace Entertainment family of parks.
Palace Entertainment is one of the leading leisure park operators in the United States. With parks located in 10 states, Palace Entertainment continues its expansion of brands within the family entertainment sector. The company operates Kennywood amusement park in Pennsylvania, Noah’s Ark water park in Wisconsin, Splish Splash water park in New York, and Raging Waters in California, among many other family favorite destinations. Palace Entertainment’s parks provide family oriented and affordable attractions to visitors of all ages, offering a wide range of attractions, such as roller coasters, Ferris wheels, live shows, variable depth pools, water slides, animal shows, miniature golf courses and arcade games. Palace Entertainment greets millions of visitors annually.
Nick Paradise, Kennywood Entertainment, http://www.kennywood.com/in-the-news, +1 (412) 461-0500 Ext: 1176, [email protected]
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