The Coney Island Cyclone may be indefinitely closed for repairs, but die-hard fans say the ride’s latest breakdown is just part of the old, rickety roller-coaster’s charm.
The hiccup came last Thursday, when the Cyclone ground to a halt as passengers were hoisted up its first hill, which is 85 feet high. A weld broke on the driveshaft that pulls the coaster up the slope, according to an inspection report from the New York City buildings department, which Gothamist obtained.
The passengers were rescued and Luna Park, the ride’s operator, was slapped with a violation from the department for not alerting officials to the mishap.
“Failure to report incident … amusement ride failure with occupants in it,” the report read.
David Maggiotto, a spokesperson for the buildings department, said the agency learned of the shutdown after reporters reached out for comment.
The 97-year-old ride is undergoing repairs and will reopen when it passes inspection, according to a statement on Luna Park’s website. Maggiotto confirmed that, as of Tuesday, Luna Park had not yet scheduled a new inspection with the city.
Dick Zigun, who’s known as the unofficial mayor of Coney Island, wasn’t alarmed by video footage showing riders being escorted down the roller-coaster’s ascent.
“I’ve done that walk,” said Zigun, who has ridden the coaster as many as 30 times in a single day and used to work for the ride’s former owner. “You know if you are afraid of heights, and I am to some extent, it’s a little scary. But the steps are in good shape.”
The two most recent violations could result in thousands of dollars in fines, but that’s nothing new for the Cyclone. In 1975, the New York Daily News reported that city inspectors had cited the structure for 101 violations. The ride was refurbished and the violations cleared the same year.
In 2007, a 53-year-old man died in surgery after he fractured three neck vertebrae while on the coaster. The next year, an Arizona woman was injured on the ride and eventually won a $600,000 payout.
Luna Park took over the roller-coaster’s operations in 2011.
“They spent millions of dollars about a decade ago, totally rebuilding the historic ride with permission of the [city’s] Landmarks Preservation Commission,” said Zigun.
The rehab helped the ride survive Hurricane Sandy but didn’t vanquish the threat of mishaps. The coaster stalled on its inaugural public ascent of the 2015 season.
“The ride is designed [so that] if a car going up the first hill stops, it doesn’t fall back down and crash backwards,” Zigun said.
Angie Pontani, who in 2007 was crowned “Miss Cyclone” in honor of the ride, said she had also been stuck on it in the past.
“I’ve gotten stuck on it before, but you know, that was just kind of part of the adventure of it,” said Pontani, who estimated that she had ridden the roller-coaster as many as 100 times. “Of course I got scared for a moment, but I was in the Cyclone, right? So I had to kind of be a team leader. So I just smiled and did it and it was kind of fun. And now it’s an amazing adventure story.”
Zigun said he expected the repairs would be made quickly.
“It’s not condemned,” he said. “Nobody’s going to rip down the Cyclone. They’re not taking bad care of it. It’s something that typically happens every few years.”