/ To mark International Roller Coaster Day, celebrated on August 16, we pay tribute to this fascinating and timeless attraction /

These days there seems to be an international day for almost everything, so of course Roller Coaster Day could not be left out. It falls every year on August 16. On that day, around the world – and especially among amusement park enthusiasts – people celebrate roller coasters, the quintessential park attraction. They are feats of engineering, art and adrenaline, capable of astonishing, engaging and thrilling riders like no other attraction, while remaining timeless across changing trends and generations.

August 16 commemorates the patent granted in the United States to Edwin Prescott on August 16, 1898, for the first roller coaster with a loop – an innovation that marked a milestone in coaster design and went on to become one of the attraction’s most distinctive elements. Today’s Roller Coaster Day is thanks to the initiative of American Coaster Enthusiasts: in 1986, this association came up with the idea of establishing the observance to honor roller coaster history and promote awareness and preservation. Initially celebrated only in the United States, Roller Coaster Day is now observed around the world, with many parks organizing special events.

A Bit of History

The roots of the roller coaster can be traced back to Russia in the late 16th and early 17th century. A Russian sport of this time was known as ice sliding, featuring wood-framed ice slides sending sledders down 20-metre high and 30-meter long slopes. Of course, the ice needed to create an ice slide made the ride strictly a winter activity – until Catherine The Great had sleds fitted with wheels allowing for year-round enjoyment. This was the first of many refinements that would bring us the modern roller coaster.

What is considered the first successful commercial roller coaster made its debut in 1884 at New York’s famous Coney Island. La Marcus A. Thompson constructed the first roller coaster, the primitive “Gravity Switchback Railway”. The ride featuring an undulating track was an instant success. Speeds did not exceed 10km/h, and the ride was intended mainly for sightseeing. The idea of the gravity ride however spread quickly, leading to great diversity in early roller coaster design. Rides similar to Thompson’s, as well as new variations were constructed worldwide.

The period from the early 1900s through the end of the 1920s is known as the Golden Age of Roller Coasters. Thanks to advances in design techniques and technology, roller coasters became taller, faster and safer. Wild thrill machines like Canada’s infamous “Crystal Beach Cyclone,” New York’s Coney Island “Cyclone,” New York’s Rye Beach “Aeroplane,” and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk “Giant Dipper” were erected.

Roller coasters entered a dark period from the Great Depression of 1929 through World War II and the years of postwar reconstruction, lasting into the 1960s: the tragic events of the era, together with economic and social changes, brought production to a halt and reduced public interest.

The revival began in the 1970s, and since then the trajectory has been one of continuous growth: technology, engineering and design have revolutionized the industry and continue to do so season after season, affecting virtually every element of the attraction.

Timeless Thrills

Today’s coasters are highly sophisticated machines, light-years ahead of those of even 50 years ago. The basic concept, however, has always remained the same: turning a few seconds of fear into an explosion of adrenaline and fun. A mix of acceleration, gravity and speed that takes your breath away, makes you scream, shut your eyes and sends your heart racing… a biological fear that experts describe as “controlled,” because in the rider’s brain it is counterbalanced by the psychological certainty of being safe. The result? The abstract threat does not become terror of being hurt, but instead turns into a rush of intense pleasure. There is also the pleasure of letting yourself go, free and uninhibited – even if only for the duration of the ride – of testing yourself and overcoming your fears, and taking home unforgettable memories.

Continue reading Games & Parks Industry July-August 2026, page 20

Photos: Energylandia, Toverland, EuropaPark

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