Coney Island's Cyclone: A 2020 Ride Experience Amidst Pandemic

Coney Island's Cyclone roller coaster reopens safely, showcasing commitment to maintenance and social distancing amid the pandemic.

### Coney Island Update: Reopening, Safety Measures, and the Cyclone Roller Coaster
* 🎢 As the unelected mayor of Coney Island, I continue to provide weekly updates, now entering the **28th week** of my addresses during the **unpredictable year of 2020**.
* ☀ I'm excited to announce that our sidewalk cafe has reopened, serving food and drinks **every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.**, possibly until the **end of October**.
* 😷 While the pandemic persists, it's crucial for everyone to **wear masks and maintain hygiene** when visiting the beach, reminding you to "**be a smart idiot**."
* 🎉 Coney Island USA, a not-for-profit organization, is spearheading various initiatives, including virtual events like the **Mermaid Parade tale of thon on August 29th**, which you can **register for online**.
* 🎠 In phase four of reopening, I advocate for the **safe operation of amusement rides**, as we explore the possibility of reopening the iconic **Cyclone roller coaster**, which has undergone **significant restoration costing nearly $6 million**.
* 🏗 Alex Imperla, president of Luna Park, highlights the extensive maintenance done on the Cyclone, including **replacing 80% of the original track** to **enhance safety and performance**.
* 🧼 To ensure visitor safety, rides will have **regular sanitization**, **social distancing measures**, and **hand sanitizer stations** in place, allowing us to **enjoy the Cyclone responsibly**.
* 🎉 After an exhilarating ride on the Cyclone, I reflect on the **importance of preserving this landmark** and look forward to sharing more updates next week, potentially featuring the **Wonder Wheel**.

hey everybody, it's me again, the permanently unelected mayor of Coney Island, in that weird election year 2020 where anything could happen. It seems like this is the 28th week I've been filming and keeping my commitment to do weekly state of Coney Island addresses. Isn't this over yet? Um, but here I am nevertheless. The good news is we reopened our sidewalk cafe, these beautiful new chairs on Saturdays and Sundays. Every Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m., we will be serving food, Governor Cuomo-approved food, and beer and wine and sodas outside on our sidewalk cafe every weekend, perhaps through the end of October. Meanwhile, I'd like to recap where we are mid-July. So, of course, the pandemic is on, and you should all wear a mask if you come to the beach, and you're an idiot like me. Don't be stupid, be a smart idiot. Wear your mask, wash your hands a lot. Um, I do remind you all of this. The things I do with you are brought to you by

a not-for-profit charitable cultural organization, Coney Island USA. My speeches are available every week on their website, coneyisland.com/state for State of Coney Island. That's where you should already have ordered a 2020 mermaid parade t-shirt. That's where you can make a tax-deductible charitable donation. That's where you can buy other cool things on our gift shop. And we're starting to do streaming programs because not so sure we're going to do live programs in 2020. And that's where you can register for the virtual mermaid parade tale of thon that will be live streaming a marathon live streaming show on August 29th. That's our recap house, Coney Island. Do it. It's weird. We're already in phase four. Amusement parks can open. There's rides at Coney Island that would be very easy to socially distance. I run a sideshow. Remember, that's one of the not-for-profit theater programs in Coney Island USA. Sideshow to the side of a main attraction if it were a

traveling circus. It would be the sideshow tent next to the big top tent. What else are sideshows on the side of in an amusement park? But if we're ever going to have economic recovery, if Coney Island is ever going to bounce back little by little, isn't it time to safely open some rides and help the business people here? So today, it is my privilege to take you on a VIP exclusive tour behind the scenes of the landmark 1927 Cyclone roller coaster. You and I, we might be the only people to ride the Cyclone roller coaster in summer 2020. We're gonna go meet the owner, we're gonna talk about how that ride could be socially distant, and I hope we're gonna get some behind-the-scenes look at how the ride works. So let's go ride the Cyclone. Hands up, Cyclone! The Cyclone, of course, is the most famous wooden roller coaster ever built. Built in 1927 on the site, the same site of the 1884 switchback.

railway the world's first roller coaster. There's never been anything on this property other than roller coasters. Here's a presentation from our sister not-for-profit amusement organization, American Coaster Enthusiast. An additional bit of background: the Cyclone was almost demolished in the 1970s. Nelson Rockefeller, the Rockefeller Foundation, bought the property, donated it to the aquarium to expand the parking lot. There was an uproar, there was a movement to landmark it, and afterland amusement park, which used to be directly across the street, took over the operation from the mid-70s until the early 21st century, doing a very good job running on the Cyclone, which is now operated by and wonderfully restored by Luna Park Amusement Park. So, I'd like to introduce you to Alex Imperla, the president of Luna Park. So, this is essentially the owner of the Cyclone for, what, 10 years now? It's been the attempt season, would have been 10 seasons. It will open, and good morning, Mayor. It's an honor to have you.

here okay, and it is an honor to be here. For four years, I did public relations for Astroland, so the Cyclone was my client. Um, I ran a woman's marathon. I ran the 70th birthday of the Cyclone roller coaster. It is such a wonderful ride, but one thing people might not understand, even though it is a landmark and it is a 97-year-old landmark, 93. I do three-year-old landmark. It opened in 1927. Landmarks need maintenance. Being a landmark doesn't mean if it rots or rust, you leave it alone. So, although I will personally testify that um, the owners of Astroland had repaired many violations and in its vintage condition ran it as carefully and as safely as possible, I know that Luna Spark Park has spent how much millions of dollars restoring the ride the past decade. Can you tell me a dollar figure how much you've spent on the Cyclone? First, I have to say, like, no, it's such an honor, you know, to be an associated dress with the

deployment. It's the most famous roller coaster in the world. Like for us, you know, being again from the museum industry to be associated with the cyclone is like a dream. It's a dream come true. And you have a new park, but you have one of the most famous historic rides. It's the American legend. It's the American legend. It goes much beyond just a ride, you know. It's really a symbol, an icon for Korean Island, for Blue Cream, for this in New York, and for the United States. And again, so just to make sure not only that it stayed that is supposed to be. Actually, we improved it. We invested close to six million dollars. Six million, yeah. And everything was approved by the landmarks. Absolutely. First go through the Landmark Commission, be approved into the Parks Department, the city of New York. So replacing track. You've replaced 20 percent of the track. 50 percent of the track. So 100 percent of the track. So if you look at the structure, one again, we make sure that the integrity, you know.

obviously, that was the most important thing. And then also we say, let's also improve it, you know, let's make it safer, let's make it faster, let's make it smoother, faster, faster. We increase close to 10 miles per hour, you know, with the work that we did, with the work that, you know, the team, uh, it may be easier, exactly, you know, our best guy, you know, he's the cyclone star, he's uh, he's been working here for like 30 years, and he's really a great asset. So, with the team, we were able really to uh, replace close to 80 percent the original um, the only original piece that are, let's say, um, again, that we still have to work on, are the top turns and the leaf deal. Okay, and you already have plans for that? We have, yeah, obviously, you know, now with the this situation, probably things will be postponed now. We'll have to re-address the financial, you know, commitments, but we'll definitely, you know, our main focus is that we are so honored, so committed.

to this icon. They want to keep improving. Um, since there's not a line waiting to go on the ride and it's not such a busy day today. Um, it would be a privilege for the people watching if we could visit the motor room where the flywheel is and see how the cyclone works. It is all gravity except for the first lift. There's a motor that drives this medieval giant metal chain that takes you up the first hill, and then it's all gravity. Can we see the motor? Absolutely, that's the heart. But before we go there, what is this? Be what happens if you pull that lever. That's not destroying the entire United States. This is actually, we put the magic levers. Okay, that's how the magic happens. You know, that's another thing about the cycle, how unique it is. Everything is still manual. So from the lever that releases, you know, the train for the square gas to enjoy the most new icons. Three, four, five, six, seven levers. Yeah, we got eight. If we pull those two, it looks like another train will come.

out and we'll have an accident. No, there'll be never an accident because you know safety is number one. So, we'll do everything sequentially. But so, these three are actually so right now this train is ready to load. But if it were a busy day, once this train were on the track, would this train come out? No, that actually, it's that's a spare track, correct? That's a, you know, we usually run with one and when it gets busy, we run with two trains. But again, because everything is manual, you know, we really need to be extremely careful and only when JB and the maintenance team is on the platform will be running on two trains. So, these levers are actually, and you see the nice comfortable chair, this is for the brakeman. So, the brakeman, the breaker will be here looking at the train, actually listening first, look at the noise of the train and engaging the speed and the velocity, and then again with this kind of, you know, manipulating the track to again stop it. So, to really break and

come to a perfect stop. So, this is actually where people would download, and then we have these levels, are actually where, again, I call them magic because for me, when I see the loading one without destroying the ride, I highly early on. So, this is actually how you move, so the way you would put the second train, so you make a relationship, correct? You make these events, and then it's commuter, it's just a magical experience. So, you really see this movable track again being pushed again, like you, you. So, that's typical if you take the railroad and you see, or you go from the local line to the express line, it shifts over, kind of, but again, but you have to, so you pull the levers and you release the platform, then you have to push, like physical push, to bring the train onto the main track, and then in the front, that's where you know the one at the wheel all the way to the front is the one that actually sends it out, and what's down here, that's that's

that's the magic again. That's where we go to the heart. We go to the heart. So does this bring us to the world. So I think you should lead the life. Okay, maybe come. So this is the magic. This is the secret. This is the medieval flywheel torture device. Not really. This is how the cyclone works. This is the power. This is electrical units. Last time I was down here, which was maybe 21 years ago, um, the workers had lockers where they would take off their jacket, leave their lunchbox or their snow lockers here. You'll be the maintenance shop. Okay, we can go there. Absolutely. Okay, there's something I left there 21 years ago. I have told you this again. You know, you know it very well. But you know what? When JB tells me and explains how the belt works, I've got to really make sure the tensions, you know, this noise is really perfect. How you react to weather, you know, temperature. It's for me, it's uh, just magic. How often does the belt get replaced?

every year. Every year could we see a turkey when I start the motor. Yes, okay. I got someone on the tracks right now. Okay, so can we go further around. You want to see. You want to see this. I want to see the lockers. Isn't this so cool. It's the first time for you guys. First time. It's the shop. The secret shop of the cyclone. Each train gets transferred from this table. This table disconnects and slides to the shop. So this table, even though there's incredible weight sitting on it, it's on wheels. It's on wheels and this slides right to the shop and then so on the track. Yes, okay. So this partition [Music] day one walker ed. Are you ready. Yeah, it looks like they're no longer our playboy magazine pinups all over. That was taken down. This used to be a very masculine place with apologies to your wife. Yeah, this was a very bad. If you had to be heavy smoke cigars and like walk through a gauntlet of pornography.

because each individual panel, you know, is painted and painted and compared and that and historically we changed [Music] [Music] rotating families, which is [Music] as we did all the pull-outs. Those are bottles that were found in the ground from freebies. I mean, those go back to the 1920s. There has never been anything on this side except the roller coasters, the switchback, the world's first rollercoaster. It is here [Applause] [Music]. So, I have one last question. Can we ride the cyclone? For those, we're gonna ride the cyclone. Have you seen the Michael Jackson musical, The Wiz, with Diana Ross? Yeah, so they're using a lot of these areas with Nipsey Russell as the scarecrow. Again, so much history, so much culture, and we don't want preserving it and enhancing it. The community, be careful, you can see this. Actually, it was like last year, you know, like it's very fresh-looking wood, and you know, another thing that is

amazing and like you know the structures be like no sandwich layers of wood you know still and everything you know that's everything like really everything is made in America. So the wood is so from the it's yellow pine from from the south and the metal is from Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh of the steel. And how what is the life of the wood before it should be replaced again. I mean these ones they probably last no three to four seasons again the new ones uh obviously you know there are certain points where the friction is you know it's much greater and so really with the metal no leads obviously that would tell a probably two seasons you know and imagine every morning before operations JB and the team they walk the whole track yeah hopefully even just that you know like checking out with the hammer again listening. So if you wanted to communicate the same ride new would it would not be allowed wouldn't it wouldn't be allowed and it could not be the famous drop 60 degrees and then let's see it gravity this is where you

eat lunch. This is the original power supply and switch, which we keep hidden, but we don't keep the switch on the actual power on the switch. We keep that separately, uh, so that no one can like bootleg it and turn it on. Trolley with the old trolley and tradition is once we turn it on. He's going to go start the chain, turn on. We already planned everything when it comes to social distancing, so we have all the adhesive markers, you know, starting from the queue line to like slowly here and they're going very hard, correct, and also standards. And then obviously, if you are a group, you're a family, you know, obviously people together, but otherwise, we'll be out there and just because so, Alex, because people are concerned about safety, especially as we reopened, uh, would the ride be cleaned on the case? Absolutely. So we have a dedicated team, uh, park services team that, uh, every 15 minutes will come and sanitize, in fact, you know, each individual, you know, um, seat and row, so all the high touch points.

we would have close to 10 hand sanitizer dispensers not deployed across that markers, you know, to make sure that we have the six feet of social distancing respected, even for the loading platter. You see the stances there, so with abstentions for every car to read the limit to make sure, and uh, we will again, we would load, you know, alternate roads, so one skip, skip. It sounds safe to me. I'm ready to ride, and if we get to that point, and I hope we do this summer, um, I want to at least reassure you that the people in charge of rides and Coney Island care a great deal and are doing the right thing. And if the rides reopen and you're wearing your mask, I see no reason why we can't ride the Cyclone. We're gonna, we're gonna test it. No, it's mandatory for us to test it, you know, and so we'll, we'll pass it. It will be our pleasure. So it's mandatory that we do this. Yes, yes, it's really normal. It's really

essential for the maintenance and the preservation of know of the right. So, we do our own duty in testing the right. Are we ready? We're ready. Okay, I'm gonna take the front. Absolutely, you're socially distanced. Where are you gonna be, both of you then, at the back? Okay, enjoy your ride. Ready? Ready? Can you ride the cyclone and keep your mask on? What a privilege. I get to ride the cyclone on your behalf in 2020. Hands up, cyclone, socially distanced. I'm in the front car, Alexandrella, the owner's in the rear car. 2020, Coney Island. Oh my god, it's the first drop. Ah, cyclone. Wow, what an incredible run cycle. Yeah, Coney Island landmark, and you can't wear a mask. [Applause] Faster than ever. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] We rode the cyclone 2020, and we're still alive. Thank you, Luna Park. So, like they say when you ride the cyclone, hold on to your hats, your wigs.

and your glasses, but for me, that's a wrap for this week. Um, I'll see you next week. Who knows, maybe we'll go on the wonder wheel next week. But today, a big shout out to Zamperla of Luna Park. In all seriousness, um, it's only because I'm an insider. I had the privilege of riding today. I heard that they do need to occasionally test the ride to keep the ride well maintained for the future, so it was a genuine privilege. It's not a regular event. That might be the only time this year. Uh, people other than the workers around the cyclone. Thank you so much, Alex, and I'll see all of you next week. You

Dick Zigun's State of Coney Island Address - July 25, 2020

Coney Island USA

Coney Island's Weekly Update: Mid-July 2020

The sidewalk cafe in Coney Island has reopened on weekends, serving food and drinks.

The pandemic is ongoing, and the mayor emphasizes the importance of wearing masks and practicing hygiene.

The video addresses the need for safely opening amusement park rides to aid in the area's economic recovery, with a special tour of the iconic Cyclone roller coaster planned.

The Cyclone, the world's first roller coaster, has a rich history and was nearly demolished in the 1970s.

Nelson Rockefeller's foundation bought the property, leading to a movement to landmark the Cyclone.

Luna Park Amusement Park has invested nearly $6 million in restoring the ride over the past decade, ensuring its preservation and maintenance as a historic landmark.

The team has increased the Cyclone's speed by 10 miles per hour and replaced 80% of its original parts.

They are committed to further improvements, including working on the top turns and leaf deal.

The ride's operation is unique and manual, with a system of levers ensuring safety and coordination during busy days.

The train's movement is orchestrated through a series of magical events, with a movable track and physical pushes to transition between lines.

The heart of the operation lies in the power of electrical units and a meticulously maintained belt, which is replaced annually.

The secret shop of the cyclone plays a crucial role in transferring trains for maintenance, with a unique sliding table mechanism.

Preserving the History and Culture of the Cyclone

The Cyclone roller coaster has a rich history, with its wooden structures made from yellow pine and metal sourced from Pittsburgh.

The ride's maintenance is meticulous, with a team walking the track daily and sanitizing seats every 15 minutes for safety.

The area has been used for various cultural events, including the Michael Jackson musical, The Wiz, and the community is focused on preserving and enhancing its historical significance.

Coney Island is implementing safety measures for ride operations, including hand sanitizer dispensers and social distancing protocols.

The rides will reopen with a focus on testing for maintenance and safety.

The speaker had the privilege of riding the Cyclone as part of the testing, emphasizing the importance of these measures for the ride's future.