Blue Streak

Blue Streak is a wooden roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Built by Philadelphia Toboggan Company, Blue Streak opened to the public on May 23, 1964, and is the park's oldest roller coaster. In 2013, it achieved its highest ranking of 27 among the world's top wooden roller coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication by Amusement Today.

History
Cedar Point went without a roller coaster for more than a decade following the removal of Cyclone in 1951. Blue Streak was the only roller coaster at Cedar Point when it opened on May 23, 1964. The attraction's success led to a rebirth of roller coasters at Cedar Point, including the installation of Cedar Creek Mine Ride (1969), Corkscrew (1976), Gemini (1978) and Jr. Gemini (1979).

Blue Streak features a traditional "out-and-back" layout design from Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The roller coaster was named after the local Sandusky High School athletic nickname "The Blue Streaks". Cedar Point invested US$200,000 (equivalent to $1,578,112 in 2017) to construct the wooden roller coaster, and it remains a favorite at the park and within annual roller coaster polls. In Amusement Today's 2013 Golden Ticket Awards, Blue Streak was ranked 27th among wooden roller coasters worldwide – its highest ranking to date.

Ride experience
After a 78-foot climb (24 m) up its lift hill, the train descends 72 feet (22 m) at a 45-degree angle reaching a top speed of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). Riders then enter a series of two short hills which provide the ride's maximum airtime followed by a larger, third hill that slows the train slightly. After the next drop, the train climbs into a 180-degree turn that sends riders over a short hill followed by three medium-sized hills on its way back. The ride ends on the track's final brake run before returning to the station.