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What are the first three rides you think of when you hear the words amusement park? Was rollercoaster one of those three? Chances are it was, because the rollercoaster is an attraction in itself that can draw thousands of people from all over the world every day. What’s fascinating about the rollercoaster is that it wasn’t always the speedy, safety conscious ride that it is today. In fact, rollercoasters were invented before electricity, so you can imagine how rough the ride was. Want to know more? Read on.

The first idea of a rollercoaster was thought up in Russia way back in the 1400’s. Basically, large ice slides were made with a wooden base and people would climb to the top of the structure and slide down. This was more like the giant slides you see at amusement parks now, but at the time it was a thrilling experience. By the 1700’s the slides started showing up in France without ice. Instead, people would sit on a sled with wheels underneath and coast to the bottom. And, by the 1800’s, the more traditional idea of a rollercoaster appeared when they attached humans, animals, or cables to the sleds to pull them from the bottom back up to the top. This made the ride a continuous loop, and tracks were placed on the slides to keep the sleds on course.

The next breakthrough occurred when a gravity-powered system to transport coal began giving rides to paying customers. This new ride was incorporated into amusement parks giving birth to a newer and more exciting rollercoaster. This ride also ignited the spark in inventors to create even better coasters. However, they still weren’t very fast, averaging about 12 miles per hour. This was because they were basically a wooden box with four steel wheels underneath and two on each side. Safety reasons kept the ride slow.

In 1927, a man named Harry Traver designed a few coasters that created a stir. One was the famous Cyclone that was so rough and exciting that on almost every ride, passengers came out with broken ribs and collarbones. As the demand for safety grew and technology and electricity prevailed, the race for the best rollercoaster continued. In 1975, the first loop coaster was unveiled at Magic Mountain in California. People loved it and continue to ride the loop rollercoasters. And yet another thrill was introduced when the first suspended coaster with the tracks on top and peoples feet dangling was created in the 1980’s.

They just keep getting bigger, faster and better as the years pass. Who knows what is in store for us in the next millennium, but it’s sure to be a thrill.