Roller coaster on Jersey Shore to be called ‘Super Storm’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - In a Feb. 25, 2013 file photo, the sun rises in Seaside Heights, N.J., behind the Jet Star Roller Coaster which has been sitting in the ocean after part of the Casino Pier was destroyed during Superstorm Sandy. Work is expected to start Tuesday afternoon, May 14, 2013 to remove the Jet Star coaster from the surf in Seaside Heights. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File) (The Associated Press)
New Jersey officials this week announced a new thrill ride for Seaside Heights' Casino Pier, which was destroyed in last year's Super Storm Sandy. The name: Super Storm.
The new pendulum ride will reportedly swing passengers around and up to a height of 60 feet, and is seen by promoters as a symbol of the region’s resilience.
“Naming the ride Super Storm is not making light of people who lost their homes,” Robert Hilton, executive director of the Jersey Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau told NBC. “I’ve been right there, digging out houses, looking for pictures and personal belongings. This is the perfect opportunity to create a silver lining out of the storm.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Wall Street Journal reports that the new ride is slated to be ready this summer, less than a year after the shoreline was severely damaged by the Oct. 29 storm. Currently, the front half of the pier is being rebuilt and will feature rides that made it through the storm such as Pirates Hideaway and Disk-O as well as some kiddie rides and games.
“We hope that it’s perceived in a positive way, that we’re back, we know the force of Mother Nature, and that we respect that, and this is our way of celebrating,” said Seaside Heights Mayor Bill Akers.
But not all beachgoers want to be reminded of Sandy's painful memories, according the Journal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't want a reminder of superstorm Sandy, that's how I feel about it," said Frankie Rainey, owner of Frankie's Amusements, a business on the boardwalk that Mr. Rainey said has taken a financial hit from the storm. "I would have thought of something different."
This week, crews tore down Jet Star Roller Coaster --the town's landmark roller coaster damaged by Sandy, which has become a symbol for disaster which led to 135 deaths and the devastation of many of the state's coastal towns.