869 visitors arrive from 38 states and four countries for week-long coaster conference

Sandusky, OH/West Mifflin, PA (June 18, 2022) - Coaster Con 44, the flagship event of American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), brings 869 members of the world’s largest amusement ride enthusiast club and their friends to spend a week to venture across Ohio and Pennsylvania to experience Cedar Point and Kennywood.

The 44th annual coaster convention is the largest gathering ofmembers every year. “This is a week of celebrating our love of coasters,” shares Communications Director Elizabeth Ringas. “Enjoying a hobby with others as well as riding roller coasters offers immense benefits to our mental health, leading this to be one of the most anticipated weeks of the year for our members. One couple will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary by returning to ride with their entire family, concluding the week with a vow renewal service in Kennywood.”

During the week attendees will share extra ride time, meals, tours and contests featuring members’ talents in filmmaking and photography. On Monday, June 19, Cedar Point’s Blue Streak will be presented as the 46th ACE Roller Coaster Landmark, a designation reserved for historically significant roller coasters still operating today.

Kennywood is the only amusement park in the world that is home to three ACE Roller Coaster Landmarks, and all of them happen to be wood: Jack Rabbit, known for its signature double-dip, has been operating for over 100 years and is also an ACE Coaster Classic; Racer, one of only two remaining single-track racing coasters (and the only one in the Western Hemisphere); and Thunderbolt, a 1924 coaster that was reimagined in 1968 and put Kennywood on enthusiasts’ maps in the 1970s.

About ACE:

Founded in 1978, American Coaster Enthusiasts is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, appreciation and safe enjoyment of roller coasters. With 6,500 members worldwide, ACE is the largest and longest-running amusement ride enthusiast organization in the world. Members of ACE receive exclusive park benefits, newsletters, magazines and the opportunity to attend national, local, and even international events. ACE hosts more than 75 national and regional coaster events across the world every year and has been prominently featured on various news programs and many cable networks such as the Travel Channel.

Cedar Point - Steel Vengeance
Photo: Ken Riling. View full-sized image.

Cedar Point -Magnum XL-200
Photo: Ken Riling. View full-sized image.

Cedar Point - Blue StreakPhoto: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.

Kennywood - Thunderbolt
Photo: M. Lockwood. View full-sized image.

Kennywood - Phantom's Revenge
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.

Kennywood - Steel Curtain
Photo: Jill Ryan. View full-sized image.

Kennywood - Thunderbolt
Photo: R. Bird. View full-sized image.