It’s officially The Coney Island Cyclone, but everyone in New York knows it simply as the Cyclone.
Created by Jack and Irving Rosenthal, the Cyclone opened on June 26, 1927. It is one of the oldest wooden rollercoasters still in operation.
As a kid growing up in New York, it was a rite of passage to ride the Cyclone– usually on a summer night to add to the drama (and fright). I was probably less frightened on my first skydive than my first ride on the Cyclone. It is a rickety ride, rattling as it roughs you up racing round the turns, taking your tummy on the dives. But oh, the feeling of freedom.
However you choose to celebrate your freedom, Happy Fourth of July.
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