CoasterGallery.com -- Indiana Beach

Indiana Beach Press Release
Engines Primed & Ready for Steel Hawg Roller Coaster To Debut at Indiana Beach in 2008
Coaster will be first of its kind in United States!

November 27, 2007 - Fun, flips, and gravity defying excitement are just the beginning of what's in store for guests when they visit Indiana Beach Amusement Resort in 2008. Indiana's largest and most popular amusement resort and vacation playground announced the first major steel coaster to be constructed in the state: Steel Hawg. The new family coaster will be Indiana Beach's sixth roller coaster and its first to take riders upside-down.

"When we debuted The Hoosier Hurricane in 1994, it was the first new wooden coaster the state had seen in over fifty years," offered Tom Spackman, Jr. of Indiana Beach. "Now, with the Steel Hawg, we'll be able to continue that thrilling tradition and take our guests on an entirely unique ride on the state's first custom steel coaster."

Readers of Indiana Beach's popular blog "View From The Crow's Nest" were the first to learn of the new attraction. The Amusement Resort had been hinting about the new coaster for weeks and announced the name and ride details to its readers on Monday, November 26, 2007.

Steel Hawg, which will rise 96 feet above ground and feature a 120º first drop along with multiple inversions, will be designed and constructed by ride manufacturer S & S Worldwide, Inc. of Logan, Utah. The company also produced Indiana Beach's popular Double Shot tower ride and its Frog Hopper kiddie ride. "We've had an excellent relationship with S & S over the years and we're looking forward to continuing that relationship with Steel Hawg," stated Spackman. "The coaster will be a very distinctive ride with tight turns, 90º banks, inversions, and one-of-a-kind elements. However, with a height limit of 48 inches, it's also a ride designed for families to enjoy together."

One of the largest ride investments in Indiana Beach's history, Steel Hawg will be located on the north side of the park near the popular Hoosier Hurricane and Rocky's Rapids Log Flume rides. Steel Hawg is scheduled to deliver its unique coaster experience in mid-May.

Notes from Joel: Steel Hawg opened in July 2008. It is the first "El Loco" model from S&S Power. (The second example, Mumbo Jumbo, is expected to open in 2009 at Flamingo Land Theme Park & Zoo in the United Kingdom.) The coaster is 96 feet tall, has three inversions and an amazing 120-degree maximum vertical angle! It is a fairly compact ride, but looks like it backs quite a punch. I hope to get back to Indiana Beach soon so I can ride it and photograph it!