A White-Knuckled Ride: Roller Coaster Engineering for Orion

Thrill seekers and speed demons are sure to get their fix when they visit Kings Island! Joining the world-class lineup of rides at the park is Orion®, designed exclusively for the park by world-renowned Bolliger & Mabillard.

SHP is dizzy with excitement over our role on the project, having contributed to the engineering design for the roller coaster. In other words, our team makes sure the ride starts, stops and operates smoothly!

Orion takes riders on a 300-foot first drop, then sends them on a high-speed journey over seven more hills and 5,321 feet of track at speeds up to 91 mph. It is Kings Island’s tallest, fastest and longest steel roller coaster, and one of only seven giga coasters in the world. (A giga coaster is a roller coaster with a drop of 300 to 399 feet.)

To experience the heart-stopping speeds yourself, visit Kings Island or check out this behind-the-scenes video, produced in partnership with Kings Island, the Architectural Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and featuring design partners TRA Design and Clark Reder Engineering.