Ah, the perils of being an unwitting trailblazer! Fifteen years ago, as the shiny new trains for Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster made their way to the ride, destiny decided to lock me into one of those thrilling seats. Little did I know that testing out a simple lap bar would turn into a 45-minute adventure that would secure my place in the ride’s history. 

Diamondback, the brainchild of Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), burst onto the scene in 2009, flaunting its status as Kings Island’s maiden B&M coaster. As fate would have it, my impromptu seat saga unfolded due to the maintenance team’s lack of familiarity with the manual, making my restraint release a mystery even to the pros.

Meanwhile, there I was, snugly stuck in my seat, unintentionally embracing the role of the first-ever person to experience getting stuck in a seat on Kings Island’s newest attraction. What other choice did I have? 

The maintenance team, probably scratching their heads, eventually cracked the code and released me from my unintentional roller coaster purgatory. However, my misadventure didn’t end there. Enter Matt Shafer, Kings Island’s marketing director, who seized the moment by immortalizing my predicament on the homepage of Kings Island’s website. The headline, “Don’t Just Sit There! Bid!” beckoned thrill-seekers to bid for the coveted opportunity to be among the first riders with the proceeds benefiting a local charity. 

So, not only did I lend my wit to suggest the name Diamondback and ride it before the masses, but I also claim the title of the first to get stuck on the ride. A cautionary tale proving that sometimes it’s not just the ride experience that provides the unexpected thrills.

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