Mantis (thing)

Regardless of towering beasts flanking it, Mantis is still a roller coaster that holds its own at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Opened in May of 1996, this Bolliger & Mabillard stand-up roller coaster instantly drew excessive attention. The gigantic first vertical loop inversion stepped up into the record books with its massive 119’ jaw-dropping height. Ushering riders through four inversions, all of different forms, after the 145’ lift hill, Mantis’s twelve million dollar price tag was considered simple to meet after Cedar Fair saw what they had built.

The biggest controversy regarding Mantis is remembered by another name: Banshee. Originally in October of 1995 Cedar Point (Cedar Fair) marketed the up-coming ride as “Banshee”. Over the years rumors have been flung over the reason for the name change. The closest “official” reasoning revolved around Cedar Fair not liking the connotation of the name. This is hard to believe by most coaster enthusiasts due to the marketing that had already been employed and the simple fact that this would imply Cedar Fair does not do research before naming a coaster. Other rumors include complaints from women, parents, activists, and even the Irish. Either way you look at it, the concept was retooled to Mantis and Cedar Fair/Point seems to want this swept under the rug and forgotten.

As an avid coaster rider I love Mantis and hate it in the same breath. My problem is closely related to my knee. I have a very bad right knee and standing under these g-forces causes me intense pain. But to testify to the coaster’s value: I ride it anyway. If you have a fear of stand-ups this is definitely not the place to start. Go back and try Iron Wolf (or King Kobra back in its day). Overall this is a staple to any extreme coaster-riding trip to the coaster capital of the world.