Star Jet

Star Jet[1] was a steel roller coaster which operated at Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey from 2002 until it was swept into the Atlantic Ocean by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Star Jet
Star Jet sitting in the Atlantic Ocean after Hurricane Sandy
Casino Pier
LocationCasino Pier
Coordinates39.9428°N 74.0683°W / 39.9428; -74.0683
StatusRemoved
Opening date2002 (2002)
Closing dateOctober 29, 2012 (2012-10-29)
ReplacedJet Star
Replaced byHydrus
General statistics
TypeSteel
ManufacturerE&F Miler Industries
ModelHi-Miler
Height52 ft (16 m)
Height restriction42 in (107 cm)
Trains3 trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 6 riders per train.
Star Jet at RCDB
Pictures of Star Jet at RCDB

Construction and early operation

Star Jet was a replacement for the similarly-named Jet Star roller coaster, which operated on Casino Pier from 1970 until 2000.[2] The similarity in names between the Star Jet and its predecessor has resulted in Star Jet being frequently misidentified in the media as Jet Star,[3] and even misidentified on Casino Pier's own website following Hurricane Sandy.[4]

Incidents

In July 2008, a Bulgarian student worker was struck and killed by a moving coaster train. The worker had entered a restricted area while retrieving a park patron's lost hat.[5]

Hurricane Sandy
Aerial view of damage to Casino Pier following Hurricane Sandy. Star Jet is at lower right.

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy came on shore, causing considerable damage along the Atlantic Coast, particularly along the New York and New Jersey shores. The storm caused the collapse of a large section of Casino Pier, dumping Star Jet into the Atlantic Ocean and damaging several other rides.[6]

Despite being thrown into the ocean, the structure of the Star Jet remained largely intact. Images of the coaster, now standing amid the surf, became emblematic of the immense destruction that the hurricane had dealt out along the coast.[7] In 2013, a man, wanting to raise awareness for Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, climbed the derelict structure of the Star Jet and placed a United States flag at the top of the coaster before being arrested by police.[8] The coaster was torn down and removed from the ocean later in 2013.[9][7]

Star Jet's replacement, Hydrus, opened in May 2017.[10] However, the replacement coaster opened on the beach instead of the pier to protect it from future storms.[11]

References
  1. "Casino Pier Rides". Casino Pier. Archived from the original on October 29, 2012.
  2. Marden, Duane. "Jet Star  (Casino Pier)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  3. Marden, Duane. "Star Jet  (Casino Pier)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  4. "History Timeline". Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach. Archived from the original on 2017-07-19. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  5. Spoto, MaryAnn (July 17, 2008). "Seaside Heights roller-coaster worker dies from injuries". NJ.com. Archived from the original on 2010-06-16. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  6. Katz, Andrew (November 14, 2012). "The Roller Coaster and the Sea: How a Jersey Shore Town is Picking Up the Pieces After Sandy". Time. Seaside Heights, NJ. Archived from the original on 2017-07-19. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  7. Di Ionno, Mark (May 15, 2013). "Seaside Heights roller coaster, symbol of Sandy, ends its ride in the sea". NJ.com. Seaside Heights, NJ. Archived from the original on 2017-07-19. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  8. "Man climbs Seaside Heights roller coaster, unfurls American flag". NJ.com. Associated Press. January 8, 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-07-19. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  9. "Photos of Jet Star Roller Coaster Demolition in Seaside Heights, NJ". New Jersey 101.5. May 14, 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-07-19. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  10. Corasaniti, Nick (May 26, 2017). "A Shiny New Ride Above the Sand at the Jersey Shore". New York Times. Seaside Heights, NJ. Archived from the original on 2017-07-19. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  11. Goldgeier, Kathy (May 26, 2017). "Brand New Coaster Replaces One Tossed Into The Waves By Superstorm Sandy". NPR. Archived from the original on 2017-07-19. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
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