MUSKEGON, Mich., Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park announced plans today to build the first suspended looping roller coaster in the State of Michigan. The new steel coaster will open in the spring of 2008 bringing Michigan's Adventure's roller coaster count to seven!

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071002/CLTU015 )

Named Thunderhawk, the new coaster will climb 105 feet in the air with an exhilarating 86-foot drop. Riders will soar through the air with their feet dangling below them along a winding course that will feature five inversions and a top speed of 50 mph!

"Thunderhawk will bring a new dimension of thrills to the park," said Camille Jourden-Mark, the vice president and general manager of Michigan's Adventure. "It will be an exciting ride that twists, turns and flips. A suspended coaster that loops will be an instant favorite with our guests."

Located near RipCord and Adventure Falls, Thunderhawk will have a massive steel structure with tubular steel track. It will stretch 2,260 feet in length and will provide an electrifying ride time of approximately 2 minutes, 15 seconds. Riders will be seated in pairs in open seats that will be suspended below the track. Each rider will be secured with an over-the- shoulder harness and interlocking safety belt. A train will accommodate 20 riders. Riders must be between 52- and 80-inches tall to ride Thunderhawk. The ride was designed and manufactured by Vekoma International B.V., Vlodrop, The Netherlands.

Thunderhawk will represent the largest single ride expenditure in the history of the park. Michigan's Adventure has continued to add major capital improvements since joining the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company in 2001. Grand Rapids, a river-rafting ride, was introduced in 2006 while the Funnel of Fear water slide opened in 2005.

For next summer, Michigan's Adventure will boast more than 60 rides and attractions, including seven roller coasters. Thunderhawk will be a steel complement to the park's perennial favorite, Shivering Timbers, a 125-foot- tall wooden coaster. Since it opened in 1998, Shivering Timbers has been consistently ranked as one of the finest wooden roller coasters in the world by Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards. Amusement Today is an international amusement and waterpark publication based in Arlington, Texas.

Guests at Michigan's Adventure can also get drenched in WildWater Adventure Waterpark, Michigan's largest waterpark. The waterpark has body slides, tube slides, three wave pools, kiddie play areas, family raft slides and the 313-foot-long Funnel of Fear water slide. Use of WildWater Adventure Waterpark is included with admission to Michigan's Adventure.

Earlier this year, Michigan's Adventure was declared "Attraction of the Year" by Travel Michigan and the Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association.

Michigan's Adventure is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a publicly traded partnership that is listed for trading on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FUN." In addition to Michigan's Adventure, Cedar Fair owns and operates ten other amusement parks, six water parks, one indoor water park resort, and five hotels. Cedar Fair also owns and operates Star Trek: The Experience, an interactive adventure located in Las Vegas, and operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, Calif. under a management contract.

For more information about Michigan's Adventure, guests may call 231.766.3377, or visit miadventure.com for the latest news.

Source: Michigan's Adventure