THE COMET

The Great Escape, Lake George, NY

COMET CONTINUES TO THRILL AFTER 50 YEARS

Lake George, NY -- The legendary Comet roller coaster continues to thrill fun loving people of all ages, even after 50 years, two homes, and two face-lifts. It is the only coaster to be built three times.

The first version of the Comet was built in 1927 by legendary coaster builder Harry Traver. Back then it was called the Cyclone, and it was thought by many to be the most intense coaster ever. It had a laminated wood track construction and a steel superstructure, but was considered to be a wooden coaster by definition.

The Cyclone's first home was Crystal Beach Amusement Park in Ridgeway, Ontario (Canada), which is a short distance from Buffalo, NY. The Cyclone enjoyed a robust life until 1946, when decreased park patronage and increased ride maintenance led the park to dismantle it. Crystal Beach then contracted with the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) and Herbert Schmeck, considered one of the best coaster designers of all time, for the design and construction of a new, larger coaster.

To save money, the new coaster was built with steel salvaged from the Cyclone. It also featured a low-profile layout, which saved on materials, and produced the unbridled speed that riders crave. Unveiled in 1948 as the Crystal Beach Comet, the new coaster was thought by many to be the best of its kind because of its classic profile and thrilling interplay of G-forces.

When Crystal Beach Amusement Park closed in 1989 after its 101st season, enthusiasts mourned the loss of The Comet. A month later, the coaster was rescued from destruction when Charles R. Wood, owner of the Great Escape Fun Park in Lake George, NY, purchased The Comet for a record $210,000.

After a lengthy approval process and several years of storage, reconstruction of this world-class wooden coaster began in earnest in October, 1993. More than 49 tractor-trailer loads of steel crossed New York State, while over 1,000 concrete footers were poured at The Great Escape. The complex process of sandblasting, restoring, priming, and reassembling thousands of steel subassemblies was handled entirely in-house by park personnel.

In designing The Comet's station, The Great Escape restored the elegant roof trusses and the 1920's style that was originally featured on the Crystal Beach Cyclone. Construction of a new, laminated Douglas Fir track was done by the respected Canadian firm of Martin & Vleminckx Amusement Corp. The two trains were ordered from PTC, and every effort was made to duplicate the original trains as closely as possible. The Comet was also fitted with new safety and control systems by Birket Engineering of Orlando, FL.

After The Comet re-opened at The Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom in 1994, enthusiasts rated it as the best coaster in the world.

The Comet, once "Queen of the Lake," now reigns as "King of the Hills" at its new home in the Adirondacks, where it just celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998. It still delivers an exhilarating ride -- with the old-fashioned smoothness of its youth, and the intensity and speed of its modern improvements.

The Great Escape is owned by Six Flags Theme Parks, part of Premier Parks, Inc., the world's largest regional theme park company with a total of 31 parks in the United States and Europe. Six Flags serves 16 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. The parks annually host nearly 40 million guests worldwide. Premier Parks is a publicly held corporation with corporate offices in New York and Oklahoma City. The company's stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol: PKS.

###

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Ed Lewi Associates
6 Chelsea Place
Clifton Park, NY 12065
PHONE: (518) 383-6183  FAX: (518) 383-6755
1999