82 yr old Kennywood Fanatic Rides Jack Rabbit 95 Times in a Row
Kennywood’s Jack Rabbit is a wooden coaster built in 1920 by legendary coaster designer John Miller. 2015 marks the rides 95th anniversary. To celebrate the milestone for one of the fifth-oldest roller coaster in the world, 82 yr old Kennywood fanatic and ACE member Vic Kleman, embarked on 95 consecutive rides on Sunday, May 24, 2015.
Kleman, a retired GM of a wholesale grocery firm and a local actor from Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood, celebrated his 5,000th ride all-time on the Jack Rabbit at Kennywood and set a record of 95 consecutive rides in a single day in honor of the coaster’s 95th birthday.
Watch ride number 95 below!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXLeUJW6ju0
After competition Vic said:
“I feel great! I made sure to move my legs throughout the day to keep from getting stiff after sitting so long.”
Preparing for such a task is similar to an athlete prepping for a big race or title bout. Kleman tells us he drank and ate “very litte” from 8 p.m. the night before on a strict plan since he hoped to ride without stopping for even a bathroom break.
Vic says one of his strategies for the marathon ride was to set in the 5th seat from the front. He says the 5th seat is a smoother ride in the middle away from the wheels.
Kleman is a long time member of “ACE”, the American Coaster Enthusiast coaster club. Friends from ACE offered him water between rides while a medic and a defibrillator were both on hand during the event.
Kennywood spokesman Nick Paradise said Vic began riding at 10:53 a.m. and ended at 7:17 p.m. The marathon took a total of 8:24 to complete and Vic didn’t leave the coaster for a break the entire time!
This is an incredible record for anyone let alone someone who is 82 years old. We hope to just live to be 82 let alone be setting coaster records at that age. Congrats to Vic on his remarkable record!
For more info including tickets, visit the official Kennywood website by clicking here.
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