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When it debuted in 1992, it was the tallest and fastest wooden coaster in the world, with a height of
179 feet (55 m), a first drop of 166 feet (51 m) and a top speed of 73 mph (117 km/h), outdoing its then rival,
Mean Streak at Ohio's
Cedar Point Amusement Park. It held this title for several years until the debut of
Son of Beast at Ohio's
Kings Island.
The Rattler is currently the world's fourth tallest wooden coaster but has fallen out of the top ten in drop, although it would still rank third in this category had its first drop not been drastically shortened from 166 to 124 feet (51 to 38 m), reducing its top speed to 65 mph (105 km/h), several years after its opening. The coaster's original plans never called for such a large first drop, but construction of Ohio's
Mean Streak prompted the hasty design change.
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