originally posted on 7/7/2025
Photo: Ryan Schultz. View full-sized image.
Along the shores of Lake Erie, the songs of the sirens have started luring riders to their underwater demise with the introduction of Siren’s Curse at Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio), North America’s first tilt coaster.
After previously opening new coasters in back-to-back years (Wild Mouse in 2023 and Top Thrill 2 in 2024), Cedar Point surprised much of the roller coaster community when it announced the introduction of Siren’s Curse in September 2024. The ride itself was originally intended for Energylandia (Zator, Poland) and then moved to Six Flags Mexico (Mexico City) before finally being installed in Sandusky.
Siren’s Curse is the latest installment of Vekoma’s tilt coaster concept dating back to 2002.
Photo: Jon Roost. View full-sized image.
Photo: Jon Roost. View full-sized image.
Photo: Frankie Arroyo. View full-sized image.
Vekoma introduced the tilt coaster concept in 2002 with Gravity Max at Taiwan’s Discovery World (Houli Hsiang, Taichung). The design has been highly refined and updated, and 23 years later Siren’s Curse is the first of three new Vekoma tilt coasters under construction to open.
Photo: Alex Doak. View full-sized image.
To solidify the harbor theme of the area, the base of the coaster’s supports have been painted with rust, seaweed and kelp.
Photos: Adam Brown. View full-sized image.
The experience begins in the queue, with the ride themed to the harbor of Erie Freight Company. The queue twists and turns under the entire layout of the ride, even crossing over one of the many drops and going under a low inversion. Music and sound effects add to the ambience, along with physical pieces such as shipping containers, a barge, fountains and kelp covering the bottom of supports.
Photo: Jon Roost. View full-sized image.
Photo: Jon Roost. View full-sized image.
Photo: Courtney Clark. View full-sized image.
After storing items in lockers and passing through metal detection, riders board one of two six-car trains. The newest generation of Vekoma trains features an over-the shoulder lap bar with flexible vest restraint. They also come with lighting on the sides and onboard audio to enhance the experience and theming.
While not Cedar Point’s tallest roller coaster, Siren’s Curse casts an impressive silhouette against the skies above Lake Erie.
Photo: Grayson Moon. View full-sized image.
Photo: Derek Perry. View full-sized image.
Riders quickly head up the lift and are lured by the sirens to the signature element of Siren’s Curse: the tilt track. The train slowly creeps to the end of the track before being grabbed, secured and tilted 90 degrees into a vertical position. After a brief pause, the sirens take control, dragging riders down the 160-foot drop at 58 mph.
Despite the vertical drop being the coaster’s focal point, low-to-the-ground maneuvers including a tunnel are highlights along the layout.
Photo: Derek Perry. View full-sized image.
Photo: Derek Perry. View full-sized image.
What follows can only be described as one of the best designed sequences of elements on a coaster: 13 airtime moments, two zero-G barrel rolls and a banked triple down. A short tunnel even takes riders to a lower level than the nearby waters of Lake Erie, a first at Cedar Point. After an exciting two minutes of relentless thrills, the ride hits the brakes and makes those exiting want to hop right back in line for another trip.
Cedar Point expects to take advantage of the appeal of Siren’s Curse with a wide range of merchandise.
Photo: HaeKyung Thompson. View full-sized image.
Photo: Adam Brown. View full-sized image.
Photo: Grayson Moon. View full-sized image.
Siren’s Curse will surely be a massive hit, even among Cedar Point’s other heavy hitters. The team at Vekoma found a way to create a very smooth, thrilling and comfortable ride, and the park added great theming elements to make this a true top-notch experience. Siren’s Curse is a must-ride for all Cedar Point guests and an easy pick for the best new ride of 2025.
— Jon Roost, Eastern Great Lakes Regional Representative
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