Crack In Carowinds Roller Coaster May Have Been Visible For More Than A Week Before Closure
You just knew that the more information came out about that cracked roller coaster at Carowinds, the worse it was going to get. If you’ve been on vacation or living under a rock and wondering what I’m talking about. A little more than a week ago, The Fury 325 ride , was shut down after video went viral showing a DANGEROUS crack in a support beam with cars of unsuspecting passengers barreling bay at speeds nearing 100 miles per hour. And it’s not like it was a small crack that no one could see. If you missed it, check it out.
Now that you’re in the loop, you probably had the first reaction as me. “Isn’t it someone’s job to give a visual inspection of the ride each day?” Of course, right? Surely this crack developed THAT day. I mean there’s no way someone missed this or worse ignored it, right? Uh, wrong.
Josh Dobson is the Labor Commissioner. Here’s maybe the scariest finding he could have made public. In an interview with the Associated Press-reported by WWAY, he said, “It looks like maybe six to 10 days prior, some pictures had been taken that shows the beginning of the crack, and then by obviously last Friday, the thing was completely severed.”
Gulp. Then there’s this.
Columbia, South Carolina resident Steven Powers had an interesting quote in the Associated Press. “As far as any other safety concerns, I don’t believe there are any,” Powers said. “I think always subconsciously we think something might happen in the back of our minds, but I also know that they do have people’s lives in their hands so they’re going to make sure that they do what they’re supposed to do on their end.”
Steven my man, you are WAYYYY more trusting than me.
You Can Still Ride These Carowinds Opening Day Attractions 50 Years Later
As you’ve probably heard, Carowinds is celebrating the park’s 50th anniversary in 2023. The park sits directly on the North and South Carolina border. And throughout the years it has evolved and grown into one of the nation’s premier amusement parks. It’s seen changes in ownership, the addition of a waterpark, and countless rides come and go. Some of those “goings” hurt more than others (RIP Thunder Road). But most have made way for bigger and better attractions. Fury 325 is regarded as one of the best roller coasters in the country. The Copperhead Strike is the park’s newest roller coaster. And this year they added the new Aeronautical Landing portion to the area near Afterburn. That ride will always be Top Gun to me, a name that was retired when Paramount sold the park to Cedar Fair. And I remember being too small to ride it when it first opened, but I’ll never forget how massive it seemed at the time. Now it’s one of the smaller at least in height, rides in the park. But even with all this change, some things at Carowinds remain the same from the park’s opening day in 1973 including a few attractions.
So what did Carowinds look like, on March 31, 2023? Here’s a look at some of the Carowinds opening day attractions you can still experience. And keep reading for a lookback and some of the rides I wish you could still ride!
Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.
