Want a front row seat to see LeBron James and the Cavs take on the Atlanta Hawks on Monday? That’s going to cost $2,500 on the resale market.
With a price tag like that, the $500 price tag to ride in the front row of the LeBron-inspired, first run of Cedar Point’s new record-shattering Valravn roller coaster almost seems like a bargain. All the money raised by the eager first-time riders will benefit the LeBron James Family Foundation.
But unlike a Cavs game that lasts around 2 hours and 15 minutes, the front-row ride on the Valravn zips along for just 3 minutes and 23 seconds.
Sale of the limited number of front-row seats is set to begin on Friday at cedarpoint.com along with $75 tickets to fill the remaining seats when the coaster — named for a bird-like creature of Danish folklore that was said to have swooped down from the sky to feed on the flesh of knights killed in war — makes its first exclusive public run on May 5.
Cedar Point spokesman Tony Clark said the details of the ticket sales are still being worked out so an exact time when the sale will go live on the park’s website under the events tab on Friday had not been set by late Thursday afternoon. The Valravn will be the only ride open during the special-ticket event.
This marks the second year that Cedar Point has partnered with LeBron’s foundation — which encourages Akron kids to stay in school — to sell tickets for the first rides on a new attraction.
Last year’s first ride benefit on the stand-up Mantis coaster conversion into the sit-down Rougarou raised $126,000 for LeBron’s charity.
Instead of just selling tickets to the special event, the park instead auctioned off the Rougarou seats with one of the first 64 public riders willing to shell out $760 to sit in a front seat.
The Valravn will set a number of records when it opens and will become the world’s tallest, fastest and longest dive-coaster.
Like most coasters, the Valravn will take riders through twisting turns and upside down.
What makes this coaster unique to the park is riders will board one of three 24-passenger floorless trains that climb 23 feet at a 47-degree angle.
Once the coaster train clears the top, the Valravn will stop and dangle its riders facedown on a 214-foot-long vertical drop for several seconds before tearing down the track at some 75 mph.
Cedar Point’s partnership with James started back in 2014, when LeBron hinted that he was thinking about leaving Miami.
Park general manager Jason McClure tweeted an offer to name a coaster at the park after James should he rejoin the Cavs.
They instead opted to partner to raise money and awareness for James’ charity. Cedar Point hosted around 2,500 of his I PROMISE kids and their families at the park in August.
Season pass-holders will get an exclusive chance to ride the new coaster May 6 kicking off the Valravn World Premiere Weekend May 7 and 8. The park will begin daily operations May 13.
Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547. Visit his Airtime blog dedicated to amusement parks on Ohio.com.