April 24, 2023

An American roller coaster fanatic has given Clacton Pier a big thumbs up.

Cy Kidd paid a whistle stop visit to the seaside attraction as part of a tour of Europe and was impressed with what he found.

He went on both the Looping Star and Wild Mouse – taking his total number of roller coasters around the world to 1,465.

The 55-year-old from Washington has experienced rides on four continents and in 27 countries; at 349 different parks and 47 funfairs.

Cy’s current trip began in London and he visited Brean Park and then Clacton Pier by train before heading off to Liseberg Amusement Park in Sweden, Copenhagen to re-visit Tivoli Gardens and then more parks in Belgium, France and the Netherlands before flying home.

His aim was to take in about 20 coasters for the first time, and 47 in all across the entire trip. The most he has ever ridden is 300 in a year.

Cy said it was his first experience of Clacton Pier and he found it to be very well-run.

“It was a far more expansive entertainment complex than I had expected, “ he added. “It was busier and more vibrant than many other amusement piers I have visited.

“The coasters were in great shape, fun and well looked after. I especially enjoyed the Looping Star – it was a blast!”

Cy said he hopes to make a return trip to Clacton in the future, but probably in warmer weather.

He has been crazy about coasters since the age of seven when he went to the Six Flags outside Atlanta and rode the Great American Scream Machine.

“It terrified me, but after it was over I was hooked,” he added. “I became fascinated with coasters and the engineering behind them. While it’s probably not possible to do all of the coasters in the world, it is great fun trying.”

Nigel Brown, Clacton Pier’s communications manager, said it was good to get Cy’s seal of approval.

“Having experienced almost 1,500 coasters he obviously knows exactly what he is talking about,” he said.

“Cy contacted me from London to ask whether the Looping Star and Wild Mouse were both in operation that day and once I confirmed they were, he hopped on the train and was down here within hours. We’re glad he had a good time and look forward to welcoming him back.”

The pier is staging its next free fireworks extravaganza in association with the Year of the Pier on Sunday April 30, starting at around 9pm.

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