He threw her for a loop!
As roller coaster enthusiasts gathered at Coney Island’s Luna Park for Sunday’s season-opening ceremony, thrill-seeking Romeo proposed to his girlfriend as she stepped off the Cyclone.
“I knew she always wanted to be proposed to in the Cyclone, but I was nervous,” Brooklyn native Ben Schrider said shortly after authorities smashed the Brooklyn Egg Cream in his 1997 Cyclone. “So I couldn’t get the ring out on board the Cyclone.” Old Coaster — The traditional annual “baptism” of the classic ride.
“We felt this was the next best thing,” he added. “A few years ago we came with her family and her family got together here. It’s one of her favorites so it’s special.”
The 32-year-old, who works in sports management, burst into tears as she popped the question to Dena Greenbaum while holding her grandmother’s cherished diamond ring. “Her dream came true,” she said as her family gathered and photographers took pictures.
Other riders taking their first spins of the season included Eric Knapp, who calls himself “Mr. Martin.” He said he had been to every opening day of the Cyclones since 1973.
“I’ve been at the front of the line since 2003. I’ve been standing in line all night long,” Knapp, who even has a tattoo of a vehicle on his arm, told the Post.
“Don’t lose your inner child. Have fun and enjoy life,” he added. “Life’s too short to worry about money and all that stuff. Go down to the beach and walk in the sand and dip your toes in the water. Go for a ride.”
He wasn’t the only Cyclone enthusiast in Coney Island this weekend.
Other adrenaline junkies and tourists who had come to the park simply to have a good time left feeling like kids again.
Sound engineer Hervé Buillette, 64, who was visiting from Paris with his wife, said the excitement of being at an amusement park made him “feel like I was 12 years old again.”
“I know it from movies, songs and many other things. It’s iconic and it’s a historical monument,” he said. “Part of the dream is to make it happen this morning. I didn’t know it was the opening. It’s just a coincidence that we’re here. We turned 12 today.”
The park was scheduled to open for its 121st season on Saturday, but torrential rain and “washout” weather postponed the opening date, leaving fans lining up to watch the new season begin under blue skies and sunshine. Ta.
“We are full of huge positive energy on opening day in 2024,” said Alessandro Zamperla, chief financial officer of Luna Park’s owner, Central Amusement International.
“We have sunshine, blue skies and community support,” he told the Post. “We’ll start with the Coney Island baptismal tradition we just did: egg cream, which is a great Brooklyn tradition.”
This year, visitors to the park will see a new attraction called Electric Eden Raceway, a go-kart raceway filled with bright LED lights and a video mapping system, Zamperla said.
Zamperla said low-risk park users may find similar joy in the addition of new retail stores, new arcade games and new concessions.
However, the topic of Cyclone remains on the first day.
“The Cyclone is iconic, I always say, but once you’re in New York, experience the most iconic roller coaster in the world, the Cyclone,” Zamperla said. “It’s a great honor to be a steward, but each year I get faster and better as I get older. I’m so excited to get started on the Cyclone’s 97th season.”
The first group to ride this iconic coaster were those who worked on the Cyclone and their friends. After that, general park users became able to ride.
Admission to New York’s top attractions is free and rides start at $4.
