“Thunder N Lightning” Among Numerous New Additions Planned for 160th Consecutive Season

BRISTOL/SOUTHINGTON, CT (March 2, 2006) – Lake Compounce Family Theme Park, America’s oldest amusement park and Connecticut’s largest water park, is set to open on Saturday, May 13, 2006, and will unveil a thrilling new ride, ‘Thunder N Lightning.’ The “screaming swing,” with two giant swing arms, holds 32 passengers and catapults riders to heights of almost 100 feet at 60 miles per hour, with four G’s of force, according to Lake Compounce General Manager Jerry Brick.

Lake Compounce will be auctioning off seats for the first ride of ‘Thunder N Lightning’, and all proceeds will be donated to charity.

Brick also took the lid off other expansions 2006. With an estimated budget of $5 million, the Park has completed numerous improvements, including the addition of a brand new boardwalk with shade structures in the water park, several new games which will be adorning the midway including “Fish Are Jumping” and “Pong Pool”, as well as new entertainment including Cirque En Vol, urban acrobats, dancing flying and twisting through the air.

“We are coming off a record-breaking 2005 season, with attendance up 12 percent over 2004,” said Brick. “We are excited for our 160th season, and we know our guests will really enjoy ‘Thunder N Lightning’, as well as the other improvements we have made to the park.”

Lake Compounce has added 64 more lockers, a new outdoor stage, as well as a family restroom where moms and dads can bring the kids.

“Lake Compounce is truly a family-oriented park, and everything we have done helps to make the family experience at the Park that much more enjoyable and convenient,” added Brick. “Whether you love the rush of “Thunder N Lightning” or a stroll along our new boardwalk – there really is something for everyone here.”

Lake Compounce, which offers free Pepsi products all day long, is also adding a new food stand called The Panini Grill, a mini-donut cart, and the Parkside Diner is getting a makeover. It will be more of a grab and go style restaurant to accommodate more guests more efficiently.

The Park’s website, www.lakecompounce.com will be getting a facelift and is expected to be up and running by opening day. Guests should find the site easier to navigate, and they also will find hotel and surrounding area attraction information as well.

Lake Compounce is home to the nationally recognized wooden roller coaster BoulderDash, which opened in 2000, and is the only coaster of its kind to be built into the side of a mountain. In addition, $3.3 million dollars of improvements were made to the park in 2005, which included the addition of ‘Anchor Bay’, an 800-foot lazy river in which riders can float along on a tube with the current.

Season passes are available for a discounted rate of $64.95 through May 30, 2006. Regular price for a season pass is $69.95. Regular daily adult admission is $32.95, junior admission for children under 52” is $23.95, senior admission is $16.95, and children under 3 years of age are admitted free. All tickets and season passes may be purchased by visiting www.lakecompounce.com on the web

ABOUT LAKE COMPOUNCE:
Lake Compounce, New England’s Family Theme Park, is owned by Kennywood Entertainment of Pittsburgh, PA. Kennywood purchased the park in 1996 and invested nearly $70 million in rides and attractions. New for the 2006 season is “Thunder N Lightning”, a screaming swing with two giant swing arms that will hold 32 passengers and will catapult riders to heights of almost 100 feet at 60 miles per hour, with four G’s of force.

Date Set for the Lake Compounce Fan Forum Field Trip
For the second year in a row, Lake Compounce Fan Forum members have the special opportunity to visit the park during the off season. At 10:30 AM on Saturday, March 18, 2006, General Manager Jerry Brick will host a group of inquisitive park fans. The agenda hasn't been set, but we expect to tour the park and participate in a question and answer session with the GM as we find out what has been going on since the park closed for the season in 2005.

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Thunder n’ Lightning Update
2006's Thunder n’ Lightning installation photos, courtesy of General Manager Jerry Brick as of Friday, October 7.

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As previously reported, a major new ride will be swinging at Lake Compounce next season--a 32 passenger Screamin' Swing called Thunder n’ Lightning, manufactured by S&S Power. As you can see from the updates in the Fan Forum, the parts are here and this beast looks hot! Here are the latest assembly photos as of Thursday, October 6, courtesy of the park's General Manager, Jerry Brick.

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Photo courtesy of Lake Compounce

Coaster Tony Hits 5,000 Boulder Dash Rides Veteran Coaster Enthusiast 'Coaster Tony' Breaks Record He Began in 2000 BRISTOL, Conn., Aug. 5, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Today marked a historic event at Lake Compounce, America's oldest amusement park and Connecticut's largest water park, when Anthony "Coaster Tony" Reynolds rode the nationally recognized Boulder Dash wooden roller coaster for the 5,000th time. As an avid coaster enthusiast from nearby Western Massachusetts, Tony has been riding Boulder Dash since it debuted in the park on May 19, 2000. For five years, he's been working toward his goal of 5,000 rides, which he successfully accomplished at 10 a.m. this morning. "Since the moment Boulder Dash was operating, Coaster Tony has been a regular on the coaster," said Jerry Brick, General Manager of Lake Compounce. "He has spent countless Fridays and Sundays here for the past five years riding Boulder Dash and has admitted that it's not only the ride itself but the team members that make each ride unique and great every time." "By the end of the year, I will have visited every major theme park in the United States and Canada, and will have ridden more than 500 different roller coasters," added Coaster Tony, who is a sales manager for Dana Corporation. "Wood coasters give a different experience every time you ride, and there is no better thrill than Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce."