What was the name of the first roller coaster and who built it?
Most roller coaster historians agree that the ride’s origins were the Russian Ice Slides. These slides first appeared during the 17th century throughout Russia, with a particular concentration in the area of in what would become St. Petersburg. The structures were built out of lumber with a sheet of ice several inches thick covering the surface. Riders climbed the stairs attached to the back of the slide, sped down the 50 degree drop and ascend the stairs of the slide that laid parallel (and opposite) to the first one. The slides gained favor with the Russian upper class and some were ornately decorated to provide entertainment “fit for royalty.” It is said that Catherine the Great was a large fan of the thrills provided by the slides and had a few built on her own property. During the winter festival season slides were built between seventy and eighty feet high, stretched for hundreds of feet and accommodated many large sleds at once. There is some dispute as to who actually added whe
