David Levy

Summertime 10 years ago was the most memorable summer of my life because of my son Tyson.

It was 2008 and he was eight years old.

But it wasn't his age that made that summer so memorable.

It was his height.

Because just prior to that summer, Tyson finally reached the height of 48 inches.

Which I can tell some of you recognize as the minimum height necessary to ride most of the adult thrill rides at Kings Island Amusement Park.

We had been going to the park for two years, but for two years we were sequestered to the children's side of the park, shooting ghosts in the Scooby-Doo Haunted Mansion and riding rides with words like teacup and caterpillar in their name.

The other side of the park is the ride warrior's side.

This is the side the commercials promise is where the awesome is at.

And we would venture over there from time to time, but the only thing that we could do there was for Tyson to measure himself against the you-must-be-this-tall line

and repeatedly come up short.

So if the summer of 2008 was my most memorable summer, by far the most memorable day was the first day that we went to the park that summer, me and my 48 inch tall son.

As soon as we entered the park, we made an immediate beeline for the closest rides to the entrance that we knew Tyson could now ride.

And that's what brought us face to face with the Extreme Flyer.

Now in case you're not familiar,

This ride reminds me of the St.

Louis Arch.

Up to three riders can ride at once, each wears a harness to the back of which is attached a cable.

The other end of that cable is attached at the top of the arch, 150 feet in the air.

17 stories.