Career
Ron Toomer was hired by Arrow Development founders Karl Bacon and Ed Morgan in 1965 to help design a mine train ride called Run-A-Way Mine Train at Six Flags Over Texas. It opened in 1966 utilizing the tubular steel rail technology that had been developed by Arrow for Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds. The concept caught on quickly and Toomer designed 15 more mine train coasters for Arrow. All but one still operate today. Following almost four years of development, Toomer introduced the modern looping roller coaster in 1975 with the opening of Corkscrew, the first in the world with two inversions, at Knott's Berry Farm. Knott's is credited with having the first, but three more identical coasters opened later that same year. The following year he introduced the familiar Arrow teardrop-shaped vertical loop on a custom corkscrew coaster at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. At Cedar Point in 1989, Toomer unveiled the first roller coaster to top 200 feet (61 m) known as Magnum XL-200.
In 1981, Arrow Development was purchased by Huss Maschinenfabrik, which merged with Arrow Development to form Arrow-Huss. Toomer was made vice president and manager of engineering. In 1986, 13 of the company's American officers negotiated a buyout, and formed Arrow Dynamics to which Toomer was named president. In 1993 he was promoted to chairman of the board then became a consulting director in 1995. Toomer retired from Arrow Dynamics in 1998.
Although Toomer primarily designed coasters for Arrow, he also assisted with some of the other Arrow products, which included providing structural engineering for the company's Log Flumes.
A common misconception is the Ron Toomer never rode any of his rides. Although he did suffer from motion sickness, he would ride a coaster once, maybe twice. He was quoted as saying "I've ridden enough to know what they are like."
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