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The ride being built at Kings Island and scheduled to debut in 2009 will run through a splash pond, according to the plans filed with the city of Mason.

Few other details about its size and features are available. They're not included in the plans and have not been shared with Mason and state officials who review and approve only parts of amusement ride design and construction.

Kings Island's new ride is designed by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, which describes its "hypercoaster" model as having "height, speed and airtime," according to its Web site.

Kings Island's drawings filed with the city of Mason in February also indicate three loops.

Don Helbig, Kings Island's spokesman said Wednesday, July 8, that park managers have been too busy working on special events to announce the new ride.

Visitors at the park can see the construction, which began in October, and on July 4,

Kings Island placed signs on the fencing with hints about the new ride. However, Kings Island will make no announcement until this summer, Helbig said.

A spokeswoman for Bolliger & Mabillard in Switzerland said Wednesday, July 9, that company officials will not break their client's confidence by discussing new projects.

Detailed drawings of the ride itself were not submitted to Mason, since the city only has oversight over the design and construction of a building where riders will depart and return. Inspection of amusement park rides falls under the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

However, state officials are not privy to design details about the new ride, either.

Bill Schwaderer, a spokesman for the agriculture department, said the amusement park industry uses standards developed by the American Society of Testing & Materials. The state does not review or approve ride designs before construction.

"We look at the records and certifications that this ride has met the ASTM standards," Schwaderer said. "A lot of those rides are proprietary and they won't let anyone know anything. You can't see the engineering stuff on it, it's all copyrighted. They don't want anyone to find out what their secrets are. Even for us, we just see the certifications."

Len Morrissey, ASTM staff manager for amusement park rides, said most manufacturers follow the ASTM standards for design, G-force, acceleration and restraint and safety systems.

"You can sort of self certify, but there isn't some sort a watchdog out there that checks it, unless there is an incident or something like that," Morrissey said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4525 or dcallahan@coxohio.com.