Custom Coasters International

Custom Coasters International (CCI) was an American manufacturer specializing in wooden roller coasters. The company was established in Ohio in 1991 by Denise Dinn-Larrick, Jeff Dinn, and Randy Larrick. Its founders brought experience from the Dinn family’s earlier involvement in roller-coaster design and construction: Denise Dinn-Larrick was the daughter of Charles Dinn, who had founded the Dinn Corporation. CCI initially positioned itself around comparatively small and affordable family-oriented wooden coasters, a segment that allowed amusement parks to add traditional wooden rides without committing to the scale and cost of the largest custom projects. The company’s early design work included freelance engineers Mike Boodley and Bill Kelley, both associated with California, and Larry Bill joined the design team in 1992 after working with Curtis D. Summers & Associates. Over time, CCI expanded beyond its initial family-coaster focus. Its later designs became associated with larger, faster, and more intense wooden roller coasters, broadening its appeal among parks seeking signature attractions and more forceful ride experiences. As its customer base extended beyond the United States, the company changed its name from Custom Coasters Incorporated to Custom Coasters International in November 1994. During approximately eleven years of operation, CCI produced 34 wooden roller coasters in markets described as spanning the United States and other countries. Its output became part of the modern revival of large wooden coasters, and several of its rides continued operating after the company itself disappeared. According to the referenced Wikipedia account, 29 of the 34 coasters were still operating as of 2019; one was closed, two had been demolished, and two had been converted into steel roller coasters by Rocky Mountain Construction. The conversions included Medusa becoming the Medusa Steel Coaster and Twisted Twins becoming Wind Chaser. CCI’s final period was marked by financial failure. In 2002, the company filed for bankruptcy while construction was still under way on the New Mexico Rattler at Cliff’s Amusement Park. The unfinished project left the park with a partially completed ride. Cliff’s hired the construction crew and completed the coaster itself rather than waiting for a corporate reorganization. Denise Dinn, by then divorced from Randy Larrick, subsequently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, leading to liquidation of CCI’s assets. There was no attempt to reorganize the company as an operating manufacturer. The company’s closure nevertheless influenced the amusement-ride industry through the movement of its designers and personnel. Denise Dinn joined S&S Power and established a wooden-coaster division there, although that operation produced four coasters before being closed. Larry Bill, Chad Miller, Korey Kiepert, and Michael Graham founded The Gravity Group in 2002, while other former CCI designers pursued separate careers. Mike Boodley had already established Great Coasters International in 1994, Dennis McNulty returned to civil engineering in 1999, and Bill Kelley later worked for Dynamic Designs, Inc. CCI therefore remains significant less as a continuing brand than as a former wooden-coaster builder whose rides and alumni continued to shape the industry.

Custom Coasters Incorporated began operations on September 1, 1991, in West Chester, Ohio. It was founded by Denise Dinn-Larrick, Jeff Dinn, and Randy Larrick. The company’s origins were closely connected to the Dinn family’s experience in roller-coaster construction and design, since Denise was the daughter of Charles Dinn, founder of the Dinn Corporation. CCI initially pursued a niche in smaller, affordable wooden roller coasters intended for family audiences and regional amusement parks. The initial design group included freelance engineers Mike Boodley and Bill Kelley of California. Larry Bill joined the team in 1992 after working with Curtis D. Summers & Associates. CCI subsequently developed a broader range of wooden coasters, moving from relatively modest family attractions toward larger projects characterized by greater speed, scale, and intensity. The company’s international ambitions were reflected in its November 1994 name change from Custom Coasters Incorporated to Custom Coasters International. Across roughly eleven years, CCI built 34 wooden roller coasters. Its rides were installed for amusement parks in the United States and abroad, making the company one of the identifiable specialist builders in the late twentieth-century wooden-coaster market. The company’s legacy continued through the operating life of its rides. The referenced account reports that, by 2019, 29 of the 34 coasters remained in operation, while one was closed and two had been demolished. Two others had been transformed into steel roller coasters by Rocky Mountain Construction: Medusa became the Medusa Steel Coaster and Twisted Twins became Wind Chaser. CCI’s business ended during construction of the New Mexico Rattler at Cliff’s Amusement Park. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2002, leaving the ride incomplete. Cliff’s responded by hiring the construction crew and finishing the coaster itself. There was no corporate reorganization. Denise Dinn, who had divorced Randy Larrick by that stage, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and the company’s assets were liquidated. After the bankruptcy, CCI’s personnel dispersed across the amusement-ride industry. Denise Dinn joined S&S Power and started a wooden-coaster division there; that division produced four coasters before being closed. Larry Bill, Chad Miller, Korey Kiepert, and Michael Graham founded The Gravity Group in 2002. Other designers had departed earlier or pursued different careers: Mike Boodley founded Great Coasters International in 1994, Dennis McNulty returned to civil engineering in 1999, and Bill Kelley later worked for Dynamic Designs, Inc. CCI therefore ceased to exist as a manufacturer, but its rides, design practices, and former employees continued to influence wooden roller-coaster development.

1. 2019Status of the former CCI coaster portfolio is recorded

   The available account reported that 29 of CCI’s 34 coasters were still operating, with other rides closed, demolished, or converted to steel.

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2. 2002CCI enters Chapter 7 bankruptcy

   The company filed for bankruptcy during construction of the New Mexico Rattler, and its assets were subsequently liquidated.

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3. 2002The Gravity Group is founded by former CCI designers

   Larry Bill, Chad Miller, Korey Kiepert, and Michael Graham established The Gravity Group after CCI’s collapse.

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4. 1994The company adopts the Custom Coasters International name

   As the business began working with international clients, it changed its name from Custom Coasters Incorporated to Custom Coasters International in November 1994.

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5. 1992Larry Bill joins the design team

   Larry Bill joined CCI’s design group after working with Curtis D. Summers & Associates.

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6. 1991Custom Coasters Incorporated begins operations

   The company opened on September 1, 1991, in West Chester, Ohio, with Denise Dinn-Larrick, Jeff Dinn, and Randy Larrick as founders.

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A specialist wooden roller-coaster manufacturer that began with small, affordable family rides and later developed larger, faster, and more intense custom attractions for amusement parks.

• Custom wooden roller coastersWooden roller coaster1991

  CCI’s principal product was the custom-designed wooden roller coaster. The company supplied amusement parks with rides tailored to their available site, desired capacity, and target audience. Its portfolio developed from smaller family-oriented attractions into larger and more intense coasters emphasizing speed and stronger forces. In total, the company built 34 wooden roller coasters during its approximately eleven-year operating period.

• New Mexico RattlerWooden roller coaster2002

  The New Mexico Rattler was a CCI project at Cliff’s Amusement Park that remained partially completed when the manufacturer entered bankruptcy in 2002. Cliff’s hired the construction crew and finished the ride independently rather than relying on a CCI reorganization.

• MedusaWooden roller coaster

  Medusa was one of CCI’s wooden roller-coaster projects. The ride was later converted by Rocky Mountain Construction into a steel roller coaster and renamed Medusa Steel Coaster, making it an example of a former CCI installation retained through major structural redevelopment.

• Twisted TwinsWooden roller coaster

  Twisted Twins was a CCI wooden coaster that was subsequently transformed by Rocky Mountain Construction into the steel coaster Wind Chaser. The conversion preserved the site’s attraction while replacing the original wooden-coaster configuration.

• 2002File for Chapter 7 bankruptcyOther

  CCI encountered financial failure while the New Mexico Rattler was still under construction.

  What changed. The company entered bankruptcy, and Denise Dinn subsequently filed for Chapter 7, resulting in liquidation of CCI’s assets rather than a reorganization.

  Aftermath. Cliff’s completed the unfinished coaster with the construction crew, while former CCI personnel moved to other manufacturers and design businesses.

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• 1994Adopt an international-facing corporate nameStrategy

  The company began working with clients outside its original domestic market.

  What changed. In November 1994, Custom Coasters Incorporated changed its name to Custom Coasters International.

  Aftermath. The new name reflected the company’s broader market ambitions and its work with international customers.

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• 2019Rocky Mountain Construction converts former CCI coasters to steel

  Two former CCI wooden coasters were identified as having been converted into steel rides: Medusa became Medusa Steel Coaster and Twisted Twins became Wind Chaser.

  Product generationOther
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• 2002Custom Coasters International files for bankruptcy

  CCI entered bankruptcy while constructing the New Mexico Rattler at Cliff’s Amusement Park. The company was not reorganized, and its assets were liquidated through a Chapter 7 proceeding.

  Bankruptcy
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• 2002Cliff’s completes the unfinished New Mexico Rattler

  After CCI’s bankruptcy left the coaster partially built, Cliff’s Amusement Park hired the construction crew and completed the ride itself.

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• 2002Former CCI personnel establish new coaster businesses and design groups

  Following CCI’s collapse, several designers moved into new ventures, including The Gravity Group, while Denise Dinn joined S&S Power to launch a wooden-coaster division.

  Leadership changeOther
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1. Custom Coasters International