SEASIDE HEIGHTS — Years after Superstorm Sandy swept the iconic Jet Star roller coaster into the Atlantic Ocean, Casino Pier on Saturday opened its new Hydrus ride to the public.

The Hydrus has a 72-foot vertical lift and 97-degree drops, 1,050 feet of track, a vertical loop, an Immelman turn and a heartline roll.

And that, the amusement park hopes, will all add up to many screams of delight.

Admission for the ride is 10 credits, which are worth $10. Riders have to be at least 4 feet tall.

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Construction on the new ride began in January after the park acquired more land. Casino Pier also has a new Ferris wheel this summer.

The ride was unveiled nearly five years since the storm wrecked the Jersey Shore and comes as the borough makes a new effort to attract families and tourists who may have been turned off by images they saw on reality-TV shows like "The Jersey Shore."

The borough is promoting weekly free movies on the beach from July 4 through August, the Jersey Shore Music Festival on May 19 to 21, and Family Fun Nights on the beach starting July 2.

Sergio Bichao is deputy digital editor at New Jersey 101.5. Send him news tips: Call 609-359-5348 or email sergio.bichao@townsquaremedia.com.

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