Day 2: 28 Hours, 375 Rides, 4 Contestants And They're Still Going...

Day 2: 28 Hours, 375 Rides, 4 Contestants And They're Still Going...

101.3 KDWB's 'Coast for the Cruise' at Nickelodeon Universe(R) four contestants vying for $10,000 Nickelodeon Family Cruise

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the first anniversary, Nickelodeon Universe and Mall of America have partnered with 101.3 KDWB to present a new ride challenge - 'Coast for the Cruise.' Currently at 10 a.m. four contestants have been riding for 28 hours which means they have rode the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge 375 times. These final four contestants have endured countless up-side down loops, spins, climbs and drops - not to mention the inevitable unsettled stomachs, exhaustion and uncertainty of not knowing how long they will have to hold on to become the champion. After their first (relatively sleepless) night the real games have begun: trash talking, bravado and trying to psych each other out.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090326/CG89572)

Yesterday morning at 6 a.m., 10 101.3 KDWB contestants began the challenge to out-ride one another on the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge rollercoaster. This coaster ascends 90 degrees to the top, plummets at 97 degrees and goes into an upside-down loop. Riders experience 5G forces and intense twists and turns at 59 mph. Only time will tell how long they will last. Besides bathroom and meal breaks, contestants must remain on the ride at all times - even to sleep.

"When I heard this contest advertised on 101.3 KDWB I knew that I had to enter," explains Christi, 'Coast for the Cruise' contestant, age 37, married with two kids. "Coming from Wisconsin, I was so nervous that I would oversleep so the night before the competition began I drove here and slept in the car." When asked this morning before getting back on the ride if she could rate how she was feeling on a scale of one to 10 with one being the best and ten being the worst, she gave a two ... even after only a couple of hours of sleep and a full day of stomach-dropping riding on the roller coaster.

The last person to survive 'Coast for the Cruise' will win a vacation on the Nickelodeon Family Cruise with Royal Caribbean International, including airfare and $1,000 spending money - an ultimate grand prize valued at more than $10,000. The grand prize winner will also receive a Golden Lifetime Pass to Nickelodeon Universe for a family of four. The nine remaining contestants will receive two annual passes to Nickelodeon Universe valued at approximately $500.

"I'm doing it for the kids," said Kevin, 'Cost for the Cruise' contestant, age 34, married with two kids. "My strategy is just slow and deep breaths, that's all it is."

Who will survive? Only time will tell...

Check out the live web cam of the contestants at www.nickelodeonuniverse.com/webcam.html

For more information visit www.mallofamerica.com or www.nickelodeonuniverse.com

About Mall of America(R)

Mall of America is the nation's largest retail and entertainment complex. At 4.2 million square feet, MOA(R) is home to more than 520 world-class shops; Nickelodeon Universe(R), the nation's largest indoor family amusement park; Underwater Adventures(R) Aquarium, a 1.2 million gallon walk-through aquarium; Moose Mountain Adventure Golf; Theatres at Mall of America(TM) - a 14-screen movie theater with VIP theatre and more. The Mall opened in August of 1992 and is located in Bloomington, Minn., just minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. For more information visit www.mallofamerica.com.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090326/CG89572
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN8
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Mall of America

CONTACT: Dan Jasper of Mall of America, +1-952-883-8829,
djasper@mallofamerica.com

Web Site: http://www.mallofamerica.com/

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