The Quiz: On National Roller Coaster Day, why do our thoughts turn to Russian Mountains?
A It’s Russia’s fastest coaster
B The first coaster was built on one
C They were precursors to roller coasters
As early as the 1600s, Russian cities—especially St. Petersburg—built ice-bearing wooden ramps and slides in public squares for thrill-seeking citizens to enjoy during the cold winters. By the early 1800s, these glorified playground slides had spread to the rest of Europe and North America, where they were called Russian Mountains. With improvements such as carts and tracks, Russian Mountain rides eventually led to the development of the modern roller coaster.
The correct answer to this quiz is They were precursors to roller coasters.