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ParkHoppin’ with Paul Ruben
On the Dock of the Bay As the song by Otis Redding goes:
I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay Wastin’ time.
The bay is Monterey Bay, and the dock is actually a wharf. The Santa Cruz Wharf in California is known for fishing, boat tours, viewing sea lions, dining and gift shops. With a length of 2,745ft (836m), it is the
longest pier on the US West Coast. After dining on dead fish in one of the local restaurants, I followed the movement of sailboats on the horizon, listened to the bark of the sealions below, and watched the twinkling lights across the water at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It was magical. The Boardwalk is magical. Nominated for this year’s IAAPA/Liseberg Applause Award, it has never looked better. Operated by the Canfield family, it celebrated its centennial in 2007. One of the last of the classic seaside amusement parks in the United States, the Boardwalk is considered one of the best of its kind in the world. It is renowned for its great rides, remarkable history, spectacular beach setting and friendly attitude. It spans a wide sandy beach along Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary where it’s not unusual to see otters, dolphins, sea lions and even whales swimming just offshore. You want authentic summertime entertainment? This is it. Two of the Boardwalk’s rides are National Historic Landmarks. The thrilling 1924 Giant Dipper wooden rollercoaster proves that wood coasters can run smoothly and has appeared in a number of films including Sudden Impact with Clint Eastwood and Lost Boys with Kiefer Sutherland. The Looff Carousel, seen in The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford, has one of the few remaining ring grabs found on carousels. Its domed roof appears behind me in the photo above. Best of all, for me at least, are two unique dark rides. The Cave Train turns and ducks under the boardwalk for its entire ride. The Haunted Castle, surprisingly, drops riders below the boardwalk and again operates invisibly beneath it. The Haunted Castle's facade, I discovered, houses the park’s guest services and first aid offices on the ground floor, operational offices, employee check-in and locker rooms on the second floor. Brilliant.
Which brings me back to Otis Redding and the Santa Cruz wharf: I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay Watching the tide roll away
Am I humming the wrong tune? The allure of Cave Train and The Haunted Castle suggest the lyrics of the Drifters’ song from 1964:
Under the boardwalk, down by the sea, yeah On a blanket with my baby is where I’ll be
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Outlaw Run
Silver Dollar City plans upside down woodie
A first-of-its-kind thrill ride is planned for Silver Dollar City in 2013. The 1880s- style theme park in Branson, Missouri, will open Outlaw Run, a bizarre and daring wooden coaster this coming spring. The $10 million ride, which represents Silver Dollar City’s biggest investment in a single attraction for a decade, will include several firsts.
It will feature the world’s steepest drop on a wood coaster (as seen right), from a height of more than 16 storeys (162ft) at 81 degrees. It will be the world’s only wood coaster to twist upside down, not once but three times including a 720-
WhiteWater acquires Hopkins
The world’s leading waterpark supplier, WhiteWater has widened its portfolio with the acquisition of Hopkins Rides. Based in Palm City, Florida, Hopkins will continue to operate under the same name and offer its established selection of rides including the Shoot the Chute, Super Flume, River Raft Ride, log flume and other water transportation systems. The company previously operated in an alliance with the Canadian rollercoaster specialist Martin & Vleminckx. “We’re ecstatic to be part of WhiteWater,” reports Jim Glover, who continues as Hopkins’ director of sales. “We believe Hopkins’ rides will offer high capacity addition to world-class waterparks.” Established in December 1980, WhiteWater expanded beyond its roots as a manufacturer of waterslides (and before that a waterpark operator) with the acquisition some years back of Prime Play. More recently it has picked up the rights to manufacture additional waterpark products such as the AquaLoop, FlowRider and MasterBlaster and is also developing various projects with MagiQuest founder Denise Weston. The acquisition of Hopkins, therefore, is symbolic both of WhiteWater’s ambition and the increasing variety of attractions found within the 21st Century waterpark. As part of a global network of 19 WhiteWater sales offices, it seems likely that Hopkins’ rides will find homes in many more parks – wet and dry – around the world. “Having Hopkins Rides on board advances our mission to bring the to market the most exciting and diverse aquatic amusement park attractions portfolio in the world,” confirms Teri Ruffley, head of WhiteWater’s amusement ride section.
6 SEPTEMBER 2012
A typical Hopkins Shoot- the-Chute
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