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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (SCBB) Discussion Thread


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^ Finally! It's about time! But why would they even bother to open Undertow now, when they only operate weekends?

Because that makes sense.

 

Why wait any longer when its ready to go?

Yeah, but the maintenance and money to keep it staffed could cost more than the ride actually brings in, so it actually would make sense to not open it full time, unless they want to work out the kinks on operation.

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I'm sure the ride would have been open as part of their limited operations schedule to begin with had it opened on time, so it's not like they are doing anything special for the ride.

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Just got off Undertow. Fun ride! I've never been on a Maurer mouse before, so I didn't really know what to expect. The ride was extremely smooth, with gentle spinning. The first drop felt fast, but the rest of the ride was fairly tame (every block brake was on). Overall, I think the Boardwalk has a solid ride should appeal to a wide range of guests, and should only get more fun as the ride breaks in and the weather heats up!

 

One new thing I noticed is a turnstile with a barcode reader at the ride station (non-operational). It looks like the Boardwalk is finally going to convert to a virtual-type ticketing system!

 

Here's some video I shot of Undertow:

 

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Also, photos:

 

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Edited by sfmman2000
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At long last, it's open. However, I'm not sure if it'll be running all weekends for limited op. I know that some 'walk rides close when the weather doesn't cooperate, yes, but as for closing for limited op purposes and limited op purposes alone...I'm curious to find out how things play out over the off-season.

 

Is it safe to assume that it's too late (full op is over come the end of this month) now for this thing to be an effective draw? If that is the situation here, then I feel sorry for the 'walk as they are the only park to receive a Maurer spinner as of now to have this terrible luck. I mean, MS has had over a decade of experience making spinning coasters and yet they mess up on this one in particular? How can something like that happen with that much experience making the same product? Now if Undertow does manage to draw crowds (assuming it is open almost every if not every single weekend of limited op) in the coming months then that of course would be better for the 'walk and would heal some of the financial wounds inflicted by the ride's nearly four month long delay as well as the costs of running and maintaining it in the off-season.

 

Again, I'm just very curious as to how things are going to play out for the 'walk through the off-season and am not coming to any conclusions here, just something to think about.

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^Mistakes happen. No company or person is perfect. If SCBB acted in a proper manner there was a clause in the contract for the delivery and opening date of the coaster from Maurer Sohne, and there is monetary compensation on the way. If SCBB didn't take this precaution, then shame on them.

 

Attendance and ridership at SCBB are more tied to the weather than any new ride installation. I doubt there was a significant drop in overall ride ticket sales. Only an enthusiast would come to the park and buy only a specified number of tickets just to ride the coasters. Most patrons are going to buy a round numbers of tickets that packaged at the most attractive price for their family. Any lost tickets sales from enthusiasts will be made up in the off season or next season when those enthusiasts show up.

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^Agreed. I doubt that the delays involved with Undertow would really affect their attendance much. Many people make a point of visiting the Boardwalk during summer as a family tradition; lack of a spinning mouse wouldn't stop them from visiting.

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I rode Undertow for the first time today (never thought I'd write that sentence this year!). The reviews are spot on, it's a great addition to the Boardwalk's lineup. While it's nothing mind-blowing, it's a perfect family coaster, with plenty of unexpected moments for the thrill-seekers.

 

We got there about an hour after all the rides opened, but Undertow hadn't opened yet. I asked the ride operator when it might open, and he said about a half-hour. Unfortunately, this half-hour turned into two hours, and I was starting to lose hope that it would open.

 

Later, after purchasing tickets ($6 ... a little steep), I got in line. The queue is unfinished at the moment, with temporary ropes.

 

I was a little surprised about how small the car is, for a second I thought my legs weren't going to fit. Also, kudos to the Boardwalk for not having seatbelts. The dispatches were lightning fast.

 

The ride itself is a little tame in some parts. My favorite moments were the first drop (lots of speed) and the 80-degree banked turn (I ended up facing straight down, had a nice little moment of hangtime). I was taken off guard when the car started spinning, it gave me a nice disorienting effect. The ride is extremely smooth, which is a huge contrast compared to the pain riders suffered in this location for the past 20 years (Hurricane).

 

When I got off, the ride broke down. Made it just in time! I hope the Boardwalk is able to fix whatever glitches this ride may have. If it can't run for more than 10 minutes without breaking down, it doesn't bode well for its reliability in the future. However, from what I heard on Saturday, Undertow was running smoothly throughout the day.

 

Like I said before, Undertow is a great addition to the Boardwalk, and is light years better than Hurricane. I hope that it runs throughout the limited operation schedule to give mechanics time to work out the kinks before next summer.

 

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14 months after it was first announced, I'm finally ready to ride Undertow. But why are all the ride operators standing around?

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This doesn't look too good.

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This ride operator had to keep telling people that it was going to open "within a half-hour." A half-hour turned into two hours.

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The only signage for Undertow. I imagine it will get something better next year.

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A while later, the lift hill starts up.

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Getting close to opening. This guy was pumping up the crowd.

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Time to ride!

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Going up. Probably the fastest lift hill I've been on.

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Going down! This girl that sat next to me was terrified.

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Heading into the 80-degree banked turn backwards.

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In the brake run. Undertow is a winner!

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Bonus shot! Giant Dipper looks fantastic with its new paint job.

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I rode Undertow for the first time today (never thought I'd write that sentence this year!). The reviews are spot on, it's a great addition to the Boardwalk's lineup. While it's nothing mind-blowing, it's a perfect family coaster, with plenty of unexpected moments for the thrill-seekers.

 

We got there about an hour after all the rides opened, but Undertow hadn't opened yet. I asked the ride operator when it might open, and he said about a half-hour. Unfortunately, this half-hour turned into two hours, and I was starting to lose hope that it would open.

 

Later, after purchasing tickets ($6 ... a little steep), I got in line. The queue is unfinished at the moment, with temporary ropes.

 

I was a little surprised about how small the car is, for a second I thought my legs weren't going to fit. Also, kudos to the Boardwalk for not having seatbelts. The dispatches were lightning fast.

 

The ride itself is a little tame in some parts. My favorite moments were the first drop (lots of speed) and the 80-degree banked turn (I ended up facing straight down, had a nice little moment of hangtime). I was taken off guard when the car started spinning, it gave me a nice disorienting effect. The ride is extremely smooth, which is a huge contrast compared to the pain riders suffered in this location for the past 20 years (Hurricane).

 

When I got off, the ride broke down. Made it just in time! I hope the Boardwalk is able to fix whatever glitches this ride may have. If it can't run for more than 10 minutes without breaking down, it doesn't bode well for its reliability in the future. However, from what I heard on Saturday, Undertow was running smoothly throughout the day.

 

Like I said before, Undertow is a great addition to the Boardwalk, and is light years better than Hurricane. I hope that it runs throughout the limited operation schedule to give mechanics time to work out the kinks before next summer.

I drove down to get my first rides on it today too, and you're right on. It's not a mind blowing thrill, but it's fun, it's very comfortable & smooth, and you get a different ride almost every time. I rode three times today and all three rides were different. In one ride my car spun just at the right time to make it seem like my face was going to smash into the bottom of the lift hill before the car went back the other direction. Kinda like a head chopper, cool effect.

 

I had some insanely good timing today which is unusual for me..When I pulled up today I noticed it wasn't cycling and thought "Oh no, this doesn't look good" but after walking in and straight up the ramp I saw them start cycling and they were at that point saying 10 minutes. I walked down and got a wristband and back up and about 5 minutes later they opened the ride. After my first ride I got in line to ride again but it broke down before I got on. I decided this would be a good time to get a couple rides on 'Dipper (which is looking fantastic with it's new paint job). After taking 2 spins on the classic I headed back down to the other side of the boardwalk to find they had just reopened Undertow and I walked right on to get ride #2. Again I got right back in line but once again it broke down before I could get back on. No worries, did some shopping at O'Neill and took a walk through the arcade and when I came back the ride was up again so I got ride #3...this time it seemed to be more stable and was running still when I left the park at about 5:45.

 

I got the impression from the managers hanging around the ride and the conversations they were having with the ride ops that they will probably keep it running as much as possible, to at least get all the employees comfortable with operating it. You're also right about the restraints..the single lap bar is very fast and more than sufficient. Safe and comfortable, A+ on the trains. Absolutely beautiful weather today too, great day to be at the beach.

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Undertow will stay open throughout the limited operation schedule, and a grand opening event is scheduled for spring:

 

SANTA CRUZ, CA (October 21, 2013) – The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk announced that Undertow, its new spinning roller coaster, has passed inspections and will be running weekends on a limited schedule for the remainder of the year. An official opening will be scheduled for Spring 2014.

 

“We surprised our guests with a sneak preview this past weekend and the response was fantastic, ” said Boardwalk spokesman Kris Reyes. “People are very excited to discover that every ride on Undertow is different. We think this is a great new ride for our park.”

 

Unlike most roller coasters, which carry an entire trainload of riders, Undertow uses individual cars each holding 4 riders, with each pair of riders facing opposite directions. The ride experience changes every time, depending on the weight and position of riders in the car.

 

Manufactured by German coaster specialist Maurer Sohne, Undertow is the only spinning coaster in Northern California. Undertow took over the location previously occupied by the Hurricane roller coaster.

 

“As is the case with most new amusement park rides, there may be some unexpected ride delays during operating hours for the first few weekends,” added Reyes.

 

For more information about Undertow, the Boardwalk’s new spinning roller coaster, visit http://www.beachboardwalk.com/undertow

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