montezooma

Yes that speed dip after the first turn was quite brutal and really hurt my thighs. But the Double Up before the second turn was also quite brutal. Yes Scott, those IAD trains were great! Do you remember the great uniforms that the Colossus crew wore? They were like jockey uniforms with hard hat helmets. Today they would be considered fetish wear...lol

^ The Revolution didn't even have headrests at the time. I bet they were even running 4 or 5 trains at the time!

MAGIC MOUNTAIN 1979 The final year before it became Six Flags. "the year of the mimes!" I cut a picture out of the brochure for some reason, that is why there is the weird colossus picture

Robb- You mentioned in one of your photo captions: "So Tim Burkhart, SFMM General Manager explained that one of the main differences was converting the old "Pickle Forks" into "Pickle Spoons." (The actual technical term. We're not making this up! Someone went through YEARS of engineering school for this so please don't make fun of their names!)" Is Tim Burkhart now the General Manager? (Tim used to be my area supervisor when I worked on the Sarajevo Bobsleds.) I thought it was Jay Thomas? Has there been a change, is this a mistake or have I been under the wrong assumption the whole time?

YES!!! for the first time I scored a perfect 10 out of 10 (and that is even after 4 marguaritas!!) arrrrrriba

LIBERTYLAND 1979 This is one park that I was never able to visit. Sorry I missed it, you just never know when these parks will close there gates. Although Libertyland showed signs of its closure I am still completely stunned by AstroWorld's closing. That is one of the worst Elvis impersonators I have seen...

Thanks Scott for all your kind words, I am please that my post now has credited medical benefits although I am not sure I want to be compared to Syphilis...Maybe my upcoming post on Anton Scwarzkopf can cure that, IMHO that man worked miracles! I know somewhere in my files I have some great stuff on Marriott's Great America. My parents took me there annually and I loved that place. I am a little worried that I have not come across that file yet, I hope it shows up soon. The Marriott brochures will be posted on Monday and Tuesday, and the Santa Clara version shows the Turn of the Century before it was transformed into the Demon.

LOVE IT!!!!!!! Two thumbs up to Carowinds! You are still my favorite theme park in the world!!!! Shane

Kings Island 1979 New: the Beast

Did anyone else notice that this park was marketed as Hanna Barbera's Kings Dominion (HBKD)? I noticed that when they owned Marineland out in CA it was also called Hanna Barbera's Marineland. I don't recall any of the other Taft parks with the Hanna Barbera name in front of them.

KINGS DOMINION 1979 This is one of my favorite brochures from this year. I love the map that is featured and the whole painting of the Lost World is so dramatic and ominous. What a great attraction to add to an already great park. The loss of the King Kobra was the turning point

^ I have footage of Kennywood back in the day, Laser Loop, Lil Dipper and Thunderbolt without the Phantom piercing it. Will post it soon just for you!!!

I've ridden Frank and let me tell you it is one hell of a ride!

This was taken on super 8 film and then transfered to digital. Grizzly River Rampage was the second of the Intamin Rapids Rides to open. Thunder River at AstroWorld opened in 1980 which means that the ride at Opryland opened in 1981.

Going thru my old movies I came across this little bit from Opryland, I wish I would have filmed more of this park but never in a million years did I think that it would not be around today. Kind of makes you wonder what parks will not be around 10 years from now...

KENNYWOOD 1979 The Coaster Capital of the World

Never went to the park but dug this out of my attic... Shane

Yes, thank you Elissa! I titled it that way exactly for that reason...to get people's attention. And for added suspense you'll notice that I didn't put the new name in the original post. You had to go to the web site to find out what it was. Some fun things I learned in my college marketing classes.

Check out the bonus Greezed Lightnin' footage.

HERSHEYPARK 1979 I love this park!

It took me awhile, but now I get it. lol Yes it is quite retro looking, I took it with one of those old movie camera's back in the day before we had VCR's and I had to walk uphill, both ways, to school in the snow. Jeff First, thanks for the compliment...I think? I was just a young child when I took this footage which makes me just about 40, and remember 40 is the new 30! Second, I am working with Robb right now on downloading it to the video forum, but remember because I am not as quick as these young whipper snappers nowadays, it is taking me some time to figure out how to do it. But I am quite impressed that I figured out how to do the youtube thing all by myself. Now if I could just figure out how to set the timer on my VCR... Shane

Here is the footage I shot of the Bat back in 1981.

Some of my first concerts were at the Showcase theater. I saw Missing Persons, Howard Jones and the sensational Go-Go's there! Boy come to think of it I celebrated a lot of firsts at Magic Mountain: First Concert First Loop Coaster First Wood Coaster Oh and then there was that one time up behind Roaring Rapids

Eric- I LOVE IT!!!! That is great, it looks like an old treasure map, and what a find it is. I had never seen Magic Mountain as it was the year that it opened. I don't think I went to the park until 1974. Thanks for posting this, I would love to see more things like this in this thread. This is totally awesome! Boy look at that lineup of talent. Pat Boone, Phyllis Diller, Milton Berle (I hear was quite BIG...talent that is) and Jimmy Durante. Jay Thomas if you are reading...Bring back Phyllis Diller!!!!!! Shane

My intentions are nothing but pure. Oh don't worry, the "things" I learned in Japan are well documented and will be a post all unto itself! Karaoke anyone???? PS - Are we still on for Cards this Saturday night????