Flagg O'Dim

Looking forward to the new maze's theme song! For some reason, I can't find Black Widow's Cavern on the new site. CGA teased over Twitter a while back that there was going to be more to it. I'm a little disappointed that they still haven't gotten a replacement scare zone for Witch Doctor's Trail.

The Boardwalk just posted this on their Facebook page. Kiddie rides have been removed to make way for Hurricane's dismantling.

As long as the maze still goes inside the Pictorium, that's all I care about.

Great reports, and welcome to Santa Cruz! Glad you guys got your Hurricane farewell ride. After an ERT session on Monday, and one more ride on Tuesday, I had a more than satisfying farewell. It's definitely time for it to go. I could barely walk the next day! My brother and I had Tornado all to ourselves on Tuesday. It was also the first time I went on it. Not too sure if going on Rock-o-Plane right after it was such a good idea! I still haven't been on the new Crazy Surf, it was down when we went, very disappointed. 2013 is going to be awesome, and we still have Haunt to look forward to! It's a good time to be a Northern California theme park fan.

First off, I want to thank the Boardwalk for putting on such an awesome event! I did not expect to get an ERT session on the Hurricane. I rode it four times in a row, and I have the bruises to prove it! Expecting traffic, I headed off to the Boardwalk pretty early. Turns out, there was no traffic, so I got there around 9 a.m., and the announcement wasn't going to happen until 10 a.m. Walking around, I noticed the Hurricane was testing, yet all the other rides were shut tight. Maybe we would get a chance to ride it? Turns out I was right! The event itself was well done, even included a (hilariously corny) clip from the Hurricane's 1992 announcement. I'll miss the Hurricane, but I'm really excited for Undertow! Looking forward to covering the ride's opening event. Also, for you CGA fans: I asked if Undertow's announcement date was influenced by Au13's announcement on Wednesday. Undertow was actually going to be announced earlier, they said, but they felt that announcing it on the 27th would coincide nicely with the ACE event the day before. For the story I wrote for my paper, and more details, check out: http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=13034 Hurricane POV I took from the front and back seats, along with off-ride footage. POV footage taken with permission: Here is complete footage of the announcement. Warning, it's just a shot of people's backs, so use it for audio purposes only. Taking notes and pictures at the same time, I wasn't able to get a decent video. All is quiet. Hmm...what are these ride operators doing? Could they be getting the Hurricane ready for us? Announcement stage getting set up. Media and Boardwalk officials start to gather at the Upper Deck. Boardwalk community relations director Kris Reyes officially announces Undertow. The logo. Footage showing off a similar Maurer Sohne spinning coaster. I will leave you with some Hurricane farewell shots. Thanks Boardwalk for an amazing morning!

The press event this morning was awesome! Full coverage (pics/video) later! I'm really excited for Undertow, looks like an amazing ride, and perfect fit for the Boardwalk.

I will be attending the official announcement as media tomorrow, really excited for it! I will give you guys full coverage of the event.

Quick Saturday update: Au13 is looking great (but I think we already knew that). It's starting to change the skyline, you can see it in many different parts in the park. Riding White Water Falls gives an amazing close-up view! Where did the wall go? (Actually, I put the camera underneath it). Lastly, Haunt bus!

New Au13 pictures posted!

I got this email today. Hurricane replacement officially announced Aug. 27! You can also view it here: http://news.beachboardwalk.com/releases/last-hurricane

They dragged out the Carnevil 3D glasses booth, which was sitting behind the Pictorium all season. Maybe they're planning a Club Blood-Carnevil crossover maze? Kidding, although that would be kind of awesome.

I went to CGA yesterday, and saw the vertical construction of Au13 for the first time. Pictures really don't do it justice, this thing is huge! The Prudential Turn is coming along, another structure has been placed and more are laying on the ground waiting to be raised. Also, another cement slab is being prepared (I'm going to call it "The Donut"). I'm a bit confused as to where Club Blood will finish at, but I have a theory (see picture). The building for the new maze is going well. It looks like they have the basic structure finished, and are now putting up the siding. It's a lot bigger than I expected, slightly smaller than Rue le Dodge. It was busy in terms of crowds, but a little thinner than usual. I expect the crowds to start dying off by next week with school starting back up. Random note: I got my Barney Oldfield ride in for the season! There was no one waiting in line in the morning. Notice the structures on the ground and the preparation for another slab. This looks like where Club Blood will end up at. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that cement path alongside the doors looks new. Later in the day, there were a couple of workers digging around that area. Also, it looks like they have a stack of maze walls sitting there.

Get your last rides in on Rue le Dodge before it closes for its Carnevil transformation: On CGA's site, it says the ride will close Monday for the season. The Rapids and Barney Oldfield close Sept. 4. Why so early for Rue le Dodge? I vaguely remember it closing in September last season. Maybe Carnevil's getting an expansion? http://www.cagreatamerica.com/things-to-do/family-rides#panel1-3

I wonder if CGA is dusting off those short-lived Demon mine props from 2008 for Gold Striker... Can't wait for the 29th!

I'm a reporter for a newspaper nearby the Boardwalk, and I jumped on the opportunity to cover the Giant Dipper's 60 millionth rider celebration. First off, the park was absolutely packed, being a Friday afternoon and with the free concert happening later. I was told by the Boardwalk that the 60 millionth riders would be celebrated sometime between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. I got there at 2, and met up with Boardwalk representatives and other reporters underneath Fireball (which I got some great pictures and was dying to ride it). Around 2:30, we were told to walk up the Giant Dipper's exit ramp. The riders were getting excited when seeing all the press, but were disappointed when they found out they weren't the 60 millionth riders. After about three dispatches (I was amazed by how fast the ride operators work), riders in the red train took off. When they came back, they were announced the 60 millionth riders. Prizes included a Giant Dipper sweatshirt and a bag full of Boardwalk goodies. Also, Hurricane news: I was told that Hurricane's last day is Sept. 3, and ACE is tentatively setting up a farewell event on Aug. 26. You can read part of my article here: http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=12861 These guys were the 59,999,999th riders. The 60 millionth riders, before they knew about it. The announcement. It's official! The tail end of the 60 millionth rider train. Newspaper photo opportunity. Riders redeem their prizes. Yep, it's crowded. Fireball riders high in the air. New Crazy Surf. I took a quick video of it, I will try to get it up Monday. One of the Hurricane's last rides. The Boardwalk has teased over Facebook that the replacement will be a coaster. So long Giant Dipper! See you at 70 million! (but hopefully sooner!)

I had a great time today, and it was cool to meet another TPR member (Jeff)! Good times on the Rapids and bottoming out. Didn't think that was possible! Also, soaked Orbit ride = awesome. I feel bad for the people who sat on our seats afterwords. It was the first time I tried the body slide, and I'm glad I did! That would have been epic if I completed the reverse somersault. Hitting the water at a high speed caught me by surprise... I'm still disappointed that Didgeridoo Falls decided to break down just when we could've had a full raft. Next time! I wish CGA posted on their website about the reggae festival, I probably wouldn't have gone if I knew, but it still was a great water ride day. Never have I seen the entire parking lot 98 percent full. Feeling the effects of the stadium already? Next Sunday looks to be busy as well, with another concert festival.

I went to CGA today on my day off, kind of wish I hadn't. When you see 30+ school buses in the parking lot, you know it's going to be a long day. I did get to see some bulldozing action though! They haven't made much more progress, but it was cool to see them digging, moving dirt, flattening, etc. Something interesting I noticed: They dug a long ditch, which extended from the construction zone, and all the way to Great America Parkway, which was causing some roadwork and traffic delays. Also, they blocked off a big chunk of the preferred parking with a fence, you can no longer park next to the Pictorium. Firefall's joined the Fast Lane party, the line's got a new staircase.

Now that they cleared out the trees, the Pictorium sticks out like a sore thumb. I still can't imagine how it could still be there once the coaster is built. It's an eyesore now, hopefully they will clean it up, or, you know, actually use it for it's real purpose: as an Imax theater. I never realized just how much room was hidden in that area. The Xtreme Skyflyer must be getting a little nervous...

I've been snooping around in the city's Architectural Committee meetings, and found some details for the coaster. March 7 meeting (scroll down): http://santaclaraca.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7097 Representatives from GCI were there. Also, a CGA representative was showing off the plans (still looking for those), and also described a "proposed lighting design concept." Of course, Prudential was there. It looks like CGA will be forced to add "sound dampening measures." Hello, sound wall. Here's a March 28 meeting, further describing noise "issues:" http://santaclaraca.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7096

They're still building the staircase for Fast Lane (which that path leads to), looks like they still have a way to go. Yep, Grizzly was running two trains. We rode on the red train, the addition of the extra seatbelt could explain why it was down for so long. I didn't see if the blue train had the seatbelt though. And you're still forced to wait at the bottom of the ramp, while the (nice, shady) station is sitting nearly empty, which I find annoying. That's the second time Firefall has done the backwards flip for me. The trick is to have a nearly empty gondola (it was just my brother and I and two other people in the front). Really disorienting, but fun!

Just got back from a busy, yet bearable Sunday at the park. I was stunned by the utterly pointless new extra restraint on Grizzly. Big surprise -- dispatches were slow because of it. At this point, we'll be seeing OTSRs on the new coaster... I'm annoyed at how the line system works on Grizzly now, just doesn't make sense. Also, why completely redo the whole layout of the line when the existing exit ramp could have been used for Fast Lane? On the plus side, kudos to ride operator Terriss (sp?) for his comedic entertainment. Also, the ride was flying around the track (for Grizzly, that is). Quote of the day: 11-12 year old girl touches support for Grizzly, and asks "Is this made out of wood?" When she gets an answer, she then says, "Look at it! It's going to fall apart any minute!" Speaking of Fast Lane, they were really pushing it today, with signs every 20 feet and a loud new ad playing over the speakers. I found the "Caltrans vest" themeing for the Fast Lane line operators to be laughable. Come on, that really wasn't necessary. We had a wild ride on Firefall today. It did a backwards flip, and as a result we flew over the water Stealth-style. At the end, the wind picked up, covering us and the whole station in propane fumes. Construction on the stadium is in full effect. Trailer offices have taken up about a fourth of the parking lot, and there is an imposing dirt patch where the stadium will sit. The parking garage is monstrous as well. I heard a lot of people commenting about the "new Niners stadium" all day.

I know this is a little old, but I just noticed this from robman's opening day trip report. That's my brother and I on the edge seats in the back row (I'm wearing a white sweatshirt). Great timing with that shot!

Better late than never... Fast Lane seems pretty out of place, and it's obvious that the park wasn't originally designed for it. I'm hoping they paint the redwood walls to match the specific rides, because it looks horribly out of place. I'm confused about Vortex's and Drop Tower's Fast Lanes, all they do is lead you right into the middle of the line. I was surprised by Demon's Fast Lane. Honestly, I think that's the most construction (excluding the Invertigarden) I've ever seen at CGA in the last five years. Disappointed in the half-paint jobs for Demon and Flight Deck, but that's already been said. Drop Tower's cabin #4 is once again down...and #1 went down during the afternoon, leaving only four operating. It was cool meeting Angry_Gumball! Had a great ride on the (slightly slower?) Rue le Dodge.

New for 2012: 16-foot high staircase for Grizzly: http://smartpermit.santaclaraca.gov/tm_bin/tmw_cmd.pl?tmw_cmd=StatusViewCase&shl_caseno=BLD2012-28093

CGA's adding a wheelchair elevator for Vortex and Logger's Run: http://smartpermit.santaclaraca.gov/tm_bin/tmw_cmd.pl?tmw_cmd=StatusViewCase&shl_caseno=BLD2012-27923 http://smartpermit.santaclaraca.gov/tm_bin/tmw_cmd.pl?tmw_cmd=StatusViewCase&shl_caseno=BLD2012-27922