Shane's Amusement Attic

[itsasamccormick]

Looks fun, yet gross at the same time....

[Kingsislandfreak]

I hate how log flumes are slowly removing isnt there 2 or 3 left in the ceder fair chain it is very sad.

[eddie200330]

I would have to say that next to coasters, flumes are my favorite rides at the parks. Dorney has an awesome one, even though a little short. That long drop down the hill at the end gets pretty fast and causes quite a splash!! WWL may have used the water from Lake Erie, but it was clean and did not stink so it wasn't bad by any means, and it was quite an exhillerating ride....

[froggypheebs]

Thank you for posting that video of WWL. I first visited Cedar Point in 2007 and never got to ride WWL. I loved Maverick but I think I might have preferred to ride this instead. It looks like it was a very long ride and have great views of the lake. I can now live vicariously through this video.

 

And ^ Dorney does have a great flume. I love how it is built into the mountain and isn't up on stilts. It is very picturesque.

[Philrad71]

I am also guessing that they pulled the water straight from the lake and did not treat it. I don't think that would go over to well with today's strict water quality standards.

 

Yep, they did pull the water from Lake Erie. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that Thunder Canyon still does this. Perhaps that is why they have turned off most of the waterfalls on that ride....high bacteria levels shut beaches down on Lake Erie all the time. Perhaps CF was concerned that people would get sick from a drenching of good ole green Lake Erie water?

 

Thanks for sharing this video, Shane...WWL was one of my favorite rides at CP. I used to love the way the boats skipped over the water after the drop. You never got real wet on that drop, but I remember that they used to have this little waterfall after the first drop into the mine. After the drop, you came out of the mine and then when you re-entered it, there was this waterfall coming off a rock that was perfectly located right over the center of the boat!

[Reality15]

Wow, Shane, thanks for posting this. White Water Landing was my first "big" ride at Cedar Point before I would ride the coasters, and I actually spent a night when I was younger marathoning it. Even in 2003 when Dragster was new and popular, my favorite ride was still White Water Landing and I really miss it a lot. While I absolutely love Maverick, I wish there was a way we could have this ride back.

 

It's really too bad flumes like this are getting torn out, luckily I still have my 1983 hydroflume up here in Michigan.

 

Thanks again, Shane!

[montezooma]

Jeez...I was way back on page three, I guess it is time for an update.

 

Well this post is mostly for Mike Robinson from AstroWorld Crew 1980 but if any of you others out there spent time working at the Houston park you may have interest.

 

Mike- This is my Greezed Lightning crew from 1980. Gary was the lead. One of the pictures shows me scrapping gum of the loading platform as the train is about to be launched (those were simpler times) Another picture shows two of my best friends while I worked at the park, Kathy and Anne Marie (I think the other guys in the picture are Mike & Doug, maybe Keith?) anyways I have been trying to find Kathy and Anne Marie if you have any info PM me. Thanks

 

Shane

Greezed Lightnin crew 1980

"clear to launch" except for me extremely close the the train.

AstroWorld friends

Edited April 14, 2010 by montezooma

[montezooma]

I have been going through one of my junk drawers in the Amusement Attic and I have come across some random old photos...the first being those AstroWorld photos from when I worked in the park. The ones posted below should be of interest to any fans of Six Flags over Georgia. These photos are of the park's Ninja as it once stood in New Jersey as the "Kamikaze" I was not able to ride this ride in the Wild Wood location as it was still under construction but I was able to get some pretty cool shots of the ride before it ever opened. The coaster operated at Dinosaur Beach from 1989-1991 before it was taken apart and reassembled at Six Flags over Georgia.

 

An interesting fact about this coaster, and someone correct me if I am wrong...this coaster and Dragon Fyre at Canada's Wonderland are the only coasters that feature counter clockwise corkscrews.

Kamikaze at Dinosaur Beach Wild Wood, NJ

a great shot of the corkscrew. The ride was originally built over a Rapids Ride, that is why some of the supports are kind of strange.

in concept the butterfly element should be cool...but it's not

A great shot from up on the lift. You can see the boardwalk below being constructed around the ride.

The ride only operated in this location for two years from 1989-1991 then moved down south below the Mason Dixon line.

The trains before they ever rode the rails.

[knottslover77]

Wow great photos!

 

--Jay

[tanthonyam]

So what was the reason why this coaster was so short-lived at this location?

[CorkscrewFoley]

Shane, I do believe you're right about Kamikaze and Dragom Fyre, although I was always under the impression that Dragon Fyre was the only one with counter colockwise corkscrews.

[RoCo]

Longtime visitor to the Amusement Attic and I thank you for all the incredible work you've put into posting your great collection. And these ARE great shots of this oddball ride! (It confounds me that many Vekoma coasters look so good, and yet ride so not good... (although, as I recall, Ninja was not as bad as many V-machines, but it's been years since I've ridden it.))

 

Anyway, thanks again!

[RollingRunner]

These are some super amazing pictures Shane! I've been a long time Morey's fanatic, and I always wondered what Kamikaze looked like on the old Hunt's/Dino Pier location. Funny how it looks so much like Great Nor'Easter with it's all white paint. Your pics never cease to amaze me!

[coaster_dad]

Thanks for the pics, Shane! As far as I'm concerned, SFOG should send Ninja back!

[thrillrider]

Any idea why it only lasted 2 years at the pier?

[darienlakerules]

yeah, bit weird they went threw all the trouble for the special board walk only to get rid of it after 2 years

[Midgetman82]

This coaster looks awesome, but I've ridden it at SFOG, not cool at all; I had a headache the rest of the day and the day after.

[Maximo37]

My brother proposed to my (now) sister in-law on Kamikaze when it was in Wildwood... going up the lift hill... when they went back for their anniversary several years later, the coaster was gone... they didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse... must have been a blessing as they are very much still happily together 20+ years later (along with coaster loving neice and nephew...)... those are some awesome pictures...

[robbalvey]

This coaster looks awesome, but I've ridden it at SFOG, not cool at all; I had a headache the rest of the day and the day after.

Sit in the front row of the back car. That's the "Magical Ninja Seat." Never had a problem there and it's actually quite a good ride when you're not banged around!

 

Seriously, TRY THIS next time to go to SFOG!

 

--Robb

[alpengeist04]

^Isn't that also the place to sit on the Georgia Cyclone, front row of the back car? ...Because that's where I sat last year and really enjoyed the ride.

[SFOGdude25]

^Yes if you want the best airtime. Really you can sit in any front row of any car because you're not sitting over a wheel. This minimizes jackhammering, but wherever you sit on the Cyclone, make sure you are leaning forward a little bit, otherwise your back is in for a beating.

Edit: Oops. I didn't realize you have ridden the Cyclone. Never mind.

Back to Kamikaze. Nice pictures! It really is a cool little ride, and it looks awesome!

[Kingsislandfreak]

Vekomas are painful I think I would only ride this 1 time for the credit

[montezooma]

Any idea why it only lasted 2 years at the pier?

 

I believe the Morey group bought this pier which was at one time called Hunt's pier. They already had a couple of other piers that catered to the thrill-seekers so they wanted to change the clientele so they sold the thrill rides and went with the "Dinosaur" theme. Not sure what happened to the pier after that but we all know what happened to the Kamikaze.

[montezooma]

Here is a couple more random old photos from out of the Attic junk drawer. I got a few so I will post them over the next week or so. Check back to see random shots of coasters or parks taken decades ago. Here is Dorney.

The Laser and a very undeveloped park. This was pre-Cedar Fair days

Hercules...didn't last too long once Cedar Fair took over this park.

Edited April 16, 2010 by montezooma

[froggypheebs]

Thank you for posting these shots. This is the Dorney I grew up with. Laser in it's original color format, the rocket ships, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and the Meteorite. Thanks for posting this, it brings back great childhood memories.