PHOTO TR: G-Dog's Past Trip Photos

[Reon]

Thanks for posting these...it brings back memories of the awesome days at KI (aka still having King Cobra). Obviously I wasnt there in 1987 since that was kindof the year I was born, but I have been going to KI for longer than I can actually remember, so I've been through most of its phases (and I work at Coney so I know and brag about the others constantly) Either way, old KI is awesome and its great to see it again...thanks

[Geauga Dog]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I'm glad some of these photos have stirred many a memory of past visits to these parks.

 

I'm doing something a little different with this update, which focuses on SFGAm. My first ever visit was back in 1998 and along with these few photos I'll post a few from subsequent visits between 2000 and 2005, the last time I was there.

 

I remember it was in the middle of winter when my brother, who likes coasters but isn't into them like I am, were coming home from the hospital where my dad was having surgery. Out of the blue we started talking about parks when he said that he wanted to ride the Batman coaster and I put the trip together. I remember the park being dead due to the rainy two days we were at Great America hence the quality of the photos from this time. The trip was one of the very few that my brother and I have done together since we don't do much together anyway.

 

Fast forward to 2000. Having my first ever season pass to the then newly rechristened Six Flags Ohio provided an opportunity to revisit this park - and I fell in love with the place. It's still my favorite Six Flags park.

The "everyone must have this photo in their collection" shot.

This is why we are here in 1998.

Sorry for the quality of these photos. "Rainy days and photos like these always get me down"

Demon's light tunnel is sweet.

This actually was a pretty good ride from the back seat.

American Eagle and Splashwater Falls.

Viper was the newest coaster there. One of my top 10 favorite coasters.

My favorite photo from 1998.

From what I recall it wasn't a bad ride back then. Now it's a different story.

Giant Drop from the queue.

Hometown Square 2000. One of my favorite areas in the park.

Here's Iron Wolf again.

Never got to ride Power Dive in any of my visits to the park.

Raging Bull. This ride seems to get somewhat lackluster reviews because of "the brake" but I find the ride to be quite divine, especially in the back seat.

View from the station.

From the train ride.

I miss this ride a lot. SFGAm seems incomplete without a large Ferris Wheel. Photo taken in 2000, the final year.

Trailblazer. Loved the theming on this ride. I understand it's no longer at the park.

I had a primitive digital camera at the time of these photos. Sorry for the quality of these Shock Wave photos.

Great shot - poor quality. The first drop from the queue bridge.

Now for a hodge podge of photos from 2001 through 2005. Got a better digital camera by then. I loved American Eagle backwards.

Going into the zero-g roll from Batman's exit ramp.

I used to cuss at this ride. It took me four years to finally ride it. 2001 - still under construction, 2002 - closed, 2003- vallied a few days before my visit, and 2004 - closed.

I went to the park in 2005 for my birthday and they had it open. After all those years of cussing at the ride I actually ended up loving it. Great ride!

Not your typical Demon corkscrew photo.

I like how Raging Bull casts a shadow on Chubasco.

RB's hammerhead from the station.

One of my favorites of Raging Bull.

For the Shock Wave/GASM fans. This was taken in 2002 when the coaster was in SBNO status.

The classic Whizzer.

Vertical Velocity.

Better wrap this up - this is getting lengthy. Condor at night.

Triple Play's beautiful light package. I think CP's used to look like this back in the day. Now if we can only get KI's Shake, Rattle, and Roll to look like this.

Columbia at night. Thanks for viewing.

[Steelinwood]

Excellent photo's of Drachen fire! Thinking about it now, it would have been weird to have to looping coasters in the same park that are similar. still it seemed like it had a great layout! That first wraparound corkscrew looked amazing!

[mcjaco]

Nice photos.

 

Back in 1993, when I was a wee little lad, my buddy and I decided that Opening Day, we were skipping out of our last class, driving up to SFGAm, getting out passes processed, and getting in line for Batman (it's first day of operation).

 

We waiting in the pass line for thirty minutes, then in Batman's queue for two hours. I'll never forget it. Or the scolding and the week of being grounded afterwards that I got. Still worth that week of hard labor!

[Olsor]

Back in 1992... getting in line for Batman (it's first day of operation)

 

Fixed that for you. Getting old is rough, and the years start to blend together.

 

Great pics! I miss Sky Whirl...

[coasterer]

Awesome pictures thank you soooooo much for posting these. I grew up here. Some of my earliest memories at an amusement park are on Sky Whirl back in the mid nineties. I remember our parents would always eat at the Moose Burger Lodge in the afternoon, and then us kids would run all the way to Looney Tunes National park and take over that enormous play structure. Iron Wolf used to be my favorite ride at the park (when I could hardly touch the floor lol) and my dad and I used to ride Shockwave over and over again because there was never any line. Ahhhhhh the good old days. Thanks again, these pictures were great!!

[mcjaco]

Back in 1992... getting in line for Batman (it's first day of operation)

 

Fixed that for you. Getting old is rough, and the years start to blend together.

 

Great pics! I miss Sky Whirl...

 

HA! You're right. I was a junior.....oy vey!

[Geauga Dog]

I wasn't going to post any more in this topic since I figured it has run its course but with the news that the Big Dipper is yet again for sale I thought I'd post a few old GL pics mostly from before Premier came into the picture.

 

If you have been to my website, Geauga Lake Today, then you have seen these before but for those who haven't or may not have been too familiar with the old Funtime era then these photos will give you a sense of what the park was like back then.

Big Dipper's first drop and the midway.

The king of the park in its sparkling white paint job. Once the ride was rebuilt it remained unpainted.

The turnaround from Turtle Beach.

The drop before the turnaround taken from the monorail. This used to be a double down when it first opened.

Double Loop. The rise after the first drop.

I always loved Double Loop. A simple coaster that remained smooth to the very end.

Sorry, SFoT, but GL's Double Loop was the first back to back vertical looping coaster. Also no Villain in the background.

Never quite understood the yellow/purple paint job Six Flags gave it for 2000 and how that fit into the Coyote Creek/Western Village theme.

The Corkscrew made GL the first park in Ohio with two looping coasters.

Taken from the Skyscraper. You might be able to see the Traver Rocket Ship tower behind the lift hill.

Taken from the monorail.

1988 was the park's 100th anniversary. It was a big year for them.

The birthday present was Raging Wolf Bobs. I preferred the unpainted look of the ride. It was a rare occurence for parks to add wood coasters back then as most parks were heavy into the steel rides.

1996 and the first year under Premier Parks. Goodbye Corkscrew, hello Mind Eraser. This was a big deal since it was the first coaster in eight years.

Now for a comparison photo. The back of this photo says September 1987.

Photo taken in, I believe, 2006 because Mr. Hyde's Nasty Fall is gone. This is what we are missing, folks. To those who miss Opryland, Astroworld, even Wonderland Sydney, I understand the pain. Thanks for viewing.

[C.Diesel]

Thanks for the photos. Have very fond memories of this park in the 80's. Was the first park that my parents ever took me and my sister to. Those were great days.

[nowaymang]

Incredible GL photos. Being from Pittsburgh I took advantage of the crazy cheap season passes that SFO offered in 2000. Did you happen to attend the media event the day before the park opened to the public. That was the best time I ever had at a park. So far....

[Geauga Dog]

Did you happen to attend the media event the day before the park opened to the public. That was the best time I ever had at a park. So far....

 

I did not get to visit media day but the season opening night, Friday May 5th, 2000, will forever be etched in my memory as one of the most fantastic park visits I've ever had. It was a very magical night.

 

And to think SFO/SFWoA would have been ten years old this year..."sigh".

[ajc47]

I did not get to visit media day but the season opening night, Friday May 5th, 2000, will forever be etched in my memory as one of the most fantastic park visits I've ever had. It was a very magical night.

 

And to think SFO/SFWoA would have been ten years old this year..."sigh".

 

^Friday, June 2, 2000 will be a day I always remember. Our last day of senior year, and we got out of school early. We spent the whole afternoon and most of the evening at SFWOA.