Zippers?

[Snowyowl1028]

I rode one of these at a carnival. It was rattling its rusty parts so much I thought it was going to fall apart. It scared me >.

[ajfelice]

This is true, just like decades ago when ride operators could manipulate the spinning on a Tilt-a-Whirl with manual braking

 

We still have a manually braked Tilt. I would love to gather some insight onto the art of strategic braking. (We will just keep that a secret from maintenance)

 

From what I've heard last year at IAAPA, chancs not only is making amazing coasters like LR at KK. Yhey've now started making flat rides again, including Zippers apparently one's already been sold.

 

Spelling aside, Chance has been manufacturing flats for decades without any gaps of time they didn't offer some flats. Chance may have been outside of many of our radars in their time after the Morgan merger/takeover and before the introduction of the Hyper-GTX, but they never discontinued flat ride offerings. Chance produces some very durable rides that are easy to maintain and a pleasure to operate. I'm excited for the opportunity to finally ride a Zipper this year as they are a great example of the unique rides Chance has brought to the industry.

[gerstlaueringvar]

^ Yes, I asked about Zippers last year, they said they made a few improvements as well.

[canadianparkfan]

^^Not sure if we have one of the manually braked tilts here in Canada, but until recently, my local carnival had one that always had one or 2 pods spinning far more than the others. I always remember going there on quiet days, being the only one on the ride, and having far better rides than when the fair was crowded.

Edited May 2, 2015 by canadianparkfan

[eddie200330]

I rode one of these at a carnival. It was rattling its rusty parts so much I thought it was going to fall apart. It scared me >.<

 

This is why we love them.......the fear factor. LOL

[John Peck]

Poor Jacks brought their beautiful Zipper to the Allen County Fair (Ohio) last year, and at age 40, I wasn't sure if I would be up for it, but I gave it a go. Still fun and intense.

 

They also brought their beautiful Sky Wheel, which was the sole purpose for that trip.

Sky Wheel POV

[BisonRugbyGuy]

I've ridden the one that comes to the MN state fair each year a couple times. I've never been more terrified on a ride, not because the ride itself was scary, but because I'm always paranoid the door is going to fly open.

[Vtafro]

Stopped at trimpers rides today in ocean city. Not sure if I would have rode the zipper but it was missing something.

Missing something?

[canadianparkfan]

I've ridden the one that comes to the MN state fair each year a couple times. I've never been more terrified on a ride, not because the ride itself was scary, but because I'm always paranoid the door is going to fly open.

For some reason whenever I rode the zipper, I was never worried about the door. I actually found the Larson super loop more unnerving, probably because the OTSRs leave you more exposed.

[disownedpear]

Anyone know if that Trimpers Zipper has reopened?

[Loco]

Ah Zippers, still the only carnival ride i've been on that can sometimes produce airtime!

[canadianparkfan]

Ah Zippers, still the only carnival ride i've been on that can sometimes produce airtime!

I've had airtime on zippers (and other flats) that rivals most coasters I've been on.

 

...not sure if that says something about how good the flat rides I've done are, how forceless the coasters near me are, or both

[Nrthwnd]

I went to the opening day of our fair, The PNE, today.

 

Hoping, and hoping for a Zipper to be one of the extra rides brought in for the fair.

 

Sadly, not to be.

[madsencarson]

Zippers are probably the most fun you'll ever have on a ride. They are just pure fun.

[Awesomefaceninja7]

I've never been on a Zipper before... WHy can't we have at least one of every (portable) flat ride in the UK?

 

Also, I've got an idea that came from Thrillville where it had OTSR's and your legs dangled. Instead of those iron bars that close you in the cage, it was a see-through object that went over you slightly.

 

Thrillville: Off the Rails

Chainsaw

4th park (?)

[Khat26]

I love Zippers. IMO, they're the best flat ride ever made. You get a different ride every time. I swear I've pulled 6 gs and -2 gs on the same ride. Definitely recommend it.

[LuminousAphid]

tl;dr- I rode one with a Mormon kid named Kevin and he puked

 

I went to school in a weird parent co-op K-12 program, which attracted all sorts of people. One of the kids in my grade was a slightly hyper & eccentric but mostly normal kid named Kevin. I wouldn't find out until later that his family was Mormon and that's why they were a little different. Anyway, his mom randomly invited me to go with them to the Evergreen State Fair (random because we didn't really hang out, but I guess we did do activities like boy scouts together)

 

So we get to the fair and being 12-year-old boys we immediately want to go on rides. I think it might have been the first or second ride, but I remember both of us looking up at it; I doubt either of us really wanted to get in that thing, but of course we didn't admit that to each other and kept saying it looked awesome and we wanted to go on it. At one point his mother took us over to the side and got serious, "Are you sure you want to go on that? You won't get sick will you?" Of course not, lets go!

 

So we give our tickets over, and both climb in to the tiny car. The attendant was suitably scraggly and unkempt to be working at the Fair's carnival, but looked confident in what he was doing as he closed the door. It was summer and even before noon it was super hot in there, which didn't make any of what was about to happen any more comfortable.

 

The ride started, and we are both smiling and laughing a bit as we go around the first couple times. I remember laughing more as the car was starting to flip more crazily, then looking over at Kevin. He was not smiling any more. In fact he was holding on for dear life, and becoming more and more pale with each lap we took around the boom. My memory gets a little hazy for the rest of the ride; I like to think he started screaming for them to stop the ride at one point, but I can't say. Mercifully there was no puke during the ride, but within steps of the exit stairs, Kevin had had enough.

 

He barfed right there on the midway, a pretty big pile of stuff for such a small kid. I was feeling a bit queasy as well and being anywhere near that makes me ill as well, so I had to take a walk.

 

I don't remember much of the rest of the day, but I remember Kevin puking!

 

I just remembered that Kevin also puked in the car on the way back from a Boy Scout overnight trip, maybe even twice. I guess he was our school's "that puking kid"

[canadianparkfan]

I've never been on a Zipper before... WHy can't we have at least one of every (portable) flat ride in the UK?

 

Also, I've got an idea that came from Thrillville where it had OTSR's and your legs dangled. Instead of those iron bars that close you in the cage, it was a see-through object that went over you slightly.

 

Thrillville: Off the Rails

Chainsaw

4th park (?)

I know what your talking about.

 

Remember last year at IAAPA, Chance rides said they'd be starting to make modernized versions of their old rides. Could see something like that happening in the near future

 

I'm not too sure if I'd enjoy it as much, though. The open concept pods like ones found on the Unicoaster from Chance (Modernized Rock'n'Roll) look cool, but on the zipper, where a big part of the ride is the crazy airtime and weird forces you get, the OTSRs they use would probably just be really painful.

 

If they could put some kind of overhead lap bar (Sorta like the new b&m restraints?) that'd be perfect. Either way, if they ever built one, I'd definetly give an open concept/updated zipper a go.

[BBparks57]

I always wondered about an updated seating style or vehicle for the zipper attraction. Possibly making a modern version. I do have to agree though that the cages enhance the experience allowing for all the movement inside. Although classic, the zipper is still one of the most intense flat rides to me and makes me nervous every time. Mainly the fact that the door and safety bar are kind of the same thing. When you get just the right rotation over the top and bottom, it is an amazing moment hard to replicate on other rides.

[Awesomefaceninja7]

I always wondered about an updated seating style or vehicle for the zipper attraction. Possibly making a modern version. I do have to agree though that the cages enhance the experience allowing for all the movement inside. Although classic, the zipper is still one of the most intense flat rides to me and makes me nervous every time. Mainly the fact that the door and safety bar are kind of the same thing. When you get just the right rotation over the top and bottom, it is an amazing moment hard to replicate on other rides.

 

I've always questioned myself over those S & S restraints (Slammer, Mumbo Jumbo...) with the half - OTSR and the lap bar. Does it give a bit more freedom or a feeling of flight or something?

[WindexCyanide13]

I saw a video online if a chance ride member riding an open cage zipper with otsr. Don't know where the video is. I cannot find it.

[LuminousAphid]

A Zipper with OTSR's could be good, or could be disastrous. I have never ridden in them, but the strap-style OSTR's like on I305 look pretty comfy, so that might work OK. Or maybe the lap bars on Wicked Cyclone which grab your shins, but I doubt health and safety would allow a lap bar only on something that crazy, even if it would be perfectly safe. I will be keeping an eye out to see if this ever happens, I would ride an open-car Zipper at least once.

[iheartHW]

I used to like the Zipper until I got older. I get way too claustrophobic on the ride now. They always have a Zipper at the local fairs and carnivals around here, but I haven't ridden one for close to 10 years.

 

I grew up hearing stories that a girl died at the local fair from falling out of the Zipper. I always assumed it was just an urban legend until recently when I found a few articles about the accident. It happened in 1976. The door lock was apparently worn and bent and the door came open during the ride and she fell out. One article says the girl fell 60 feet and the other one says she fell 25 feet. There was another girl riding in the same compartment and she was able to hold on to the door and survived.

 

Here are two of the articles if anyone is interested.

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=690033

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=690032

[Awesomefaceninja7]

I would ride an open-car Zipper at least once.

 

Me too.

 

You know what? That just reminded me of my Thorpe Park trip next year. If I knew the dates when the Slammer would be open, I would totally go on it. It's like I want to go there just to ride the Slammer. It truely looks amazing and it will be my first ever Sky Swat ride. And THAT just reminded me of something else:

 

Is the Slammer a permanent ride? I'd love to know if it is permanent. It LOOKS permanent but I just want to know if it is.

 

Back to Zippers:

 

I haven't ridden a Zipper yet. I've wondered how the 'No single riders' thing worked. How does being a single rider affect the car?

 

There's also the OSTR version we've been talking about. I personally don't think how it will be that painful. I really wish there would be some sort of Chaos and a Zipper coming to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland soon. It will be my first time EVER on those! like anyone cares.

[BBparks57]

I always wondered about an updated seating style or vehicle for the zipper attraction. Possibly making a modern version. I do have to agree though that the cages enhance the experience allowing for all the movement inside. Although classic, the zipper is still one of the most intense flat rides to me and makes me nervous every time. Mainly the fact that the door and safety bar are kind of the same thing. When you get just the right rotation over the top and bottom, it is an amazing moment hard to replicate on other rides.

 

I've always questioned myself over those S & S restraints (Slammer, Mumbo Jumbo...) with the half - OTSR and the lap bar. Does it give a bit more freedom or a feeling of flight or something?

 

 

I personally don't mind those restraint systems, but I prefer lap bars almost always. I think the vest system would work for an open air zipper. I have to agree the older I get the more claustrophobic I feel in those cages. I'm not sure you can really call it seated with a lap bar, I feel it is more in between sitting and standing. The lap bar is more of just something in front of you than on you, so once you get flipping you have quite a bit of freedom. Especially on those zero G flips and moments. I had a friend who would always take a shoe off and let it bounce around with him...fun but painful game.

 

Also, I was always annoyed at the no single rider rule but I imagine due to the amount of freedom, you'd move around quite a bit.

 

So jealous, I would love to ride a slammer because that coming down on your head feeling (very abundant on a zipper) is one of my favorites and that ride looks amazing. I'm so sad the SFNE one got removed.