KICK BOODIE! Possibly the Greatest Ride Ever Created.

[DoctorJoe]

First of all... I've wandered and wandered what ever happened to this ride...

I was a freshman in HS at Fleming Neon, in KY when I first heard or even saw this ride. People that rode it talked about it for weeks and weeks. Myself, I can never forget the time riding Kick Booty.

The ride is as people in this forum has described... It was a white in color ride with blue steal-like bucket seats with a cable attached to the ride's cycling circle. You started out attached to your partner either behind or in front of you. As fun as the ride was, everyone loved hearing that guy say the info-famous- specifically as he did it... KICK!!.... BOOTY-BOOTY-BOOTY... it echoed thru-out the fair grounds... at some points when he'd yell it out it would echo down then he'd yell it again into the mic and it would be loud again, over and over. When you heard those words all you could think about was someone just got slang 50-60 feet from their partner. It made you want to turn around and go ride again.

My brother is a really big guy... I remember he rode it this one time and slang his partner so hard that he twisted around the cable of one of the riders in front of them... many people lost shoes, sun-glasses, wallets, hats... I can say I never lost nothing on the ride... at the time I'm sure I didn't care, either.

Kick Booty is and probably will forever be the best ride I have ever ridden.

KICK!!........... BOOTY-BOOTY-BOOTY-BOOTY-BOOTY-BOOTY-BOOTY-BOOTY-BOOTY......

[BeemerBoy]

^ Awesome. Thanks for signing up and sharing!

 

 

 

As for this, the "Flight Trainer,".......

 

 

.....it was actually used at one point by the Air Force to train pilots, as it can pull 4 G's!! It used to run completely horizontal, but now (as seen in the picture) runs at a slightly tilted angle. Oh, and you ride backwards! It can be slowed to accommodate the kiddies, or sped up for the adults. Talk about a wide range of riders!

 

 

 

Finally, I'm still working on acquiring video of Kick Boodie in operation. Stay tuned though!

Edited November 22, 2010 by BeemerBoy

[fatdaddy]

You should see if he can set it up for some rides and have a TPR kick booty for Jesus day or something.

 

Remember it's not just Kick Boodie, it's Kick Boodie for Jesus. That makes it a religious experience.

[snoflake15]

When I look at the original ride and the Italian and French equivalents one word springs to mind....

 

DANGEROUS!!!!

[ebl]

Over the last few years, I've read bits and pieces of this thread, but awhile ago when I saw this thread bumped, I decided to read it in its entirety.

 

It doesn't matter where, but if I ever see Kick Boodie operating, I'll do whatever it takes to ride it.

 

Eric

[Coaster Mike]

Reading through this, I couldn't help but admire what a great story there is behind this ride. Hats off to those who dug up more information on Kick Boodie, it's great that the legacy of rides like this live on today.

[SharkTums]

Scott, I'm pretty sure there's someone in Ohio and New Zealand that would LOVE to purchase this and then find some volunteers with tools and pick up trucks to help put it together somewhere!

[TheRadLad]

Rode this ride alot in S.Florida. CLASSIC

[Zack44]

Wow, this ride looks like the perfect ride for bickering siblings. I hope that this unique ride gets a second chance with a private owner or at a carnival someday, it can put a lot of smiles on people's faces! Oh and by the way...

 

Looks like it was recently put up for sale.

kick boodie pic

cach of ad (scroll half-way down for ad)

 

The links aren't good anymore.

[BeemerBoy]

I'm picturing the wave swingers from Lake Compounce when I picture the speed of this. The wave swinger at LC is by far the fastest I've run into yet.

 

Thought I'd post an interesting tidbit about what I've learned recently. Here's an article I found about carnival rides' top speeds:

 

Carnival thrill rides operate under the assumption that faster is always more fun. Whether spinning, soaring or dropping, the brightly lit attractions are built around endless varieties of velocity.

Thrill rides come equipped with all manner of belts, bars and buckles to protect patrons from an untoward end to a high-speed spin. What they do not come equipped with, however, is a speedometer. In an effort to discover how fast a Tilt-a-Whirl whirls, The Augusta Chronicle hit the Georgia-Carolina State Fair Friday night with a radar gun in hand. Here's a look at how a quartet of the fair's rides fared:

 

The Thunder Bolt

 

A classic spinner, the Thunder Bolt flings patrons forward and backward on a small circular track.

 

RIDER ESTIMATE: Dawn and Brenda Luppold of Evans estimated the speed at about 35 mph.

 

RADAR READING: 13 mph.

 

 

 

The Cliff Hanger

 

Designed to mimic the sensation of hang gliding, the Cliff Hanger spins riders, lying on their stomachs, in a quick circle, letting centrifugal force tilt each glider.

 

RIDER ESTIMATE: CJ and Endia Mahoney of Augusta estimated the top speed at around 10 mph.

 

RADAR READING: 25 mph.

 

 

 

The Wave Swinger

 

Riders are suspended in space in chain-mounted swings, which whip out over the midway when the ride begins to turn.

 

RIDER ESTIMATE: Jackie Foshee estimated the ride's rate at 30 mph while her husband Shawn went lower -- 27 mph.

 

RADAR READING: Mr. Foshee should have bought a lottery ticket -- 27 mph.

 

 

 

Zyklon roller coaster

 

A classic coaster, the Zyklon takes cars up and lets them coast down, hitting some hills and banks along the way. We measured the Zyklon's speed as it rolled down the longest, steepest hill.

 

RIDER ESTIMATE: Zelvonte Harden of Augusta estimated the top speed at around 60 mph.

 

RADAR READING: 28 mph.

 

 

 

Kick Boodie had a radar gun put to it once. RADAR READING: 45mph!!!

[dragonskeep]

^Holy crap!

[DCody]

45 mph? That's as fast as Revenge of the Mummy-- plus, it's open-air and totally lawless! Someone must save Kick Boodie!

[BeemerBoy]

^ I'm still working hard, and doing everything I can to save it for all of us!

[NRitchey]

So what is the update? I too joined the site because of my love for the ride. I am from a small town called Phelps, KY and kick boodie used to come to our town every year. They stopped coming and the fair was never held again. The last time it was there was about 1997 (the most recent date I have seen on the site). If memory serves me correctly, a boy fell out of it and had to be air lifted. However, he supposedly fell out because his chain was not latched (DUH!) I loved this ride so much and would love to ride again. Everyone I tell about it thinks that I am insane for ever riding something like this. Also, I forgot about peaches and agree that the operator was a stand up guy. Any updates would be greatly appreciaited. Also, the video on here does not give it justice. Imagine; louder, faster=higher and more interactive!

[BeemerBoy]

So what is the update? I too joined the site because of my love for the ride. I am from a small town called Phelps, KY and kick boodie used to come to our town every year. They stopped coming and the fair was never held again. The last time it was there was about 1997 (the most recent date I have seen on the site). If memory serves me correctly, a boy fell out of it and had to be air lifted. However, he supposedly fell out because his chain was not latched (DUH!) I loved this ride so much and would love to ride again. Everyone I tell about it thinks that I am insane for ever riding something like this. Also, I forgot about peaches and agree that the operator was a stand up guy. Any updates would be greatly appreciaited. Also, the video on here does not give it justice. Imagine; louder, faster=higher and more interactive!

 

Thanks for joining! As far as the update is concerned, all I can ask of everyone is to bear with me, and stay patient. I can't promise anything, but I truly believe Kick Boodie will run again. Trust me, no one wants that to happen more than me, and I'm still working on it.

 

As for the accident you mentioned...... yes, a boy did fall out. I'm not at liberty to give details, but let's just say the young man was trying VERY hard for that illustrious "Darwin Award," if you catch my drift.

[Jim S.]

I can't imagine Kick Boodie running in the current legal climate. I don't think even Knoebels would attempt it (especially after putting a stop to the PPP hand-slapping tradition this year.)

[Pathfinder19]

Just joined and only because of this thread....Kick Boodie was by far the best Carnival ride ever...I rode this ride at St. Rose of Lima Church in Miami Shores, Florida. I did the same thing as many of you and followed this ride throughout south Florida and never once was called a "meatball"....lol

[emilyl14]

Hey everyone!! I am so happy that there are others trying to locate Kick Boodie!!!! All of my friends & I have been looking for years. We have to bring it back guys! Someone mentioned that it may be in Magnolia, KY. Has anyone followed up to see if that is legit? It is about 1 hr and 40min from my home in Lexington, KY. I am going to try to call travel & tourism place and ask if it is really there! I have so many awesome memories from that ride. Thanks for any help!

 

Emily

[BeemerBoy]

^ Emily, thanks for joining!

 

I am currently in contact with the ride's owner, and have been for months now. I can't tell you too much right now, other than, yes, the ride is in Kentucky on the owner's land. We're working hard on giving Kick Boodie new life, so please keep checking back here. Also, I can't give you an exact time frame, but I'm getting real close to having a video posted!

[Iowa Beaver]

AWESOME! I just read this entire topic, this being my first time seeing it, and well, awesome is all I could come up with. I stuck around mostly just because I'd like to see this fun looking/sounding ride in action. If you can manage to get this ride functional, that would be perhaps the greatest thing I'd ever seen as far as amusement rides are concerned.

 

Keep going, I'll be patient, but you've got me very excited about this now...

[jray21]

Scott, I'm pretty sure there's someone in Ohio and New Zealand that would LOVE to purchase this and then find some volunteers with tools and pick up trucks to help put it together somewhere!

I was thinking the same thing!

[BeemerBoy]

As promised.....

 

 

Here's a description of what you'll see in the following video:

 

NOTE: For starters, all footage was transferred from old VHS tapes to DVD, edited, and then uploaded to TPR. As you might imagine, unfortunately some quality was compromised along the way. However, to my knowledge, it is currently the only existing footage of the ride on the internet. I hope you enjoy it, and it gives you an idea of the awesomeness!

 

- The footage starts out showing the first level of interaction. It was always like the "starter," or "novice" level to get new riders accustomed to the ride. You'll notice as the video progresses that the owner/operator would occasionally slow the ride down after the first level to reconnect the "meatballs" that failed miserably. You should also be able to notice how the speed and height of the swings increases at different levels.

 

- Footage from inside the operator's booth starts at 4:24.

 

- At 6:51 you can see the owners demonstrate their skills on the ride with no other riders present. They make it look effortless. Something to notice though is perfect spacing of the swings. Even with empty seats, you were never in danger of really slamming into an open swing in front or behind you.

 

- POV begins at 12:05. Disregard the two kids in front of the camera. They were young and disconnected early. Thus, they had to swing alone the whole ride.

 

ENJOY!!

 

 

 

Like it? Hate it? Would you ever ride it? Have you ridden it in the past, and would like to share your memories of it? I'm anxious to hear everyone's thoughts on the ride. And any positive feedback will certainly help concerning the ride's future. So please, feel free to post your comments!

Edited March 16, 2011 by BeemerBoy

[ILoveRides]

^ I'm about to watch the vid... and I must say, I'm pretty much more excited about watching this video than any in recent memory. I've read so much about this ride on here that I've become quite curious about it!

[Coasterbp]

Wow. That was really cool! Thanks for taking the time to get this onto the interwebs.

 

But I can totally see why this wouldn't "work" in todays climate....

 

BTW, that sweater was EPIC.

 

-=coasterbp

[ILoveRides]

For some reason my computer won't load past 11:23, so I haven't been able to watch the POV yet. But here a few thoughts from what I was able to see so far:

 

- The ride looks awesome! It looks like a really nice mix of scary and fun. I think I would actually be a little scared to ride it, especially with so little in the way of harnesses.

 

- I can't imagine this thing ever running again in sue-happy America. (But I would make a point to seek it out if it did run again!)

 

- This video must be really cool to see if, unlike me, you were someone who actually rode it. This video is probably going to bring back a ton of fond memories for people.

 

- It was neat seeing the owners ride it with no one else. It made it much easier to see what was going on, and it was nice seeing experienced people riding it.

 

- Those owners are like 100x cleaner and nicer than any carnival worker I've seen in so cal.