For the Love of Amusement Parks

By: William Supko
03/28/2014

It’s nearing April and winter is starting finally disappear!  This means one thing, amusement parks will slowly start to wake from their slumber across the US.  Kings Dominion will welcome general admission visitors in a little over a week.  This is like Christmas time for me and next Friday I will hardly sleep a wink.  I will not so patiently wait to enter those gates and unwrap my gift that is the opening day.  I’m anxious to see all of the changes that took place during the off season to celebrate 40 years of Kings Dominion.  I’m also excited to add Intimidator 305 to my coaster count as it was closed during my visit last year.

SooperDooperLooper at Hersheypark

As the coaster/ride season approaches it takes me back to my first coaster, the Trailblazer at Hersheypark.  It was an awesome ride for a then 5 year old.  I loved it so much my mom decided to take me for a ride on the SooperDooperLooper.  That’s where it all went terribly wrong.  I was a little nervous (okay, A LOT nervous) as the train left the station.  The anticipation built as the train climbed higher and higher.  I was sure we were nearing the edge of outer space.  The cars disengaged from the lift and we headed down the first drop.  We spun half way through the loop and that’s when it happened, that is when I inhaled a bug.  I began choking and coughing.  I was grossed out and concentrating so much on what happened that the rest of the rides was a blur.  As we approached the station I had tears in my eyes.

Dominator at Kings Dominion

That is when my big bad coaster riding career came to a halt.  That was also the first and last time we as a family would visit Hersheypark.  We would instead visit Knoebels Grove (now Knoebels Amusement Resort) every year so that those of us who wouldn’t ride didn’t have to pay.  I finally decided to get over my fear of weird things happening and hopped on the Jet Star, a 70’s Schwarzkopf coaster that now operates in France. I fell in love with coasters again and spent hours riding it over and over.  When me and my best friend returned in 93 to find the ride gone and a new to the park Vekoma coaster in its place.  We were saddened by the loss of a really fun coaster but excited that Knoebels had introduced some inversions with the Whirlwind coaster.  The coaster would leave the park in 2004.

Cut to 1995, after a year of flipping burgers I heard an announcement at school that Hersheypark was looking for employees and I ran to the office to grab an application.  I went through the interview and orientation and began my career as ride operator.  My ride area included the now defunct Canyon River Rapids, Rodeo and Conestoga along with Sidewinder and Tidal Force.  One of the perks of working in the rides department was the occasional offering of last ride of the night on a select attraction.  I offered to operate the Sidewinder on the first night it came up in the rotation.  This big and bad ride was cutting edge at the time and I had no interest in climbing aboard.  Fortunately I succumbed to the peer pressure of my fellow employees and hopped on board.  I remember a combination of asking what I’d gotten myself into and praying I didn’t create a protein spill (amusement park lingo for losing your lunch).

Steel Force at Dorney Park - My first Mega Coaster

I felt exhilarated and ready to conquer anything as the ride screeched to a halt.  I wanted more!  It was then and there that I became an amusement park junky.  I was ready to explore this wild side, to find some hard core scream machines.

What was your first coaster?  Do you have a great story to share?  Let us know in the comments below or send an email to coastercrewblog@gmail.com if you would like to be featured on the coaster crew blog.

If this is your first visit to the blog be sure to read the rules before posting a comment.  If you’re free on April 5 be sure to join us at the opening day meet up at Kings Dominion.