originally posted on 4/4/2020
It seemed like an ordinary sunny but cold Saturday in March, as 210 ACEers and their guests met for a day of fun, friends and news at CoasterBash!, ACE Western Pennsylvania’s annual midwinter event. They didn’t realize how lucky they were at the time. Only a week later no one knew when another such gathering would be possible. The world changed that quickly as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But let’s go back to CoasterBash XXXI on that March 7 at Salvatore’s in Pittsburgh, when the doors opened at 2 p.m. and attendees hurried through to find a table and begin two hours of social time. Free nonalcoholic beverages and unlimited bowls of popcorn were available; adult drinks could be purchased, and the CoasterBash! Bake Sale was in business with sweets for everyone’s taste. Organized by ACE Member Benefits Manager Mike Matscherz, the bake sale was a popular stop throughout the event. During social time, attendees could visit the vendors and ACE Preservation Fund Sales Table, check out the silent auction items and buy tickets for the Chinese auction and raffle.
Items were available at the ACE Preservation Fund Sales Table, seen here staffed by Sarah Windisch.
Photo: Courtesy Sarah Windisch Collection. View full-sized image.
Promptly at 4 p.m. the lights dimmed and the countdown to launch CoasterBash! XXXI began. Traditions are many at ACE Western Pennsylvania events, and a CoasterBash! tradition is to begin with Summer Flashback — photos and videos that highlight the previous year’s regional events. Joel Brewton-Riling’s Summer Flashback began with video from The Steel Curtain media day and continued with photos that prompted smiles and laughter from those who had attended these events. Keeping with tradition, Ken Simmons’ New Coasters of 2019 followed — the 26th year Simmons has provided this video.
ACE Western Pennsylvania Regional Rep Bill Linkenheimer III welcomed all attendees and thanked Brewton-Riling and Simmons for their video productions. He also paid tribute to Mike Homza, an active regional member who recently passed away, by dedicating the 2020 CoasterBash! to his memory. Linkenheimer reported that Lenny Adams, former rides maintenance manager at Conneaut Lake Park (Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania), is now a rides inspector for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and that Adams wanted to thank ACE for supporting Conneaut Lake Park over the years.
After recognizing ACE directors, managers and committee members, along with his regional rep team, Linkenheimer provided an ACE national update. ACE projects and events for 2020 include the promotion of World Roller Coaster Appreciation Month (June), monthly podcasts (ACE ─ Ride With Us), the Share Your Moments social media campaign, KennyKon XXXI (a pre-Coaster Con event), Coaster Con 43, ACE election year, ACE Preservation Con, shopping through smile.amazon.com and Life Events reporting.
Steve Gorman.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
Janine Rebbie Matscherz.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
Linkenheimer was followed by the first park presenter, Steve Gorman, president of Waldameer and Water World in Erie, who summarized 2019’s successes and reported some odd (and funny) things that happened at the park last year. The theme of the 2019 stories was skunk shenanigans. New for 2020 will be Whirlwind, the park’s fifth coaster, which is the common version of the SBF-Visa compact spinning coaster. Gorman mentioned that the Rally Racer mat racing slides will be ready to go and that the Bill Tracy-designed dark ride Wacky Shack will be celebrating its 50th birthday.
Janine Rebbie Matscherz was seen helping at the bake sale, but her major role at CoasterBash! was to update attendees on what’s been happening at Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. (PTCI) and to encourage them to attend the PTCI open house during Coaster Con 43. Her father and CEO of PTCI, Tom Rebbie, sent his regards, and Janine summarized his hilarious story about renting a car in Italy (moral of the story: buy car insurance). She reviewed PTCI’s coaster train renovation and repair projects following the 2019 season. Lunch, tours and various surprises are planned for the PTCI open house, including a personal appearance from “Rexie,” the mysterious dinosaur seen lurking in the background in PTCI videos.
Sam Shurgott.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
Jim Becker.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
After a door prize break, during which attendees could also vote in the photo contest and visit the vendors, Sam Shurgott, president of IRM Rides, spoke about the goal of his company: to find homes for old or unwanted rides. Making his second appearance at CoasterBash!, Shurgott began with a brief history of IRM, which was founded in 1989. IRM aims to make sales that benefit the seller and the buyer and that are good fits for the rides being sold. He has many “partners” in the amusement industry who help him reach these goals. Attendees were particularly interested to hear about the new homes of rides formerly at Lakemont Park (Altoona, Pennsylvania).
Jim Becker, executive director of the Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County, brought good news from Conneaut Lake Park. 2019 saw improvements in many categories: maintenance, Splash City additions, marina updates, a new volunteer program that resulted in the bumper car building being repainted, marketing and social media efforts and increased income from sales in many categories. A partnership began with Edinboro University to improve marketing initiatives. ACE Coaster Classic and Coaster Landmark Blue Streak received additional track work, and a new incarnation of Conneaut’s mascot, Connie Otter, returned!
Becker reported that visitors in 2020 would see “upgrades in everything” and possibly another new ride. A Fascination game was purchased, and a grant will pay for new pavilions on Reed Avenue. This grant is significant because it represents the first money from the commonwealth that the park has received since declaring bankruptcy. Season pass prices will remain the same. All good news!
Adam Nopotnik.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
Next up to talk about ACE Cares was Adam Napotnik, ACE Youth Advisory Council chairperson and ACE Cares coordinator. He began by reviewing the ACE Western Pennsylvania team’s first-place win at last September’s Coasting for Kids event at Kennywood (West Mifflin, Pennsylvania) and then explained the procedures and benefits for ACEers who might want to participate in these events. Coasting for Kids events benefit Give Kids The World Village in Orlando, Florida, and represent only one of several park-sponsored and other volunteer activities under the ACE Cares umbrella.
At 7 p.m. it was time for more door prizes and a delicious buffet featuring chicken Romano. While waiting for their tables to be called, attendees could socialize, visit vendors and vote in the photo contest.
After dinner, Linkenheimer stepped up to present the second annual ACE Western Pennsylvania Industry Appreciation Award, this time to Jeff Croushore, director of marketing at Idlewild and SoakZone (Ligonier, Pennsylvania), who has supported ACE in many ways over the years, not the least of which have been his amazingly creative and high-energy presentations at CoasterBash! Stay tuned for Croushore’s closing presentation…
ACE Western Pennsylvania reps present Idlewild’s Jeff Croushore with the region’s Industry Appreciation Award.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
Kennywood news is what usually launches the second half of CoasterBash!, and Nick Paradise was ready to go. After a review of the 2019 season, which focused on the debut of The Steel Curtain, the record-setting S&S hypercoaster that won Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket for Best New Roller Coaster of 2019, Paradise noted that 2020 will see the completion of other parts of Steeler Country, including the Steeler Experience building. Smiles greeted his announcement about the return of the floral clock! There will be changes to the VIP ride access, Parkside Café, Kiddieland rides, restrooms and season pass options and a new quiet room for special needs visitors. The “100 years, 100 memories” campaign will honor the 100th birthday of the ACE Coaster Classic and ACE Roller Coaster Landmark Jack Rabbit. Jamie Miller presented the park with a Jack Rabbit license plate for the coaster’s station.
Nick Paradise.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
Erik Frankenstein was the 25th recipient of the Golden Kenny.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
But that wasn’t all. A teaser video of the ride that is now Garfield’s Nightmare had a mystery ending, suggesting that changes were afoot. Hands shot up in the air! Paradise acknowledged that Garfield might be leaving sooner rather than later and closed by saying, “The nightmare has ended.”
Joined by Kennywood’s mascot, Kenny Kangaroo, Paradise presented The Golden Kenny to its 25th recipient, Erik Frankenstein, who was honored for his enthusiasm and dedication to Kennywood and ACE Western Pennsylvania.
Erik Frankenstein.
Photo: Sarah Windisch. View full-sized image.
Brian Butko.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
Offering a historian’s perspective of the region, Brian Butko, publications director of the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, brought an old Kennywood arrow and showed photos of early Kennywood rides, refreshment stands and other park landmarks, many of which have survived in some form to this day. The History Center is the repository for Kennywood’s archives, which are now being cataloged.
Palace Entertainment, parent company to local parks Kennywood, Idlewild and Sandcastle (West Homestead, Pennsylvania), recently underwent a restructuring and will soon be opening a support facility (headquarters) in the Pittsburgh area. Attendees were eager to hear from John Reilly, the new COO, who had made a special trip to speak at CoasterBash! He described his entry into the amusement industry and discussed the different parks in the Palace portfolio. Reilly, along with employees of most of the U.S. Palace departments, will be transferring to Pittsburgh, so he is eager to get acquainted with the region’s parks.
John Reilly.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
The photo contest winners were Ken Riling-Brewton, Dave Hahner and Michael Burkes.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
It’s never easy to choose the top three winners in the CoasterBash! Photo Contest because of all the worthy entries. Photo Contest Coordinator Jason Ballard made the announcement: first place to Ken Riling-Brewton, second to Dave Hahner and third to Michael Burkes.
Representing Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, was Rick Knoebel. His father, Dick, could not be present because of medical issues, but Rick called him so he could speak directly to attendees and encourage them to register for Coaster Con 43, at which Knoebels will be one of the co-hosts. Rick reminded attendees that Knoebels had won three of Amusement Today’s Golden Tickets (for best wood coaster [Phoenix], best food and best carousel [award retired]) and that an enthusiast event was planned for October 9, the night before the annual Phoenix Phall Phunfest. Speaking of food, new at Knoebels in 2020 will be funnel cake fries, more varieties of Dole whip, barbecue chicken fries and an all-day breakfast sandwich. Attendees saw drawings of a redone Phoenix station and heard about the addition of an autism room. Major maintenance has been done on Twister, Impulse and Flying Turns. A new ride, Tornado, is being added and 1000 Nacht has been removed.
Rick Knoebel.
Photo: Sarah Windisch. View full-sized image.
Just as the presenter from Kennywood traditionally kicks off the second part of CoasterBash!, Croushore, celebrating his 28th season at Idlewild and SoakZone, is the traditional event closer for reasons mentioned on his industry appreciation award plaque. Every year he manages to surprise and delight attendees with his dramatic and exciting presentation of the park’s news. To help him this year, Croushore called up Idlewild’s mascot, Ricky Raccoon. While scenes from Idlewild and SoakZone alternated on the screen behind them, Ricky and Croushore dazzled the crowd with their choreographed dance routine to the tune of “Feeling Good.” It’ll be hard to top this!
Jeff Croushore was joined by Idlewild’s Ricky Raccoon for a dance number.
Photo: Joel Brewton-Riling. View full-sized image.
After a review of the 2019 season, Croushore borrowed a line from “Feeling Good” to begin his 2020 update: “It’s a new day.” Visitors to the park will notice new events, ride improvements, renovated restrooms, deluxe cabanas, a frozen drink cabana, refreshed buildings in Story Book Forest and Olde Idlewild and new foods. Looking ahead, Croushore also mentioned a new kiddie attraction for 2021 and a major attraction for 2022. Plans are under way for a restoration of the historic carousel (Philadelphia Toboggan Company, No. 83) and upgrades to Rollo Coaster. Also, 2020 is Idlewild’s 143rd season, and Croushore reminded attendees that Mr. Rogers’ favorite number was 1-4-3 (I love you).
Time flies at CoasterBash! After a “symphony of volunteers” video that acknowledged all who made CoasterBash! possible, the silent auction winners were announced, as were winners of the Chinese auction and Penguins hockey package raffle. The total from all of the fundraisers was $2,725, and the bake sale raised $318.
Linkenheimer thanked everyone for coming and reminded them to register for KennyKon. Members thanked Salvatore’s, the presenters and all the volunteers. Let’s hope it won’t be too much longer before ACEers can enjoy a fun event like this again.
—Lee Ann Draud, ACE Publications Director
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