originally posted on 12/30/2024
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For someone like me who loves wood coasters, there was lots to digest (and lots to love) in the November 1996 issue of ACE News (there was no December issue, so I’m assuming this was the result of an era when the newsletter was published nine times a year). In fact, the only two articles about steel coasters pertained to Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park, California) replacing its beloved Wacky Soap Box Racers with a two-tracked TOGO coaster called Wind Jammer (that would end up being a spectacular failure that operated for a short time before being replaced by Xcelerator) and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom (Orlando, Florida) increasing its coaster count to three with an off-the-shelf Vekoma.
Custom Coasters International (CCI), after having impressed many with Megafobia at Oakwood Leisure Park (Narberth, Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom) in 1996, was announced as the designer/builder of three more wood coasters on the “other side” of the pond — Tonnerre de Zeus at Parc Astérix (Plailly, Hauts-de-France, France) and a racing coaster intertwined with a junior that would become Stampida and Tomahawk at Port Aventura (Salou, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain). After a long wood coaster drought, it was definitely an enjoyable time to be a wood coaster enthusiast in Europe.
Making this issue of ACE News bittersweet was an article about rehabilitation work taking place on the Conneaut Lake Park Blue Streak that had been dormant for a couple of years. Big news was that the coaster’s vintage NAD Century Flyer trains would still operate on the coaster’s original layout that would be celebrated with a 60th anniversary event. As is well known throughout the amusement industry and among roller coaster enthusiasts, Blue Streak burned down in 2022 under mysterious circumstances following a change in direction initiated by the park’s new ownership. This followed years of Herculean efforts by countless individuals who worked to save the park and coaster from extinction.
The middle of the issue included an article about the long-gone Big Dipper at Bitter Lake Playland in Seattle, Washington. An installment in a series called RollerCoaster Legends that was much too short-lived, it wonderfully reflected the kind of journalism that symbolizes the organization’s ability to preserve the past for future generations. In addition to some incredible historical information and photographs, the article featured simple-yet-effective renderings depicting Big Dipper’s layout, providing information of a quality that’s not only entertaining but professional enough for significant research and documentation purposes.
As always, a deep dive into the issue’s material revealed some gems. The ACE Classified section (remember those?) revealed current ACE News staff member and ACE New England Assistant Regional Representative Rus Ozana selling ACE logo wristwatches. Does anyone still have one in their memorabilia collections? Also, the Speed Bumps blurb about Scandia Amusement Park in Ontario, California, sounded like it was well on its way to becoming a major coaster destination after the installation of its Miler Scandia Screamer with not one, not two or three, but four roller coasters, including a wood twister and something along the lines of Space Mountain. Talk about a glimpse into an alternate reality!
— Rob Ascough, ACE News Editor
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Another fascinating issue of ACE News, in this case from 28 years ago under the leadership of editor Scott Rutherford and the layout artistry of Terry L. Lind.
What a great cover page, with the 1996 International Year of the Rollercoaster imagery being featured. In 1996, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), led by its then president, the inestimable Geoffrey Thompson, along with the American Coaster Enthusiasts, led by the marvelous Jan Kiser, named that year as the International Year of the Roller Coaster, intending the year to be filled with tributes to roller coasters across the world and other events to honor "what is the ultimate ride of exhilaration.”
This 1996 ACE News issue opened with an article noting how busy CCI had been, what with seven wooden roller coasters opening in 1996, including Megafobia at Oakwood Leisure Park, and five woodies in 1997, what with a racer (Stampida) and a junior woodie (Tomahawk) at Port Aventura. Amazing to note that there were that many woodies opening in those years (compared to now, when maybe one or two new woodies debut in any given year).
Another article discussed the debut of the new TOGO Windjammer steelie at Knotts Berry Farm, which we now know lasted only three years (1997-2000) operationally after many troubles. Still another article noted the opening of the TOGO hypercoaster Manhattan Express (now called Big Apple Coaster) at New York, New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, a steelie that amazingly, still operates to this day, considering how many TOGO rides have been closed over the years.
There's a fascinating article highlighting how ACE members became involved in preserving Bob Cartmell's considerable research material, bringing in ACE volunteers (led by Kiser and Dick Burch) to move components of his valuable collections to a safe location. How wonderful of ACE to help secure this treasure.
An ACE News Roller Coaster Legends piece featured coaster designer Carl Phare's Big Dipper woodie at Bitter Lake Playland in Seattle, with the article written by the late Zank Umagat (who was then a regional co-representative for ACE). Also of note, another article in this issue of ACE News discussed ACE's 1996 Summer Conference, which visited Phare's coaster that survives to this day, Coaster at PNE Playland park in Vancouver, as well as the John Miller/Walker LeRoy Classic Coaster at the Washington State Fair (Puyallup, Washington).
On pages 12-13, Kiser noted the hundreds and sometimes thousands of hours ACE's officers, Executive Committee members and directors devoted to running ACE’s affairs. As a former ACE president, regional representative, ACE News editor, events director, immediate past president and current Public Relations Committee and History Committee member, I can vouch for the considerable number of hours one can devote to ACE, which can be demanding but so fulfilling. I encourage ACE members to volunteer whenever and however they can. It means so much and is well worth it and rewarding.
— Randy Geisler
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1996 - The International Year of the Rollercoaster
I had almost forgotten about this event that was boosted by IAAPA and ACE to help recognize the greatest amusement attraction ever created. What better way to celebrate than the addition of three new wooden coasters in Europe that were announced before the end of that year by CCI for 1997. Luckily, all three wooden coasters still operate in some fashion. Tonnerre de Zeus (now Tonnerre 2 Zeus) at Parc Astérix was retracked and somewhat reimagined by The Gravity Group in 2022. Both Stampida (the racing coaster) and Tomahawk are still thrilling guests today at Port Aventura. It is hoped that all three continue to thrill guests for many more years to come.
Knott's Berry Farm also had a big announcement for the replacement of its classic, almost one-of-a-kind Arrow steeplechase ride, the Wacky Soap Box Racers. To be built by TOGO, the racing and looping twin-tracked Wind Jammer ride sounded equally unique. Unfortunately, Wind Jammer turned out to be more of a headache for the park and was plagued by all types of operational issues, only operating three seasons, from 1997 until 2000. In hindsight, I'm sure the management at Knott's would have liked to have kept the Wacky Soap Box Racers instead, as the slightest of breezes could stop Wind Jammer "in its tracks." Ultimately, Wind Jammer was replaced by Xcelerator. Given its operational issues over the years, those popular Wacky Soap Box Racers still probably sound more dependable to me!
Other notable news items:
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom debuted Goofy's Barnstormer in 1996, which still operates today with a slight retheme.
ACE's former historian Robert Cartmell donated much of his research and collection in 1994 to ACE. In 1996 the process of transporting the collection to the ACE archives commenced.
Conneaut Lake Park began to restore the historic Blue Streak coaster after being closed since 1995. It remained operational until 2006, sat dormant along with the park until 2010, was resurrected until 2019 and closed from 2020 (due to the Covid pandemic) to January 2022, when it was unceremoniously demolished by the park's new owner, who took control in 2021. A sad loss to be sure.
A nice wrap-up of Knoebels' Phunfest in 1996.
A wonderful historic look back to the Big Dipper at Bitter Lake Playland in Seattle, Washington, that closed in 1961, by Zank Umagat.
A writeup on the ACE 1996 Summer Conference at Playland in Vancouver, Canada, and the Puyallup Fair, as well as an add-on day at Silverwood in Idaho.
An interesting list of duties and "man hours" for each member of the Executive Committee. Somehow, it was tallied to approximately 14,570 hours, almost double the number of actual hours in a year (8,760)!!! I'm sure that number is more with all of the additional duties and volunteer positions in ACE today.
Manhattan Express by TOGO opened at New York, New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It too would be transformed in later years and retracked by Premier Rides in 2021 but was already rechristened to Big Apple Coaster in 2016.
It's always fun to look back on the old news from nearly 30 years ago!
— Dave Hahner, Historian
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