originally posted on 5/19/2023
A group of ACE members gathered in front of West Coast Racers, the event’s namesake.
All Photos: Jackie Edwards. View full-sized image.
Sixty-six people attended ACE Pacific Southwest’s first formal event of the season on May 6, a beautiful Southern California spring day. Attendees represented the three states within the Pacific Southwest region as well as four other states; even Germany was represented with two guests. It was convenient that the event coincided with vacation plans for those in SoCal from outside the region.
Owing to skilled ride ops, ACE members were able to enjoy many rides on Twisted Colossus during morning ERT.
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Registration began with fresh doughnuts and an opportunity to catch up with old and new friends. Following check-in, the group was given an hour and a half of ERT on Wonder Woman Flight of Courage and Twisted Colossus — both of which were running well. Riders on Twisted Colossus were overjoyed by the skill of the station workers, who made an excellent effort to have the trains race. The small size of the group meant no waiting for rides, and many folks enjoyed as many re-rides as possible.
Ride Maintenance Supervisor Paul Simblet guided the group on a tour of SFMM’s maintenance facilities, where a vehicle from Superman: Escape from Krypton receives attention from the staff.
View full-sized image.
View full-sized image.
Immediately after ERT, the group was treated to an hour-long tour of the park’s maintenance shed and a Q&A with Paul Simblet, ride maintenance supervisor. Vehicles from Superman: Escape from Krypton and Full Throttle were being worked on, giving everyone a great opportunity to see their inner and under workings. Everyone was also treated to some exciting inside information — Six Flags is actively seeking bids to repair the Skytower observation deck, and the corporate office has made it a priority to get it working again. Meanwhile, Roaring Rapids is expected to be open sometime in June. In less encouraging news, Lex Luther Drop of Doom is waiting on a part with no estimated time of an opening, and Viper was scheduled to be down all season but was opened because other coasters were down.
Keeping the park’s large coaster collection in top form involves tasks such as stripping a Full Throttle train down to its chassis.
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The group picture was taken at 1 p.m. in front of West Coast Racers — the event’s namesake — and was immediately followed by an informal takeover of the ride. Attendees managed to get more than two full trains of ACEers racing! The rest of the day was free for the group to enjoy, and it was a great one with fellow ACE members at a truly wonderful park.
— Jackie Edwards, ACE Pacific Southwest Regional Representative
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