originally posted on 12/23/2024
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November’s ACE Digital Event hosted Rick Bastrup, president of R&R Designs, a leader in the amusement industry for more than 40 years and a newly minted author. Participants started the Zoom meeting by sharing a variety of their favorite dark rides with Bastrup, who has worked on many of them.
R&R Designs assisted with the creation of many well-known and well-loved amusement park attractions, including Kennywood’s Exterminator — a heavily themed indoor Crazy Mouse.
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The event continued with the sharing of some photos illustrating a bit of the process for rides Bastrup has helped bring to fruition, including Exterminator at Kennywood (West Mifflin, Pennsylvania), Adventure Express at Kings Island (Mason, Ohio) and Quicksilver Express at Gilroy Gardens (Gilroy, California).
While discussing some of the projects in the queue, Bastrup mentioned his role at the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives (NRCMA) in Plainview, Texas. R&R Designs is working with the museum to bring to life the exhibits, including coaster trains, retired signage, parts and plans. In speaking about the project, Bastrup mentioned the enjoyment he is getting from seeing the variety of items in the facility.
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When describing his company, Bastrup used the phrase “designers of themed adventures.” He spoke to the types of projects the company takes on, including rides, museums, buildings and sometimes even entire parks. He explained that the company focuses on creating various elements for its projects, working with a team and making sure to stay within budget on a project.
A compliment from the audience regarding the Buccaneer Bay Mini Golf at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, prompted Bastrup to recall the process of converting that building, which now is home to the arcade and mini golf. He told the audience that the building once housed a swimming pool and discussed manufacturing the pirate-themed mini golf. There are a variety of effects in the attraction, including tunnels and surprises for golfers to enjoy.
When asked what he does in his limited free time, Bastrup told the audience about his musical interests. Being a member of a band that covers 1960s songs like those of the Beach Boys is one of the ways he gets out of the office. He admitted that even his hobby supports his designs to an extent, because some of the original music scored by the band has ended up in ride queues and preshows.
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The next question brought stories of Bastrup’s work with Garner Holt doing some design work for Grand Canyon Rapids, in Las Vegas, Nevada. What followed were questions about inspirations for ride elements and how they are best applied to the variety of projects R&R has worked on over the years. The answers varied but came down to applying design in the way the client was seeking. A question about social media changing the process brought an answer speaking to the need for more action in preshows and lines to keep rider attention, plus the constant importance of photo ops.
When asked about the company’s beginnings, Bastrup reported, “We wanted to do this, so we started building models, knocking on doors and built the company from our love of theme parks.” He added that this was different from the most direct way to begin a company of this sort in today’s climate.
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Over the years R&R Designs interacted with many of the greats. Bastrup mentioned working with Ron Toomer, alongside Duell Corporation and being a part of the theming for the first Vekoma ride in the United States — Sea Serpent at Morey’s Piers, in Wildwood, New Jersey — a project that included designing the logo, launch station and preshow. This was one of many rides that Bastrup had the opportunity to name.
Bastrup has been in the amusement design industry for decades, but his background is in law enforcement and music. He reminisced about some of the gorier rides of his youth, remembering seeing the legendary McCurdy's mummy, and the way he loved rides and started with drawings of ideas and themes for his early portfolio.
Bastrup and R&R Designs were instrumental in the creation of Kings Island’s Adventure Express — one of Arrow Dynamics’ last mine trains and one of its most elaborately themed.
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Bastrup told a story about a slight malfunction on Adventure Express at Kings Island during the opening day festivities. He recalled that employees from Kings Island and the ride manufacturer had to stand behind the scenes and physically make the drummers drum as Bastrup rode in the first row with some of the local dignitaries for the ribbon cutting.
Quicksilver Express at Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park is another mine train that came to life with the help of Bastrup’s expertise.
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The meeting then moved to Bastrup’s new role of author. When asked why he decided to write a book, he reported that he was asked by many who wanted to hear his stories. The book process took about a year of part-time writing, with the majority of time being devoted to researching. The book has a list of the R&R Designs client list and timeline, which Bastrup admits was a very lengthy part of the project.
The final question of the night asked Bastrup what his number one wish list ride would be. He answered that he already had some ideas for an undersea adventure. At one point the design started as the under boardwalk ride at Santa Cruz, but while in the design process, the community expressed its desire for a caveman-themed ride, since that theme had been in place since the 1950s and the connection to history was important to the community and the park.
Finally, Bastrup told the story of his design for Yosemite Sam and the Gold River Adventure at Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington) and some of his feelings when watching the ride operate. Read his book to get this story in its entirety. It's available through Rivershore Press and can be found through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Walmart and anywhere books are sold.
— Jes Niemiec, Digital Events Coordinator
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