A Very Special Thrillography at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: My Bodacious ACE Coaster Con XXXVII Trip Report - Part V

Hello :}

Welcome to A Very Special Thrillography, featuring the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk!!!

Why is this update so special? 

Well, a couple of reasons:

First and foremost, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is AMAZING. It is the be-all end-all seaside amusement park experience and one of America's most celebrated independent amusement parks -- an elite and precious group in its own right. 

Second, this is Thrillography's 50TH POST!!!!!!!! 

I cannot thank everyone who reads this blog enough for your support over the last year-and-a-half. Here's to 50 more great posts!

And Third, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is my heritage. In the spring of 1980, two 19-year-olds from different ends of the state decided to get jobs at the Boardwalk; it was here that the two teens fell in love. After their summer at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the two young lovers went on to get married, which eventually lead to the existence of *me*, your humble correspondent. :}

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is the reason I exist. 

Literally. 

Need I say more? :}

There's no place I'd rather be than right here, right now.

And I'm sure I'm not the only one! The boys and I have a spectacular day ahead of us!

My first ride on the Santa Cruz Giant Dipper was when I was five years old. The ride has since been the epitome of my love for wooden roller coasters (meanwhile, the title of "Steel Coaster Love Epitome" belongs to the Matterhorn Bobsleds, but that's a tale for another time. :} ).

"Here you leave today and enter the world of ocean views, classic rides, and fried food."

:}

Hooray for event check-in right at the entrance to the Giant Dipper! Clearly the Boardwalk knows exactly what they're doing.

Also, because it's the Boardwalk, the employees here are super nice and friendly. :}

Dan and I are ready for a ride on our Giant Dipper! 

The Santa Cruz Giant Dipper was built in the spring of 1924 by Arthur Looff, youngest son of famous carousel carver Charles Looff. The Giant Dipper was built in 47 days to a tune of $50,000, replacing the park's L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway. Only two other Prior and Church coasters are left; the San Diego Giant Dipper and the Playland Dragon Coaster. Three more Giant Dippers (a name that seemed to be reserved for Pacific Ocean-side coasters) were built by the duo (one in Vancouver and two in Venice Beach), but none of them survived past the mid 40s. Other lost Prior and Church classics include the Coney Island Tornado, the Riverview Bobs, and the Playland Airplane Coaster.

Happy riders! :D

The Santa Cruz Giant Dipper is the birthplace of the D.H. Morgan "California Style" wooden coaster train, as I mentioned before while we were touring the backside of Grizzly. While other parks have operated Morgan trains on their wooden coasters with varying degrees of success, rides like the Giant Dipper are what these trains were made for; a light-weight, low-maintainence fiberglass train that would allow the park to increase the ride's capacity without increasing the overall weight of each train, thus still allowing for the ideal navigation of the ride's sharp dips and narrow curves. Both the San Diego Giant Dipper and the Playland Dragon also run California Style Morgan trains. 

Speaking of maintenance, let's check out the Giant Dipper Maintenance Tour!

We are now currently below the Boardwalk, the catacombs of which are home to everything from spare Giant Dipper lumber to whole rides! Several of the Boardwalk's concession stands also keep their fountain syrups down here. :}

Here we have the large turbine that powers the Giant Dipper's chain!

In the same room, we have lots of Giant Dipper spare parts, including nuts, bolts and lumber!

Now for tour #2!

Where might we be? :}

Inside the Giant Dipper, of course! My parents shared many a lunch here in this area, which typically serves as an employee-only break area.

The Giant Dipper is a favorite of children young and old. :}

It really just doesn't get any better than this. 

I don't even know what to say right now. I'm just beside myself with joy over this ride.

Thank goodness M&M is here. Nobody brings commentary out of me quite like Michael. :}

Well, I'd love to stay here forever, but I'd also like to go ride some stuff!

Now this has got to be the greatest face-painting I've ever seen! :D

Who's up for a CAVE TRAIN ADVENTURE?!!?

The Boardwalk's Cave Train Adventure has been a Santa Cruz classic since 1961.

In 1997, the ride closed for a 2 million dollar face lift that coincided with the Boardwalk's massive re-vamp of the eastern-most area of the park (I like to call it the park's "back bowl"). In 2000, the new Cave Train Adventure opened along with a dozen new rides, but without the park's beloved 1960 "Autorama" gas-powered car ride. It was here that the novel invention of the central guide rail for car rides took place, which went on to become the standard for all such rides. In fact, Walt Disney himself graced the Boardwalk with his presence in 1962, and was so taken by the park's Autorama that he decided to build one of his own for Disneyland. Thus, Autopia was born. :}

 Walt was also a big fan of the Cave Train Adventure, the size, design, and detail of which was on par with anything at Disneyland at the time. 

Ride operators at the Boardwalk are very accommodating when it comes to family photos. :}

One of the Boardwalk's many new-for-2000 attractions included the Sea Serpent, the park's custom Miler kiddie coaster. It's a terrain coaster of sorts, staggered on a plot of land that was originally deemed only fit for foliage.

Between 1998 and 1999, the park's kiddie coaster was a garden variety "Orient Express" coaster by Wisdom rides, which now operates at Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach, ME (which you may remember from last year's Coaster Con update). :}

Now for some more rides on the well-decorated Giant Dipper!

I can think of no better ride beginning than the Giant Dipper's, with its loud train whistle, runaway underground figure-8, and that signature scent of sun-warmed chain grease and  salt air. :}

Every dispatch and arrival of a Giant Dipper train is a party!

Front car photo with my big sissy, Steve! :}

New for 2010 was the Boardwalk's 9 million dollar remodel of their classic Haunted Castle ride! More on that later.

Here we have the Boardwalk's classic "Octopus Garden," which for decades served as the park's primary retail store. The store is named for the Pacific Giant Octopus, which is native to the area. :}

Until 2008, the Octopus Garden building was also home to the park's Fascination Parlor. The high maintenance and dwindling parts of Fascination tables have made the games increasingly difficult to run, so the Boardwalk elected to donate their Fascination tables to Playland-Not-At-The-Beach and replace their Fascination Parlor with a small display of similar "Roll-A-Ball" games and some much-needed high-capacity bathrooms. The Boardwalk's Fascination Parlor is sorely missed, as I'm sure many a blue-haired old lady would play countless evenings away at the parlor with dreams of a new Singer sewing machine or a fresh set of Conair electric hair rollers. 

Here we have the Boardwalk's oldest amusement ride, the world-famous, one-of-a-kind 1911 Charles Looff Carousel. Of the 50+ Carousels built by Looff, the Boardwalk's is the only one still in its original location. 

Look! It's Marini's! 

Marini's Candies is a Santa Cruz institution. The Marini family has been crafting their superb, sugary confections on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk since 1915. They have five locations in the Santa Cruz area, this kiosk across from the Carousel being the newest of the five. We'll be checking out two more Marini's locations throughout the day. :}

The next order of business is to welcome the new kid on the block, Undertow!

Undertow is a Maurer Söhne "Xtended SC 2000," a model that I became familiar with in Germany. A traveling model appeared at two of the fun fairs we visited, and a stationary model (that I missed due to time constraints) is located at Skyline Park.

The ride's layout is superb, but it wasn't until my trip to Germany that I realized just how nice of a coaster the Boardwalk had ended up with. And it just looks stunning here, too. 

Undertow is the 3rd compact steel coaster to perch atop the bumper car building on the Boardwalk's western end. The first, a Schwarzkopf Jet Star, ran from 1972 to 1991, and the second, a SDC Windstorm by the name of "Hurricane," ran from 1992 to 2011. If this trend continues, we can expect the Boardwalk to invest in a 4th rooftop coaster in 2032. :}

ACE TAKEOVER OF UNDERTOW!!

Flags galore atop the Boardwalk Casino!

I think Mark likes it. Maybe we'll see one at Kentucky Kingdom some day? ;}

Undertow is an absolute slam-dunk for the Boardwalk. It's smoother, longer, and higher capacity than Hurricane, all while providing a ride experience that is unlike anything in the state of California. 

Marini's stop #2! Here we have the original Marini's location, which is on the beachfront promenade of the Boardwalk's Casino building. It's also accessible from inside the Casino.

It's here that all of the Marini's candy is made, including candy apples, candy bars, lollypops, and their signature salt water taffy. You haven't had salt water taffy until you've had Marini's.

Marini's has since branched out to provide a great deal of concessions, including homemade ice cream, smoothies, and other wonderful things of that nature. :}

Okay, boys! Time for a field trip! Let's go hit up the Boardwalk's partner in crime, the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf!

A visit to Santa Cruz wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Wharf. It's full of wonderful restaurants, shops, bars, fabulous fishing, boat rentals, and some pretty stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.

Not to mention some great views of the Boardwalk!

And some great views of the locals!

For about as long as the Santa Cruz Wharf has existed, clusters of sea lions, walruses, barnacles, and other wildlife have called this 2745ft stretch of Douglas Fir home. As a matter of fact, the Wharf is celebrating it's 100th birthday this year!

:}

I beseech you to find me a better-looking amusement park than the Boardwalk.

All of this gushing over Santa Cruz has made me hungry. Let's eat! :D

Crab Spring Rolls!

A Cocktail of some sort!

And plate of clam strips! Delicious. :}

Marini's: Round 3!

*o*

"Marini's at the Wharf" was the 3rd Marini's location to open, after the original Casino location and a smaller satellite location over by the Giant Dipper. Marini's at the Wharf, which was the largest of the stores when it first opened, was the first to sell additional refreshments like ice cream and coffee; the 4th Marini's, located on Santa Cruz's Pacific Garden Mall, continued this trend with its retro soda fountain-themed store. 

In addition to their homemade candies, Marini's is a purveyor of many forms of fresh, high-quality bulk candies, such as licorices and gummies. :}

At the end of the Wharf, you're treated to this dynamite view of Monterey Bay! 

Speaking of dynamite views.

Undertow fits right in here!

But like the compact steel coasters before it, Undertow is just "the other coaster" at the Boardwalk. :}

But honestly, playing sidekick to the Giant Dipper isn't a bad thing. :}

*swoon*

Back in the Casino, it's time to check out the new Boardwalk gift shop, "Millions of Memories!"

There will never be a store display better than this.

I'm pretty sure the park needs to sell these little coaster car boxes. I'd buy…like…eighty.

Here we have Neptune's Kingdom, the Casino's elaborate swimming-hole-turned-minigolf-course-and-arcade. :}

And I seem to have stumbled upon an epic battle of fabulous proportions!

Back outside, one cannot deny the Boardwalk's curb appeal. 

Across the street, we have this little gem. 

:D

It's in Coasters Bar & Grill that we find one of the Giant Dipper's original Prior and Church lead cars, beautifully restored and proudly displayed. :}

Excuse me for a moment.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was gracious enough to bestow upon us all $10 in arcade credit, which I used to play my favorite arcade game ever, Wizard of Oz! The icing on the cake is the Boardwalk's fabulous collection of park merchandise available at the ticket counter. It was meant to be. :}

We were also given $20 in food coupons, which we could use at any food concession in the park, including Marini's!

So naturally, I bought 3 lbs of saltwater taffy. :}

I also bought myself a chunk of chocolate-covered bacon, and it was absolutely divine. 

These candy boys are already hard at work replacing all of the taffy I just bought.

Who's up for a ride on Sky Glider?!

Christopher and Rus are! :}

These two cave people have been passing each other on the Sky Glider for decades. The couple are destined to forever cross paths, but never to meet. It's rather Shakespearean if you ask me.

After a quick stop at the car to deposit my loot from the Casino, it's time to head back into the action!

These two wheel-type-attractions are about as Boardwalk as it gets! :}

Based on the sun's perfect placement in the sky, I'd say its time for a photo-rific ride on the Ferris Wheel. :}

And, while its still sunny out, I suspect we may be getting a little wet here soon as well. :}

The Sea Swings, a Bertazzon Swinging Carousel that was added to the park's line-up in 2009, fits in so seamlessly at the Boardwalk that it's hard to believe that it wasn't always here.

Speaking of things that weren't always here, the Boardwalk's Logger's Revenge flume ride, which was met with some resistance from traditionalists during its construction in 1976, is now a classic in its own right.

The Boardwalk's Cliffhanger ride operates where the park's Eli Bridge Scrambler once sat. The Scrambler, which is the ride that my mother ran most often during her time here, has since been put in storage and is waiting for a potential comeback. 

Hey, look. It's that shot that everyone in Santa Cruz has on their camera somewhere.

Next to Cliffhanger is Riptide, the Boardwalk's Tilt-A-Whirl. Like several of the Boardwalk's flat rides, the Tilt-A-Whirl has been relocated within the park at least once. At one point, from the mid-70s until the early 80s (roughly), An Eyerly Aircraft Spider occupied the Tilt-A-Whirl's spot, at which time the Tilt-A-Whril operated over by the Casino. It was here that my dad, while running the Spider, got his first good look at my mom, whilst she operated the Scrambler. The rest, you could say, was history. :}

Both the Ferris Wheel and the Rock-O-Plane have also jumped around a bit. The Rock-O-Plane made its original debut directly on top of the Cave Train, while the Ferris Wheel first opened next to the Casino.

All of the rides are so happy. :}

Except for Crazy Surf. Crazy Surf is sad. Not only that, but it looks totally different from the Crazy Surf that opened here in 2000. I don't know for sure if the replacement Crazy Surf is new this year and hasn't actually opened yet, or if it was just broken. 

Cyclone, the Boardwalk's second-generation Round-Up (their original, first-generation Round-Up operated where the Sea Swings are now, but was retired a good 20 years or so before the park brought the ride back in the form of Cyclone), sits roughly where the Rock-O-Plane once stood. At that time, the corner was somewhat isolated, save for the meandering roadways of Autorama and the volcanic rumbles of the Cave Train below. Both of my parents were part of the Autorama team from time to time, and it was there that they had some of their first conversations. :}

Oh hi, Dipper. :} I was just giving everyone some history lessons. I see you've got your red train on now; how lovely!

From 1958-1976, a wooden Wild Mouse ran where the station for Logger's Revenge is now. While the Mouse is missed, it would no doubt be some sort of liability for the park at this point. 

For much of its life, the Boardwalk's Ferris Wheel was white. These days it now sports this lovely sand-colored paint job.

As for the cars, they've always been a variety of fabulous colors. :}

Thank you for the lovely views, Ferris Wheel!

Now it's time for Logger's Revenge!

Logger's Revenge was built at a time when a vast majority of log flumes still stuck close to the ground. When near-by Marriott's Great America opened with their spectacular pair of midair-floating Arrow flumes, the Boardwalk followed up in quick succession with a flume that could stand proudly with its neighbors to the north.

John and Ron are ready to get wet! :}

#LEMMETAKEANARROWFLUMERIDESELFIE

We got a little wetter than we had expected, so the next order of business was to dry off before the sun goes down. How about another Sky Glider ride? :}

The Giant Dipper is getting frustrated that we keep passing by it on the Sky Glider instead of riding it. 

I AM THE GIANT DIPPER! I REQUIRE YOUR LOVE! 

In the years since my last visit, the Boardwalk has invested in "pushing" parts of the midway farther out into the beach to help with congestion. Some areas, like this spot near the Giant Dipper, are even made to look like wood! Well played, Boardwalk. Well played. :}

With both trains on the track, the Giant Dipper will send out a train close to every 45 seconds. 

John, if you ever go into the music biz, here's an album cover for you. :}

Thank goodness that, like Eagle's Flight at Great America, the Boardwalk's Sky Glider has not been threatened by the area's earthquake-ish tendancies. :}

Now it's time for our Coaster Con Reception in the Boardwalk's Casino Ballroom!

Have you ever seen a more lovely amusement park event venue?? :}

Drinks available at the bar include some snazzy local microbrews. :}

Time to sign the sign!

:}

Here we have a lovely view of the Wharf from the bay windows of the ballroom.

As well as a unique perspective on the Boardwalk!

Oh yes, there will be HUSS. :}

The 4 flat rides that help make up the Boardwalk's western end, Double Shot, the Carousel, Speed Bumps (the bumper cars beneath Undertow) and "Cap'n Jack Flint's Pirate Ship" are the only flat rides in the park that are actually anchored to the ground. The others, as mentioned before, are all capable of being picked up and dropped wherever the Boardwalk sees fit. :} 

The Boardwalk's Kiddo Whip, Speedway, used to run on the roof of the bumper car building along with Hurricane. Now it lives inside the bumper car building, right next to Speed Bumps. :}

OOH. We're gonna be back for this business later.

OOOH. This too. 

Twilight has now begun to set in at the Boardwalk. :}

The Boardwalk once had a Paratrooper, which ran where the park's "Rock n' Roll" (Matterhorn-type-ride) is now, which is next to the Sea Swings. As much as I miss the Scrambler, a Paratrooper-style-ride is just as fitting a ride for the park. 

Maybe the Scrambler will come back one day, and the Boardwalk will make a big deal about it. Everything old is new again, right? :}

Now it's time for the "rides-under-the-Boardwalk-where-parts-of-Autopia-used-to-be" part of our tour! Paul demonstrates proper gun-wielding etiquette on Ghost Blasters, the park's charmingly-hokey Sally shooting dark ride, while Adri smiles for the camera. :}

Wipeout, a snazzy lights-and-sound-and-chaos Huss Breakdance, sits in between Ghost Blasters and "Space Race," the Boardwalk's flying-saucer-ish bumper cars. I think "dark flat rides" are a great concept and I'm pretty sure every park needs one. :}

#fireworksetting

Wipeout began its life at the Boardwalk in 2000 as "Whirlwind." It sat in the middle of the back-bowl, right across from Cave Train. When it was decided to bring the ride indoors in 2007, it was simply a matter taking it apart and moving it about 20 ft. :}

Some local boys decided to take their shirts off amidst the chaos of Wipeout. No complaints here. :}

The best time to be at the Boardwalk is all the time. :}

Having said that, there's no better time to be at the Boardwalk than nighttime.

Tsunami, a Himalaya-type-ride, has been in the same spot since it opened in the 70s. The ride began its life as "Arctic Flyer," then became "Video Storm" in the 90s (and really, can you get any more 90s than a name like Video Storm?), and finally, Tsunami, at some point around the turn of the century. 

Eli Bridge now offers LED lighting packages for their Scramblers, like what the Boardwalk has for Cyclone. Hint hint nudge nudge, Boardwalk. 

The Dipper's all lit up, as is customary. :}

But we can't go for a night ride on the Dipper yet!

First, we need to go for a ride on the garlic fries ride!

And the deep-fried Oreos ride!

AND the deep-fried Rice Krispy Treat ride!!! :D

Better ride the Fireball ride, too. After all that food. lol

It still amazes me that the Boardwalk was able to cram this thing in where Chaos used to be.

In the 20-year gap between the park's first Round-Up and the Sea Swings, the Boardwalk had a Fabbri Kamikaze here called "Typhoon." It wasn't as pretty or as timeless as the Sea Swings, but as my first swinging-looping-pedulum-type-thing, Typhoon holds a special place in my heart.

You know what's better than a ride on the Giant Dipper? A NIGHTTIME ride on the Giant Dipper!! :}

OOH! Check out the rear on this guy!

It's our chariot through the NEW Haunted Castle! 

The snazzy cars with LED lanterns are just the tip of the iceberg on the new Haunted Castle!

For the remodel of the Haunted Castle, the Boardwalk did a major overhaul with the part of the Boardwalk upon which the Haunted Castle sits; construction of the new ride involved bulldozing the entire area all the way down to the sandy beach floor in order to create the new basement area that houses a majority of the track. The ride's new station and queue take up much of where the original ride's track sat; by building a majority of the ride beneath the Boardwalk, the park not only gained a larger space in which to host a zig-zaggity track layout, but also a larger space for a more elaborate station up above. The ride's permanent overflow queue that once spilled out into the Boardwalk's midway is now neatly corralled inside the spacious Haunted Castle façade, thus helping to combat the park's congestion issue.

The ride experience itself marries the classic hokey-ness of the original Haunted Castle with some truly state-of-the-art fixtures. The ride's cars are independently programmed to rotate at certain points at the ride, a trick demonstrated right away as riders take a backwards trip down a spiral staircase of sorts into the basement. The cramped, budget scenes of the original Haunted Castle are now replaced by spacious and immersive environments, each full of gags that trigger as the car rotates to give the riders better views of the action. A swamp, a dungeon, and a kitchen (lol) are just some of the scenes you'll pass through before a two-part chain lift brings you back to Boardwalk level. Good show, Boardwalk! Good show!

"At the sound of the bell…….roll 'em!" :}

Jeff's ready for a ride on the 1911 Arthur Looff Carousel!

And so is Mat!

And John!

Dan is over it.

And Ray is having a flashback to his exotic dancer days. 

When your horse passes the ring machine, snag a ring and throw it in the clown's mouth!

…or put it in your pocket. FREE SOUVENIR! :D

The Boardwalk's Carousel has not one, but three antique carousel organs, all of which grace the boardwalk with their timeless music in alternating succession. Pictured is the largest of the the three, the Ruth & Sohn organ, which has played alongside the Carousel since its opening day. The two other organs are smaller Wurlitzer rescues, one of which was saved from Playland-At-The-Beach!

#certified

Like the Giant Dipper, the best time to ride Undertow is at night!

One last ride on the Carousel before we have to leave! :{

Nooooo! I don't wanna go!!

Can't I just sleep here? You can come get me on the way to Gilroy Gardens tomorrow.

Oh, Dipper. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Boardwalk, you are amazing and I love you. Goodnight.

Welp. That was the best day ever. 

Tomorrow we close out Coaster Con XXXVII, but our adventure through California isn't even half over! Now's when things start to get crazy! Stay tuned!!

:}