Maddenation
Action Park!
I was just talking with some of friends/teachers about conservation of energy and roller coasters. This is the unit we’re on in integrated science right now. It got me thinking about ACTION PARK. And all of Action Park’s (great site) gnarly rides - most importantly the loop de loop waterslide. So I told the whole story how Eric Hartmann, Scottie Walsh, and I skipped school to go to Action Park. And we rode the almost-always-closed-loop-de-loop from hell. Turns out, this blogger pretty much got all the details right. It seems like we are some of the only people to ever actually go on that ride. Give a read for a good nostalgic feeling. The comments are sweet too. Share your favorite Action Park memories here!
David • Memories • 11/05/09 • 1 comments
Comments
Dad • 11/09/09 • 10:27 PM:I remember taking the Boy Scouts to Action Park, which was always a favored location for outings. I have two vivid memories, both of “Surf Hill.” The first is of David flying down the hill causing oohs and aahs from the surrounding crowd as he creates air time over the moguls.
The second is of me flying down the hill approximately twice as fast as everyone else because I weighed twice as much but had the same sized mat. At no time did my body leave the ground, but neither did I slow down as I hydroplaned across the standing water at the bottom. I continued to careen up the ramp until I slammed into the back wall at virtually full speed. Fortunately, I managed to turn sideways and present my back to the padded enclosure. Then I noticed that the rubber mat had been ripped from my hands and lay back at the low point, floating on the standing water. I went to leave the ride but was told by one of the 12-year-olds running the ride that I had to retrieve my mat before leaving. I should have ignored the kid, but my sense of duty kicked in and I began to descend the wet plastic toward its nadir. Before reaching bottom, my feet slipped out from under me and I fell hard on my back and head. After picking up the stinking mat, I exited the ride and registered a complaint to the 13-year-old manager, who said something like, “Yeah right gramps.” In retrospect, I wish I had karate-chopped him in the throat so that he could have become another one of the Park statistics.
I never did ride the closed loop slide but do remember seeing it during construction. I could not have made the height-weight restrictions anyway.
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