Volume 2, No. 15. August 9, 2002
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Dragging out public interest in its capital investment this year, Six Flags
Darien Lake in Darien Center, New York, on July 25 announced the winner of a
contest naming a piece of theming in the center of the Shipwreck Falls
shoot-the-chute ride (“New Arrivals,” THE
LOOP June 14, 2002). The boat, an actual wreck pulled from the Niagara River,
initially had been christened “Lucky” in the ride’s schematics,
but Darien Lake Public Relations Manager Jill Storms convinced the Six Flags
corporate folks to leave the name off the boat, allowing her an opportunity
to use it as the centerpiece of a publicity campaign for the ride.
Storms said she received almost 500 entries, about 400 of those turned in during
a special Shipwrecked weekend early in June. The remainder came via e-mail through
the park’s web site. She narrowed the suggestions down to five and asked
the park’s managers to rank the finalists. That resulted in a tie between
“All Washed Up” and “On The Rocks.” Storm then appealed
to the park’s marketing team for a favorite, and “On The Rocks”
was resoundingly chosen.
Ironically, 14-year-old Don Meyers Jr. from Lackawanna, New York, submitted
both entries. Ironically, too, the longtime season pass holder won the contest’s
grand prize: a season pass. “So, we gave him one for next year,” Storms
said. “Not only does he love coming to the park, he wants to work at the
park as soon as he’s able.”
Meyers, along with Storms, park General Manager Bradley Paul, Bugs Bunny and
Daffy Duck took part in the official unveiling ceremony at the boat. With the
boat located across the ride’s channel from the midway, the ceremony required
all the participants to clamber through one of Shipwreck’s boats and negotiate
an 8-inch-wide ledge, no easy task for big-footed costumed characters. Indeed,
Daffy in his pirate outfit nearly slipped into the water, but the character
remained in character, acting as if he wanted to get his tail feathers wet.
This was the ride’s third ceremony, following a Memorial Day weekend ribbon
cutting and the Shipwrecked Weekend two weeks later. “We sort of re-dedicated
our new ride of this year and gave our winner his 15 seconds of fame,”
Storms said. Plus, she pushed the ride’s publicity into the season’s
last month. And beyond? “People are asking if we’re going to do more
name-the contests,” she said.
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