Volume 3, No. 15. August 8,2003
Rebirths
It’s
a whip!
Lakeside Amusement
Park in Denver, Colorado, announces the rebirth of the Whip, August 1,
2003. Measurements: 12 cars. Delivered by Mangles and Knoebels Grove Amusement
Resort.
After
lying dormant for six years, the Whip whipped around its bebop-architecture
pavilion once again with Lakeside General Manager Rhoda Krasner among the first
riders. For the woman who inherited Lakeside from her father, the moment recalled
a childhood spent, in large part, riding that very same Whip. However,
the thrill of riding the Whip this time did not compare with those times
riding it as a little girl, Krasner said. “It was always fun, but this
time the thrill was just having it going. Being on it was great. I’m thinking,
‘It really is going. It’s OK!’”
Originally
built in 1931, the ride shut down in the mid-90s, but Krasner never considered
removing it. “It was exceedingly important that we rehabilitate this ride,”
she said. “We appreciate what we have. It’s not only a bit of history
but a viably fun ride.”
That
rehabilitation was accomplished all in-house by the park’s Director of
Maintenance Tom Verdue. He, too, grew up visiting Lakeside, but when he arrived
as an employee four years ago, the Whip was silent. He and his crew gutted
and rebuilt much of the cars, the floor and the pavilion, too. He estimated
75 percent of the cars’ structures and 80 percent of the ride are new.
He received a lot of technical support from Carl Dill at AIMS seminars, and
Dick Knoebel provided advice and parts. “People think it’s a simple
ride. No, it’s not,” Verdue said. “We had to use special tools
on this thing. The springs are something else.”
With
almost four years of work renovating the Whip, Verdue felt it should
be treated like a new ride and re-opened appropriately. Krasner chose for that
occasion the evening Lakeside was hosting the American Coaster Enthusiasts’
Preservation Conference, and members of ACE joined her for that first ride.
For Verdue, that meant one more challenge: a full day painting the cars and
then 10 hours of welding overnight the day before the re-opening ceremony.
Krasner took two rides on her new old Whip that first evening, soaking in the thrill of having a longtime favorite operating again. “You can not go back,” she said, “but you should never grow up.”
THE LOOP is written and produced by Eric Minton, Minton Enterprises, LLC. To see more examples of Eric Minton's work and Minton Enterprises services, visit www.ericminton.com.
©2003, Minton Enterprises
LLC
All rights reserved