NPN Exclusive: An Interview with R&R Creative's Rick Bastrup

MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park may have closed for good a decade ago, but that doesn't mean that we here at NPN can't continue our quest for more information, photos, and stories of this lost park.  While we've collected much thus far (and if you've missed that, start here) there's always more to the story to be told, right?

In that light I'm quite please to share this interview with you all.  Rick Bastrup is one of the the partners that make up R&R Creative Amusement Designs, Inc., along with Richard Ferrin.  The company has a 30 year long history of designing themed attractions, and has created so many that I'm willing to bet that most readers have experienced one without knowing it.

R&R Creative's tie to MGM Grand Adventures is strong.  The company created both the Backlot River Tour and Grand Canyon Rapids attractions, as well playing a major role in the final version of Deep Earth Exploration.  Mr. Bastrup was kind enough to answer some of my questions on the park, and share some rare photographs of the attractions.

NPN:  Can you tell me a little history of yourself and R&R Creative?

Rick:  We have been in business for over 30 years and have designed over 100 projects from dark rides to water parks to family entertainment centers.  Please look up our website at RandRDesign.com to see an extensive review of our major projects.   

Original concept art for the helicopter attack scene of the Backlot River Tour. © R&R Creative

NPN:  How did R&R Creative become involved with MGM Grand Adventures?

Rick:  We were hired by Duell Corporation who designed all the original Six Flags Parks and was the master designer firm for the park.

NPN:  Interesting, I had no idea that Duell Corp. was the master designer.  They've played quite a role in the Theme Park Industry.

Concept art for the park.

Rick:  Yes, we were fortunate to have been involved with the Duell Corporation for many years designing specialty theme attractions at several parks including projects in South Korea and China.    Even though the Duell Corporation closed shop a number of years ago, we still work on projects with one of Duell's legendary owners and designers, Mr. Ira West.  We are working on a theme park project in India with Ira now.

NPN:  As part of the MGM Grand resort’s overall Wizard of Oz theme, did R&R complete any other theming or story work for the hotel?

Rick:  We wrote all the scripts for the interior characters and worked with Sally Corp. to produce all the interior Casino characters such as the Wicked Witch.

A construction shot of the Temple of Gloom, from the Backlot River Tour. © R&R Creative

NPN:  For the projects R&R worked on, did your company propose the original themes for park attractions, or were they directed as part of the overall layout and theme of the park?

Rick:  They had a rough idea of the themes, a western river ride and a boat ride about the movies, we took it from there.

NPN:  Were there any alternative themes discussed for any of the rides?

Rick:  The boat ride was originally to be "Apocalypse Now."  We worked with Francis Ford Coppola for awhile on this but he did not come to an arrangement with the Hotel and so we made it a multiple movie theme with a helicopter battle at the end in a movie called "Jungle Storm" (made up)

The helicopter effect under construction at AVG. © R&R Creative

Here is the effect installed in the show scene. © R&R Creative

Finally, the helicopter under show settings. © R&R Creative

NPN:  Deep Earth Exploration was to some regard a ride ahead of its time.  How was R&R involved in the ride?

Rick:  It was originally designed and built by another company and MGM was unhappy with the results.  R & R came in and completely redesigned the queue line, boarding station and scenes including all the show lighting.

NPN:  I’ve read that a company named AVG designed the sets for the ride, was this before R&R became involved?

Rick:  Yes

Designers from R&R working on the sets of Deep Earth Exploration - notice how high the sets are in order to be on eye level with riders inside the simulator vehicles.  © R&R Creative

NPN:  Deep Earth Exploration is another lost ride that's hard to find a narrative of, can you tell us about it?

Loading station for Deep Earth Exploration. © R&R Creative

Rick:  Deep Earth was a moving simulator with a film inside of the ship going down into the earth. The simulator moved on a track then stopped in three scenes where the side windows opened and the scene matched what was seen on the screen.  There was the crystal cavern room, ice room and volcanic room.  The volcanic room had large tentacles of an underground creature that came up alongside the windows.

The attraction's "Ice Room." © R&R Creative

NPN:  What changes were R&R able to make to the attraction after you came on board?

Here we see the "Vocanic Scene." © R&R Creative

Rick:  The scenes were originally well lit like a stage show with many dozens of lights.  Unfortunately, when the windows opened on the darkened interior of the ship, the light was so intense it looked like a Close Encounters scene and blinded the riders.

I took the lighting down to about 10% of what it was and it worked with the attraction.  We also rebuilt all the scenes.

Finally, the "Crystal Cavern" scene with it's eerie glow. © R&R Creative

NPN: For the rides R&R created for the park, were the animatronic characters created in-house, or by another provider?

Rick's business partner Richard Ferrin and Garner Holt check out effects created for Grand Canyon Rapids.  © R&R Creative

Rick:  The "Grand Canyon Rapids" animation and effects were created by Garner Holt Productions (one of their big first jobs).  The "Backlot River Tour" animations were built by Sally Corporation with the exception of the helicopter battle which was built by AVG.  Everything from the concepts, scripts, sets, characters, audio and show were designed and art directed by R & R.

NPN:  The Backlot River Tour was a highly unique ride that explored the “magic” that goes into filming movies.  Any recollections of how R&R arrived at the separate movie sequences/themes used?

Rick:  We worked on making up movies which would have different types of settings and adventures.

NPN:  Do you recall what company provided the hardware (boats, ride system) for the attraction?

Backlot River boats. © R&R Creative

Rick:  It was Intamin from Switzerland.  Those boats were actually bought from Universal Studios in Florida where they were originally used in the Jaws Ride.  We had originally written the scripts and designed the music for the Jaws ride years before!

NPN:  I did not know that R&R was involved in the original version of the Jaws attraction!  That news is especially relevant with the recently announced retirement of Jaws.

Some of the special effects used in the River Tour were pretty elaborate, were there any challenges you recall in getting things up and running from a design standpoint?

Daytime helicopter attack! © R&R Creative

Rick:  The helicopter was one of the largest props ever used in a theme park.  It was built from a real UH1 Bell Huey helicopter, 43 feet long and it came up on a hydraulic ram which raised it 19 feet from the bottom of the pit.

NPN:  The helicopter was indeed an impressive effect.  The Temple of Gloom portion of the ride is pretty tough to document, many people have wondered: What took place in there?

Rick:  There was a volcanic eruption with exploding volcanic geysers and moving columns.

NPN:  Was the River Tour always designed to be a boat ride?  Were any alternative modes of transportation considered?

Rick:  Always a boat ride.

A peek inside the Temple of Gloom. © R&R Creative

NPN:  The design process of an attraction like this always interests our readers.  Is it difficult to take a ride like this from ‘blue sky’ to opening day?

Rick:  It is extremely complicated to design of all the sets, characters, effects, audio and lighting all having to work together.  We have maybe a hundred sheets of plans for each ride.

NPN:  I'd love to dig through those plans!  Moving on to R&R's other large ride at MGM Grand Adventures, Grand Canyon Rapids.  It had great theming, including a flooded town, canyons, lost cavern, and the blasting tunnel.  Can you walk readers through the ride’s themed sections?

Here we see Rick inspecting the 'blast' of a finale that the ride has.  © R&R Creative

Rick:  It has many times been called the greatest themed river ride of all times.  It began through a wilderness area with animated wolves and bears then went into a flooded Western town with effects and animated characters in the windows.

Entering the bank. © R&R Creative

The rafts then went into a bank where a bank robbery was in progress with the marshal shooting it out with 2 bandits (the marshal was a 7' character sculpted to look like me).  The rapids then flowed past a large waterbarrel with water pouring into the river which turned off as the raft approached.

The boats then floated through the 20 foot walls of the Grand Canyon and into a huge cave with waterfalls, colored lighting and stalagtites.

Rick or the Marshall? © R&R Creative

Coming out of the cave, a miner with a plunger box yelled at riders to turn back as the rapids entered a long mine.  Hearing "Fire in the Hole!" the riders saw large piles of dynamite which had burning fuses.  The dynamite blew up with a large explosion which blew the boat out the back of the mine and past the pumping machinery of the waterworks.   

NPN:  The simulated explosion that ended the attraction was a blast - literally.  How did R&R come up with that finale?

Rick:  A combination of audio, fiber optic fuses, strobe lights, fog blasts and a major league sound system were used to simulate the blast.

The final blasting scene ended the ride with a bang.  © R&R Creative

NPN:  Would you describe the theme of the ride as a cohesive story, or rather a collection of independent scenes?

The pumping station seen from the midway. © R&R Creative

Rick:  I wrote it as various scenes showing adventures in the Old West, not really a story.  The queue line wove through the waterworks and had 73 speakers playing movie music like "The Magnificent Seven" and "Big Jake," one of the best parts of the ride.  I am a Western buff so this ride was especially fun to create.

NPN:  As time passed the Backlot River Tour was lost, but Grand Canyon Rapids survived at the park.  Was R&R called back for any repair/updating work, or for any other reason?

Rick:  There was some talk of adding to the rides, but unfortunately it never came to pass.

NPN:  As we well know MGM Grand Adventures met an unfortunate fate, do you think the park could have survived long-term? 

Rick:  There was always a conflict with the owners about supporting the park once it was open.  Had they made it easier to get to, added attractions and promoted it, I think it would have been a great attraction for Las Vegas and still thriving today.

Rend a room at the Flash Flood Gulch Hotel! © R&R Creative

NPN:  To your knowledge was any of the theming/props/characters from either rides salvaged before their removal?

Rick:  I heard that my Marshal character was on ebay somewhere, but didn't find it.  I think the boats are still for sale somewhere and maybe we can design them into a third attraction!

NPN:  I'd love to see that happen!  Thanks so much for taking the time to fill us in on some of the finer details of the attractions at MGM Grand Adventures.  Fans of the park will love everything you've shared!

As Rick mentioned, you can see just some of the exhaustive list of rides and attractions, lands, and even parks that R&R Creative has designed at their website.  Another special thank you to Mr. Bastrup for sharing with NPN!

Please note that all images used in this story are copyright R&R Creative Amusement Designs, Inc. and may not be reproduced without their permission.

Six Flags Hosts First Blogger Call of 2010

Six Flags President and CEO Mark Shapiro reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining an open dialogue with industry bloggers by hosting the first blogger conference call of the New Year this afternoon. He was candid as always, giving us some interesting tidbits to chew on as we trudge our way through the long, cold off-season. We are continually grateful for such opportunities!

A Light at the End of the Financial Tunnel
First things first. As you probably know by now, Six Flags is nearing the end of its bankruptcy proceedings--hopefully. A confirmation hearing is scheduled for March 8, at which time the company will present its proposed reorganization plan for approval. While one group of junior creditors has yet to come to an agreement with Six Flags, Mark remains confident that these issues will be resolved in a timely manner that will allow the company to exit bankruptcy by the end of March. Regardless, he assured us that neither the outcome of this hearing nor the debt restructuring process itself will have any impact on park operations this year.

The Early Bird Gets the Cheaper Season Pass
There's certainly a lot in store for the Six Flags parks in 2010--Thomas Town at Six Flags America, the return of the Glow in the Park Parade at Six Flags New England, and the opening of the recently purchased Little Dipper (which, by the way, will retain its original name) at Six Flags Great America, just to name a few. But fortunately for you, me, and the rest of America, enjoying these fabulous new rides and attractions won't break the bank.

In an effort to reward their most loyal park patrons and help those families who are feeling the economic crunch, Six Flags has dropped admission prices to their lowest levels in years. So low, in fact, that Mark went so far as to describe them as "once in a lifetime" prices. At many of the parks, you can now purchase a Play Pass (which grants you unlimited visits to all parks in the chain) for the same price as a one-day admission. And a Season Pass won't cost you much more! The Play Pass program has also been expanded. Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom will be selling this type of pass for the first time in 2010.

One more tip regarding those Play Passes: While you will reap the same benefits regardless of where you purchase it, you will not necessarily pay the same price. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom easily boasts the best deal, with Play Passes selling for just $29.99. If you purchase your pass at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, on the other hand, you will pay $49.99. Not that $49.99 is a bad deal, mind you--far from it! I paid more than twice that much for a pass with similar benefits at a certain other well-known park chain last year.

But if you want to take advantage of these great offers, you better act now. Provided that the economy begins the slow but steady rebound that everyone is anticipating, prices for Season Passes and Play Passes will gradually increase as summer approaches and throughout the season. Six Flags will certainly adjust this strategy as needed if the economy takes a turn for the worse, but the goal is to slowly introduce moderate increases until prices reach the point where they are commensurate with the quality of the product being offered.

The Road to Pristine
Speaking of quality, did you know that Six Flags painted 19 major rides this past year? And did you also know that this is a company record? Me either, until today! While this accomplishment serves as a haunting reminder of the previous management team's neglect, finishing the job is certainly a point of pride for the new team. As Mark and company continue to whittle down that deferred maintenance to-do list, the fruits of their labors are already evident throughout the chain in the form of clean midways, better landscaping, and--of course--fresh paint! Six Flags has dedicated nearly $100 million to deferred maintenance over the past three years. Impressive? Yes. But Mark won't be satisfied until "these parks are literally pristine."

A Golden Anniversary Gala
The Six Flags brand will be 50 years young in 2011, and Mark spoke with obvious enthusiasm about the impending celebration. The way he sees it, Six Flags has become part of the fabric of American culture and this anniversary is an opportunity to honor that legacy of family fun and togetherness. While he didn't reveal exactly what they have up their sleeves, he stressed that the excitement will be tangible from the moment you step through the gates.

We already know that each park in the chain will be getting a brand new ride or attraction to mark the occasion, but the magic won't end there. The chain as a whole will be taking a cue from Six Flags Fiesta Texas and ramping up their entertainment offerings in a big way. "This celebration will be very show-oriented," Mark said. He was, however, unable to comment on the notion of a mysterious "5D" attraction that's been circulating around the enthusiast rumor mills. I guess that one will have to wait for a future call!

Beyond These Borders
It's a tough investor market to be sure. But Six Flags is staying the course with its previously announced projects in Dubai and Nigeria, and has even engaged in "casual conversations" with other undisclosed parties regarding possible future projects. While the economic times have not been kind to many Dubai partnerships forged over the past several years, Mark assured us that Six Flags' partners are still very much on board. The opening of the planned Six Flags park has simply been pushed back, to 2013 at the earliest.

Nigeria is a different story altogether, as Six Flags has only committed to conceptual design work at this point. They have been working with Jack Rouse & Associates to put together a plan for a park which could potentially be built in that region, but whether or not that plan becomes reality remains to be seen. In any event, the project as it stands today is on target and on time.

Getting Their Priorities Straight
Enhancing and improving the guest experience has always been a top priority for the new management team, but it's not their only priority. Mark noted that there are three assets in particular on which they plan to focus in the near term: their people, their content (i.e., developing their own intellectual property and brand extensions), and their information technology infrastructure. Their progress in the third area is already evident in the form of upgraded systems and point-of-sale terminals in many of the parks, which they hope have translated into a smoother experience for park patrons.

Once again, we sincerely thank Mark Shapiro and all the Six Flags employees who make these calls possible. There's nothing like getting information straight from the source, and Mark's willingness to make himself available to our community in this manner is unprecedented and most definitely appreciated. Till next time...That's all, folks!

NPN Exclusive: Puyallup's Classic Coaster Gets a New Lease on Life

In May 2009, a string of freak fender benders broke out in the general vicinity of the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup [pronounced Pew-allup]. The culprit was not cell phones, sleepiness, or any of the other usual suspects. It was a roller coaster--one missing a 100-foot wide section of its structure, to be exact.

Unbeknownst to these unfortunate gawkers, what they had witnessed was the beginning of a three-year, $1 million dollar project to completely rebuild the fair's classic wooden coaster. Coaster Thrill Ride--also known as "Giant Coaster" or simply "The Coaster"--has served the Puyallup Fair reliably and safely for nearly 75 years. But time and weather have taken their toll, and by 2009 it had become clear that drastic measures were in order. Fortunately, John Hinde was up to the task.

An industry veteran, John welcomed the challenge of overseeing this daunting project with open arms. He and his crew from J.P. Hinde Enterprises, Inc. began doing surgery on the coaster in early 2009, and have been working diligently to restore this wooden beauty to her former glory. I recently had a chance to chat with John about the renovations, and I'm thrilled to bring you a detailed look at this exciting endeavor.

Editor's Note: Unless otherwise noted, all photos appearing in this article were taken by John Hinde and provided courtesy of J.P. Hinde Enterprises, Inc.

The Coaster in 1935 - Photo courtesy of the Western Washington Fair

Ever since it was built in 1935, Coaster Thrill Ride has been the centerpiece of the Puyallup Fair. Generation upon generation of local residents will attest to that. "There's a lot of people who come to the fairgrounds and about the only ride they'll ride is the coaster, because it's something they grew up with," John noted. The coaster was designed by the legendary John Miller and built by Edward H. Bollinger, a Swiss immigrant who also operated a kiddie airplane ride and a Ferris wheel in the area. Since then, it has been partially rebuilt on three separate occasions to repair fire damage and address various other maintenance concerns.

The Coaster in 1936 - Photo courtesy of the Western Washington Fair

The fire of 1970 - Photo courtesy of the Western Washington Fair

Coaster Thrill Ride began its life as a side friction coaster, utilizing rolling stock designed by another industry legend, Fred Church. Around 1950, during one of the rebuilding efforts, it was redesigned to support an underfriction (i.e., "up-stop") wheel arrangement. It was at this time that the coaster began running the three beautifully minimalistic trains that are still in use today, also of Church origin. They are said to be the only Fred Church trains still in operation. What a claim to fame!

Photo courtesy of the Western Washington Fair

Certainly, this coaster's historical significance is a large part of its lure. But perhaps that lure is also attributable to the fact that the window of opportunity for riding it is so small. Coaster Thrill Ride operates for a grand total of 21 days per year--17 days during the larger Puyallup Fair in September, and 4 days during the spring fair in April. Over the years, this limited operating schedule has proven to be more than just an inconvenience for enthusiasts; it has also invited rot to creep into the aging wood.

As John explained, the construction methods used in 1935 were quite a bit different than those used in building modern wooden coasters. The lumber was not treated. The laminated track pieces were not glued together. Heck, this coaster doesn't even have footers! When you combine these factors with a rainy Pacific Northwest climate, structural damage is inevitable.

"Up until the '90s, they only ran the one fair in the fall every year, so the ride just sat there for ten or eleven months soaking up water," John noted. As the relentless rains continued to seep into all the nooks and crannies of the exposed wood, the pieces eventually began to rot from within. Needless to say, this presented some maintenance headaches.

John's company has been conducting ride inspections at the Puyallup Fair since 1988 and assisting with the maintenance of Coaster Thrill Ride for nearly as long, so they have witnessed the degradation of its structure firsthand. Repair work began in earnest in the '90s, but quickly proved to be nothing more than a bandaid solution. Additional bracing was added in some areas, but this tactic resulted in greater forces being exerted upon the areas which were not reinforced. In many cases, the same repairs had to be made multiple years in a row. It was a vicious cycle. And vicious cycles aren't cheap. "It just got very, very expensive tearing sections apart and putting them back together," John said.

Ultimately, the coaster's owners had a decision to make: Rebuild the classic woodie from top to bottom, or scrap it altogether and replace it with a different ride. Local residents and coaster enthusiasts alike rejoiced when the decision came down to save it! John surmises that Coaster Thrill Ride's historical significance, which has been further underscored by the legions of enthusiasts who have descended upon the fair to photograph, research, and ride it in recent decades, weighed heavily in this victory. The sheer popularity of the ride among fair patrons didn't hurt, either. From both a historical and a financial perspective, the decision just made sense. The repair costs will be split evenly between the Western Washington Fair Board and carnival outfitter Funtastic Traveling Shows, who co-own the ride.

When I say that Coaster Thrill Ride is being rebuilt from top to bottom, I'm not just whistling Dixie. Literally every square inch of this coaster will have been touched by John & company's capable hands by the time it's all said and done. Starting from the bottom, the new and improved Coaster Thrill Ride will be footerless no more. Not only will these new foundations strengthen the overall structure of the ride, but they will also help to prevent against future wood rot. As you might imagine, it's a lot easier for water to invade a structure when it's simply sitting on the ground.

Then there's the matter of all that rotting wood. Each and every piece of the aging Douglas fir will be replaced by southern yellow pine--treated southern yellow pine, thank you very much. (Take that, Mother Nature!) Douglas fir was used in the initial construction of the coaster due to its prevalence in the region, and John would not have been opposed to using it again. But the majority of today's coaster engineers prefer the density and flexibility of the pine, so pine it shall be.

Ironically, even with the rot, Coaster Thrill Ride's original wood afforded some benefits that today's lumber cannot match. Simply put, the quality was just better back then. "Back then when you got it, it didn't have any knots," John said. Through the years, deforestation and an inability to keep up with modern building demands have forced the industry to relax its standards for structural content. Consequently, today's structural grade lumber may have quite a few knots in a 20-foot length of board. The result? More (and bigger) wood is required to do the same jobs.

Among other things, John's crew is putting in full-size 4x8 legs, whereas the original construction utilized 4x6 legs. The upgraded bracing system will also appear more prominent to onlookers, as the layers will be placed six feet apart as opposed to the original ten-foot spacing. "That's taking in all the design factors to provide the same structural integrity as they did with wood from back in the '30s when it didn't have knots in it," John explained. The connections will be strengthened as well, as the crew will be bolting many sections together which were previously attached using only nails. And finally, for good measure, the laminated track pieces will be glued together.

With all the upgrades being made to the structure, it's only fair that those vintage Church trains get a little TLC too. Thus, the final step in this massive project will be a complete rehabilitation of the rolling stock. The only question is whether that rehab effort will also include a rebuild of the chassis to accommodate fin brakes. John is fully aware that the very mention of converting Coaster Thrill Ride from a skid (i.e., friction) braking system to a newfangled fin braking system will strike outrage in the hearts of many an industry preservationist. Trust me, he is quite sensitive to this concern! But from a safety and efficiency standpoint, he feels that he would remiss if he didn't at least consider it.

The slide incurred with the current "old school" braking system forces the fair to switch to a one train operation anytime it rains to ensure that there is zero risk of one train colliding with another. "The brakes work absolutely fine on a good dry day when there's no problem with impeding the friction value," John said. "But when you start getting moisture on the track, the old metal skid brakes don't stop the train like the fin brakes would. But it's operated all these years without any problems at all, so it's just a matter of whether you want to keep it as safe as possible and not cause a problem."

In addition to the obvious safety concerns, there is the matter of operational efficiency. As Coaster Thrill Ride is the most popular ride at the Puyallup Fair (and thus one of their key money makers), they can ill afford to reduce its capacity due to a little rain. And as you know, it occasionally rains in the Pacific Northwest. [See previous remarks regarding the coaster being overrun by moisture-induced wood rot.] This matter, however, is far from being settled and will be largely dependent on the overall budget for the project. Whatever happens, I guarantee you that John will not take the decision lightly. "That status of maintaining the ride as it was means quite a bit," he told me.

To you and me, the scope of this project is tremendous. But it's all old hat to John. His first foray into the wonderful world of wooden coasters came at Cedar Point in the '60s, when he worked alongside the great John Allen during the construction of the Blue Streak. He credits Allen, whom he refers to as "a grand gentleman", with sparking his interest in wooden coasters. That interest ultimately led to some exciting projects, not the least of which were rebuilding the Swamp Fox at Family Kingdom after it was ravaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and relocating Circus World's Florida Hurricane to Magic Springs & Crystal Falls, where it continues to thrill riders as Arkansas Twister.

What keeps the Puyallup job challenging for John is the fact that the coaster must be operational during fair times. "If you can tear the whole thing down at once, it's a lot easier," he noted. But the fair can't afford to have its star attraction down for the count, and as a result, the rebuilding effort must be executed section by painstaking section. This method of reconstruction necessitates connecting the new with the old, which is easier said than done when you're dealing with two completely different types of wood.

"Where you match the pine lumber to the Douglas fir, you've got a difference in contraction and expansion rates," John explained. "So that's something we have to keep our eye on in the springtime and in the fall when we're operating it. If we get a real hot day or a real cold day, there's going to be some situations where you could have some expansion and contraction problems that could add a little bumping in the track and things like that." Needless to say, the crew is taking extra precautions in these areas to ensure both safety and stability.

This challenge, combined with the fact that regular maintenance must continue as usual on the older sections of track, may extend the project's timeline beyond its originally proposed three-year schedule. But the encouragement from fair patrons who had the opportunity to experience this unique "patchwork" woodie during the 2009 fall fair makes it all worthwhile. The sheer quietness of the trains as they traversed the new track was noted, and because those sections are now gauged 100% correctly, they do not produce the "shuffling" (i.e., side-to-side motion) experienced on many of the older sections. A pleasant side effect of this improvement is increased speed. John predicts that the entire ride will be slightly faster after the renovations are complete.

In case there were any Puyallup residents who were not aware of the renovation effort by the time this year's fair rolled around, I daresay Coaster Thrill Ride's current "color scheme" probably gave it away. The classic white supports of the older sections, peeling and chipping though they may be, stand in stark contrast to the natural wood of the new sections. At this point the Fair Board is split on whether to slather those new boards with a coat of traditional white or leave them "au naturel". But as John noted, they have plenty of time to decide. Today's treated lumber contains quite a bit of moisture, and as such, the new sections will need to "dry" for a good year and a half before any paint can be applied--if it is applied.

Photo courtesy of the Western Washington Fair

As evidenced by the initial rash of gawking-induced accidents, the renovation of Coaster Thrill Ride has proven to be positively fascinating to onlookers. Locals and enthusiasts alike frequently stop by to check on their "baby", and John enjoys the dialogue. "We never have to worry about people keeping an eye on the job," he joked.

The Western Washington Fair Board and Funtastic Traveling Shows deserve a lot of credit for recognizing the significance of this coaster and committing the faith and funds required to restore it. Likewise, John and the rest of his crew from J.P. Hinde Enterprises, Inc. deserve a lot of credit for the blood, sweat, and tears they continue to pour into this job on a daily basis. Their meticulously executed handiwork stands as testament to their wholehearted commitment to wooden coaster preservation. Thanks to the combined efforts of all parties, we can look forward to riding a restored and rejuvenated Coaster Thrill Ride for many years to come.

I'd like to sincerely thank John Hinde for taking time out his busy schedule to discuss this exciting project with me, and for providing so many fantastic construction photos for us to enjoy. I'd also like to thank Karen LaFlamme, Public Relations Counsel for the Western Washington Fair, for facilitating this interview and providing all the historical fair photos. For even more coverage of Coaster Thrill Ride's facelift, be sure to check out Roller Coasters of the Pacific Northwest. On the Gallery page, you will find many more construction shots for your viewing pleasure!

Six Flags Blogger Call II

After Six Flags' first blogger conference call this past June was deemed a success, company President and CEO, Mark Shapiro, decided to once again let us pick his brains this afternoon.

First, I must point out how wonderful it is of both Mr. Shapiro and Six Flags to hold calls like these. The ability to candidly ask questions of the CEO of a company as large as Six Flags is hard to come by. Never mind the fact that the call is just for bloggers, not even for mainstream press! My point is, many thanks to Mr. Shapiro for taking his time to speak with us - he stressed that he likes to keep the lines of communication open and he's doing a great job.

What's Been Going On
Like last time Mr. Shapiro started with an update on what's been going on in the world of Six Flags. As expected, this summer has been pretty rough for the company. Combine the debt restructuring, swine flu fears, rainy weather, and the recession and you'll get a less than desirable year for amusement park outings. While families did search for staycations this summer, the corporate side of things wasn't so hot. Corporate bookings represent one third of Six Flags' attendance, and they took a big hit in that area this summer. The months toward the end of the summer have held their own when compared to 2008, and everyone is optimistic that good weather combined with slowly improving economic conditions will make for a strong Fright Fest.

In terms of overall improvement at the parks, well, Mark had plenty of items to list. Six Flags hired more people than ever before to work at the parks, they had new rides and attractions at all the parks, including popular free concerts, and their guest satisfaction surveys remained at or above all time highs. Ride downtime was slashed, new fireworks shows debuted, they hosted special events like the FAME tour, and started using the social media networks to reach more guests. They're certainly doing something right!

If all goes well, the company could be out of the debt restructuring phase by the end of this calendar year. Plans have continued to move forward, with a major hearing on the plan scheduled for early November. Emerging from bankruptcy at the end of the year would allow Six Flags a 'clean start' to 2010.

A Watery Mess
Mark also took special time to congratulate everyone at Six Flags Over Georgia in their tremendous effort to clean the park up after it's recent flooding. An unprecedented amount of rain fell last week and flooded a great deal of the park. When the water receded, it took some 14,000 man hours to clean, inspect, and ready the park's rides and attractions for the weekend. And they did it! The park was able to open and operate as expected this past weekend - and Mark was sure to point out that that level of commitment to the parks really speaks volumes about the 'new' Six Flags of today. I agree!

Saving You Money
A major point that Mark made was that season passes for the 2010 season have been discounted like never before. He offered up many examples of the cuts that have been made, for example last year a full season pass at Six Flags Over Texas cost $84.99, this year just $59.99. Six Flags is aware that families across the country are looking for affordable fun, and they're ready to help them out with that. With the length of time spent in the park by guests up again this year, and no blackout dates listed for season passes, the company has never offered passes with this much value.

Who's That Guy?
Licensing characters came up during the call, and Mark had some interesting points to make on that front as well. First, their Mr. Six character was the most popular one with their in park photo sales. His return to the parks has been well received on all accounts. As for other characters that can been seen at Six Flags, the D.C. Comics brand should continue to thrive in the coming years. The D.C. Comics company itself is under new leadership, and they have a slew of new major films coming out starring their characters in the next couple years. As Marvel expands under Disney's ownership, D.C. will also step up and fight back - and Six Flags has the benefit of being a part of that through the theme parks. Mark will be sure that the parks take advantage where they can.

Another item to look forward to is Six Flags plans to create and market their own unique characters and content. This allows them to own them outright, and that falls down the line to merchandise, goodwill, and more, much of which helps them extend the Six Flags brand.

That said, we still won't see the end of third party licensed characters in the parks, for instance, they just renewed their license to keep Thomas the Tank Engine at the parks.

But What's New In 20**?
I'd like to pretend I'm above wondering what's new at the parks, but I'm not! Mark was kind enough to detail some of the plans they've laid out, while still keeping plenty a secret.

2010: Six Flags America will build the largest Thomas Town the company has seen, in fact, it will be the largest expansion to that park since being branded in 1999. Great America will add the Glow in the Park Parade, and Great Adventure's Hurricane Harbor the Tornado slide. Six Flags Magic Mountain will add a new "children's ride" that they will announce in November. La Ronde, as we already know, will add an inverted coaster originally from AstroWorld.

2011: Six Flags will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in style. One of the biggest additions will be the rehabilitation of the Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas. The $10 million project will include what sounds like a full rebuild of the ride's track, brand new trains by Gerstlauer, magnetic brakes, more airtime, and one of the steepest "banks" of any wooden coaster. The 'new' ride will have it's work done by Rocky Mountain Amusements, a company that helped build El Toro and has worked on several industry projects. The new Texas Giant will also be a more immersive experience, as riders will now find theming as part of the ride, especially in the queue area. A farewell party for the current ride will be held at the park the weekend of October 30th.

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom is already in the process of removing the Chang roller coaster, which will be replaced by a large water park expansion named Bonzai Beach for 2011. When I asked Mark about Chang he had an interesting response, explaining that he was always bothered by the ride, and felt it was a glaring example of what was wrong with the previous Six Flags management. You see, the ride's name was odd and didn't exemplify what the ride did or the fun you could have on it. It was just sorta slapped down without much effort and was never really a good fit for the park. When it reopens at another park (still a mystery) in 2011 (not 2010), expect it to be a whole new experience, with a distinct theme, story, colors, etc.

I'm continually impressed with Mr. Shapiro's plans for Six Flags in the coming years, as there's only good things to look forward to. As they continue to catch up with ignored maintenance of the parks from the previous owners, and add new rides and attractions, the future of Six Flags certainly does look bright. Sure, we won't be seeing massive coasters added to each park each year, but I'd take the long term survival of the company over those quick thrills any day.

Many thanks again to Mr. Shapiro for his time and I look forward to the next call!

"Where's Wally Bear?" Part 2

This is the second in a two part series of NPN's look back at our recent trip to Waldameer Amusement Park. If you missed Part 1, click here to check it out.

Welcome back! Let's start off by discussing why this article's title is "Where's Wally Bear?" Well, it's because Sabrina said it! She really wanted to see him! Sadly, only I caught a passing glimpse of Wally during our visit. One day Sabrina, one day.

But speaking of Wally, if you want to read more about the story behind the bear, check out the Waldablog's detailed series of posts that take a hard look at his origins.

Last time I spoke of the beautiful location of Waldameer, then I realized I had this photo to prove it! This is a look at Lake Erie from the park, you can see the Ravine Flyer II's tunnel in the bottom to give you some perspective.

The park's mega-new for 2009 ride is the Mega Vortex. Part of the park's $2 million expansion, Waldameer actually expanded their South midway in order to add the ride.

Mega Vortex is visually impressive, spinning riders back and forth on its track much to their delight. I usually am weary of rides of this kind, mostly for my stomach, but found it to be a really good time!

Mr. Gorman said they traveled to Kennywood last fall and heard that their Cosmic Chaos ride was extremely popular with guests, and that helped 'seal the deal' with their decision to add the ride. Great choice, I say!

Pirate's Cove is the park's second classic Bill Tracy dark ride. Well, in this instance it's actually a funhouse, not a dark ride. It is wonderfully preserved, though - and really long! I kept expecting to turn a corner and be done but it just kept going and going, much to our delight. I have a soft spot in my heart for anything with moving floors, I suppose.

Steel Dragon is the park's largest steel roller coaster, added to the park for the 2004 season.

The restraints were pretty comfortable, too.

Designed by Maurer Sohne, the ride features bright red track atop bright blue supports. It's individual cars also spin freely throughout the ride, adding to the experience.

The spinning was less intense than Exterminator at Kennywood, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Steel Dragon also has a much more unique layout than our typical Wild Mouse ride, which adds many more opportunities for fun spinning action.

Walking around 4 parks in three days will make you tired. Secretly, that's why I wanted to ride the train at all the parks we went to... just don't tell Sabrina! We waited to take a spin on Waldameer's L. Ruth Express, and I'm glad we did.

A nice long rest for your feet.

This train provides one seriously long ride! It heads from the middle of the park all the way out to the edge of the park by Ravine Flyer II, then across the length of the park to the picnic pavilions and back.

Future home of a swingin' good time.

Speaking of the area near Ravine Flyer II, this spot has been reserved for a Chair Swing ride sometime in the future. It's planned for 2010, but when we spoke to Mr. Gorman he wasn't sure it would still be added, citing the less than fantastic season parks across the country are having this year.

The park hadn't even narrowed down which manufacturer would provide the ride when we visited, and I haven't heard if they decided either way yet. We'll have to stay tuned. The plan for the ride was actually announced way back in October of last year.

The park is filled with these beautiful bronze statues.

Alright, enough waiting. Let's 'hop' on over to the park's big draw: Ravine Flyer II.

The struggle for the park to build the Ravine Flyer II was long, but I dare you to find anyone who would say it wasn't worth the park's time. It opened in 2008 and immediately received rave reviews, eventually winning the title Best New Ride of 2008 in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.

The ride also helped Waldameer achieve some record breaking business the year it opened, when the park saw some 20% gains across the board. Mr. Gorman couldn't be happier about the ride, just hearing him speak about it makes it clear what a success the project was.

As for the actual ride? It's intense, thrilling, and amazing at night. The Gravity Group really came up with a masterpiece when they designed this one. It just does not let up from the moment you head down that first drop overlooking Lake Erie.

Some of the best coaster rides I've ever had are on the Beast at Kings Island at night. I dare say that some sections of Ravine Flyer II provided a similar experience: that out of control, high speed type of fun only a really great coaster can provide.

Check out that view of the lake!

The ride's use of tunnels also makes it stand out of the crowd. Among them, there's this unique one that sends riders over the road that leads to Presque Isle State Park. And let's not forget that Ravine Flyer II does feature 90 degree banking!

The coaster's addition to the park really helped draw visitors from far and wide. When we visited, Mr. Gorman had just spoken to a lady from Australia who came just to take a spin on the Ravine Flyer II. He also said that the closing of Geauga Lake has also helped improve Waldameer's visitors from the closed park's former market.

I'm quite excited to watch Waldameer continue to grow and develop. They really have a wonderful park as is, and it sounds like they have great plans for the future. Many thanks again to Steve Gorman for speaking with us!

Like all good things, that brings us to the end of the reviews from our Western PA Park Tour. It was a grand adventure - and many thanks also to you, our readers, for coming along for the trip!