PhillyPaul
Friday, May 27, 2022 7:20:33 PM
So, I saw a post about somebody asking if anyone had pictures of Dell Travers and information about the show. I joined to comment on it but because I'm new it won't let me make a comment on his post. I took off with Olympic Exposition from my hometown in Levittown, Saint Mike's Fair. My first ride was the skydiver, after getting into an argument with the ride boss who was called Barnes I ended up moving to the Himalaya. Mike Reisinger was the ride supervisor and his dad Al had some kid rides. Still remember Al's dog Bo.

I joined the summer that we ended up going to Venezuela. We were in Caracas, Valencia and Maracaibo. I have quite a few pictures from that time. I actually got them from Paul Theodore's kid, Steve. In one picture I am running the Himalaya (artic flyer) such fond memories.

I'm wondering if anyone here was a part of Olympic Exposition and went to Venezuela as well?
PhillyPaul
Saturday, May 28, 2022 2:10:34 AM
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PhillyPaul
Saturday, May 28, 2022 2:14:07 AM
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PhillyPaul
Saturday, May 28, 2022 2:15:20 AM
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PhillyPaul
Saturday, May 28, 2022 2:17:35 AM
That's me in the control room of the Himalaya in Caracas Venezuela.
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ridejocky
Saturday, May 28, 2022 5:31:07 AM
Originally Posted by: PhillyPaul 

So, I saw a post about somebody asking if anyone had pictures of Dell Travers and information about the show. I joined to comment on it but because I'm new it won't let me make a comment on his post. I took off with Olympic Exposition from my hometown in Levittown, Saint Mike's Fair. My first ride was the skydiver, after getting into an argument with the ride boss who was called Barnes I ended up moving to the Himalaya. Mike Reisinger was the ride supervisor and his dad Al had some kid rides. Still remember Al's dog Bo.

I joined the summer that we ended up going to Venezuela. We were in Caracas, Valencia and Maracaibo. I have quite a few pictures from that time. I actually got them from Paul Theodore's kid, Steve. In one picture I am running the Himalaya (artic flyer) such fond memories.

I'm wondering if anyone here was a part of Olympic Exposition and went to Venezuela as well?



Hey Paul, I was not on Olympic, but I knew a few of the guys that went to Venezuela.

Al Reisinger was sure a nice guy. I thought he was the super on D & T, and when Paul bought it he came over to Strates and was kiddyland foreman.

I responded to your post on the history thread as well.


Ride the Zipper?
PhillyPaul
Saturday, May 28, 2022 9:13:39 AM
Hi Ridejockey,
I was only with them one year. Al was the Midway supervisor that year for Olympic, and he had a couple kiddie rides, too. He really was a super nice guy and I loved his German Shepherd Bo.

Mike Reisinger was the Himalaya supervisor. At our last spot in the States (Jacksonville Fla) one of the brackets that held the cars onto the Himalayas sweeps broke. The car fell right on the brace between the back of the semi trailer and the track. So the advancing cars were bouncing over it until that brace broke and the car fell to the ground. A couple kids got hurt pretty bad. The police taped the ride off and it was not supposed to be messed with. But, we tore it down and that ride was taken away that night.

That was the last time I saw Al or Mike. After a little while at winter quarters in Kissimmee we went to Venezuela. They rebuilt the Himalaya. Neither Al or Mike went to Venezuela. I had a good friend Frank who was second-in-command of the Himalaya in the states. He was married to a girl named Lisa. They ended up leaving about a month into Venezuela because he got addicted to the coke really bad. I always wondered about him and wish I remembered his last name.

I loved Venezuela but some didn't make it back. We had a couple rides booking with us, a super Loop, music express, and swiss Bob. The ride supervisor for the super Loop was named John John. He died over there, he actually passed away under the Himalaya in a makeshift bed. That day I was sitting on the ride listening to music waiting to open when I car pulled up and two detective looking guys got out and got John John out. I tried talking to him but he couldn't even respond just stood there like a zombie. I remember thinking to myself wow, he's really wasted. Never suspecting he would actually die that night.

Rumor was, he injected a bunch of rat poison thinking it was coke. They literally buried him in a field across from the Midway. I always wondered about his family, thinking they probably never knew what happened to that dude. I know of anything would have happened to me, nobody knew who my family was.

I'm about to turn 60 and looking back that was some of the best times of my life. Going to step on the gas and kick you all right Square in the ass with a little bit of that Himalaya fast. On behalf of amazing Mike and his flying high Himalaya crew, we'd like to thank all of you!
Thunderbolt2
Sunday, June 5, 2022 2:53:07 PM
outstanding pictures and stories, thank you so much guys.