thunderbolt85
Wednesday, May 22, 2019 10:43:01 AM
Hey, I did search but couldn't find anything on this but thought I would put it out there if anyone knows anything on these rides (sold, junked, etc.)

Hully Gully (AofA)

Super Cat (Himi type, booked with AofA)

Rip Cord/Balloon Launch (Century 21, sold to Murphy/BlueGrass with show)



Tornado
Wednesday, May 22, 2019 1:49:54 PM
Thought AoA sold the Hully Gully to a show on the west coast (not sure and if so not sure of the show name)

Super Cat sounds like the Mack Raupen Bahn Reithoffer still has. Renamed to Super Cat and then rebuilt and re-themed to Artic Blast a few years back

Not sure on Rip cord tower...
thunderbolt85
Thursday, May 23, 2019 6:22:23 AM
Originally Posted by: Tornado 

Thought AoA sold the Hully Gully to a show on the west coast (not sure and if so not sure of the show name)

Super Cat sounds like the Mack Raupen Bahn Reithoffer still has. Renamed to Super Cat and then rebuilt and re-themed to Artic Blast a few years back

Not sure on Rip cord tower...




I think that Super Cat was a different one, I actually saw it in an episode of Miami Vice when they used AofA down in Miami I think, but the ride almost looked like a Soli model or something, the shots were quick and didn't get to see a lot of it. Had white tubs I believe as well.

If you ever get to see that episode some nice shots of the show like in the movie Sleeping with the Enemy. I remember the Diver, Super Cat, Tempest, Scrambler, Merry Mixer, Gravitron, Tilt, joints and grabs. There was actually a "shoot out" on the Super Cat between one of the ladies on the show and a bad guy.

Funny how when they all get there, the "amusement park" is supposed to be closed for the night, all the lights are one though and when the shoot out starts all the rides suddenly start running by themselves, then stop when the shooting/car chase ends.
ridejocky
Thursday, May 23, 2019 10:51:22 AM
Was that Rip-Cord like a parachute-drop kind of thing back in the '80s?

If it's what I'm thinking of, it seemed like they had the fire department out every other day to get people down...
Ride the Zipper?
JW
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Thursday, May 23, 2019 6:39:33 PM
The "Super Cat" thunderbolt85 is referring to is an Italian-built Himalaya/Caterpillar type ride, although I don't recall whether or not the one on A of A had the caterpillar cover. I'm pretty sure it was/is a Barbieri as I have seen it in an old Barbieri catalog.
I probably have a picture the one that was with A of A somewhere. I'm thinking it was the mid or late 80's when I saw it (?).


There were Super Cat rides at some parks also. Great Adventure in New Jersey had one. There was also one at Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, NJ. Also, Kings Dominion in VA had one themed, "Vertigo".

Here is a history page on the Super Cat that was at Great Adventure...
http://www.greatadventurehistory.com/SuperCat.htm 

http://www.greatadventurehistor...hp?/topic/2693-supercat/ 

Apparently, there is one still a Super Cat operating at Valleyfair in Minnesota...
https://www.valleyfair.com/play/rides/supercat 
"Don't forget to be half fair and give a little credit to the small concessionaire"
thunderbolt85
Friday, May 24, 2019 7:06:44 AM
Originally Posted by: ridejocky 

Was that Rip-Cord like a parachute-drop kind of thing back in the '80s?

If it's what I'm thinking of, it seemed like they had the fire department out every other day to get people down...




Yes, Al had parachutes when he had it, but I think MBS changed the tops to balloons and called it something else for the short time they had it.
thunderbolt85
Friday, May 24, 2019 7:08:07 AM
Originally Posted by: JW 

The "Super Cat" thunderbolt85 is referring to is an Italian-built Himalaya/Caterpillar type ride, although I don't recall whether or not the one on A of A had the caterpillar cover. I'm pretty sure it was/is a Barbieri as I have seen it in an old Barbieri catalog.
I probably have a picture the one that was with A of A somewhere. I'm thinking it was the mid or late 80's when I saw it (?).


There were Super Cat rides at some parks also. Great Adventure in New Jersey had one. There was also one at Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, NJ. Also, Kings Dominion in VA had one themed, "Vertigo".

Here is a history page on the Super Cat that was at Great Adventure...
http://www.greatadventurehistory.com/SuperCat.htm 

http://www.greatadventurehistor...hp?/topic/2693-supercat/ 

Apparently, there is one still a Super Cat operating at Valleyfair in Minnesota...
https://www.valleyfair.com/play/rides/supercat 





Yep that is it, remember that look from the Miami Vice episode, that was great information thanks for posting.
Scott
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Friday, June 7, 2019 10:29:54 AM
The Rip Cord was sold or leased to Magic Springs theme park in Hot Springs Arkansas where it operated for 2 or 3 years. The park went under and was shuttered for a while.


If I'm not mistaken I believe it was recently cut up at Murphy's yard in TX along with some other rides while cleaning out their property.


While I don't know the fate of the Hully Gully in 2000 I think it was AofA had an auction in Gibtown during the trade show. They had about 5 or 6 Spectaculars set up on 41. Rides I remember was the Sky Wheel, Swiss Bob the Hully Gully and the Musik Express.
Astro85
Saturday, June 15, 2019 10:12:03 AM
Actually, The Vertigo at King’s Dominion is an SDC Amor Express, rethemed, I believe. Practically identical to the Super Cat but made by SDC. There’s even a heart as the middle centerpiece. Both very cool looking rides.
thunderbolt85
Tuesday, June 18, 2019 6:49:53 AM
Originally Posted by: Astro85 

Actually, The Vertigo at King’s Dominion is an SDC Amor Express, rethemed, I believe. Practically identical to the Super Cat but made by SDC. There’s even a heart as the middle centerpiece. Both very cool looking rides.




Yep you are right and that ride (at KD) was featured in the movie "RollerCoaster" from 1977.
JW
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Tuesday, June 18, 2019 9:36:15 PM
Originally Posted by: Astro85 

Actually, The Vertigo at King’s Dominion is an SDC Amor Express, rethemed, I believe. Practically identical to the Super Cat but made by SDC. There’s even a heart as the middle centerpiece. Both very cool looking rides.



Astro85, it appears you are correct about the Vertigo that was at King's Dominion.

Thank you for that clarification.

I rode the Vertigo at KD but after all these years don't remember a whole lot about it. I don't even remember the heart centerpiece or whether it had a tunnel. I also do remember it being in the movie Rollercoaster. I was watching the movie Rollercoaster to see the Vertigo (thankfully, it's on Youtube. I have it on VHS (somewhere), but don't even know if my VCR still works-lol).

At about 41:28 in the Youtube video, "Harry" (George Segal) rides the Vertigo...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wtvGcY7tTY 

Not to change the subject, but it's interesting that Dennis Speigel, President of International Theme Park Services, Inc., who is also a past President of IAAPA, had a appearance as an actor as the park manager of King's Dominion in the movie Rollercoaster, while he was the real-life manager of Kings Dominion.

Perhaps more interesting is how the park employees in the movie would have been portrayed in the movie if Mr. Speigel didn't have input in re-writing the script for the movie...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrNIQTH6bIk 

Here is a picture of the Vertigo that was at King's Dominion...
https://www.facebook.com/KDGolde...0853/?type=3&theater 
"Don't forget to be half fair and give a little credit to the small concessionaire"
thunderbolt85
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 7:05:11 AM
boy watching those clips of the movie brought memories from the 70s and the infancy of amusement parks.
JW
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Thursday, June 20, 2019 7:06:00 PM
Originally Posted by: thunderbolt85 

boy watching those clips of the movie brought memories from the 70s and the infancy of amusement parks.



Have you ever seen the movie The Death of Ocean View Park... Same amusement park and wooden coaster that was featured in the movie Rollercoaster, but the coaster was blown up in this movie (According to information online, Rollercoaster was filmed at Ocean View Park in 1977, the park closed on Labor Day of 1978, and The 1979 movie Death of Ocean View Park was filmed there after the park closed)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbX7GbCrUaY 

"Don't forget to be half fair and give a little credit to the small concessionaire"
thunderbolt85
Friday, June 21, 2019 7:10:50 AM
Originally Posted by: JW 

Have you ever seen the movie The Death of Ocean View Park... Same amusement park and wooden coaster that was featured in the movie Rollercoaster, but the coaster was blown up in this movie (According to information online, Rollercoaster was filmed at Ocean View Park in 1977, the park closed on Labor Day of 1978, and The 1979 movie Death of Ocean View Park was filmed there after the park closed)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbX7GbCrUaY 




Yep, I do remember that movie although I think I have only seen it once, seems I remember a woman getting stuck on the wheel and the owner/park worker dies by trying to rescue her.

Even though I never went I liked what I saw about that park, at least the classic rides they had in there including the chairlift, sad that it went under. That is one thing about the south that I don't understand, except in a few cases most of the parks down here get rid of the classics and bring in the new stuff, even the theming is not the same say at Carowinds and SFOG. But up north a lot of the parks keep the classics and bring in new ones and folks get to come back and enjoy rides of their youth with their kids.

And of course down here most parks now have dropped any "southern" themes that made the park special. Now I am not talking about really "offensive" stuff which they never really had, but things like KD changing the name of their woody from "Rebel Yell" to some new name now.

I even miss some of the old classic souvenir things like paper flowers, invisible dogs (leash) and the such.

But alas, guess that is just the way it is, however did like that Carowinds brought back the "County fair" midway with those 4 classic rides they put in a few years ago.
Astro85
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 2:21:48 PM
Yeah it had a heart centerpiece with a wall. I found a picture of it on King Dominions website that had a history section. The cars were white with a stripe running on the side. Each car had a different colored stripe. I’ll see if I can get this picture uploaded to this site (I’m not too good at doing that lol). I think this vertigo may be the SDC Himalaya that runs with Paradise Amusements, not sure though. Someone here on the board might know if it is or not.