|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Did you know one of America’s oldest wooden roller coasters is doing exactly what it did just over one hundred years ago?
The Giant Dipper opened at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in 1924.
Built by Arthur Loeff in just 47 days. The cost was $50,000. (Just under $1,000,000 in today’s dollars). Riders climb 70 feet into the air, then drop down a wooden structure that shakes, creaks and rattles the entire way, with nothing holding you in but a simple lap bar.
It reaches speeds over 55 mph. No seatbelts, no shoulder harnesses, just the same design from nearly a century ago!
The minimum height requirement to get the thrill of this iconic coaster is 48 inches (four feet)
Ridership has exceeded 68,000,000 since the iconic structure was built over a century ago. That’s close to 2,000 screaming riders per day for a full century!
The Giant Dipper is a National Historic Landmark.
If you think today’s theme park rides are wild, pause for a moment and consider that the originals, such as the Giant Dipper, were downright dangerous!
A thrilling ride on the world-famous coaster offers magnificent views of the city and the Pacific Ocean.
The Dipper has been featured in movies, including Sudden Impact, Dangerous Minds, Lost Boys, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, The Entertainer and more.
Everything else is just history,
Menlo-Atherton grad files sexual abuse lawsuit against her former teacher, high school districtOctober 9, 2026 11:14 am
Redwood City removes barricades on Southgate Street for Lawrie Duncan Park PilotOctober 9, 2026 1:27 pm
