Those Thrilling Rides of Yesteryear
- Dennis L. Peterson
- 1 minute ago
- 5 min read
A news item attracted my attention and set me on a brief journey down memory lane.
It seems that on June 26, 1927, during the height of the rollicking, fun-filled Roaring Twenties, just before the stock market crash that signaled the beginning of the Great Depression, a roller coaster called "The Cyclone" opened at Coney Island.
It's been a loooooong time since I was on a roller coaster, but that news item started me to recalling the rides I had been on in my youth.
Every fall, our family looked forward to attending the Tennessee Valley A&I Fair in Knoxville. After visiting all of the farm animal exhibits and the innumerable home canning and preserving section, the cake and pie making contests, and the handmade crafts displays, we would venture through the tunnel under Magnolia Avenue to the Midway, where all the rides were located. We would stroll through the crowds and look over all the rides first, trying to decide which ones we wanted (or were brave enough or could afford) to ride.
Our final decisions depended on several factors: how scary they looked, how loudly the riders aboard them were screaming, what their faces revealed as they rode (terror, laughter, boredom?), how they got off the ride (laughing, breathing heavily with relief, pale-faced and wobbling, throwing up, etc.), and how many tickets the rides cost as opposed to how many we could afford--and that wasn't many.
In the earliest years, of course, we gravitated to the calm merry-go-round. In addition to going in circles, many of the various animals--horses, camels, elephants, etc.--went up and down rather slowly. But we held on tightly, pretending we were riding real horses (no one wanted to ride any other animal) and watching with every circuit for our parents to ensure that they hadn't left us alone in the crowd. When the ride was over and we dismounted, we'd make a mad dash to find them and then head for the next ride we'd decided to try. The Ferris wheel was always fun, as was the Tilt-a-Whirl.
As we got older, we were more willing to try more exciting and more dangerous rides. There was a ride that had rocket-like pods that two people could ride in, one in front of the other. It had perhaps a dozen or so such pods hat were attached to a central axis pole by several chains per pod. The pods swung round and round like the merry-go-round, but they flew outward as the ride gathered speed. It was much faster, and one had to hold onto his cap to prevent its flying off.
I don't recall ever riding the roller coaster there, but I remember going to Six Flags Over Georgia and riding one called the "Mining Car" or something like that. It was certainly a breath-taker, especially if you were in the front car, as Mother and I were.
When our own kids were growing up, we took them to Dollywood, where we all rode the "Log Flume," which was similar to a roller coaster but with a lot of water. We all came away soaked but laughing.
As Dollywood expanded in size, cost, and crowds, we opted for less expensive and less crowded thrill opportunities. We went to a place in Gatlinburg called "Fun Mountain." I don't think it's even there now. When we went, there were hardly any visitors present. That was good for us but bad for the business. Maybe that has something to do with their not being there now.
At Fun Mountain, we rode the bumper cars. That wasn't much fun because there were few other riders to bump into. But then there was "The Spider," a ride that had you moving in every which unpredictable direction and in patterns that made you think and feel as though you were about to collide with other riders' pods. It didn't matter that few other people were riding because the pods were still there, spinning around and coming right at us, and we were sure they were going to collide with us. But at the last second, the direction of the pods would change, and another pod would be coming at us from a different direction. It was a fast and exhilarating experience.
But then, just as our hearts were getting back to a close-to-normal rate, our oldest daughter insisted on riding the "Slingshot." It was a ride that was attached to large bungee cords stretched tightly and then released, flinging the riders into the sky and then bouncing them back to earth and up and down several times. She wanted someone else to ride with her, but her sisters and mother absolutely refused. Finally, after much cajoling, persuading, and even shaming ("I thought you were brave, Dad. Here's your chance to prove it!"), I reluctantly agreed to join her. But first I reminded my wife where we kept our life insurance policy.
I should have known not to do it when the attendant said I had to surrender my glasses. But it was too late to back out; I was already strapped in, and the slingshot was increasing the tension, readying for blastoff. So there I was, not only unsure and filled with trepidation but also blind!
After that, everything was a blur--literally. But it was fun, thrilling even. But never again!
We later engaged in a Motion Master "ride." That's where you sit in a seat in a theater and watch a movie screen and take a virtual roller coaster ride. But the seat moves around, synchronized to what is playing on the screen and mimicking a real roller coaster. Adding to the sensation, fans blow air at you, fixtures shoot mists in your face, and do other unexpected things that make you feel as though you're on the real thing. Whenever I reached the point of highest sensation and found my heart pounding out of my chest, I would look at the person beside me and see that they weren't really moving. And my mind kept reminding me of that fact, so it was enjoyable and less stressful than the real thing.
As I age, however, I find myself avoiding any thrill rides. I now opt for the calm, less heart-pounding rides, like slow tourist trains. I haven't yet reverted to the merry-go-round, but I can foresee the day when even that will be all the excitement I can stand!
How about you? What memories do you have of riding roller coasters or other "thrill rides?"
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