Giant Dipper 100th Anniversary
Enjoy this great article from the May 15, 2024 issue of Good Times, the Santa Cruz free weekly newspaper! Giant Dipper celebrates a century of thrills | Good Times
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 – YouTube video added!
Welcome to the first construction update for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s new-for-2013 coaster project, UNDERTOW! Updates will be posted weekly on our site acenorcal.org unless otherwise noted. But enough, jib-jab, let’s get to the update
Today was the first visit I had made since last weekend. Not much progress has been made on the Hurricane itself, but the entire upper deck has been cleared off. What do I mean by this exactly? Well, the Speedway, Starfish and Jet Copter kiddie rides have been dismantled and placed into storage temporarily. It is currently unknown if all or just some of these will be returning once UNDERTOW is in place. The platform was cleared over the past week, and today work began on removal of the brakes in place on the Hurricane‘s main brake-run. A video of one of them being taken down will be posted soon. In the meantime, check out these photos of the action. Excluding the first photo, all photos were taken Monday, September 10.
Photo: Taylor Evans — September 8, 2012 (6:24 PM)
This photo is courtesy of ACEer Taylor Evans and shows the clearing of the deck as of Saturday, September 8. Thanks for sending this in!
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
“NO TRESPASSING”. Deconstruction of the Hurricane has begun. Do not pass!
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Yellow caution tape, orange cones, and stacks of construction materials make up the scene.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
As you can see, the entrance for Sky Glider has been moved over to the top of the curved stairway rather than halfway down the Hurricane deck. Can’t go up there now!
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
The sign for the Speedway kiddie ride awaits to be taken away for storage.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
The Boardwalk is planning to set up a time lapse camera for the deconstruction of Hurricane and construction of UNDERTOW. You may recall the time lapse the park did for their 2009-2010 Haunted Castle project. These employees from the Boardwalk’s Technical Services Department are preparing the time lapse camera – cool!
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
I guess they REALLY don’t want you to head up this side either. Do not pass here!
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Our good friend Jimmy, also known as the Boardwalk’s eclectic Carousel horse painter, was out and about sprucing up the park’s equally important and beautiful historical marker plaques. What a nice day to be out!
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Brakes being un-installed and lifted out of the brake run.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Hooking up a brake with a custom-made wooden lifting piece.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
HEAVE!!!
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Taking a break to enjoy the view while the brake makes it way to the ground.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Brakes taking a break.
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
You need to be focused and attentive when doing a job like this. Hats off to you sir!
Photo: Nicholas Laschkewitsch
Below is a video comprising of some footage of the brakes being removed from the Hurricane‘s brake-run.
And, that’s it for this week’s update! Be sure to check back soon and often for sporadic or surprise photos, videos, and more! The next planned update will be on Monday, September 17. This is the scheduled day for the crane to be there.
See you then!
—Nicholas Laschkewitsch
(updated September 12, 2012)
Really enjoyed this, Nicholas! My favorite moment was “Brakes taking a break.” ;-D Looking forward to the next installment! Thanks to you and Taylor and anyone else involved, including the folks at the Boardwalk!
Thanks, Gerry! I was hoping people would enjoy that. Check out the video we just added and stay tuned for more updates!
Enjoyed the video–and the views of the weather on the day you shot it and shots of the ‘Walk overall made me want to jump in my car and head down! Thanks for posting it–I’ll look forward to today’s planned update. Always sad to see any coaster being dismantled, but was great to hear the Hurricane will live on in the Southwest! Can’t wait for UNDERTOW!!! I especially love the back-to-back seating on that spinning coaster–have only ridden one other coaster with that kind of seating, and really enjoyed the sensation!
Hey… This is fun! I am working with some homeschooled kids who are making a short documentary about this process (goodbye Hurricane, hello Undertow) as part of an investigation into documentary filmmaking. I wanted to know if they could get permission to use any of your photos?
Hi, Deb,
Please contact Nicholas Laschkewitsch about the use of the photos. You can send him an email via this web form: http://www.aceonline.org/utilities/SendEmail.aspx?to=239
Keep in touch. We’d love to see the completed documentary!
Best regards,
Steven Wilson