The Blog

Our first regional event of 2009 was a big success! If you attended, you know what I mean.

Eighty-one members and guests registered for the Behind-the-Scenes Tour and Friday Night Social. Forty-eight people purchased mini-golf tickets, and nine teams of four competed. Team “Wild Mice” won the mini-golf tournament, Congratulations go out to Aaron Browne and Stephen Lesh from Sunnyvale, Paul Asente from Redwood City, and Chris Head from San Francisco. The Wild Mice had the combined winning score of 169, and won a combination of hard cover editions of “The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – A Century by the Sea” and the 100th Anniversary DVD donated by Darren R. Besoyan and the Santa Cruz Seaside Company.

Saturday morning ERT was attended by 60+ members and guests, and the Giant Dipper was surprisingly flying for morning ERT. Thankfully, the threatening rains held off until Sunday, and all enjoyed a day of fun, sun, food, and rides at the 102-year-old historic seaside amusement park.

Look for the full story and photos in the April issue of ACE NorCal News.

— Darren R. Besoyan; photo: Steven Wilson

New wooden roller coaster project update: After postponing a decision on the coaster to a February City Council meeting, the decision has now been pushed out until April. Doesn’t it make you want to SCREAM???

To stay up to date on developments at the park, remember to visit our friend Al Garcia’s official blog: Inside Track with Al Garcia.

Get ready! California’s Great America’s 2009 season opens on Sunday, March 29th. Now would be a great time to pick up your season passes: http://www.cagreatamerica.com/shop/shopping_season_pass.cfm

For more information, visit California’s Great America’s web site.

— Steven Wilson; photo: Steven Wilson

Remember that Gilroy Gardens will open for the 2009 Season on Saturday, April 4th. With the park under Cedar Fair management, you have a variety of options when it comes to enjoying Gilroy Gardens on a season pass. If you buy season passes from California’s Great America (CGA), admission to Gilroy Gardens is included on both Gold and Platinum season passes. Neither of these CGA passes include parking at Gilroy Gardens. If you buy a Gilroy Gardens membership, you enjoy a full season of admission to the park as well as special benefits at Gilroy Gardens not included on the CGA season passes. In addition, Gilroy Gardens memberships are fully tax deductible! For more information about Gilroy Gardens memberships, go to http://www.gilroygardens.org/tickets.html .

Gilroy Gardens’ web site: http://www.gilroygardens.org/

— Steven Wilson

Ride the world-famous Giant Dipper roller coaster and enjoy the spectacular beachfront setting on beautiful Monterey Bay. The ADMISSION FREE Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park has something for everyone! Rides and attractions are open weekends and holidays. Arcades, mini-golf, and bowling are open daily.

The Beach Boardwalk is using Twitter! Twitter is a free service that lets you keep in touch with people through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? Join today to start receiving Beach Boardwalk’s updates: https://twitter.com/signup?follow=beachboardwalk&commit=Join+today%21

Add the Boardwalk as a friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?nm=beach+boardwalk

Twenty (20) plus events are listed on their events page: http://beachboardwalk.com/01_events.html

— Darren R. Besoyan and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk; photo: Steven Wilson

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has already opened for the season! Get out to the park on March weekends to get your 2009 coaster season rolling into high gear. The operating schedule and upcoming events are here:
http://www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom/events/CalendarEvents.aspx

To get the park’s email newsletter, go to http://www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom/footerNav/ENews.aspx to join the Six Flags Funatics.

For full Six Flags Discovery Kingdom information, go to:
http://www.sixflags.com/discoveryKingdom/

— Steven Wilson

Left to right: Gerry Watt, Mike Ferris, Teri Ferris, Darren Besoyan. Photo courtesy of Gerry Watt.

Mike and Teri Ferris were announced at the ACE NorCal Holiday Party to be the 2008 winners of the ACE NorCal Spirit Award. Unfortunately, they were unable to attend the party. Recently, ACE NorCal Assistant Regional Representatives Darren Besoyan and Gerry Watt of Sacramento met up with Mike and Teri to present them with the award plaque. In addition to the plaque, Mike and Teri receive complimentary reimbursement of their ACE membership renewal for one year.

Congratulations to Mike and Teri!

— Steven Wilson

Winter Coaster Solace at Knott’s Berry Farm takes place on March 20-21, 2009. Plan for a coaster-filled day on Saturday, March 21, 2009 including E.R.T. on the most popular rides, Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Lunch, Thrill Seeker’s Raffle, plus a commemorative T-shirt. Stay and Play! Make your reservation today at Knott’s Hotel and enjoy the entire weekend, plus an Exclusive Coaster Enthusiast Dinner Party on Friday night (3/20/09). Event/Registration flier is available at: http://www.knotts.com/special_events/09wcs.htm

West Coast Bash 6 is officially confirmed and scheduled for March 22, 2009 at Six Flags Magic Mountain! This annual event is presented by RideWorld.com and ThemeParkReview.com web sites. Here is the event flier.

While these are not ACE events, they are park-sponsored events that may be of interest to ACE members.

— Darren Besoyan

New for 2009 at California’s Great America: no new wooden roller coaster! — courtesy of the park’s friendly neighbor. Watch for a status update in our next issue. We will know more about the fate of the new wooden roller coaster project following the city council meeting later this month.

Meanwhile, the park is focusing on new entertainment in 2009. Headlining the new offerings will be All Wheels Extreme, a stunt show featuring amazing feats by BMX riders, rollerbladers, skate boarders, and more. This new show opens in June in the Redwood Amphitheater.

The new entertainment lineup continues with comedic magician Chipper Lowell in The Chipper Lowell Experience at the Showtime Theater in Orleans Place. There will also be more fireworks in August, a bigger and scarier Halloween Haunt, as well as concerts, special events and more.

Also new for 2009 will be a new and improved Grizzly. For a report, check out: Grizzly rehab.

To stay up to date on developments at the park, remember to visit our friend Al Garcia’s official blog: Inside Track with Al Garcia.

California’s Great America’s 2009 season kicks off on Sunday, March 29th. Now would be a great time to pick up your season passes: http://www.cagreatamerica.com/shop/shopping_season_pass.cfm

For more information, visit California’s Great America’s web site.

— Steven Wilson

Gilroy Gardens will open for the 2009 Season on Saturday, April 4th. Cedar Fair has extended its management contract for two more years. This means that the 2009 and 2010 seasons will continue under the Cedar Fair banner. Cross promotions with California’s Great America continue this year with admission to Gilroy Gardens included on both Gold and Platinum season passes from California’s Great America (CGA). On the other hand, Gilroy Gardens memberships are like a season pass and offer special benefits at Gilroy Gardens not included on the CGA season passes. In addition, Gilroy Gardens memberships are fully tax deductible! For more information about Gilroy Gardens memberships, go to http://www.gilroygardens.org/tickets.html .

Gilroy Gardens’ web site: http://www.gilroygardens.org/

— Steven Wilson