Leap the Dips

[margie]

I see on RCDB that Leap the Dips is SBNO. Is it Lakemont doing a refurbishment or is there something wrong?? My family and I are planning next year ( depending on this virus going around) to go through Altoona and stopping to ride it.

[s***@aol.com]

The park was closed for a few years to become more of a park and less of an amusement park, keeping only a few rides. It reopened last year I think, but I don’t believe LTD opened with it. I’ve wondered why as well.

[acer510]

Since Ray Uberroth (former ACE president) and ACE were instrumental in getting this historic last surviving of its kind and worlds oldest??? roller coaster up and running and since the club is about preservation shouldn't they be looking into what they can do to keep this last known example from fading into obscurity. or is it because it is in private hands lakemont can do whatever they wish with it ?(i.e. leave it SBNO until they eventually tear it down like so many parks have done in the past, or sell it to the people running The Roller Coaster Museum as a living example of a genuine historical artifact (Once it's gone it can never be replaced). I know its not ACEs' responsibility to shell out money to keep the thing running but there needs to be better communication like "Hey, if you guys aren't interested in the historical aspect of this ride or don't have the $$$ to fix it up then pass the responsibility on to somebody that can"

[s***@aol.com]

I see the park is reopening soon, but no rides operational yet.

The park has never really advertised Leap the Dips much from what I’ve seen. Usually not featured on brochures and other types of ads. You’d think world’s oldest roller coaster would get consistent mentions, especially since the since park doesn’t have a lot to begin with.

Is Leap the Dips owned by the park?

Have they been prepping it to reopen at all since the park was redone?

Is the ride protected as a landmark or any other official designation at all?

[a***@gmail.com]

Post by acer510
Since Ray Uberroth (former ACE president) and ACE were instrumental in getting this historic last surviving of its kind and worlds oldest??? roller coaster up and running and since the club is about preservation shouldn't they be looking into what they can do to keep this last known example from fading into obscurity. or is it because it is in private hands lakemont can do whatever they wish with it ?(i.e. leave it SBNO until they eventually tear it down like so many parks have done in the past, or sell it to the people running The Roller Coaster Museum as a living example of a genuine historical artifact (Once it's gone it can never be replaced). I know its not ACEs' responsibility to shell out money to keep the thing running but there needs to be better communication like "Hey, if you guys aren't interested in the historical aspect of this ride or don't have the $$$ to fix it up then pass the responsibility on to somebody that can"

ACE doesn't give a shit about answering questions about the preservation mission, best I can tell. Their primary value is as a social club. What that intrinsically has for the general well being of the American public to justify a 501c3 nonprofit status then, I have no idea.

[acer510]

In the PBS film Great Old Amusement Parks they interviewed Barry Kumpf,then manager and or CEO of lakemont park and he stated right there on camera that if they had had the money to tear it down then they would have. Is that guy stil around ? Even back then the park or park management could care less about having the worlds oldest coaster right there in their town. Do the residents of Altoona even care ?

[acer510]

When's the last time a wood coaster was dismantled and moved to another park ? San Antonio rocket which became the phoenix at Knoebels ? Is there a more recent example ? I'm sure knoebels would be glad to take LTD off lakemonts' hands if they don't have the money to fix it. How great would that look on the cover of the new knoebels brochure...."Come ride the worlds oldest operating wood roller coaster because when we say we care about roller coarters--WE REALLY DO !!! " Is the other wood coaster there at Lakemont still in operation(the re-located woodie from roseland park next to the minor league ball park formerly known as SKYLINER) ?? When is the last time it ran ??

[acer510]

two recent examples of wood coasters being dismantled and re-located would be the Chicago area little dippers that ended up at SFGA and Little Amerricka in Wisconsin.

[s***@aol.com]

I wonder what regulations LTD being rebuilt in a new location would and wouldn’t be grandfathered in.

[Todesco]

Post by acer510
two recent examples of wood coasters being dismantled and re-located would be the Chicago area little dippers that ended up at SFGA and Little Amerricka in Wisconsin.

A little side story. I lived close to the little dipper on the south
west side from 1971 to 2008. Someone told me there was a "little"
coaster at this Romeoville area park (Hillcrest Park, I think). So, in
the early 90s I drove to the park and drove in. Nobody seemed to be
there. I expected to be shagged out or worse. And suddently there is
was, the Little Dipper. I wish I had a camera to take some pics. It
looked to be in pretty good shape. I had lived about 5 or so miles from
the place for all the earlier years, and never knew it existed!

[acer510]

so this one you speak of....that's the one that ended up at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee ? I never got to ride either little dipper in their original locations but have been on each one in their new locations. I like that each one was saved from the wrecking ball and that's what matters most, in my opinion. Back in the 70s or 80s(check RCDB) I got to ride the Chicago Loop(standard Arrow corkscrew) at the Old Chicago indoor amusement park in Bollingbrook.

[Todesco]

Post by acer510
so this one you speak of....that's the one that ended up at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee ? I never got to ride either little dipper in their original locations but have been on each one in their new locations. I like that each one was saved from the wrecking ball and that's what matters most, in my opinion. Back in the 70s or 80s(check RCDB) I got to ride the Chicago Loop(standard Arrow corkscrew) at the Old Chicago indoor amusement park in Bollingbrook.

Actually, me too. I lived in Bolingbrook from 1971 until I retired to
the western mountains of NC in 2008. To bad Old Chicago failed.
Everyone seemed to say, it needs a big store anchor, but no one
listened. After OC was closed and boarded up for many years, the then
and still mayor said they needed the eyesore to be gone in order to
attract new business, so it was condemed and torn down. That was a real
boon for Bolingbrook. As for the Little Dippers, I think I may have
ridden the one from Kiddie Land once.

[Dave Althoff, Jr.]

acer510 <***@hotmail.com> wrote:
: When's the last time a wood coaster was dismantled and moved to another
: park ? San Antonio rocket which became the phoenix at Knoebels ? Is there
: a more recent example ? I'm sure knoebels would be glad to take LTD off
: lakemonts' hands if they don't have the money to fix it. How great would
: that look on the cover of the new knoebels brochure...."Come ride the
: worlds oldest operating wood roller coaster because when we say we care
: about roller coarters--WE REALLY DO !!! " Is the other wood coaster there
: at Lakemont still in operation(the re-located woodie from roseland park
: next to the minor league ball park formerly known as SKYLINER) ?? When
: is the last time it ran ??


I rode Skyliner last summer.

Most recent wood coaster relocation I can think of is the Little Dipper at
Six Flags Great America.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
/X\ _ *** Respect rides. They do not respect you. ***
/XXX\ /X\ /X\_ _ /X\__ _ _ _____
/XXXXX\ /XXX\ /XXXX\_ /X\ /XXXXX\ /X\ /X\ /XXXXX
_/XXXXXXX\__/XXXXX\/XXXXXXXX\_/XXX\_/XXXXXXX\__/XXX\_/XXX\_/\_/XXXXXX
NEW! When emailing this account, include the 'canonical magic word' in
the body of your message for a quicker response.

[Heather Kendrick]

Post by Dave Althoff, Jr.
I rode Skyliner last summer.

I did too. It was running very rough on my visit in late July, and I rather
regretted hyping it to a friend who was riding with us on a road trip. He
loves roller coasters but is mostly a “theme park” rather than
“amusement park” person, and he was not impressed.

[acer510]

17 posts about LeapThe Dips and still no
definitive answer about if or when we get to ride it again....has anybody on here tried calling the park or talked to park management as to what's REALLY GOING ON ???

[Heather Kendrick]

Post by acer510
17 posts about LeapThe Dips and still no
definitive answer about if or when we get to ride it again....has anybody on
here tried calling the park or talked to park management as to what's REALLY
GOING ON ???

You could call the park yourself as well as anyone could, right?

No doubt you would get the same answer they apparently gave the Altoona
Mirror two weeks ago in an article about their phase reopening:"Other rides,
such as Leap-the-Dips, the Skyliner and the C.P. Huntington Train, may
potentially open in a later phase.” (See link below.) I would be very
surprised if it opened this year. It’s probably still sitting in whatever
condition it was in last year when it didn’t open. I just hope it opens
again someday.

https://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2020/06/lakemont-park-set-to-
open-attractions-in-phases/

[acer510]

Okay I'll give 'em that one....the CoVid-19 virus is a legitimate excuse as to why Leap The Dips isn't open. But what have they been doing to it since they started selling off the carnival rides to turn it into a "community" park ? When is the last time that it actually ran ? Is there something mechanically wrong with it and the park is'nt being totally truthfull about it ? Or is it that the park could care less if they have the worlds oldest operating roller coaster ?

[margie]

I just saw on Facebook a post that Lakemont is opening on Friday July 3. Just checked the Lakemont website and Leap the Dips was listed as being open with the rest of the park!!

[s***@aol.com]

Ooh that’s good to hear!

[Heather Kendrick]

Post by margie
I just saw on Facebook a post that Lakemont is opening on Friday July 3. Just
checked the Lakemont website and Leap the Dips was listed as being open with
the rest of the park!!

I saw a post from them on Facebook which specifically says Leap the Dips will
open. I said earlier in this thread that I’d be very surprised if Leap the
Dips opened this year. I didn’t lie: I’m very surprised.

[s***@aol.com]

According to their Facebook, Leap the Dips and all other rides, except in the water park, reopened today!
LTD first time operating since 2016.

[s***@aol.com]

I’m guessing having the world’s oldest coaster when it’s almost 120 years old is a lot more valuable than back in the early 1980s when the ride was “only” 80ish. I’d hope so, anyway and tearing it down is not looked at as an option now.

Do the people in Altoona care? In my experience, no. When I’ve gone (3 times over the past 20 years) and people heard we are into amusement parks, locals have all told us to only visit Bland’s/delgrossos and to *not* visit Lakemont! It’s been hotel employees and other random local people in the area. I’ve always thought that was strange. Do they just not know how historically significant that is to park fan? Or do they have something against the place?

[acer510]

In years past, at just about every ACE event they have auctioned off park "stuff" to raise money for the preservation fund and/or the operating fund(i.e. the costs to print a lavish full color magazine 3 or 4 times a year). What procedures does a park have to follow to get help from the preservation fund ? The preservation director lives right there in Pennsylvania....has he been in contact with lakemont management to see if ACE can help ?

[acer510]

This thread got up to 15 posts and was veering way off the OPs' original question. Is there anybody on here that lives near Altoona that could stop by there and get it straight from the horses' mouth about what's really going on with LTD? Does anybody on here know who the ACE preservation director is and get his take on the situation(I doubt he ever posts on here) ? Has anybody on here seen anything posted on another fan site detailing what's going on over at lakemont park regarding LTD ? Do only coaster enthusiasts care if LTD survives and the GP could care less ?