Where's the Whizzer?
Flashback says:
From what I hear someone got killed on the ride and then shortly after it was removed. Am I correct on this statement?
kcies13-SFGAm says:
Everytime I went to the park in the 1999 and 2000 season the Yankee Clipper was closed. Was it open at all in the last 2 years?
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"SAVING THE WORLD BEFORE BEDTIME" Powerpuff girls
I am a Whizzer-o-holic, I hate Marriot for letting that ride get so bad it couldn't be saved.
From what I hear someone got killed on the ride and then shortly after it was removed. Am I correct on this statement?
kcies13-SFGAm says:
Remember, we welcome you to SFGAm where you can still ride the Whizzer and the Yankee Clipper
Everytime I went to the park in the 1999 and 2000 season the Yankee Clipper was closed. Was it open at all in the last 2 years?
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"SAVING THE WORLD BEFORE BEDTIME" Powerpuff girls
Yankee Clipper was only open on I think Sundays. I don't know why they did this but only a select few Sundays were when it has been open. I'm pretty sure this year that it is getting a name change to like Alpine Falls or something cause Alpine water is the new sponser. But that is just a rumor I heard.
But to answer your q, Yankee Clipper was open a select few Sundays in these years.
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May 5th, Gurnee Illinois, "I'm sprinting for V2"
But to answer your q, Yankee Clipper was open a select few Sundays in these years.
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May 5th, Gurnee Illinois, "I'm sprinting for V2"
The Whizzer wass removed because it was neglected for such a long time it became unsafe (cracks in the structure) and saving it was more than the cost of the ride. The Clipper was never open because of low staffing and it was having problems, but the park had pland to remove it for it's final season so they didn't really bother opening it much
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#1 Stealth-PGA
#2 Flashback-SFMM
#3 Whizzer-RIP PGA
#4 Mind Bender-WEM
#5 Drachen Fire-BGV
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#1 Stealth-PGA
#2 Flashback-SFMM
#3 Whizzer-RIP PGA
#4 Mind Bender-WEM
#5 Drachen Fire-BGV
Here is why the Wizzer was removed:
On March 29, 1980, a 13-year-old boy fell to his death and eight others were injured when two trains collided on the "Willard's Whizzer" roller coaster at Great America. Park officials traced the accident to a mysterious electric signal that confused the roller coaster's computer.
San Francisco Chronicle, March 30, 1980;
After that the park took the ride down and basically the ride was never taken care of and no longer exists.
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The Raging Bull #1!!
*** This post was edited by SFGA_FAN on 3/5/2001. ***
On March 29, 1980, a 13-year-old boy fell to his death and eight others were injured when two trains collided on the "Willard's Whizzer" roller coaster at Great America. Park officials traced the accident to a mysterious electric signal that confused the roller coaster's computer.
San Francisco Chronicle, March 30, 1980;
After that the park took the ride down and basically the ride was never taken care of and no longer exists.
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The Raging Bull #1!!
*** This post was edited by SFGA_FAN on 3/5/2001. ***
No, that is NOT why it closed. It closed in 1998 because the ground around the ride had subsided up to 6" in some spots, tweaking the track beyond repair.
The trains bumped, but from what I understand, the kid died because I tried to get out of the train when it was still in the holding part of the station...the train began to move, he lost his balance, fell in front of the train, and was run over. This incident happened 8 years before the ride closed.
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Decisions determine destiny; Destiny determines decisions.
The trains bumped, but from what I understand, the kid died because I tried to get out of the train when it was still in the holding part of the station...the train began to move, he lost his balance, fell in front of the train, and was run over. This incident happened 8 years before the ride closed.
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Decisions determine destiny; Destiny determines decisions.
janfrederick says:
Oh my god, this should put to rest all the people that doubted that Magnum is sinking. It is now possible for a coaster to sink. The Whizzer is now the one from PGA. LOL!!!
Magnum, move over, there is a new sheriff in town!!!!
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"SAVING THE WORLD BEFORE BEDTIME" Powerpuff girls
It closed in 1998 because the ground around the ride had subsided up to 6" in some spots, tweaking the track beyond repair.
Oh my god, this should put to rest all the people that doubted that Magnum is sinking. It is now possible for a coaster to sink. The Whizzer is now the one from PGA. LOL!!!
Magnum, move over, there is a new sheriff in town!!!!
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"SAVING THE WORLD BEFORE BEDTIME" Powerpuff girls
Ooops! Correction #2! 1988...NOT 1998...sorry!
Ground subsidence is actually a very real problem in the Santa Clara Valley. Taking groundwater from the water table causes land to sink. Land has subsided ~20 feet (yes feet!) in nearby Alviso. It happens. Additionally, the ground can sink on a much smaller scale for the opposite reason...soggy earth. That's probably why Magnum is reportedly sinking (and could have been the real reason for the Whizzer since depletion of water table subsidence occurs rather slowly...and since the sinking has been stabilized since the late 60's by use of percolation ponds.
Ground subsidence is actually a very real problem in the Santa Clara Valley. Taking groundwater from the water table causes land to sink. Land has subsided ~20 feet (yes feet!) in nearby Alviso. It happens. Additionally, the ground can sink on a much smaller scale for the opposite reason...soggy earth. That's probably why Magnum is reportedly sinking (and could have been the real reason for the Whizzer since depletion of water table subsidence occurs rather slowly...and since the sinking has been stabilized since the late 60's by use of percolation ponds.
As much as i hate to inform everyone of a rumor i heard, next season could be expected to be the last for Whizzer. I went to fright fest at PKI last october and met a SFGAm employee there. He said due to horrible matience problems the park will be taking out Whizzer after the 2001 season. I hope I'm worng but it is believeable. If you remember the ride only opened after noon during the season, which is very strange for a classic roller coaster. I wish they would just rebuild it.
What's so special about the Whizzer to begin with? I've never been on it. It's never attracted me in the first place. I think that SFGAm needs to tear down all the coasters except Raging Bull, Batman, and the newbies, and START OVER!! I hate all the rest of them. . .I always take a bottle of Ibuprofen when I go. Maybe it's the martinis talking though. ;)
Closed topic.
