Construction of Great America's Sky Whirl

Dukeis#1

Monday, December 15, 2003 12:23 AM
This page may have already been pointed out, but I found an interesting site documenting the construction of the Sky Whirl/Tripple Wheel at Great America. I believe it's the one in California.

http://americas.best.vwh.net/mga/skywhirl002.html

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janfrederick

Monday, December 15, 2003 4:10 PM
janfrederick's avatar
Too cool! Thanks!

When I worked there, it was probably, after the Whizzer, the coolest ride to operate.


"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza
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redman822

Monday, December 15, 2003 5:17 PM
Yep, it is the one in California. I can tell because the area around SFGAm is (relatively) flat but on page 16 and page 5 you can see "foothills" - something that is _not_ around SFGAm.
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janfrederick

Monday, December 15, 2003 5:44 PM
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And orchards...which is cool because now the place is smack-dab in the middle-o silicon central.

"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza
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Antuan

Monday, December 15, 2003 7:17 PM
Dayum!!! that place looked barren back then. Now it is populated by Intel and friends....

Fate is the path of least resistance.

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Dukeis#1

Monday, December 15, 2003 7:32 PM
Too bad what looks like a great ride is still up for sale. I'm surprised ITAL has not given up by now.
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janfrederick

Monday, December 15, 2003 8:16 PM
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Perhaps someone in Las Vegas will buy it and build a resort around it... ;)

"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza
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It's a Veko!

Monday, December 15, 2003 8:29 PM
The ITAL ad is no longer valid. Both Great America's have scrapped their triple wheels.
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Rob Ascough

Monday, December 15, 2003 9:07 PM
For shame.
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janfrederick

Monday, December 15, 2003 10:03 PM
janfrederick's avatar
Aww man, they could have spliced both of them together and called it the Hydra...could even throw in some Polyps around there and so a protozoa theme... ;)

Seriously though, the Triple Wheels were really unique rides. Sure they inspired gastric upheavals...but they were great to watch.


"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza
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thrillerman1

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 2:15 AM
What a truly beautiful engineering marvel! It's a total shame that both parks scrapped this ride. I would love to have ridden it. Out of curiosity, what took the place of the Sky Whirl at both parks?

I survived a Japanese typhoon and the Togo flat ride of death!!!!!!
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coasterdude318

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 2:30 AM
Vekoma inverted boomerangs. While PGA got a standard Invertigo model, SFGAm got a Giant Inverted Boomerang.

-Nate

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Dukeis#1

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 4:31 AM
That is very saddening to hear.

All the Intamin Multiple-Wheel Ferris Wheels are very beautiful and great eye-candy. To bad not very many of them are left, in the USA anyway.

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