Clementon Lake: New wooden coaster/Jack Rabbit gon

JSWiga - thanks for the info. Check your CBuzz private message inbox!!

mOOSH

And then check it again! ;)

Though Mr. jswiga is correct on what he has said the JR is not gone yet. It will be SBNO for at least one more year at which time the owners will decide what to do with it. As for the new wood steel hybrid final plans have been drawn up and are awaiting final permits. There has been a change to the original design as the first hill is still 110ft but the drop angle has been increased. As information presents itself we will all know more.

So the JR is NOT going to be demolished this winter?

i just found out today that chances of the JR to remain standing for another year are very high....Could this be to save it, maybe.

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Rob Ascough said:
So the JR is NOT going to be demolished this winter?

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No, all the available demolition equipment is up in Allentown ripping trees and other wood items out of the ground! :)

Wood - anything else is an imitation

The Jack Rabbit will remain SBNO for another year. Construction on Sunami is moving along. Things are kinda behind but all the crews say it will be ready for a may 26 opening. Its so awesome to watch a coaster being built right in front of your eyes.

I probably sound like a broken record here, but is there any word on WHY the Jack Rabbit will remain standing? Does the park have any intention on doing something with the ride, or are they short on funds and not want to spend the money to have the coaster removed? I'd like to think that a restoration project is the reasoning behind all of this, but I won't invest in false hope.

Glad to hear that Tsunami is coming along... I'm looking forward to it!

Rob, don't *invest* in false hope....my "belief" is that the park wants to see how they do this year with Tsunami and decide LATER what to do with JR.....CAN they fix it and get it running again, SURE. Would it be a good business move on the part of the park, THAT I think is what they'd like to find out before THEY "invest" in restoring JR....;)

bill, hoping, hoping, hoping, that they decide it IS worthwhile....prob. cost them quite a bit to do so though...

Clementon is buying every Chance Flat they can get their hands on? Geez, they're going to need to hire some more mechanics! *** Edited 1/20/2004 6:06:41 PM UTC by Dutchman***

rollergator: From my point of view (which I'll admit is NOT the same as the park's), I can't see why having both the Jack Rabbit and Tsunami would be a bad move. With Tsunami as the park's only coaster, the park will lack a more family-oriented coaster for the folks that are getting used to the idea of coaster-riding and folks that are simply intimidated by the new coaster's steep drops and high speeds. Unlike most small parks, there is no wild mouse/zyklon/galaxy-type coaster to serve as a "starter" ride. This is a hole in the line-up that the Jack Rabbit could easily fill, just as Tsunami is going to fill a hole that has been there since... forever.

For more selfish reasons, I like the idea of an NJ park having TWO wooden coasters... that seems as far-out as a TTD clone landing in Coney Island!

www.onridecentral.com has photos of the progress. Although we are far behind in construction, all coaster workers say it'll be ready for a May 26 opening day. I know i have my fingers crossed. Weather has not been our friend lately. So thats the update for know hopefully in the next few weeks if i plant the seeds now well sprout a full coaster.

Thanks for the update. This winter has been harsh, so I expected construction to fall a little behind. May 26th can't come soon enough!

Keep us informed...

Jswiga, the latest ACE newsletter indicated that JR's demise is only a matter of time, and that the park would NOT be restoring the masterpiece...just wondering if this was *new news*, or if the newsletter info was behind the times...

Thanks!

Here's hoping it was behind the times and the Jack Rabbit's fortune has changed...

I kind of disappointed in the fact that ACE isn't more vocal about trying to save the coaster in some way. We didn't even hear about it from them until it was after the fact. Now their attitude is one of more acceptance, instead of trying to do something about it. They seem to be more pacified in the fact that a shiney new steel framed woodie will replace the Jack Rabbit. Don't get me wrong, I think ACE is a wonderful organization, I support them and always will. But they sure "dropped the ball" with their attitude towards preservation on this one.

Wood - anything else is an imitation

Hmm, well there are a lot of coasters to keep track of these days as well as a wide range of interests among enthusiasts.

Maybe a smaller group, focused on just wooden coasters would be a good idea to compliment ACE's other activities. *** Edited 3/18/2004 6:19:12 PM UTC by millrace***

Now THATS a fine idea!

But getting back to the point, I'm actually surprised that a bigger deal wasn't made about the saving of this coaster. Do people forget that, while an incredible grassroots effort was launched and executed to save Leap-The-Dips, the Clementon Jack Rabbit was the oldest operating coaster in the U.S.? It is one of only a handful of coasters designed by John Miller, who was one of the most prolific coaster designers to have ever lived, as well as one of the few examples of a wood coaster without underwheels? (not a big deal, I realize, but it does make it unique)

Trust me, I am all for Clementon's new coaster- I'm thrilled to see a new wood coaster coming to one of the most wood coaster-neglected states in the country, but I'm saddened that the price of the ride is so high (and not in a monetary sense.) I'm shocked that people seem to be taking this lying down instead of jumping on the preservation bandwagon that seemed so popular in the late '80s and throughout the '90s. When I bring it up, its like people don't even care.

I've made several attempts to talk to someone in charge at the park, with no luck. And from what I understand, ACE has had no luck with talking to Clementon officials either. Maybe we should get a big group and go over there, then maybe we'll get their attention. I'm still not giving up hope on this classic woodie, i'm ready to start a preservation fund, anyone with me?

You know who's on your side. Or someone at On Ride Central does, anyway.

I don't understand why the park doesn't return any calls or correspondance. Are they afraid to face the enthusiasts that they know are going to ask them abotu Jack Rabbit?