Geauga Lake Big Dipper roller coaster ran under several different names

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

The Big Dipper went into operation in 1925, and was one of more than 60 coasters designed by John A. Miller, a native of Illinois, who lived from 1872 to 1941. Its original name was the Skyrocket, which was changed to the Clipper in the 1950s and the Big Dipper in 1969.

Read more from The Aurora Advocate.

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Vater's avatar

Damn. Again I have the Starland Vocal Band's diddy going through my head.

birdhombre's avatar

The Advocate had another Dipper article today, but it's not really anything we didn't already know, and is mostly a catalog of memories from locals.
End of Dipper may be near, owner says

RPM's avatar

I didn't know the Big Dipper had a double dip until 1980. Was it on the first hill? And shouldn't the ride have been called the Big Double-Dipper :)

Raven-Phile's avatar

Geauga Lake Big Dipper roller coaster ran under several different names

One of which will not be released, because it wishes to remain anonymous.

Jason Hammond's avatar

^ROFL


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Tekwardo's avatar

Bwahahahaha!


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Jerry's avatar

TAER it down! This is equivalent to carting the dead pope's body around the planet for weeks and weeks of viewing...Call me impatient I guess.

Vater said:
Damn. Again I have the Starland Vocal Band's diddy going through my head.

Here they told us that song was about a sandwich, but it was about a roller coaster. This is for you, Vater.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYwEHLRmILY

Raven-Phile's avatar

Ron Burgundy told me it was a song about daytime lovemaking. The naughty type.

CoasterDemon's avatar

RPM said:
I didn't know the Big Dipper had a double dip until 1980. Was it on the first hill? And shouldn't the ride have been called the Big Double-Dipper :)

It was on the 4th hill, right before the turn-around. There are a couple good pictures in the Gary Kyrazi book from the 70's if anyone has a scan of it.

The hill, as it stand now (and since 1980 I guess) has a flat angled section where the double dip was. Leveled out similar to how Magic Mountains Colossus' double dip was leveled out.


Billy
RPM's avatar

CoasterDemon said:
It was on the 4th hill, right before the turn-around. There are a couple good pictures in the Gary Kyrazi book from the 70's if anyone has a scan of it.

That section of track always did seem out-of-place to me, compared to how the rest of the hills were shaped. Now it makes sense.

How do we know that this "anonymous" owner isn't a Coasterbuzz regular?

a_hoffman50's avatar

Oh the pressure is just too much... You've caught me... I bought it. ;)

Tekwardo's avatar

And more importantly, do we care?


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sws's avatar

Geauga Lake Big Dipper roller coaster ran under several different names

Not to mention it's most recent name: Free Firewood.

Or perhaps since it comes from a former Cedar Fair park: Free Firewood-Bird.

The double dip was slammin'.

sws said:

Geauga Lake Big Dipper roller coaster ran under several different names

Not to mention it's most recent name: Free Firewood.

Or perhaps since it comes from a former Cedar Fair park: Free Firewood-Bird.

Kindling Force

birdhombre's avatar

sws said:
Or perhaps since it comes from a former Cedar Fair park: Free Firewood-Bird.

Nah, all relocated CF coasters have to have "hawk" in the name. How about... Firehawk? ;)

I visited Geauga Lake a couple times during the 70's, and I don't remember a double down on Blue Streak.

Then again, I doubt I knew what a 'double down' was back then.


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