I just saw a spot for the local 11:00 and today the Idora Jackrabbit was demolished, if I can find a website I'll post it.. sad sad day...
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AIM: Pritti Kittie
RIP Idora Jackrabbit
As much as I hate to say this being that I grew up riding both the Jackrabbit and Wildcat, this is true. See Idoracoasters on following link.
http://www.wkbn.com/global/frame.asp?url=http://archive.wkbn.com/firstnews/news.html-ssi Very sad day indeed.
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Christ how do you kids do it
*** This post was edited by loriu on 7/26/2001. ***
OMG!!!! :( :( :( *CRY*
By the way, I can't find it on that site.
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Maybe I ain't so shy!
LOL I just found it, thanks Greg.
I just watched the taped demolition. I nearly cried! (I know LOL@ME!) The weatherguy just said... "Oh well, thats history." Apparently hes not a coaster fan. Its also said that the Wildcat could be down before the weeks out :(
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AIM: Pritti Kittie
Oh well, I bet no park would have ever bought them...but then again it would have been a great lawn ornament for my backyard. :)
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Maybe I ain't so shy!
Not trying to rain on anyones parade, but as The Shy One said, I doubt if any park would have bought them.
They have been SBNO since 1984... 17 years. Would they have been worth saving. I am not talking from a historical point of view, but from a strictly economical one? What condition was the wood in? What condition were the mechanical parts in?
Going way back to 1945, Hersheypark decided to replace their Wildcat coaster because basically no work was done on it during the previous 4 years (materials were being diverted to the war effort). They decided that for the price that it would take to refurbish this coaster, they could build a new one. At the time, the Wildcat was only around 23 years old.
On the other hand there is the case of Lakemonts Leap-the-dips. It was SBNO for around 15 or so years (and I think I read that the only reason why it was not torn down initially is because the park didn't have the money for demolition). Then, because of its historical significance (the only side friction coaster left in the US), they decided to invest heavily in it and basically "rebuild" it.
After SBNO for 17 years, what condition was the Jack Rabbit in? The same for the Idora Wildcat. What condition? The "demise" of the park was sealed when the Wildcat burned. Back then they said it would take how much money to rebuild the damaged section of it. Add that money on to what ever money would be needed to repair / replace all the damage that the elements have done to it over the past 17 years.
As nostalgic (and "historic") as the Idora Jack Rabbit and Wildcat are, they are not as "historic" in the same sense as Leap-the-dips. Also, if they were to be bought, not only would the buyer have to sink large amounts of cash into them to refurbish them, they would also have to spend money to move them as well as Idora Park is no more.
As sad as it is, these two coasters are lost. A better coaster for "preseveration" or saving would be Americanna's Screechin' Eagle. This is only its second year of SBNO status... time and the elements have probably not taken their toll on it as of yet.
Another is Whalom's (spelling?) Flyer Comet. I don't think that park has opened this year and its future seems in question for next. Again, time and the elements have not had a chance to do their damage on this SBNO coaster.
The fight for the Jack Rabbit and Wildcat is lost... may they rest in peace. However there are still coasters out there that have a chance to be saved. IF you want to do what you can do save a coaster, let go of the lost battles and fight those that still have a chance to be won.
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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."
Very good points. This one's now in the news section, so let's move conversation there. Thanks.
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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster, Kennywood Boulevard
http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com
