Leap-The-Dips and Skyliner not opening for Lakemont's 2024 season.

Lakemont Park changed a few years ago, closing many of their rides and becoming more of a recreational area with batting cages and more picnic pavilions. Yet the coasters remained open. The park just announced a few days ago that their coasters are not opening this year.

Leap-The-Dips is the oldest coaster standing in the world, and only side-friction figure-eight coaster in the world. Skyliner is an L-shaped double out-and-back that serves as an interesting backdrop for Altoona Curve baseball games. It was moved from a park in New York and rebuilt at Lakemont park in 1987.

I believe that losing these two coasters is a tragedy to the coaster enthusiast community. Leap-The-Dips is unique, gentile, and fun. Skyliner is a fun ride with an interesting layout that has always had a lot of potential if taken care of properly, imho.

Here is the story from WTAJ News.

I talked about this park a while back and my report wasn’t good. The shame is that it should’ve/could’ve been good but it was clear that as an amusement park the place was struggling and the coasters would eventually be collateral damage. The day I was there to ride they showed such signs of neglect and decay that I had a horrible time. I’d like to think that the area just couldn’t support a park but not far away is DelGrosso’s and they seem to somehow remain afloat. Camden is another example of a park that exists in spite of its depressed surroundings. But Lakemont is doomed to go the way of Conneaut, a victim of management and ownership who cared not to run or develop a successful amusement park.
I guess I’ll be the first here to wonder if someone, anyone might come along and rescue these relics.

DelGrosso's grew organically and stayed family-owned over its entire life. Lakemont had a developer in the 80s who thought they could build a competitor to Hersheypark, grew the park too fast with too many rides and infrastructure, and then bailed when it was a massive failure. It was purchased by two well-meaning local businessmen who had no experience running an amusement park. A lot of (IMO ignorant) people on the interwebs are blaming the failure of the park on the ineptitude of its current owners, but I honestly disagree, and feel like they hung on as long as they could even though it was clear that the park wasn't going to make them any money.

I feel like the final nail in the coffin was when Lakemont was unable to reopen their small water park due to maintenance and liability issues, around the same time that DelGrosso's was building a big, modern expansion to theirs.

RCMAC:

I guess I’ll be the first here to wonder if someone, anyone might come along and rescue these relics.

You know, Knoebels is in the area. But in all seriousness leap the dips would fit into Knoebels so well. They would have the knowledge, drive, and resources to keep it running correctly as well.

Sad news. 2 SBNO coasters probably awaiting demolition.

I had no idea the oldest standing coaster in the entire world was so close to me.

If some entity had the wherewithal, that seems like something worth saving.

OhioStater:

I had no idea the oldest standing coaster in the entire world was so close to me.

Please tear up your coasterbuzz club card, while you still can.

OhioStater:

that seems like something worth saving

Or is it a plot by the 2nd oldest coaster to move up in the ranks? I would not get in the way of Scenic Railway from Down Under.

My only visit to Lakemont was 20 years ago. It was 5 years after the complete restoration of Leap the Dips, and it still looked fresh and was running well. I believe Skyliner was in decent shape as well, a little on the rough side if I recall but not a bad coaster. Those two coasters were the only reason to visit (although I did get to ride my second Toboggan, which was cool). I remember the park entrance and baseball field looking nice, but the park itself felt like a dinky traveling carnival that had just set up for the weekend.

It would be a shame if Leap the Dips is razed, and I say that only because it's a really cool piece of history.

I was just on Lakemont's site, they have little closed signs all over the 2024 park map. So it isn't just the two coasters that are on the chopping block. Seems like anything that requires any sort of staffing is getting cut out.

I understand it’s all the rides, not just the coasters. The place will be ride-free. And there wasn’t much, just some antiques and a few kiddies. Maybe a go cart. And a mini golf or two.
I always thought Skyliner seemed like not much of a ride and half questioned why the park would have rescued it from Roseland. Then I laid eyes on it. It has a great layout with an interesting profile. The turn by the station has quite a slope to it. I so wanted to enjoy it, but by the time I got to it it was back-breaking rough.

Mini golf and batting cages will remain open under the current plan.

RCMAC:

I’d like to think that the area just couldn’t support a park but not far away is DelGrosso’s and they seem to somehow remain afloat.

DelGrosso's Park is doing very well. They were doing well even before they expanded their waterpark. All that park really needs is a wooden coaster or two. ...Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

I spent my teenage and young adult years in Altoona. A few of my still close friends worked there when they were younger. Leap The Dips was cool, and it could use saving for its historical value and uniqueness. It feels like you're sitting on a couch on a skateboard, being led through a wooden trough. It's not a kiddie coaster. You start really high, but the ride doesn't sport any big drops. It's not fast or all that exciting, but it's still fun.

However, I'm more interested in Skyliner. It has been and could be an amazing ride. It's not too intimidating, and the fast, flat, highly slopped turnaround next to the station is the highlight of the ride. The entire layout is really fun. It has a surprise drop that doesn't reach the ground but still pack a wallop. The flat spots at the bottom of many of the drops make sure you feel the rise back up. Even though it is not a huge coaster, it still feels like it's taking you places, if that makes sense.

I don't know where DelGrosso's would put them, but they both could serve that park well if it were possible. If only one could move to DelGrosso's, I'd want it to be Skyliner.

It hurts every time I hear that a classic park shuts down. It does make it easier to take when it's a slow death, like Lakemont. Big parks are great, but none of them have the same smells, atmosphere, and history the classic parks have. Dare I call it charm?

Sorry for the double reply but this is a separate thought that needs a separate post...

I had a huge graduating class. I don't recall the exact number, but it was at least a few thousand. Graduation was at one of the high school football fields. It was so large that students didn't go on stage to collect their diploma like other years. That was kind of a bad memory, because it was so packed and confusing.

But there was a very good memory too... My best memory of Lakemont Park was the after-prom party. Altoona Area High School had their senior prom at The Casino, which is an historical building that shares the lake with the park. It used to be an actual casino, but was later turned into a high-end rental hall and event center.

After the prom, Lakemont Park was open from 11pm to 3 or 4am that morning to prom attendees and their guests. Everyone brought a change of clothes so they didn't get their tux or dress dirty. It was really special riding rides and eating fair food with high school friends so late at night, especially for me. The park was so alive. My group constantly kept running into people we knew, and groups would exchange friends every few minutes. It was so much fun.

Thirty years later, the place is a bunch of basketball courts. Sad.

Just saw a post on FB from a coaster group that I'm not that familiar with. They claim to have approached Lakemont management and asked what was going on. The story they were given is that there isn't enough business to justify opening any of the rides. If and when business picks up they will look into re opening the rides..........

That's pretty much what their press release said. They aren't coming in with bulldozers overnight Geauga Lake style. There is simply no way to justify the cost of opening the coasters anymore, therefore they aren't going to do it.

So let’s get business to pick up by removing attractions and amenities. Makes perfect sense.

From what I’ve seen elsewhere the people running the park do not own leap the dips, and thus cannot remove it. Not sure about Skyliner. But this was what I saw in other places, so it may not be true.

There is some clause or contract that basically says a basic level of maintenance and upkeep needs to happen on Leap The Dips. I don't think it has to operate.

The day I was there Lakemont was jammed. Just not with riders. The park has found money to be made by hosting city league sports. There were outdoor facilities and what seemed like an indoor field house (I didn’t go in but there was a lot of traffic in and out). There are picnic and party pavilions available to rent. Families were everywhere and were enjoying themselves. But the rides were running with maybe 3 to 6 riders per cycle which just can’t be sustainable. My point is there’s no lack of business there, it’s just different business.
I’ll admit that it’s not what we fans on this site would like to see, but if we’re to bemoan the loss of two coasters and a few old flats then we have to recognize that ship sailed some time ago. I mean, sadly. But it looks like the owners and the community have embraced new uses that don’t involve the expense of staffing, maintenance, and upkeep for the park or the expense of admission and meals for the community members. And if DelGrosso’s does a better job with their small ride park, decent water park and a spaghetti dinner hall then the region still has a nice reputable place that satisfies their amusement park needs. Happily, too, as it’s more than a lot of regions with the same population and economic status have.
I still believe the historic coasters deserve a future. Finding someone to rescue them seems like it would be an uphill battle, though, doesn’t it?

When Geauga Lake closed, I remember reading somewhere that the Big Dipper sold at auction for $5,000. I thought to myself, "Shoot, I could afford that, why didn't I put in a bid and take it home for $5,001?" (Assuming Price Is Right rules apply.)

Leap The Dips, however is a little further away than GL was, so all those trips back and forth in my pickup would be a lot more costly. Oh yeah, and I don't actually own a pickup. Could be convinced to get one if a coaster was involved.

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