Missing the TWISTER at Indiana Beach

Anyone remember this? It has been gone since sometime in the mid-90's I believe. I've ridden Twisters at carnivals when I was growing up, but the one at IB was the only one at a permanent park that I knew of.

What a great, insane, fun ride! Why did they take it out? Those things sucked the breath right out of you...

Does this help ease the pain of missing the ride?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v04xP41Ys8

*** Edited 6/26/2008 8:55:14 PM UTC by Mamoosh***

I know Conneaut Lake had one in the late 80's to early 90's. Not sure exactly how many years it was there.

I have never in my life actually thrown up at the amusement park. IB's Twister gave me a very, very close call , though.

I think that ride is still at Lakemont in PA. It looks like it would be comparable to a Scat which is awesome. http://youtube.com/watch?v=OVZWjK1mU7Y&feature=related

People on the Scat stand up against the metal with padding. It's like a Round-Up, but it's a heck of a lot faster, and I think way better.

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Mamoosh said:
Does this help ease the pain of missing the ride?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v04xP41Ys8

*** Edited 6/26/2008 8:55:14 PM UTC by Mamoosh***

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That wanted to make me hurl just watching that.

This was always my favorite ride at my local fair. It's allot like the tilta-whirl which is also my favorite spin and puke ride.

I will never forget this ride. It still stands as the only ride that has ever made me throw up at a park. I rode it once, and was very unimpressed. I told the ride op this, and he told me a specific car to ride in, and to make sure I sat in the back seat. We were the only people on the ride for the next cycle, and he let it go on forever... I have never spun so much, so fast in my entire life.

I distinctly remember getting off the ride... walking down the ramp, and seeing a picture of a hot dog on a nearby food stand. My head was still spinning and I couldn't even look at one spot... I instantly knew what was going to happen, looked around me and the closest thing I could find was a sewer grate, and the rest is history...

I miss the Twister :)

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loriu said:

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Mamoosh said:
Does this help ease the pain of missing the ride?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v04xP41Ys8

*** Edited 6/26/2008 8:55:14 PM UTC by Mamoosh***

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That wanted to make me hurl just watching that.

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I agree, Lori...I thought the same thing before I read your post... *** Edited 6/27/2008 5:11:31 PM UTC by redman822***

Doesn't Lakemont Park have a Twister ride?

I seem to recall riding one there.

Shaggy *** Edited 6/27/2008 8:29:16 PM UTC by Shaggy***

Yes, although it is not manually operated.

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Mamoosh said:
Yes, although it is not manually operated.

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Oh God, I'm squirming in my chair here.

Family friendly board! must.not.make.joke!

I leave you a big opening and you're not even going to touch it? ;)

Ahhhhh! Leaving thread! I'm leaving now! :D

Typical man!

I like being manually operated. :) Er by my Fiance.. MY FIANCE. Geez..:)

Actually, The Twister at IB was the bomb! The op would walk around and tell you to raise your hand if you had enough..lol. I never did.

I believe Gun Town Mountain in Cave City, KY still has theirs.

When I rode it 3 years ago, it was amazing!

I have ridden both CLP's and Lakemont's and if I recall correctly they are both gasoline engine powered. I find as with Spider/octopus/monster rides if you try to get much weight as possible near the pivot point you have a better chance of starting a "death spiral". Did it once on Waldameer's spider and could not get it to stop! In conclusion I find leaning in and out more effective than side to side on these manual spin rides to get them going.

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Mamoosh said:
Does this help ease the pain of missing the ride?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v04xP41Ys8

*** Edited 6/26/2008 8:55:14 PM UTC by Mamoosh***

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Woah! Thanks for that, brings back the memories. I remember something about the ride op being able to control the spin. I remember getting the air sucked out of my lungs on that thing! Scary, but great!

I guess I am one of the lucky ones who was able to ride the Twister when it was at Indiana Beach. I rode it several times, and each time it was different. And, it also seemed to matter who was running it.

When I went on it early in the day, there was an older guy running it. he kind of looked like those guys you see running the scary rides at state fairs. He certainly knew how the get the cars spinning. Then later in the day, a teenage girl ran it. She just kind of ignored the ride, and did nothing but read her book while the ride cycled. Later on the guy was back, and man, he sure made it fun.

I think the twister was removed along with the Trabant ride, when the park put in it's Chaos ride. The trabant was also fun at Indiana beah, because they allways seemed to run it at its maximum potential. Most trabants at them parks are tame.

I did ask a worker what happened to the twister. The guy working the relocated tilt-a-whirl told me that it went to storage, and would probably not be back, as they could no longer order parts for it. Something about having problems with the brakes, as I noticed that some cars on twister had to be stopped from spinning by the operator, as the holding brakes didn't allways work.

He also said that the Twister broke down a lot, and, that, is one of the reasons they kept the tilt-a-whirl. It was more reliable, and, the parts were easier to get. I'm not sure, but I think Chance still makes, and sells tilt-a-whirls brand new.

I'm not sure who sold the twister. I also remember there was a bigger version of the twister at a state fair, called the Hurricane. I rode that ride when I was like 10 with my sister. Talk about getting dizzy.