The Wild Ones 85th Birthday We Need your help!

I'm getting together with SFA in a few weeks to work out an event to
commemorate the 85th anniversary of the building of the Giant/Wild One Roller
Coaster.

We're looking for ideas to draw media attention. Already on the drawing board
are a new large sign and a possible historical plaque with the story of how the
ride was more or less preserved. I know some of you would prefer one of the
older wilder versions, I can assure you the budget for this celebration won't
include restoring it to its former self, so lets leave that door un-opened :(

We need every bit of history we can about this ride ,including photos, and
personal experiences on the old ride and the new.... (Not comparisons) If you
know of historical figures or notable celebrities that have ridden this ride
please send that info also.

ALSO design the sign? Please feel free to assist us with artwork Ideas for
the new sign (no guarantee any idea will be chosen, but you can help influence
the people who decide)

When a date for the event is chosen I'll post it, look for a possible 85 lap
mini marathon (possibly for charity)

Once again, any help provided will be greatly appreciated

Sam A. Marks
Member of The Coaster Zombies Club
P.O. Box 12
Arlington,VA 22210-0012
www.coasterzombies.org

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Track Record 420 coasters in USA and Canada

That sounds fun I rode WO for the first time this summer and its a very reridable ride.

It's my #9 woodie....so I'd love to help! Man, what a gorgeous ride. I would love to help design the sign you mention. I also like the idea of listing famous people who rode it, although that may take awhile since it dates to 1917! 85 laps? That would be sweeeeet!
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DON'T....LOOK....BACK! The Headless Horseman awaits you in 2002!
Model coasters and rides: www.angelfire.com/oh4/tk173

Same here. I would love to help out too. I feel Wild One is probably the most important coaster at SFA since it is a link to the past (original design was by John Miller) and is the centerpiece to the park. (I realize you probably know this.) I might not be able to give a design of the sign, but I can suggest ideas when they come up. How about a huge WILD ONE sign on top of the station. Also, I remember hearing or reading that a few famous people have taken rides on this coaster when at Paragon Park in Mass. This will be a good research project for me.
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Gravity is your friend!

*** This post was edited by go with gravity on 12/13/2001. ***

Sam:

E-mail me if there is anything specific that I can help on. Is there a possibility that we can get one of the non-coaster historical societies involved? That might help with the publicity and recognition.

One thing worth noting is that the Wild One essentially everyone alive knows really has NO Miller design in it. In 1931 everything other than the lift, station, and brake run burned down. Herbert Schmeck then came in and built a new ride from the existing lift hill. Thus, it would be much more fair to call it a Schmeck ride than a Miller ride. Indeed, the Miller ride had a double-dipping first drop and was a DOUBLE out and back.
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Tyler Eaves
Coastergames.net - File Downloads!
Coastercount.com - Free track record keeping!

A great idea for Wild One's new sign would be to feature the park logo's of Wild World,Adventure World and SF to reflect the rides recent history.As for marketing I wonder if it's possible for the park to somehow dig up the original marketing campaign used for the ride when it first opened there in 1986.Now that's a blast from the past.

Coastergames.net, thank you for clearing that up. I just remember reading numerous times that John Miller was one of the original designers of the ride, but I didn't know the specifics. Man, could you imagine if the ride still had that double dip for the first drop, wheee! It might actually beat the Jack Rabbit's at Kennywood.

Hey as part of the coaster's birthday, how about getting the park to get rid of the trim brake before the helix? : ) , I'm being a little sarcastic because I do realize it is there for safety reasons or whatever. Just a dream of mine.
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Gravity is your friend!

*** This post was edited by go with gravity on 12/15/2001. ***

BATWING FAN SFA said:
As for marketing I wonder if it's possible for the park to somehow dig up the original marketing campaign used for the ride when it first opened there in 1986.Now that's a blast from the past.

Unfortunately, the marketing for the Wild One as it opened used a Professional Wrestler known as Big John Studd. Hw lived in the Northern VA area for years. He died a few years ago.

The commercial showed Big John riding in the front seat HANDS UP ( I have no idea how they fit nearly 7 foot tall 300 PLUS lbs of man in that train)

A Close up of John ended the commercial with him saying "Wild One's tough like Studd, You ride it!"
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Nuts For Coasters Since 1969

Yeah,I remember that commercial very well.That's the commercial they should try and run if they can find a copy of the tape or whatever they used to film the commercial,By the way are you gonna be able to get any info on rides for 02 when you meet up with the officials at SFA for Wild One's birthday plans?As far as info on any celebs who have ridden Wild One here are a couple, the Kennedy's ,Judy Garland,Ted Williams and Boston's Cardinal Cushing Who used to celebrate his birthday each year with a ride on the coaster when it was at it's original location.

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