I know Virginia Beach today other than a carnival that runs during the summer is more/less without rides and I doubt there are any credits ( coasters ) there unless there is a kiddie one there, but last night a group of us were talking about the "old" Virginia Beach that we can remember and some of my friends SWEAR there was a time back in the 60s & 70s Virginia Beach had a number of parks up and down the boardwalk complete with coasters..almost like Ocean City today..minus the rides being on a pier.
I just don't remember Virginia Beach ever having any coasters other than a kiddie coaster at the old Jungle Falls back in the 80s..
Now I do remember Seaside Park that was located on the boardwalk and their flats ( Scrambler, Tilt-A-Whril,Whip, Ferris Wheel, Tribant, bumber cars and a bunch of kiddie rides plus a fun house ) but Seaside I dont recall ever having coasters. Seaside closed in 1983 replaced by a ..you guessed it...A HOTEL.
Back in the 70s I do remember Hampton's Buckroe Beach and they did had a wooden coaster however my parents refused to take us there ( don't ask ). Does anyone remember this place? How was it compared to Ocean View in Norfolk?
Of course as luck would had it, by the time I had my drivers license Buckroe was closed ( 1985 ) though I did visit that area in the summer of 87 and did see some pieces of their coaster lying in a field.
The coaster at Buckroe was called "The Dips". It was designed to fit in a city block more or less. It was white with blue trim. It was one of the last coasters that did not have underwheels. The coasters trains were sent to Clementon Lake in NJ and ran on their Jack Rabbit until that coaster closed.
Buckroe was a bit smaller park than Oceanview across the bay. My grandparents and parents grew up going there and I heard many stories about it. My grandfather took me there when I was very young, I think I was maybe 5 and was too small to ride the Dips, but I do remember seeing it.
Oceanview can be seen in its glory in the movies, Rollercoaster and The Death of Ocean View Park. One of my moms friends was on the Rocket for its last public ride.
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