When A Mechanical Friend Dies - Long Island

I just read the brochure that was mailed to my house and I was horrified that one of my favorite flats - and very hard to find - Surf Dance is gone from Adventureland. I know that the park had problems getting parts - particularly the gearbox - for it, but when I went last summer it was running well and providing fantastic thrills. (Gotta love the sound of it too)

I know that many of you prefer the full-flipping action of a Top Spin, but Surf Dance was very special to me. I saw another version of it at Wildwood many years ago called "Canyon Trip" that is long since gone, but that was it. I can't find another one.

The ride was replaced by a Frisbee. It doesn't look nearly as tall as Max Air or Delerium, but more like the old penulum from Great Adventure. The lighting looks great for it though. This thrill ride replaced the Top Scan, on which a rider was thrown last year.

Top Scan, which looked too intense for me, was replaced by what looks like a kiddie flume called Little Dipper. I wouldn't mind, except that the park already has a flume ride called Adventure Falls.

You would think that Adventure Falls would fit the bill as a family ride, but it doesn't. Well not really. It has a height requirement of 48 inches to ride with an adult and a 54 inch limit to ride alone. That's too big for many kids. I also hate the fact that Adventure Falls has quite a few sections of layout where the water disappears, particularly at the top of the two lifts and the turn-arounds into the chutes. The boat is riding in an empty trough and you can feel the thumping wheels.The Theme here is non-existant as the ride was built over an old mini-golf course and you can still see some of the old fiberglass barriers among the weeds.

Most rides of any height at this park have a typical Nassau/Suffolk view...the roof of the Target store / nextdoor.

I want my Surf Dance back. And while you're at it a Swiss Bobs too!

Over on the East-End, I am delighted that Splish Splash is getting a themed funnel. All they now need is a Stingray, an eight-to-ten laned racing attraction and a water coaster to truly have it all. They also could heat their water. Brrrrrrrr.

Any news on Rye Playland or Coney Island?

Hey, I happen to be one of the managers in the resturant in the park. While Surfdance was getting old there was nothing wrong with the ride. After the Top Scan incedent, all the rides were ordered to be reinspected. Surfdance did not pass because of somesmall parts which were starting to wear from being used all season. Surfdance has been planned to be removed for a while and replaced by the now fully erected and ready to run Huss Frisbee. Being that the inspections were in September and the park would close in October, and Surfdance already planned to be removed the owner felt no need to put the money into the ride, and it was sbno until mid october.

As for Top Scans removal and replacement by a kiddie flume was only because of the accident. Top Scan was only there from 2002 where Surfdance was from 1993.

I heard a rumor that the Windstorm coaster was on its way out- is there any truth to that?

That whole park will seem to have a totally different ride lineup if this keeps up! (Not that that's a bad thing)

The biggest problem that Adventureland has and always had is land.

It has a large upscale population to draw from as it sits on the border of Nassau and Suffolk County. There are access roads to get to it (L.I.E., Northern State Parkway and Southern State Parkway) and there are other businesses in the area to attract heavy traffic to Route 110 (Dave & Busters, Golf Ranges, Huge Box Stores, Movie Theatres, etc). Adventureland does a huge business with school music and band nights and birthday parties.

Adventureland just doesn't have room to grow. If they bring in something new, something else has to go. Sadly this time around it was Surf-Dance.

Coasterfreak- I don't mean to offend you, but I never found the food to be very good at Adventureland. There are a lot of alternatives on Route 101.

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I do have a question though...now that TopScan is gone, what will they use for a stage for thier music festivals? They used to lower the counter weight and place the main arm mechanism in the air while the children performed on the Top Scan stage.

Rest in peace my blue and white buddy.