|

|
 |
|
The Skywheel is one of the
American carnival market's most famous rides. It is
essentially two Ferris Wheels connected by one long boom.
The ride provides great airtime riders go over the top, one of
my acquaintances described it as the vertical version of the
Mangels' Whip. The Skywheel was patented Courtney then
manufactured by the Allan Herschell company and Chance Rides.
Very few of these rides travel the United States because of the
number of trailers required and the intricate wire system that
power the main boom |
|

|
|
The show's Technical Park
Ferris wheel is a great way to see the surrounding areas.
An Eli Bridge trailer-mounted Scrambler is visible to the left
of the wheel. |
|

|
|
The show has a lot of
Italian-made pieces. One of the largest is the Soriani
& Moser Extasy. This three-trailer ride is a
spectacular piece with great capacity. Each of the five
arms hold four cars with two people each, allowing the ride to
handle forty people at once. While Soriani and Moser
split, the ride is now available through Zamperla (which bought
Soriani) as the Energy Storm, which holds twenty-four people and
racks on two trailers. |
|

|
|
The two rides in the
background are the one-trailer Mulligan Sea Ray and a Larson
Ring of Fire. In the foreground is the Wisdom Tornado and
Eyerly Spider. |
|

|
|
The Zamperla Family Swinger
is a great way for Bluegrass Shows to anchor the children's
area. It is a fun ride and can hold lots of kids and their
parents. |
|

|
|
The Big Ben, a Zamperla
Z-Force tower, was bought for the 2002 season. It holds
sixteen riders and shoots them up to 110-feet. After the
rig bounces a bit it is pulled to the top of the tower for
several minutes as the air tanks fill. It drops without
warning and then the rig bounces as the air tanks empty. |
|

|
|
There is a lot going on
here. Working from front to back we see the Zamperla Power
Surge, the Dartron Cliff Hanger, the Soriani & Moser Dream
Machine and the Zamperla Z-Force. The Dream Machine is a
great swing ride and run very fast. M.B.G. shows adds to
the fun by placing a trailer near the ride and riders feet skirt
seemingly inches above the it. |
Copyright 2003, The Flat Joint. |