Alexander: Hey peeps!
I know it’s been a while since Pt. 1 of this series (we wanted to get our California’s Great America report live while it was still topical), but the rest of our NorCal adventure should be going live here this week!
Let’s continue with a visit to this years Golden Ticket Award winner for best Seaside Park: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
– Over the years, many of our images have popped up on other sites and forums, awesome that our coverage spreads, not so awesome that not everyone mentioned where they got the images from. We are totally fine with our audience using our images, BUT ONLY IF credit is given to californiacoasterkings.com. Thank you! –
The Boardwalk’s new entrance really ramps up the curb appeal.
I’m sure the old Fright Walk is missed, but I hear the new one is also very good.
Growing up I would visit the Boardwalk on a weekly basis. Coming back here now, I think I appreciate it even more than I did before. There is just so much polish and love here.
Giant Dipper: Still one of my favorite wooden coasters. I don’t care what anyone says about the trains; I love them.
I also love the new logo. It feels fresh without erasing the appeal of the old logo.
HUGE fan of this new craft beer lounge in the 1974 mural room. No visit to the Boardwalk is complete without a visit to the mural!
Logger’s Revenge is an enduring example of Arrow Development’s late-era elevated flumes.
Still one of my favorite wood coaster first drops!
And first turnarounds!
It was already getting a little chilly, so we thought we’d get out flume ride in early.
I’m really hoping Cliffhanger (hang gliding themed Paratrooper style ride; on the right in the picture) wears out its welcome soon so that we can put the Scrambler there again.
When the Boardwalk remodeled the “lower bowl” area of the park in the late 90s, I distinctly recall the Huss Breakdance, Whirlwind, as the centerpiece. They’ve since moved it beneath the Boardwalk and given it a great light/theming package and renamed it Wipeout.
(I know this isn’t news to typical Boardwalk goers, but I’d actually forgotten about it until now)
I miss our Spinout (teacup-style ride), but I’m happy that it’s enjoying a new lease on life at Santa’s Village in Illinois, where it operates as Snowball (which is the name it had when it first opened at Scott’s Valley CA’s now-long–gone Santa’s Village. The Illinois Santa’s Village had one exactly like it years ago, and are now thrilled to have one just like it again. I just love happy endings!)
Cave Train Adventure and Haunted Mansion are great, underrated dark rides. The Boardwalk took great advantage of their below-deck space to create these surprisingly vast dark rides.
NEW CREDIT FOR SEAN: Sea Serpent had thus far not been a priority for Sean, but honestly its a fun little ride (also he’s a credit whore now).
I have fond memories of this ride being built when I was in the 4h grade.
Somehow I’ve never noticed this little detail on the park’s Convoy ride, which is lovingly entangled with the log flume’s superstructure.
Classic vibes.
I LOVE the new sign for Sky Glider! (in all seriousness, I don’t actually know how new it is, but I definitely remember the old sign with the colorful balloons).
On our visit, Fireball was still closed for inspection following the Ohio incident.
<3
I have so much appreciation for all the detailed buildings that line the Boardwalk. I love seeing them all lit up from above!
Dipper!
This colorful, wavy building still looks exactly how it does in the 1974 mural! No more Fascination inside, however (The Fascination tables were donated to “Playland Not-at-the-Beach” amusement park museum in San Francisco).
An area of the Boardwalk that’s no stranger to change is the patio above the Speedway bumper cars. We saw the new Undertow Maurer spinner in 2012, and this year we now have a very handsome-looking Zamperla Giant Disk’O next door.
The Disk’O sits on an extension of the upper deck that was carved out of free’d-up space from the new entrance project.
Both new rides have fabulous light packages and really bring some well-deserved new action to this side of the Boardwalk.
Typhoon pays homage to the Fabbri ride of the same name that operated at the Boardwalk from the late 80s until 2004 (ish?) when they replaced it with a Wave Swinger.
Floorless seats and a mesmerizing LED lightshow take the concept to new heights.
A nice-looking underbelly for the Disk’O was a must for obvious reasons.
Still my favorite carousel. Sorry Knoebels peeps, but our brass ring carousel is better!
Before departing we decided to visit boardwalk’s original curiosity shop.
As well as their amazing new shop (home to the world’s greatest store display).
My last visit to the Boardwalk was 3 years ago; my next visit won’t be nearly as far away! I love this place too much!
Join us next time for visits to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and the various small parks of NorCal!
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