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Post by Rob Ascough on Jul 28, 2006 14:41:05 GMT -5
Probably is that games building that stood in front of where the Flyer's station used to be.
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Post by fuzzyscorpio on Jul 28, 2006 15:25:01 GMT -5
So Rob, you mean what we see in the reflection might be freestanding games on the beach side of the boards? I think you're correct that that's possible. I just realized that in considering this, I haven't been taking the zoom lens effect into account. I know I was using the zoom there to crop some junk out. Meaning I'm standing farther back from the subject than you would think I was if you're assuming a standard focal length. And I guess that means the angle formed by the reflected object, the motel doors, and me is a lot wider than I had in mind--so maybe it was something up on the boards. It does look like one of those game stands.
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Post by thelastresort on Jul 28, 2006 15:35:53 GMT -5
Very cool. But it's strange, it looks like there is some type of roller coaster on the back end of the pier, which wasn't there in 1991, right? unless I'm looking at the wrong pier or just misunderstanding the picture.
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Post by writhinganacondo on Jul 28, 2006 17:39:44 GMT -5
There was a giant steel coaster, the "Kamikaze", that was on the end of Hunt's around that time. Maybe just for a year. I think thats what that tangle of white steel is.
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Post by Robert on Jul 29, 2006 11:02:41 GMT -5
Hunt's was screwed up by that time, 1991, but it was 100% better than what is there now. At least they still had several operating dark rides and haunted house walkthrough. The Kamikaze was actually dismantled in 1992 I think after Conko's Party Pier (1991) pulled out. On Anthony's site it looks like the pier was abandoned in 1992 with only the few Hunt's rides standing, WS, KK, and GN, Log Flume, and Rapids.
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Post by thelastresort on Jul 30, 2006 7:44:43 GMT -5
There was a giant steel coaster, the "Kamikaze", that was on the end of Hunt's around that time. Maybe just for a year. I think thats what that tangle of white steel is. ok, thanks. I have no idea, since the 80's was that period of my life where I was either not going to WW, or when I did go, we just were hitting the bars and not the boards. But it does seem so wasteful to have spent the money to put up a coaster, then tear it town a year or two later. Too bad they didn't put the money into preserving the old rides, like the Skua, instead of demolishing them.
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Post by Rob Ascough on Jul 31, 2006 8:28:04 GMT -5
Yeah, it is too bad. A lot of classic rides were demolished to make way for a coaster that stood for three seasons and probably operated even less than that.
FYI: The Kamikaze still lives as the Ninja at Six Flags over Georgia outside of Atlanta. I keep hearing rumors of its removal but right now it's still going.
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926
New Member
Posts: 4
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Post by 926 on Jul 31, 2006 21:45:26 GMT -5
The Kamikaze was repoed by Vekoma, Conko's did not make to many payments. It was amazing to watch how quickly the coster came down. They just cut the bolts.
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Post by Rob Ascough on Aug 1, 2006 7:53:34 GMT -5
I guess it didn't matter since they coaster was supposedly installed incorrectly. Yet it was still rough when I rode it in '03 at SFOG.
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Post by Al Alven on Aug 1, 2006 8:46:45 GMT -5
I remember driving down to the Shore the summer the Kamikaze debuted. I think my family was heading to my uncle's place just outside of Ocean City at the time when I kept hearing these radio ads hyping this "incredible" new steel coaster (well, in between incessant playings of the Big Wally's jingle, anyway ;D).
I couldn't wait to get down to Wildwood to check it out, which we eventually did. I remember two main things about the Kamikaze -- One, that it was, visually, a very impressive, massive tangle of twisted steel. Looked like someone just went nuts with gigantic plastic model from a distance.
Secondly, a huge steel coaster like that just didn't look right on Hunt's Pier. I couldn't really place my finger on it... perhaps, it was just knowing what it had replaced that added to it's "un-Wildwood" aura. I don't know. But, it just didn't... fit.
Anyway, even then, it would have been unfathomable to think that this thing would have such a brief tenure in Wildwood as it did. I was all the more amazed two years later when... just like that... it was gone.
The Kamikaze, for all of its hype, its shear size and expense, has to be considered one of the biggest commercial flops in Wildwood history.
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Post by Rob Ascough on Aug 1, 2006 13:24:03 GMT -5
At the time I wasn't a coaster enthusiast so I had no idea what happened. All I remember was driving over the Rio Grande bridge and seeing the huge white coaster in this distance. We figured it was the new ride for the season and had no idea what else happened on Hunt's Pier.
It was a flop, although it now makes an interesting footnote in the history of the Wildwood boardwalk.
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Post by Crippled_Visions on Aug 1, 2006 22:56:15 GMT -5
I always thought that the Kamikaze was a snooze fest. The big drop hill was curved and way too slow. I think the Flyer was more of a thrill than that load.
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Post by Rob Ascough on Aug 2, 2006 8:44:09 GMT -5
Depends on what you like. In the late 80's, wood coasters were like the red-headed stepchildren of their home parks. People were still amazed by anything that went upside-down and that's why the Kamikaze probably seemed like a good idea.
I once heard a rumor that Morey's was going to build a Kamikaze-like coaster on Morey's Pier before something happened and the new owners of Hunt's picked up the project. Not sure if there is any truth in that.
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Post by Al Alven on Aug 2, 2006 18:43:37 GMT -5
I always thought that the Kamikaze was a snooze fest. The big drop hill was curved and way too slow. I think the Flyer was more of a thrill than that load. Crippled, I never did get to ride the Kamikaze, but I remember the reactions of my dad and uncle when they got off the ride that first year it was open. They couldn't wait to ride it, as it looked so impressive, but the visual of them exiting the ride and just shrugging their shoulders, as if to say "Wow, that was... nothing" remain vivid in my mind. I had to remind my dad that the ride even existed the other day, which shows what an indelible mark the experience left on him. And, he has an excellent memory for all things Wildwood.
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Post by Al Alven on Aug 2, 2006 18:50:31 GMT -5
Probably is that games building that stood in front of where the Flyer's station used to be. Very good call, Rob. I haven't cataloged half of the pictures I took last year, but I knew I had a slew of shots from this area of the Boardwalk to look through. Eventually, I came across the pic below (under Kathi's), which pinpoints the location of the gamestand reflection in question. You were right, it was one of the small, freestanding structures on the north side of Hunt's Pier. This one stood in the exact spot where the entrance to the new Sand Jamm store is now. Not exactly sure what the game was, obviously some sort of race competition. I'll have to try to dig up another photo of this while it was actually in operation. The pic below was taken in late September '05, on a weekday.
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