Giant Dipper

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First drop

The Giant Dipper is a famous wooden roller coaster located at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, an amusement park in Santa Cruz, California, USA. It was designed by Frank Prior and Fredrick Church with a double out and back layout and built by Arthur Looff in 1924 in just 47 days at a cost of $50,000. It opened on May 17th of that year and it cost 15 cents back then. Over the years more than 50 million people have ridden this magnificent old coaster. It has appeared in many television commercials and movies, including The Lost Boys, Sudden Impact and Dangerous Minds.

track from Skyride

[edit] Specifications

Height: 70 feet
Maximum Drop: 65 feet
Top Speed: 55 mph
Length: 2,640 feet
Height Requirement: 50" (4' 2") No Chaperone

The ride takes about 1 minute and 50 seconds.

Located between walkways 3 & 4 at 400 Beach Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Train coming into station

[edit] Additional Facts

Arthur Looff’s father, Charles I. D. Looff, built the Boardwalk’s beloved Carousel in 1911. That ride, like the Giant Dipper, is still in use.

Track view including lift hill

There is another wooden coaster by the same name in San Diego, California’s Belmont Park at Mission Beach. It was built in 1925 and is of similar dimensions.
In 1987 the Giant Dipper was recognized by the US National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark.
Looff described his plans for the coaster by describing it as a, "combination earthquake, balloon ascension, and aeroplane drop."

First out loop

When the Giant Dipper opened, It wasn't the way it is today. Instead of having an indoor station, the station was outside, with no tunnel at the beggining. Also, the original color was green instead of red. Trains have even changed several times.
The Giant Dipper is the 7th oldest American coaster.