The Giant Dipper vs. The Cyclone

Neptune's Kingdom Miniature Golf, the view from the Historium
Photo by Madeline Horn

Some might say I have an obsession with amusement parks. Can you blame me for loving carnivals? My sisters and I grew up with season passes to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk allowing us to ride the Giant Dipper roller coaster over and over and over. Basically, my mom used the Boardwalk as a day care during the summer.

When I lived in New York I visited Coney Island as often as possible, even in the dead of winter. My friends and I would ride our bikes across the gigantic city of Brooklyn to reach Coney’s boardwalk. I had never seen anything like Coney Island. Carneys were everywhere. Coney is not owned by a corporation like Santa Cruz’s Boardwalk, where never a carney shall step foot. Quite the opposite, Coney has carnival games, freak shows, shoot the freak, fried clams, and dive bars on the boardwalk. So many changes have taken place at Coney Island in the past five years, which my good friend Sonny made a film about. One of the greatest achievements of my life was acting in a TV commercial, directed by Sonny, for Astroland, former owners of the Cyclone rollercoaster. As actors, my friends and I rode all of Astroland’s rides, including the Cyclone, for free while Sonny filmed us. That was the first time I ever made myself sick on rides. On another memorable visit to Coney Island, I brought my mom and sister when they visited me from California and the entire park was filled with Hassidic Jews, mostly children. Honestly, I lived adjacent to their neighborhood, yet hadn’t realized they could let loose like this. We watched a yamaka fly off a little boy’s head on the Cyclone, inciting panic amongst the adult supervision.

Laughing Sal, at the Musee Mecanique you had to feed her quarters,
but she'll laugh at the push of a free button at the Boardwalk
Photo by Madeline Horn

I recently found my new favorite spot on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – the Historium. Old school pinball, beer, air hockey and museum: the perfect combination of amusements come together on the mezzanine overlooking Neptune’s Kingdom at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Neptune’s Kingdom is a pirate-themed miniature golf course in the historic natatorium on the boardwalk. This magical mezzanine has historic arcade games, air hockey, beer, exhibits and photos on the Plunge, the huge indoor pool that used to fill the building. The Historium is less crowded than the rest of the boardwalk, and probably more fun than waiting in line for rides outside.

Hockey men with hand-knit sweaters at the Boardwalk
Photo by Madeline Horn

Cyclone vs. The Giant Dipper

These two wooden roller coasters from the 1920s appear to have lots in common, yet the ride on each is very distinctive, much like the character of Brooklyn vs. Santa Cruz. The Giant Dipper, built in 1924, is a smooth ride with sweeping movements, which feels like flying. The Cyclone, built in 1927, is a rougher ride. The Cyclone will jerk you around and rattle your bones. The hills are steep. The ride is terrifying!

Experience the difference in the feel of the rides in these POV videos:

Cyclone POV video 

Giant Dipper POV video 

The Giant Dipper
Photo by Madeline Horn

Coaster Tips

When riding a roller coaster choose the last seat for a more exhilarating ride. You will feel the hills as soon as you are on them in the back seat and your entire ride will feel faster. If you want a more mellow ride, choose the front seat, where you’ll get the best view, but you will have a major lag in feeling the hills, since you can’t feel the sensation of free fall until the last part of the train drops over the apex of the hill.

Cyclone at Coney Island
Photo Courtesy of Holly Koffler

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