Park Review
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Elysburg, Pennsylvania
The Place: Knoebels Wow, it has been close to a month since Phoenix Phall Phunphest (PPP), but, work and a worm that ate my hard drive got in my way. Nevertheless, I am happy to have the time to sit down and write a trip report for this fun-filled event (for park specifics skip the next paragraph). Let me set the scene: I landed at 9 pm in Philadelphia. After heading over to Enterprise (thanks to everyone for the recommendations, they were affordable and easy to deal with), I hopped in my Neon and headed up the highway to a little town called Elysburg. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive as I turned off Interstate 78 onto highway 61 North. The drive was a lot of fun and the towns were really neat to look at. As a child who grew up with Lionel trains, many of these towns looked like the Plasticville buildings that lined my set and I could picture a Lehigh Valley or Erie Lackawanna coal train working its way through the crossings. I arrived at Knoebels a little after 12:30 (roughly a 2.5 hour drive from Philly) and, seeing that my host�s tent was already pitched, I simply laid my drop cloth and sleeping bag outside and drifted off to sleep. Around three I heard a voice yell, �Adam, get the hell inside.� So this was Patripman. We met, talked a bit and then I headed inside for what turned out to be only a few hours of sleep. Around six I heard a noise that sounded like freight train running directly behind the tent, or perhaps I had rolled under the Twister track? No, the wind had just picked up so much that we had to work to keep the tent from blowing away - with us in it. Morning came with a great breakfast and, with time, I saw new and old faces come about to Camp Ripples. Dom, Sparky & I went and visited Camp RRC, then into Knoebels for our first Phoenix & Twister rides of the day. What can I say, they were moving well already - I had no idea what we were in for. There is no way I will remember the order in which we did everything, so I will simply paw through my memories and see what I come up with. I remember leaving camp and heading over to Twister (Allen/Fetterman twister) for a ride with Dom in 1.2 behind the Airbears. Twister was already running better than my visits of last year. The speed coming off the first lift was almost frightening; the speed of the second lift was exactly how John Allen intended it. That dramatic pause before the first drop was great, as were the huge pops of air that were found at the top of the second hill and the entrance to the helix, where you get thrown out and to the side. Twister�s second half improved with the speed, and the small hop/turn into the tunnel provided a smaller-scale version of the helix�s entrance. One thing Ben mentioned, which I do agree with, was that the train seemed to be shaking a lot during the helix. However, with additional lubrication that night, the problem seemed to be lessened. See, John Allen could get intense when he wanted to. The Flyers (Bisch-Rocco) were fun this yea,r but as countless reviewss have said, it did not have the punch it used to. After my rides at PPP, my favorite fliers are now the ones at Paramount�s Kings Island. We bought our PPP tickets and rode in the Haunted House (Knoebels in-house and used rolling stock). This ride is so much fun; I could ride it all day! Each scene is so well done, and it manages to take nearly every trick from all of the classic dark rides you knew as a kid and combine them into one great experience. I still jump at �the spot,� even though I know it is coming! Add in the classic rolling stock and it is one of the most unique experiences out there. Theme parks always say that no one wants old dark rides. To me, Knoebels� Haunted House shows that if small-to-medium parks install a well-done dark ride, the public will enjoy it. We then headed over to the Sky Slide, but it was sadly closed. It was nice just go and look at the kid�s rides. The last two years I have learned to appreciate both carousels and children�s rides, so it was fun to poke around and see the wide array of kid�s rides. From Herschell to Mangels (and everything in between), there were a lot of attractions for the pint-sized in the family. The Scooters (Lusse) were next, and we saw what looked to be three new fiberglass cars. Although I was disappointed to see these on the ride, they do make it fun if someone you are with decides to get in one (right, Ed?). Many good hits were had; this has to be one of the most vicious park experiences out there. The line for the Satellite (Eyerly Roll-O-Plane) was a little long, one of our group members momentarily swooned the High Speed Thrill Coaster Ride (Overland) op for a ten-circuit ride. The thighs were a little sore after going round and round (and thrown into the lapbar), but an end to the laterals were not in sight, so we headed to the new-for-2001 Downdraft (Dartron). I got an inside seat on the rear of the two seats and we were soon off. I must say that this ride, a modern interpretation of the Allan Herschell Hurricane, surprised the hell out of me. On the outside the airtime was great and on the inner seats the visuals were just as dramatic, as the ride appeared to slam into the center pole, only to be pulled away at the last second. I loved this ride and hope smaller parks and carnivals pick it up. It only goes to show that classics never die. Between this and the Cliffhanger, it looks like Dartron is on quite a roll with its new ride offerings. Next-door was last year�s new attraction, the Power Surge (Zamperla). I still enjoy these rides and the visuals of the people across from you can always be fun. Carnival and park owners get a lot of ride for a reasonable price in this eye catching midway piece. Not that I would complain if Knoebels went with KMG for their next ride� We walked back towards the Cesari�s and ate our complimentary pizza. My wallet winced as we walked over to the sales area, because it was about to take a hit. I picked up several postcards (including one showing the Edmonton Mindbender pre-accident and one post-accident), as well as three books (Woody Register�s well-researched �The Kid of Coney Island: Fred Thompson and the Rise of Amusements,� Doug Higley�s �Scary Dark Rides� and Daniel Samuelson�s �The American Amusement Park�, published by the same group that did Rutherford�s, and makes a wonderful companion book for it). All three are good publications and each is a unique new look at the particular subject. In Doug Higley�s case, it is the only book I know about that is devoted to dark rides. We walked back through the park, enjoying the train and the beautiful view from the Ferris wheel, and headed back to camp for some food and a beer. After a quick break, we enjoyed the Haunted House, where I ever so briefly talked with Nate, Josh & George (ever our theme, it seems) and then the skooters. The ride seemed to be moving a bit faster, and I thought I was doing better, but Joe Schwartz was in front of me, so his snapping made my meager attempts all the more depressing. The real story of the night was Dom. Granted, his lack of weight gives him an advantage, but make no mistake - he is the best snapper I have seen. The ride he creates is just sick. I am just happy the ride stayed intact while he was on it! We rode some coasters, then I took a break because I could not remain for the hangover on Sunday. I walked down to the Downdraft, which had a great light package, and got a ride on the inside. Power Surge was temporarily down, so I grabbed another Downdraft experience (love those g�s) and I meandered over to the carousel (Kremer�s Carousel Works, Carmel carvings & Looff mechanism). I may not be an overly religious man, but I do believe that a trip to Knoebels sans carousel will send you directly to hell (do not pass go, do not collect $200). Even though the kids clamored on the outside horses before I had a chance, it was still a magical ride. The organ churned, the mechanism rumbled and I was taken away, if ever so briefly, from everyday life. For a few minutes, the comforting sound of the organ was all I needed to get through the night. So much has been said about the coasters that I will only add a little. Quite simply, both were breathtaking experiences - smooth, fast, intense. The largest surprise of the night were the rides I had in Phoenix 4.3 (Schmeck/PTC double out & back). I got several in my usual 1.3, but that last seat was a very intense experience that was a pleasant surprise. However, the one memory I will carry from that PPP is my second-to-last ride, which occurred in the front seat with Mark. This was insane. I will always remember pausing at the top of the lift and not seeing the turn-around or even the bottom of the drop - it was downright frightening. It is just so hard to describe how insane these Phoenix rides really were to people not there; I know I would not have believed it if I had not experienced this coaster on this night myself. After closing the night on Twister, I split my time between the bonfire and Camp Ripples, talking and drinking with many enthusiasts. A huge thank you goes out to Bernard for Camp Ripples. It provides a great meeting point for our group and I appreciate your hospitality; I hope to one day pay you back. I enjoyed meeting so many people like Ben, Rob S., Jimmy Gallo, my gracious hosts in Dom & Patripman, GR8 Ump and Jake, and spending a few minutes talking to the man whose trip report�s I have always read before visiting a park for the first time, Mark McKenzie. There were many, such as Flare, who I saw but did not get to chat with, but I figure with time it will happen. Of course I saw all the regulars, so I will be lazy and not list everyone, but it was great to see so many familiar faces (now if we can only get together more than once a year�). PPP has been called a lot of things by a lot of enthusiasts. It is hard to believe that 16 years have passed since it first occurred, and the enthusiast community, along with the coasters they ride, are so different. The Internet is here, Inside Track has come and gone and wooden coasters are more popular than ever. What does the future hold? I will not venture a guess. But I will say that even with its changes of rides, Knoebels has remained a rock, seemingly oblivious to the Gary Story�s and X�s of the world. As Basil Rathbone once called Nigel Bruce, it is a fixed point in a changing age. I would not have it any other way.
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