Big Dipper (Geauga Lake)

Big Dipper is a wooden roller coaster located at the defunct Geauga Lake amusement park in Bainbridge Township, Ohio. Originally opened in 1925 as Sky Rocket, it was renamed Clipper in the late 1940s and eventually Big Dipper in 1969. It was the oldest operating roller coaster in Ohio and seventh-oldest in the United States when it closed in 2007. Designed by John A. Miller, the Big Dipper is also one of the last remaining roller coasters in the world from the legendary designer. American Coaster Enthusiasts awarded the coaster its ACE Coaster Classic and ACE Coaster Landmark designations. Efforts to sell, preserve, and restore the ride have been unsuccessful, although the ride is still standing in its original location.

History

For the 1925 season, Geauga Lake amusement park underwent an expansion that included the addition of Sky Rocket, a wooden roller coaster designed by legendary designer John A. Miller. Miller designed over 140 roller coasters and contributed over 100 patented technologies to the roller coaster industry, some of which are still being used on modern-day roller coasters.^[1] Sky Rocket was considered the largest of its time, described as "mammoth" by the industry with a height of 65 feet (20 m) and a track length of 2,680 feet (820 m).^[2][3] It was renamed Clipper in the late 1940s, and then again to Big Dipper in 1969 after Funtime purchased the park.^[4]

Big Dipper underwent major renovations in 1980.

The ride was retracked by Martin & Vleminckx.^[5]

Opening Controversy

There is some debate over what year the ride actually opened to the public. Some historical accounts claim the ride was built and opened in 1925. Others claim that the ride was built in 1925, but did not open until 1926, and still others find that the ride was built and opened in 1926.

To satisfy all three claims, the park celebrated the ride's 80th anniversary in 2005 as well as 2006, but then promptly closed the ride at the end of the 2007 operating season.

A rare photo of the ride has been recovered which clearly states that the photo was taken in 1925, however whether or not the Big Dipper has been completely built or even opened cannot be ascertained from the photograph.^[6]

Big Dipper's Future

Big Dipper's train on the first hill

On September 21, 2007, Cedar Fair announced that the amusement park side of Geauga Lake would close and only the water park, Wildwater Kingdom, would remain. This left the future of Big Dipper uncertain. Because it was the oldest operating roller coaster in Ohio, many, including members of the general public, elected officials, preservationists and roller coaster enthusiasts, are concerned about the fate of Big Dipper. The coaster was sold at an auction of the park's rides in June 2008; minor damage to the structure was repaired in late 2008.^[7]

According to Max Ivey, as of December, 2009, the Big Dipper was up for sale again for a price of $150,000.^[8]

As of August 29, 2010, the Big Dipper was up for auction on internet auction website eBay with bid starting at $9,500 and a "buy it now" price of $65,000. The auction ended on September 6 without a single bid.^[9] On September 30, 2010 two roller coaster enthusiasts teamed up to buy the roller coaster, but the deal was declared dead by the two on January 11, 2011 due to various legal issues regarding the sale.^[10] The enthusiasts had intended to disassemble and store the coaster in an area close to the park.^[11]

As of November 2015 it is still standing but not operating.^[12]

References

External links

• Official Save the Big Dipper Website
• UltimateRollerCoaster.com - Unofficial Page
• Geauga Lake at Top Roller Coasters and Amusement Parks