You're Going to Get Wet, Probably Soaked...

JW65 · Post by **JW65** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 8:21 pm

As you were sitting down to ride any of the flume or raft rides you would hear a taped announcement reminding you how wet you were going to get...and..."Keep your hands inside the boat at all times". And how about those turnstyle floors that kept turning to allow the boats/logs to keep moving. You'd be used to standing in line and all of a sudden the floor you'd be walking on to get onto a boat/log would be moving. There would be times you would have to sit down on a seat that was soaking wet. Or, you'd near a surprise burst of a water jet to hit you down the back of your shirt on Roaring Rapids. You'd be anticipating the steep drop and then splash on Loggers Run or Yankee Clipper. Or you'd purposely stand on the bridge of Splashwater Falls (SFGA fame) and get soaked. (Now SFGAm and PGA have attached water parks to keep us happy.)

You'd always know which people had just come from these rides by how wet their clothing would be. If it was a warm day, you didn't care, but if it was a cool day, you could be miserable until you dried off. Oh, what fun we had on those rides and what a great way to cool off on a hot, summer day!

Post by **steven** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 11:24 pm

Loggers Run, Yankee Clipper, and the dry WILLARD'S WHIZZER used to be the most popular rides in the park. Nowadays in Santa Clara, the Yankee Clipper has been gone for five years and Loggers Run usually has little or no wait. Things have definitely changed a lot since the Marriott days.

Steven

segerken · Post by **segerken** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 3:15 pm

Not all guests were prepared to get wet.

I worked on the SC Log ride in the late 70's. One day while working the unloading position a log came in with a woman wearing some sort of white outfit with nothing on underneath. Being wet, her outfit was completly see through. As they were going up the steps her date/husband was laughing real load attracting the attention of all of the people in line. I've always wonder that if they were dating if that was their last date.

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 10:25 am

What was the fate of the Yankee Clipper in SC? I have seen a photo online of it sitting in a parking lot in pieces. Does anybody know if this ride was rebuilt or if it was scrapped? I do know that the Gurnee ride is still operating. It is a favorite of mine.

WhizzerSFGAm · Post by **WhizzerSFGAm** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 10:38 am

Santa Clara's Yankee Clipper was removed after the 1998 season in preparation for Stealth. It was never rebuilt at any park. When the park cleared out the boneyard, it was scrapped.

Really ashame because Yankee Clipper kicks Logger's Run's rear-end.

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:42 pm

Were all of the boats scrapped as well?

Tanya · Post by **Tanya** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:26 pm

This may be a stupid question, but I will ask it anyway. The Yankee Clipper and Loggers Run criss crossed. Why remove one and not both? Did taking one out really give that much extra space for a new ride? I don't think I've been there since it was removed, so I am having a hard time visualizing this.

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 3:41 pm

Yes the two flume rides run side by side at some areas at ground level. I always thought that this part was pretty cool especially at some of the curves. I have worked on the Yankee Clipper for a year (Gurnee) in 85 and am very familiar with the layout. I hope SFGA keeps this ride running. Anyway, I have not seen the SC park in person but I have done quite a bit of photo research on this park and what I seemed to have noticed is that when the Stealth was built I believe that some of the lower (ground level) portions of loggers run where rebuilt. Some of the Loggers Run concrete looked pretty new here in 2000. See close up of flume under Stealth: http://www.rcdb.com/ig583.htm?picture=3 . I believe that they removed the lower portions for both flumes and a large portion of the pond also. Then they rebuilt what they had to for Loggers Run. I do not know if the Loggers Run path had to be changed or not to get around the Stealth. I've seem some constuction photos before showing some of this, I'll try to find them again. Again, I have not been to SC. This is just what I've been able to figuire out on my own.

Tanya · Post by **Tanya** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:30 pm

Thanks redfishpaw,
That's a much clearer understanding of what they did. It's a shame one had to go. It was cool how they were almost mirrors of each other. I do remember that at SC Yankee Clipper never seemed to be open as much. Not sure why that was.

WhizzerSFGAm · Post by **WhizzerSFGAm** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 4:46 pm

Until this year, SFGAm's Yankee Clipper/Ice Mountain Splash was also closed alot. Luckily, it has been open almost daily since June this year

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 5:08 pm

I am glad to hear that it is open regularly. It was closed last time in the park (late 04) and I took several photos of Yankee Clipper (I dont care much for the new name) I have been worried about this ride (actually, both flumes) especially with the new water park now being open. Thanks.

WhizzerSFGAm · Post by **WhizzerSFGAm** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 7:38 pm

I dont think you have to worry about both flumes ever being removed. Ice Mountain Splash/Yankee Clipper IMO is still endangered. I would guess it will be the next major attraction to leave. Logger's Run (as much as I hate it) is probably safe for a very long time.

A water park is not a replacement for theme park water rides and I'm sure SFGAm management realizes that.

Post by **steven** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 9:39 pm

WhizzerSFGAm wrote:Santa Clara's Yankee Clipper was removed after the 1998 season in preparation for Stealth. It was never rebuilt at any park. When the park cleared out the boneyard, it was scrapped.

I'm not certain that the Santa Clara Yankee Clipper was scrapped. I was told by a park employee that it was sold to a park located outside the US. Clipper did not go to the PGA bone yard. It was put out into a section of the parking lot. It wasn't there for very long. It's plausible that it wasn't there for long because it was shipped off to a new home, unlike rides that sat in the bone yard for years before being scrapped.

Regarding Tanya's question about the space gained by removing one flume and not the other: While the flumes intertwined, each had a lower flume at roughly ground level and an upper flume. Clipper's upper flume was above Loggers' lower flume and the opposite was also true. By removing Clipper, they gained the air space above Loggers' lower flume, which allowed the placement of the Stealth roller coaster above the lower portion of Loggers Run.

Steven

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 10:41 am

Here is a much better photo of the Loggers Run lower Flume during the water park construction. I think that the concrete flume was redone in around 2000 when Stealth was installed. We can see that the lower flume path (which is now entirely made of concrete) is similar to the original layout.
http://www.srcphotography.com/gallery/d ... m=6&pos=40

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:54 am

Here is a nice Yankee Clipper photo from a 1977 MGA brochure.
http://www.pbase.com/redfishpaw/image/47536209
This one is a favorite of mine