EKKA 2008

Hurricane · Post by **Hurricane** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:08 pm

Ah sweet, so we can expect Sea Xplorer and the Hang at Ekka... always one of my favorite types of that ride. Right up there with Shockwave.

Top Gunner14 · Post by **Top Gunner14** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:23 pm

You mean the Sea Xplorer. Same with Sydney, they put up most of the rides but not everything. At Hawkesbury, we used to get 3 zippers too.

Force10 · Post by **Force10** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:43 pm

awesome, cheers for that sighting josh. i love the hang cus its a good ride to get started on. did you see their alibaba? it will be interesting to see if it comes back again.. it wasn't doin to well last year. then again it was a slow show.

oh i checked out a vid of skywalker, (cus i wasn't sure what u guys were talking about...) holys**t is all i can say. it looks nuts! who owns it? Bells?? whoever owns it has a real money maker there...

also i just had a thought, ekka would only publish a full ride list when wittingslow dominated it.. that might have something to do with why they don't anymore.
im gunna see wats there/set-up on tues. if anyone goes there over the weekend let me know wats there!

it must hve been in the same year Top Gunner not too familiar with Hawkesbury but are they on the same circuit?, we only got the top gun a couple of times when the Kamikaze still dominated, just before hang came on the circuit where does it go these days?. has anyone seen marshall's alibaba and cetek's alibaba at the same show? that would really suck for the showies. but side by side it might look cool to watch.

Hurricane · Post by **Hurricane** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:48 pm

SkyWalker is owned by Luke and Chris Hennessy.

matterhorn · Post by **matterhorn** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:21 pm

nah i think the claw starship 2000 thunderbolt will be t syd for many years to come i know the thunder bolt has been in the same spot for years as for the chaos as im sure every one hear knows its up for sale its just not the money spinner it used to be but every ride has its time on the grounds some more than others

Top Gunner14 · Post by **Top Gunner14** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:59 pm

Yes, too true. I have heard that Chaos hasn't been and isn't as popular as it used to be. Hopefully a worthy buyer buys it and travels a bit more. Are you still operating the Claw. Where have the Durkin rides been since Newcastle?

ozshowkid · Post by **ozshowkid** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:27 pm

Chaos can be sold for scrap, its an awful ride. I don't think I have ever seen the ride earn money it is still new considering it was new in 97 or something. Thats my thought any way.

Cheers OZshowkid

matterhorn · Post by **matterhorn** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 3:47 pm

yeah im still runing the claw after newy had four weeks off now in brisy all set up for the ekka as for the chaos make an offer ozshowkid u never know jokes i thik your right though iv not seen it make much money in the time ive bee around

Post by **Zamperla** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 5:00 pm

the Chaos was a pretty ambitious design from Chance, with newly designed gondolas and the ride does present very well but it really missed the mark especially with the teething problems the design went through.

I think someone with a zipper needs to buy it and do some transplants of the chaos cars.

ozshowkid · Post by **ozshowkid** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:28 pm

you could not give me that ride, i don't know many people who actually like the ride.

Cheers Ozshowkid

Turbo_X · Post by **Turbo_X** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:32 pm

the chaos is not even worthy of being my toilet paper it is that crap of a ride. that is all i have to say on that matter, i am sure others would agree.

princess · Post by **princess** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:53 pm

I will also throw my hat in the ring, I felt that Chaos looked very tired and old at Sydney, with the led lighting of all the other newer rides it looked quite out of place.

Force10 · Post by **Force10** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 10:54 pm

i know i'm still a new memeber here, but i have to agree with princess and turbo x. (feel free to let me know if im out of line). With all respect to Durkin's, I rode the chaos at last year's ekka, and it was such a disappointement. I have ridden it many times before (and they were all good experiences) but last year the whole ride didn't last for much longer than a minute and a half. and it was in a shocking state. alot of the lights were busted, and our OTS restraint didn't work properly.. a good overhaul, a bit of a re theme and longer, faster cycles and the chaos could once again pull a crowd. I agree potenical new owners of the ride should travel it more (especially throughout the QLD circuit) cus i don't think such a relatively new ride has exhausted all it's potencial markets.

Anyway, i can think of rides that are much worse than chaos (with all respect to their owners and operators), like megamix that have more maintance issues than they have riders.. oh and the drop always presents well, but two drops in the one cycle would make it more worth while, cus once you've done it one year there's not much point in goin again. last time i rode that was in its debut year... but then again im not that excited about freefall rides.

Top Gunner14 · Post by **Top Gunner14** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:15 am

Yes, Chaos wasn't running a few days of the show at Sydney. I rode it last year and I wasn't impressed. A bit of a waste of money. Yes, Dave, I think puting Chaos gondalas on a Zipper would be a very good idea and a different expierience. Overall, I wouldn't miss it at Sydney or any other shows. I'm sure most of us on here wouldn't give a damn if it wasn't at our local capital.

princess · Post by **princess** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:07 am

I know we are seriously off topic here, I have also wondered why Mega Drop only makes one drop, could be that they would rather someone pay to do it again, than run it twice for the price of one, which would make sense, in these times of financial hardships.

benclare · Post by **benclare** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 5:24 pm

Yep I agree with you all about Chaos. I reckon it's too quiet; you could walk right up to it before you even know it's there!

Good idea about Mega Drop but I don't think the double drop will happen any time soon unfortunately.

Keep the Ekka posts coming guys.

Top Gunner14 · Post by **Top Gunner14** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 5:52 pm

Nah, Mega Drop won't ever be doing 2 drops soon. Loose money, longer ride time. They'd be losing half the people riding when on the second drop, they could have another load of paying people on it. But yes still, I can see where everyone is coming from here. Has anything else turned up at the grounds yet?

princess · Post by **princess** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 6:35 pm

I think that is what I had already said Topgunner

Josh in Rocky · Post by **Josh in Rocky** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:03 pm

I screwed that response up proper job!!

What I was trying to put in, The Ali Baba wasn't with the Hangover on the road. A heap of rain around so could have got held up i guess? A lot of foos trailers on the road too.

Top Gunner14 · Post by **Top Gunner14** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:29 am

Apparently Veruth's sold Ali Baba to the Gill's so thats why it wasn't with the rest of the gear.

HUSSRAINBOW · Post by **HUSSRAINBOW** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 2:13 pm

Times like this, I love and appreciate Rainbow soo much. To think that it came here in the late 80's and it still pulls a good crowd, and is a favourite with kids and teens/adults it just makes me feel good haha. There aren't many icon rides in Australia, but it seems like everyone knows what you are on about when you mention Rainbow or Zipper or even Breakdance and Pirate. I'm glad it's not a ride that is starting to fade away like chaos and claw, they both have sort of become the forgotten rides. Claw was a big deal when it came here, and my god did it do well, but now with such majors like No Limit, Space Roller and Sky Walker, it just shows that some U.S rides have no competition on the massive European majors that we are starting to come accustomed to. We are pretty fortunate, putting things in perspective, at this year's Easter Show, we had Rainbow, No Limit, Space Roller, Speed, Sky Walker and even Hard Rock and Raupen Bahn... considering we aren't big on carnivals and shows like the U.S and Europe, to have at least 7 Major Europen Flat rides is amazing. We certainly are lucky to have these, even if the U.S and Europe have numerous models.

I wonder what 2009 will bring....
Wittingslow's Enterprise is just begging to come back as a major thrill ride at the capitals...

Force10 · Post by **Force10** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:27 pm

checked out the progress at the ekka this arvo, the organisers have moved a few things around this year.

Crazy Coaster is all setup in the middle of the grounds. (where rauben ban, cliff hanger and twinflip usaually are, there is no sign of these rides). because the taipan is also here too. l&l's haunted mansion looks awesome and is in it's usaual place next to the taipan. the drop is mostly set up next to it where no limit was last year

both wheels are up. durkin's is looking very nice. Lauries breakdance is in its usual place, the backdrop is all set up, but the ride is yet to be finished. the showies were fixing all the lights when i was there. hangover is still on the truck, but in its normal spot.

there is still alot of spaces along the gympie rd side of the grounds, which will most probably be for powersurge, no limit, thunderbolt and insanity (thats if its coming back??) none of these rides have arrived yet. skywalker was all unfoled it just needed its platform. its over in the far corner where the drop used to be. spaceroller is all set up in its usual spot, but no sign of those missing signs. but osbourne lighting which supplies all the bulb fixtures for alot of the rides is only at the gold coast, so there is still a bit of time before the ekka starts.
star ship 2000 is next to it, but still to be completed. claw is all set up in its usual place. sea xplorer is over in nova park, and i think flash dance was there too, but it might not have been it. they were also setting up euroslide in its normal place.
so far no sign of a zipper, hard rock, no limit, insanity, speed or power surge (i hope they do come!!), alibaba, bungee bullet or chaos.
im a bit disappointed that there are two coasters this year, they just waste so much space and are all over in less then a minute.

princess · Post by **princess** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:41 pm

Great work force 10, is Huanted Mansion still called Haunted Mansion, there was a post that L&L had revamped it and called it Haunted Hotel, so I am a bit surprised that you have it still as the old name.

Force10 · Post by **Force10** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:49 pm

oh sorry princess, your right it is haunted hotel. what can i say old habits... can't wait for ekka!

PNC · Post by **PNC** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:11 pm

cliff hanger will not be at ekka this year, TPAs kamikaze will be in its place