Is my memory correct about GL?

Me and my parents did not go to Geauga Lake very often when I was a kid, we spent most of our time going to Kings Island and the every-other-year trip to CP. (We also spent a huge amount of time at a small water playground called Eckel's Lake)

However, I have this memory of GL, at some point did they have water slides that emptied into the lake?

I also thought I remembered a ride they had at GL (and Eckel's) that was a roller slide, where you sat on a sled and went down a huge slide, then "skipped" across the water.....

I also believe that the big dipper was the only coaster in the park when I was there (late 70's early 80's)

You're memory is not correct. The under tow emptied into a pool. This "roller slide" was called undertow (http://www.geaugalaketoday.com/Coasterdad/Undertow%201.jpg).

Big Dipper wasn't the only coaster in the park at that time. Corkscrew (arrow corkscrew - Standard) was built in 1978. The Cyclone (Pinfari Z47), and the Double Loop were opened at that time.

Actually your memory is correct. Sometime in the early 80's Geauga Lake took the giant slide that was located next to the far turn of Big Dipper and put it partially in the lake shown as #42 in the far right on this 1983 map and renamed them Super Slides. They had a small beach at this time also. I beleive this whole concept lasted maybe two years.
*** Edited 9/6/2006 12:37:28 AM UTC by coasterdad***

That's pretty cool... I never realized Geauga Lake used to have a cable-car ride that went to nowhere... ;)

Man I sure like that old style of map illustration better than the current format used for CF parks. It's too frenetic, and the vertical structures just overwhelm everything else with their forced perspectives. Those old maps, you can see everything much more clearly and make much better sense of the layout. I also like the old style used for Kings Island, both the original one employed up 'til 1975, and the later style used through the mid-eighties. I'm sure somebody else on this site has examples they could post.

I had no idea that GL had Fascination as well... I miss that game. I can't believe CP didnt just shrink it down to a smaller size and put it in the arcade (Although I havent been in the arcade since fascination left - who knows!)

I remember in the mid 80s or so seeing the boats from the ferry ride just sitting there rotting underneath the Sky Glide (the cable car ride that went to nowhere) Anyone else remember seeing that?

GeminiFan said:
I remember in the mid 80s or so seeing the boats from the ferry ride just sitting there rotting underneath the Sky Glide (the cable car ride that went to nowhere) Anyone else remember seeing that?

Are you sure what you saw was not some of the props used for The Big Ditch ride? As I recall there was an old boat right at the far turn of the Skyglide that was a boat cut in half and looked to be rotting as in this picture. By the end of Big Ditches run it really was rotting away. Geauga Lakes Fascination game lasted one year of Six Flags and was then converted to the SkiBall/Pool arcade that is there today.

Wasn't Raging wolf bobs around back then.

It most likely was the props used for the Big Ditch ride, I was a kid then so my memory is only so good. Maybe I am right about the "rotting away" part.

I don't know if it was the boats rotting away or if it was other stuff in the ditch in the 80s, but GLP does have a long and hard earned reputation for letting things rot away...

Well, it's not that hard to earn a reputation letting things rot away... ;)

I remember standing in the queue for the Antique Cars ride (the building) at GL in 1984 and seeing peoples handwritten graffiti on the walls. It was still there 20 yrs later! And it didn't look like it was painted in 20 yrs either.