Rob Decker, Where Did He Start?

Like many other coaster enthusiasts, I want to one day work for a roller coaster company or for an amusement park and be involved with the addition of new rides and attractions. I was just hoping some of you on here know anything about where Rob started and how he became such a big part of Cedar Point and Cedar Fair. How exactly did he get his start in the industry and get to the position he is in today? Also, what can someone like me (a 17 year old attending college next year for civil engineering) do in order to end up in, or close to a position that Rob is in today? Is it more of an engineering aspect for him? Or more of a business? Also, does anyone know what exactly he does? Is he the mastermind behind the new rides that come to the park? And how much is he involved with in the actual construction of the rides?

Why don't you write to him c/o Cedar Fair? He can answer your questions better than anyone here, and he seems like a nice guy so he probably wouldn't mind.

Where can I find his contact info?

I think that should be part of your adventure.

I'm not being sarcastic. What I mean is, along the way to finding his contact info you just might make little connections and meet people...live or virtually...that could make a difference somewhere down the road.

Now go. :)

Thats actually very good advice. Thank you!

My senior year of high school (nearly 10 years ago) I was planning on studying either engineering or architecture in college. I was fortunate enough to spend a day job shadowing one of the architects who worked in planning and design. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a ton about what goes on behind the scenes in an environment like that. You certainly gain an appreciation for the hard work and detail that goes into even the little things that happen at the park.

Anyway, you might consider asking if they would allow you to job shadow someone for a day. There's certainly no guarantee they'll say yes, but if you're really interested in that sort of thing, it doesn't hurt to ask.

I believe he came from the construction/contracting world. I think Cedar Point was his first foray into the amusement business. Not 100% sure on that...but I seem to remember he may have addressed this in one of his construction journals one year.

I talked with Mr. Decker in 2010. He said he got his start at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland. He was part of a team who designed the buildings and attractions around the harbor. He said one of his friends mentioned how city planning and amusement park planning were the same thing. He told him he would look into it and the rest is history.